Theranos’ Hidden Truths: 5 Investigative Journalism Books to Read If You Love Everything Behind You Can See Everything

The story behind the film

The film revisits a story first brought to light by a Wall Street Journal reporter and whistleblowers. The Theranos collapse later became the subject of Hulu’s The Dropout and HBO’s The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley, as well as books.

Why investigative books appeal

Investigative journalists have written books about real cases involving murder, crime and long-running mysteries. These accounts can uncover truths that people have tried to hide, while bringing readers close to the reporters and subjects involved.

The books on this list span places from Kansas to Belfast and Silicon Valley. One writer, the article notes, accidentally solved a murder while working on a book.

Carreyrou and Theranos

Bad Blood by John Carreyrou traces how Holmes’ claims about Theranos fell apart and the harm caused to people connected to the company. Carreyrou was working at The Wall Street Journal when he received a tip in 2015 that the company’s blood-testing technology did not work.

The book follows Holmes’ upbringing and the creation of Theranos, alongside the experiences of investors, employees and customers. It describes Britney Gould receiving a false miscarriage diagnosis and Erin Tompkins receiving a false positive HIV test.

It also covers Tyler Shultz and Erika Cheung, who risked their careers to expose the technology. Carreyrou recounts his investigation and the intimidation and threats he says came from Holmes’ team.

Beyond the book

The Theranos case also inspired The Dropout, starring Amanda Seyfried as Holmes and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Carreyrou. Readers interested in audio can also turn to Carreyrou’s companion podcast.

The podcast discusses the case and Holmes’ trial, which took place after the book was published. The supplied account ends while describing the trial’s outcome.