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The Google Story: For Google's 10th Birthday…
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The Google Story: For Google's 10th Birthday (edition 2008)

by David A. Vise

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1,4942412,057 (3.54)12
There is an old saying that probably should be updated. "Build a better mouse trap and the world will beat a path to your door...right after it Google's you to find how to get there." The Google Story:Inside the Hottest Business, Media, and Technology Success of Our Time was as captivating as the story of Google. Arguably, a member of the second wave of technology that took the freedoms discovered in the personal computing revolution, Google helped us understand the power of the information super-highway, and showed us how to use it.

Founded in 1998, Google was born into a market already rich in search engines - Excite, Lycos, Alta Vista, YAHOO! and AOL. "Internet portal" was the catch phrase de jour, and learning how to use the day's latest advancement, as well as how to create profit from it were daily inventions. Google had a secret sauce - page rank, that not only showed the results of a search, but also which hits were most likely to be relevant.

It was very strange reading about a time and place I was a part of, even if on the outskirts, and combining my memories with the historical feel of the book that often allowed me to see Google's story the I would any other ancient story that took place before my birth.

Nearly unimaginable in scope and pace, the exponential growth of knowledge makes yesterday seem like a century ago, and last year an eon in the past. I enjoyed the story, and it will be interesting to see what tomorrow's volume will bring. ( )
  lanewillson | Jan 9, 2014 |
Showing 23 of 23
Vi este libro en un aeropuerto y la portada me atrajo enseguida. Soy una víctima del márketing. ¿Qué tendrá Google para ser tan atractivo? La historia comienza cuando Sergei Brin y Larry Page eran estudiantes de doctorado en informática (Computer Science) en Stanford, y termina en junio de 2006, cuando se consolida la implantación en China, Bill Gates se retira de Microsoft y Google es ya una máquina de fabricar millones, en expansión acelerada. La edición original es de 2005, y el autor tuvo que sacar una edición revisada en 2006. Ahora, con la compra de Youtube, seguro que se pone a hacer uina edición revisada para 2007
El libro está interesante de leer. Yo no sé si esas cosas ocurren en España, pero cuando Larry y Sergei tenían sólo una buena idea, allá por 1998, se fueron a un par de gestores de fondos de inversión y sacaron nada menos que un préstamo de 25 millones de dólares. Previamente habían obtenido de otros gestores y fuentes un préstamo de 100.000 y otro de un millón. ¿Esas cosas pasan aquí? Reconozco mi ignorancia.
El libro se lee fácilmente. Está escrito en estilo periodístico, rápido y conciso. Si hay algún fallo obvio, es es peloteo constante que hace el autor de todos los protagonistas de la historia. De muestra un botón: el primer inversor que tuvo Google fue Andy Bechtolstein [AB], gestor de fondos de inversión, quien les dio sus primeros 100.000 dólares para que comprasen un montón de ordenadores con los que empezar a desarrollar el potencial de Google. La descripción que hace el autor de AB reza así:
Bechtolstein detuvo su Porsche plateado en la entrada de la casa de Cheriton, saltó del mismo y se dirigió hacia el porche de la entrada, donde le esperaban los tres [Page, Brin y Winograd, un profesor de Stanford]. Como muchos empresarios millonarios de Silicon Valley, Bechtolstein trabajaba mucho, aunque no necesitase el dinero, pues le apasionaba el poder de la tecnología y le encantaba hallar nuevas formas de resolver problemas.

