Jun 06, 2007 02:59 AM
2957 Views
I could start the review with a bang, by giving a extravagant introduction to two computer geeks pursuing their PhD's from Stanford Univ and going on to become one of the most successful entrepreneurs.
Or I could just ask you to read the book.
The Google Story, By David Vise is the story of how keeping it simple yet different worked for Google. Its evident that Mr Vise had to do a lot of research on the numbers as well as the anecdotes as well as numerous snippets here and there. The books promises to inform the reader of how one of the'biggest success story of our time' took place. Right from its inception, when Sergey met Larry to how they transformed the entire working conditions for google employees(Google has its own chef which prepares healthy nutritious food and yes its free) to how new innovative ideas such as their take on The Wall Street(which they hate) investment houses.
Its quite obvious that most of us want to read this book only because we use google everyday and we want to know how a company which just started in 1998(especially during the dot com bust), became so huge in such a short span. The book does well to explain to us all the troubles that the google guys had to go through, right from getting money to the google IPO which is another success story.
The book maintains a good tempo and even though you might find a lot of technical and web jargon scattered, you dont feel like you're in a different ball park altogeher.
Rest assured, he book isnt all praise about google. The mistakes google committed(Such as the Gmail travesty) are also highlighted in the book, rather vividly. The ever existing battle between Google and Microsoft is also well portrayed, with Bill Gates clearly shown as a tyrant.
I guess the nice thing about the book is the transparency wth which everything is written, or maybe that might be the case because google(atleast till very recently) didnt reveal much. Things like its net profits and inner new technologies werent brought out for the world to know.
The book also emphasizes on how google employs seem to be in one never ending party, with ample time to pursue other interests and is all praise about the creative working conditions.
All in all, I'd say all google users to go buy the book.
Oh yes, in the end it has a little surprise, a test for you guys to write and if you fare well, who knowns you might get a call from googleplex.
