Cyberselfish is back in print. Paulina Borsook’s 2000 book on the libertarian culture of high tech had become so scarce that used copies reportedly climbed from about $5 to $200 or more, before Tin House brought it back in autumn 2026.
In an interview with TechCrunch, published on 25 October 2026, Borsook explains why she thinks the ideas still fit, and why she calls today’s AI boom a Ponzi scheme.
Key takeaways
- Cyberselfish first appeared in 2000 from PublicAffairs and went out of print after the dot-com crash.
- The new edition is from Tin House and, at the author’s request, is unchanged from the original.
- Gil Duran, author of Nerd Reich, wrote a new foreword.
- Borsook says Silicon Valley’s anti-government streak has been there for decades, and that finance changed the culture after the Netscape IPO.
- She is cynical that insiders can reform big tech from within.
What is Cyberselfish, and why is it back?
The book’s full title is Cyberselfish: A Critical Romp Through the Terribly Libertarian Culture of High Tech. Borsook, a former contributing writer at Wired in the 1990s, profiles the cypherpunks, the Bionomics Institute and other Silicon Valley tribes. Publishers Weekly described her as well placed to anatomize that culture.
It sold poorly and faded. Then, according to Literary Hub, a viral LinkedIn post in May 2025 called it “too right, too early.” Gil Duran’s posts, a New York Times feature and a podcast appearance followed. Copies sold out, and publishers took notice.
Borsook told TechCrunch she wanted the new edition kept as “an artifact of a time and place.” She also calls the book “almost a travelogue” rather than a polemic.
What does Borsook say about techno-libertarianism?
Techno-libertarianism, in her telling, is “a kind of basket of beliefs.” It is fiercely anti-regulation, even though the tech sector grew on government funding and research.
Her sharpest line: “no sector of society had benefited more and suffered less from the government than these guys.” Duran, in a foreword he posted on The Nerd Reich on 10 September 2026, quotes the book’s “contempt for government when government had been so verrry verrry good to high tech.”
She also points to founders who move to Nevada to dodge California taxes while still relying on public infrastructure. Her example is the water quality of Lake Tahoe.
Ravers vs Gilders: does the split still hold?
The book sorts tech’s culture into camps. Borsook says the two best known still apply.
| Camp | Outlook | Named after |
|---|---|---|
| Ravers | Culturally liberal, Burning Man style | Rave and festival culture |
| Gilders | Socially conservative | George Gilder |
What links them, she argues, is the same suspicion of government. Her view is that Silicon Valley culture has been continuous, not a sudden shift.
Why does she call AI a Ponzi scheme?
Borsook dates the culture’s turning point to the Netscape IPO, when finance-minded investors and a “flip and flee” mindset arrived. Since then, she says, money has mattered more than technology.
She applies the same lens to Airbnb and Uber, which she sees as financial plays more than technical ones. On AI she is blunt: “I see AI right now as a big Ponzi scheme,” driven by investor expectations more than intrinsic value.
That is her opinion, and plenty of people disagree. For the money side of the debate, see our pieces on the OpenAI funding round and the Nvidia financier role.
Can tech be reformed from the inside?
Borsook is not hopeful. “I’m very cynical about it,” she said. She does suggest that a shift in corporate self-interest could change companies’ politics.
For young people who want tech careers, she points toward smaller, bootstrapped ventures and appropriate technology. She admits that heavy AI investment and government budget cuts make that harder.
What happens next
The reissue is out from Tin House, an imprint of Zando. Retailer listings gave a release date of 15 September 2026, and Duran’s post mentioned a Bay Area launch event in Oakland and an online Q&A with Borsook the following month. Sources differ on exact dates, so check the publisher.
Expect the book to be read against the AI boom. Whether you find her argument fair or too sweeping, it is now easy to buy and judge for yourself.
FAQ
Who wrote Cyberselfish?
Paulina Borsook, a writer who covered Bay Area tech from the 1980s and wrote for Wired in the 1990s.
Is the new edition updated?
No. At the publisher’s request it is unchanged from 2000, with a new foreword by Gil Duran.
What does Borsook say about AI?
She told TechCrunch she sees AI as a big Ponzi scheme driven by investor expectations. It is her opinion, not a settled fact.
Next step: read the foreword and the TechCrunch interview, then decide whether her 2000 map still fits the industry you work in.
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