Venga ya. Eso es peloteo innecesario. El autor parece (a veces, demasiadas veces) que está intentando que le contraten para el departamento de Relaciones Públicas de Google. El libro es una hagiografía casi de principio a fin. Y no es que esté mal, pero a veces tiene uno la impresión de que el autor suda miel tras hablar de Google. Incluso hay un apéndice con consejos para usar mejor Google. Uno de los consejos no lo conocía. Si buscas “~car” en Google, no sólo te aparecen todas las páginas con la palabra “car”, sino también aquellas que contengan “automobile”, “vehicle” y otros sinónimos. En español no sé si funciona; con las palabras que he probado parece que no.
Por lo demás, la historia es interesante. Pasa por momentos escabrosos, como cuando se desató el revuelo por la publicidad que leía de forma automatizada los correos de Gmail para plantar anuncios relacionados, o cuando Google claudicó y aceptó la censura para poder implantarse en China.
Me he dado cuenta de lo mucho que la prensa sigue a Google, pues el 90% de los hechos que relata ya me los sabía, de haberlos leído en el periódico. Hay detalles divertidos y geeks, como el valor de las acciones con las que Google salió a bolsa, que era 2.718.281.828 dólares (o sea, el número e multiplicado por mil millones), o la primera ampliación de acciones que hizo, en la que sacó al mercado 14.159.265 acciones (los primeros decimales de pi).
Es un libro para pasar un rato entretenido y poco más. Pero está bien. Mi nota: Interesante. ( )
  Remocpi | Apr 22, 2020 |
There is an old saying that probably should be updated. "Build a better mouse trap and the world will beat a path to your door...right after it Google's you to find how to get there." The Google Story:Inside the Hottest Business, Media, and Technology Success of Our Time was as captivating as the story of Google. Arguably, a member of the second wave of technology that took the freedoms discovered in the personal computing revolution, Google helped us understand the power of the information super-highway, and showed us how to use it.

Founded in 1998, Google was born into a market already rich in search engines - Excite, Lycos, Alta Vista, YAHOO! and AOL. "Internet portal" was the catch phrase de jour, and learning how to use the day's latest advancement, as well as how to create profit from it were daily inventions. Google had a secret sauce - page rank, that not only showed the results of a search, but also which hits were most likely to be relevant.

It was very strange reading about a time and place I was a part of, even if on the outskirts, and combining my memories with the historical feel of the book that often allowed me to see Google's story the I would any other ancient story that took place before my birth.

Nearly unimaginable in scope and pace, the exponential growth of knowledge makes yesterday seem like a century ago, and last year an eon in the past. I enjoyed the story, and it will be interesting to see what tomorrow's volume will bring. ( )
  lanewillson | Jan 9, 2014 |
Nice story. Nice to know about their journey to become the best. But the detailed story is not given, only the overview. ( )
  himasnhu_mishra | Jan 25, 2013 |
Google has become a household word - not just the name of a company, but a verb. Anytime my kids have a question that I can't answer, they google it. This book tells the story of how Google came to be the company that it is today. From a graduate student office at Stanford, Sergey Brin and Larry Page developed a new way of searching the Internet that provided results based on a complex algorithm. Although they took an unconventional approach to business, their company exploded. In this book, we are on the front lines, watching as Google grows. From the origin of Google Doodles to the birth of Gmail to the initial public offering, we see the tension between an innovation and growth. It's an interesting story that will make you more aware of all that goes into your Google search. ( )
  porch_reader | Dec 7, 2012 |
This otherwise remarkable short history of Google gets some points deducted for its hubris-laced introduction, which starts off with this opening line:

"Not since Gutenberg invented the modern printing press more than 500 years ago, making books and scientific tomes affordable and widely available to the masses, has any new invention empowered individuals, and transformed access to information, as profoundly as Google."

I almost put the book down right there. I love and use Google almost daily, but seriously? The company was only seven years old at the time this book was published. The arrogance of this statement taints the origin story of one of the global economy's leading companies.

