Who Can You Trust?

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What to expect

Penguin presents the audiobook edition of Who Can You Trust? by Rachel Botsman, read by Caroline Baum.

Nominated for the Business Book Awards 'Embracing Change' category

If you can't trust those in charge, who can you trust?


From government to business, banks to media, trust in institutions is at an all-time low. Widespread corruption, elitism and economic disparity have led to a worldwide upsurge of anti-establishment movements. But this isn't the age of distrust - far from it.

In this revolutionary book, world-renowned trust expert Rachel Botsman reveals that we are at the tipping point of one of the biggest social transformations in human history. A new world order is emerging: we have lost faith in brands, leaders and systems, but millions of people every day rent their home to total strangers on AirBnB, exchange cryptocurrency online, or get in the car of an unknown Uber driver. This is the age of distributed trust; a paradigm shift driven by new technologies that are rewriting the rules of an all-too-human relationship.

If we are to benefit from this radical transformation, it is vital that we understand the new mechanics of how trust is built, managed, lost and repaired. In Who Can You Trust?, Botsman provides a detailed map of this uncharted landscape - and explores what's next for humanity.

Critics Review

  • Beautifully-written . . . the thesis is completely compelling. This is an important book

    Andy Haldane, Chief Economist, Bank of England
  • This is that admirable and all too rare book that gives you “an idea to think with” that helps to put new things in place: from Brexit, Donald Trump, and Blockchain to Facebook and your discontents. Who Can You Trust is a primer for a new world that sets you up to be a better citizen, consumer, and parent. In the new world of decentralized trust you need to think about who you trust, why you trust, and what that really means for what kind of new society we are building. A beautifully written, clear eyed book…I learned so much. About so many things I wanted to know. So quickly

    Abby Rockefeller Mauzé Professor of the Social Studies of Science and Technology, MIT, and author of Alone Together
  • Profound . . . will cause you to think deeply about your business, your relationships and your life

    Don Tapscott, bestselling author of 16 books, including 'Blockchain Revolution'
  • Trust affects everything – from neighbourliness and shopping to democracy. This fascinating and well-researched study of the shifting tides of trust shows both the power of new technological solutions and the often surprising problems they bring in their wake. Every reader will gain new insights into one of the great issues of our time

    Geoff Mulgan, Chief Executive, NESTA
  • A timely and accessible framework for understanding what trust is, how it works, why it matters and how it is evolving. It is an important primer to the obstacles and opportunities we face as a society if we are to repair and redefine trust across socioeconomic, political and cultural divides. The stakes are high.

    Washington Post
  • Extremely thought-provoking . . . a must-read for anyone interested in how the world works – and will work in the future

    Will Dean, co-founder and CEO of Tough Mudder

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