The most-read longform stories of the year

The internet has a dirty secret: people love to read. Check out your favorite WIRED stories of the year. View this email in your browser  12.29.19 The internet has a dirty little secret that's hiding in plain sight: People love to read. Looking back on 2019, that trend is only growing. The majority of the most-read WIRED stories this year were ambitious longreads. They ranged across a wide array of topics—from inside accounts of tech companies in crisis to twisty crime tales to heartbreaking medical sagas—but they shared some crucial traits: in-depth reporting and thinking, narrative punch, nerve-touching timeliness. So herewith, our list of the most-read features of 2019. Admit it, you like to read. So dive in now before a new year—and all the mind-blowing stories it will bring—is upon us. Mark Robinson | Features Editor, WIRED   The Devastating Allure of Medical Miracles BY DAVID DOBBS After sepsis forced the amputation of Sheila Advento's hands, an intricate transplant technique made her whole again. Then came the side effects.   The Strange Life and Mysterious Death of a Virtuoso Coder BY BRENDAN I. KOERNER Jerold Haas was on the brink of blockchain riches. Then his body was found in the woods of southern Ohio.   Three Years of Misery Inside Google, the Happiest Company in Tech BY NITASHA TIKU Sexual harassment. Hate speech. Employee walkouts. The Silicon Valley giant is trapped in a war against itself. And there's no end in sight.   My Search for a Boyhood Friend Led to a Dark Discovery BY DOUGLAS PRESTON A surfeit of ugly knowledge is a feature of our age. But when information is everywhere, some things are better left buried.   15 Months of Fresh Hell Inside Facebook BY NICHOLAS THOMPSON Scandals. Backstabbing. Resignations. Record profits. Time Bombs. In early 2018, Mark Zuckerberg set out to fix Facebook. Here's how that turned out.   A Brutal Murder, a Wearable Witness, and an Unlikely Suspect BY LAUREN SMILEY Karen Navarra was a quiet woman in her sixties who lived alone. She was found beaten to death. The neighbors didn't see anything. But her Fitbit did. GET WIRED Insider access to our New Year's Sale   For a limited time, get a full year of the print magazine + digital access to wired.com for just $5.   Subscribe Today     This e-mail was sent to you by WIRED. To ensure delivery to your inbox (not bulk or junk folders), please add our e-mail address, wired@newsletters.wired.com, to your address book.   View our Privacy Policy Unsubscribe or manage your newsletter subscriptions