If you can stomach or ignore the introduction, The Google Story is a fine read. ( )
  Daniel.Estes | Nov 4, 2012 |
To be honest, I read "I'm Feeling Lucky" (which is a story about working at Google told by a guy who worked in the marketing department at Google) before I wrote a review.. So that is kind of overshadowing "the Google Story". I listened to the Audio version of "the Google Story" and was interested the whole time, but not dying to continue listening every chance I got. ( )
  amimariscal | May 12, 2012 |
An interesting, quick overview of how Google got to where it is now. Not bad, though could have been more detailed. I've heard that John Battelle's "The Search: How Google and Its Rivals Rewrote the Rules of Business and Transformed Our Culture" is supposed to be better, as well as how it complements Vise's book here.Originally written on May 12, 2008 at 04:21PM ( )
  ceruleandaze | Feb 17, 2011 |
When we talk about the world music revolution, maybe we'll talk about the Beatles. Now, if the revolution in business marketing strategy, perhaps Google is worth being discussed. ( )
  asanhendra | Nov 28, 2010 |
Overly gushing about Google almost from the first page. However, the tone settles down a little bit after the first third. Very informative though and covers all the major events in the history of the company from the founding up to fairly recent events.

This review is based on the unabridged audiobook version. ( )
  JohnMunsch | Apr 10, 2009 |
This was a nonfiction book which I picked up because it was on sale for AU$5. I picked it up in passing and had paid for it before I actually really got a chance to think about why I need yet another book... I'm sure you all know how it goes. But anyway, I'm glad I bought it. I'm not a big nonfiction reader, but I am a huge fan of the Internet, and was one of Gmail's early adopters. This was enough to keep me interested throughout the book.

The book recounts the life of Google, a small upstart company ran by two eclectic and sometimes arrogant twenty-somethings who dared to demand that rules be changed for them. I especially liked reading about the creation of Google's famed laissez-faire company culture. Googlers (or Google employees) are apparently treated like they're VIPs at a hotel rather than mere lackeys:

"They were fed like family as well, with free meals, healthy juices, and snacks in abundance. Googlers also enjoyed a bevy of conveniences like on-site laundry, hair styling, dental and medical care, a car wash--and later, day care, fitness facilities with personal trainers, and a professional masseuse--which virtually eliminated the need to leave the office. Beach volleyball, foosball, roller hockey, scooter races, palm trees, bean bag chairs, even dogs-- it was all part of making work fun and fostering a creative, playful environment where Google's employees, most of them young and single, would want to spend their working hours. Google would even go on to charter buses with wireless Internet access so that Googlers who commuted the hour from San Francisco could be productive, putting their energy into their laptops instead of worrying about how they would get to work."

More than learning about Google's services, what I was really intrigued by was its philosophy. The company's motto is "Do not be evil", and reflects the eccentric nature of how the company is run and how it makes money. Google never spent money on advertising; its owners believed that creating a superior product would allow Google's name to be passed around by word of mouth. And they were right.

I thought this book was a fascinating read, and just quirky and funny enough for a layperson (i.e. not a technocrat) to be encouraged to read to the end. ( )
1 vote shewhowearsred | Feb 20, 2009 |
Though access to the founders of Google seems to be lacking, the story and insight of Google's rise in the world of technology, business and culture have been very well documented.

If you are fond of the stories of American Business, this one belongs on your bookshelf. ( )
  DWWilkin | Nov 16, 2008 |
Here is the story behind one of the most remarkable Internet successes of our time. Based on scrupulous research and extraordinary access to Google, the book takes you inside the creation and growth of a company whose name is a favorite brand and a standard verb recognized around the world. Its stock is worth more than Disney's and General Motors' combined, its staff eats for free in a dining room that used to be run by a former chef for the Grateful dead, and its employees traverse the firm's colorful Silicon Valley campus on scooters and inline skates.

The Google Story is the definitive account of the populist media company powered by the world's most advanced technology that in a few short years has revolutionized access to information about everything for everybody everywhere.

In 1998, Moscow-born Sergey Brin and Midwest-born Larry Page dropped out of graduate school at Stanford University to, in their own words, "change the world" through a search engine that would organize every bit of information on the Web for free.

While the company has done exactly that in more than one hundred languages, Google's quest continues as it seeks to add millions of library books, television broadcasts, and more to its searchable database.

