X-Book

The Age of Extraction

Click Buy to Log in and see personalised pricing.

Send as a gift Get in the xigxag app
How does xigxag pricing work?

Listen to a sample

What to expect

The pre-eminent exponent of anti-monopoly law explains why we have no option but to break Big Tech’s monopolies, and that doing so would unleash innovation and growth.

Today’s dominant tech platforms – the places where we exchange information and buy things online – could be the most powerful engines of prosperity ever invented. Instead, they are the most effective instruments of wealth extraction ever created and a grave threat to our societies.

Here the pre-eminent exponent of anti-monopoly law Tim Wu, who coined the phrase ‘net neutrality’, explains why breaking Big Tech’s monopolies would unleash innovation and growth and is essential if we are to avoid further social division. In their place he sets out the five key ways in which future platforms should be managed to harness the extraordinary potential of these essential technologies and to help build the balanced economies we so badly need.

‘Wu deftly breaks down one of the greatest challenges of our age - the unaccountable power of tech platforms - into such digestible pieces that the solutions for what to do become dead obvious’ KAREN HAO, author of Empire of AI

'Tim Wu is a titan . . . a must-read' Financial Times

‘Tim Wu's readable, passionate call is for a fairer economy where the benefits of AI can be for all of us’ DARON ACEMOGLU, co-author of Why Nations Fail

*A NEW YORKER BEST BOOK OF 2025*

© Tim Wu 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025

Critics Review

Tim Wu is a titan in the world of competition policy in digital markets … [His] record of insight, indeed prescience, makes his new book, The Age of Extraction, a must read
Financial Times
A manual to the oligarchic takeover of the internet as well as the broader economy that now depends upon it . . . [whose] proposed solutions for fixing the internet provide hope, not least because of how simple they are
New Statesman
The paradox of the platform: without middlemen, we’d all be stuck, but those same middlemen are forever working to declare themselves to be our bosses. Wu’s characteristically insightful book cuts to the core of these world-consuming, usurping enshittifiers, and tells us how to stop them
Cory Doctorow, author of Enshittification
The magic of Tim Wu’s The Age of Extraction is its simplicity. Wu deftly breaks down one of the greatest challenges of our age - the unaccountable power of tech platforms - into such digestible pieces that the solutions for what to do become dead obvious. Essential reading for anyone looking for the recipe to rebalance the vast inequality in our society and to create a thriving economy that works for everyone
Karen Hao, author of Empire of AI
Large tech companies are set to be the main beneficiaries of a new economy based on data and artificial intelligence. But neither the lopsided present of tech nor the future direction of technology is our destiny. Tim Wu's readable, passionate call is for a fairer economy where the benefits of AI can be for all of us, and he proposes principles, laws, and regulations about how to achieve this
Daron Acemoglu, co-author of Why Nations Fail
Tim Wu’s The Age of Extraction is a how-to book on how we can achieve liberty once again. Wu describes why so much in our society feels unbalanced, that the convenience and scale of platforms masks a hidden creeping power over our lives and communities. But he also shows how platforms in one form or another have always been part of human society, and the key is to govern them properly
Matt Stoller, author of Goliath
Tim Wu’s The Age of Extraction is a must-read. This is a book for anyone—from senator to student—who seeks to understand our digital economy and why we need common sense rules of the road. Wu shows us how to protect consumers, workers, small businesses, and even our democracy from dominant platforms that have inserted themselves into nearly every aspect of our lives
Senator Amy Klobuchar
The Age of Extraction is remarkably astute and timely. Wu brilliantly analyzes platform power with great clarity, insight, and moral force, laying out the material stakes for people's lives as well as a roadmap for achieving broad prosperity and economic fairness. A vital book for these troubled times
Lina Khan, Former Chair, U.S. Federal Trade Commission
An intelligent and useful guide
New York Times

User Reviews

Book 5.0
Narration 5.0
Author Tim Wu
Narrator Frits Zernike
Duration 6 hours and 1 minutes
Release Date
ISBN 9781529973983
Format Audiobook
Publisher Random House
Genre Capitalism, Economic history, Impact of science and technology on society, Information technology industries, Monopolies, Social forecasting, future studies
Availability AU, GB, IE
Rating
5.0 (1 review)
Narration
5.0 (1 review)

More from the same

Narrator

About xigxag

Experience the best audiobooks with xigxag, an innovative and user-friendly audiobook platform designed for seamless discovery, purchase, and enjoyment of your favorite titles. Our flexible pricing model offers bestselling audiobooks for less, providing affordable prices and the best audiobook deals without requiring a subscription. Perfect for gifting, xigxag also features convenient audiobook gift cards and in-app audiobook gifting options.

 

Beyond the listening experience, xigxag stands as an exciting alternative to big tech, embodying a strong commitment to sustainability and ethical practices. As the only B Corp certified UK audiobook service, we ensure a guilt-free listening experience from a leader in audiobook innovation.

 

Effortlessly search audiobooks, access honest audiobook reviews that evaluate both the content and narration, and easily discover hidden gems. Whether you prefer to download or stream top audiobook titles, xigxag provides the best possible listening experience anytime, anywhere, on the UK’s best independent audiobook app. Discover the future of audiobooks today.