Summary

With Chapter 19, narration shifts to first person as the author, John Carreyrou, describes his involvement with, and investigations into, Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos. He narrates the beginning of his investigative process – being led into the story by a phone conversation with Adam Clapper; eventually managing to get hold of Alan Beam; and learning from an initially nervous Beam about what he had seen while at Theranos. Carreyou becomes both increasingly intrigued and increasingly shocked, particularly as he learns, from Beam, about the unreliability of the Theranos equipment and tests. Carreyou comments that inflated claims were common in Silicon Valley startups, but adds that for him, “It was one thing to do that with software or a smartphone app, but doing it with a medical product that people relied on to make important health decisions was unconscionable” (229). He also references his history of...