Readers will learn about the amazing business acumen and computer wizardry that started the company on its astonishing course; the secret network of computers delivering lightning-fast search results; the unorthodox approach that has enabled it to challenge Microsoft's dominance and shake up Wall Street. Even as it rides high, Google wrestles with difficult choices that will enable it to continue expanding while sustaining the guiding vision of its founders' mantra: DON'T BE EVIL.
  rajendran | Sep 2, 2008 |
Google Story is a book what describes the history of google in great details; From the moment both founders Lary Page and Sergey Brin got the inspiration of creating a search engine till the point of no return where the company went from privately founded to public.

For me the book can be divided in two parts. The first part, where Page and Brin are introduced and where is elaborated on how Google was built in a few years, and the second part where the opportunities and threats are displayed.

The first part has more structure and more indepth information. The second part is mainly a brief summary of the facts, and this is exactly where the shortcomings of the book are illustrated. For me personally it would have been more interesting that both writers continued to describe to role and specific characteristics of the founders, like they did in the first part of the book. Nevertheless, this book is a great and complete source about who Brin and Page are, and how their vision and ambitions helped to create one of the most remarkable internet startups ever.

The speed in which the internet and Google is developing is huge, therefore the book already missed out on the most recent information at the point the book was released. The Google Story helped me understanding the vision and ideas behind internet services and products which I use on a daily basis, and therefore a mustread for everyone interested in technology, ICT and succesfull business stories. ( )
  marcelvanderlaan | May 18, 2008 |
Very thought provoking.
  jff88 | Apr 16, 2008 |
A little light on content. The wonders of the Google kids & how they can do no wrong. Surface-y & content-free discussion of the algorithms & parallel programming & the hardware inventions, etc. Some of it was useful -- the discussion of the business model, and some of the information about the hardware. I guess the Google guys have lots of charisma, although the Billions of dollars adds to that. It is a little scary.
  franoscar | Jan 3, 2008 |
Very entertaining and completely non-tech book. It is an excellent "Google The Movie" script, though I was expecting a look inside "Google The Company" and what makes it tick.

Sometimes difficult to put down, sometimes it was like reading Google press releases or (fan) websites. Some good stories, lot of human touch and even a few anti-google sections to add credibility. ( )
  jouni | Aug 17, 2007 |
A must read for anyone who is awestruck at the way Google has emerged as the world leader in Search Engine technology. ( )
  venuvedam | Mar 1, 2007 |
Very interesting on the history of Google, but I found it a bit strange that the accuisition of Blogger wasn't mentioned at all.
  MagnusEnger | Feb 28, 2007 |
The byline of this book is "inside the hottest business, media and technology success of our time." The problem is that this book provides no "inside" look at all. The information provided by the authors might as well have been found through a Google search. There was nothing really new that has not been reported a thousand times in the media or obvious to anyone who follows Google. The work seemed a bit ambitious and proved in the end to be nothing more than a cheerleading rally for a company that doesn't need any help. I think there is still plenty of room for someone to write a real objective account of the rise and success of Google but it may be too soon. Wait another five years and either the stock will be trading at $500 a share or it will be another success story with a troubled ending. The real Google story is amazing but The Google Story was not.
1 vote plamey | Nov 16, 2006 |
As the narrative unfolds, readers learn how Google grew out of the intellectually fertile and not particularly directed friendship between Page and Brin; how the founders attempted to peddle early versions of their search technology to different Silicon Valley firms for $1 million; how Larry and Sergey celebrated their first investor's check with breakfast at Burger King; how the pair initially housed their company in a Palo Alto office, then eventually moved to a futuristic campus dubbed the "Googleplex"; how the company found its financial footing through keyword-targeted Web ads; how various products like Google News, Froogle, and others were cooked up by an inventive staff.
  rnarvaez | Feb 16, 2006 |
I was once one of Google's biggest fans, but the corporate arrogance that fairly oozes from this book makes it hard to differentiate between Microsoft and Google, except Microsoft knows what it is and Google denies it. The book is written like a long corporate PR piece and reading it had the feel of watching an infomercial. ( )
  meghayden | Jan 28, 2006 |
Started Reading on 1/3/06
  Erock | Jan 14, 2006 |
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