For anyone trying to understand the bonkers world of YouTube, this is essential reading.' - ESQUIRE 'Both absorbing and highly illuminating' - THE BOOKSELLER 'No one understands the intricacies of YouTube like Chris Stokel-Walker' - THE ATLANTIC Two billion people now watch YouTube, yet its stars are a mystery to the general public and media. What is the secret of their appeal? How do they cope with being in front of the lens? And who is behind their success? More than 100 insiders laid bare the reality of their lives for this, the first in-depth independent book on YouTube. It charts the platform's rise from single home video to global boom - while getting the facts on brand deals, burnout and authenticity. This is an ideal guide for anyone in universities, media or marketing who needs to understand YouTube professionally, and of course those who want to make it as a YouTuber. By the author of TikTok Boom: China's Dynamite App and the Superpower Race for Social Media.