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In the Plex
- How Google Thinks, Works, and Shapes Our Lives
- Narrated by: L. J. Ganser
- Length: 19 hrs and 45 mins
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Editorial reviews
Don't be evil. That's Google's official motto. But what's really going on behind that simple little search box? Wired's Steven Levy guides us through a history of the rise of the internet, the development of complicated search algorithms, and, in many ways, a who's who of Silicon Valley — all beautifully narrated by L.J. Ganser.
What started as two geeks obsessed with improving internet search engines rapidly ballooned into a company eager to gobble up other useful startups (Keyhole Inc., YouTube, Picassa) as well as larger, more obviously valuable companies (most notably the marketing goliath, DoubleClick). Google's strategy has also been a game-changer in regards to the way we use data and cloud computing. Thanks to its highly lucrative AdWords and AdSense programs, the company exploded the way people think about the internet and the way people think about making money on the internet.
In the Plex gives listeners a real idea of what it's like to exist within the company's quirky culture. And Ganser knows when to keep it serious, but that doesn't stop him from adding just the right amount of snark to the “like” and “um”-ridden quotations from various engineer types. This edition also includes a fascinating interview between the author and early hire Marissa Mayer, the youngest woman to ever make Fortune's "50 Most Powerful Women in Business" list.
Levy dedicates a large section of the book to Google's controversial actions in China, the ultimate test of the company's “don't be evil” philosophy. Here, In the Plex takes an unexpected turn from company profile to a technology coming-of-age story for notorious “founder kids” Larry Page and Sergey Brin. How does “don't be evil” play out in a real world that is sometimes, well, evil? Results are mixed.
In addition to China, Levy touches on some of Google's failures, flubs, and flops, like the company's book scanning project and its development of Google Wave and Google Buzz. However, he seems to miss the point when he makes excuses for their inability to compete in the social space. It seems particularly obvious why a corporation completely run by data-obsessed engineers would have trouble making inroads in the world of social media, which is by nature more organic and subtle.
From the early days as a gonzo-style startup to the massive corporate giant that has quickly integrated itself into almost everything we do, this is an essential history of Google. —Gina Pensiero
Publisher's summary
Few companies in history have ever been as successful and as admired as Google, the company that has transformed the Internet and become an indispensable part of our lives. How has Google done it? Veteran technology reporter Steven Levy was granted unprecedented access to the company, and in this revelatory book he takes listeners inside Google headquarters - the Googleplex - to explain how Google works.
While they were still students at Stanford, Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin revolutionized Internet search. They followed this brilliant innovation with another, as two of Google's earliest employees found a way to do what no one else had: make billions of dollars from Internet advertising. With this cash cow (until Google's IPO, nobody other than Google management had any idea how lucrative the company's ad business was), Google was able to expand dramatically and take on other transformative projects: more efficient data centers, open-source cell phones, free Internet video (YouTube), cloud computing, digitizing books, and much more.
The key to Google's success in all these businesses, Levy reveals, is its engineering mind-set and adoption of such Internet values as speed, openness, experimentation, and risk taking. After it's unapologetically elitist approach to hiring, Google pampers its engineers with free food and dry cleaning, on-site doctors and masseuses, and gives them all the resources they need to succeed. Even today, with a workforce of more than 23,000, Larry Page signs off on every hire.
But has Google lost its innovative edge? It stumbled badly in China. And now, with its newest initiative, social networking, Google is chasing a successful competitor for the first time. Some employees are leaving the company for smaller, nimbler start-ups. Can the company that famously decided not to be "evil" still compete?
No other book has turned Google inside out as Levy does with In the Plex.
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- Length: 14 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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The Blind Watchmaker, knowledgably narrated by author Richard Dawkins, is as prescient and timely a book as ever. The watchmaker belongs to the 18th-century theologian William Paley, who argued that just as a watch is too complicated and functional to have sprung into existence by accident, so too must all living things, with their far greater complexity, be purposefully designed. Charles Darwin's brilliant discovery challenged the creationist arguments; but only Richard Dawkins could have written this elegant riposte.
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Challenging textbook more than an enjoyable listen
- By Eric on 01-15-12
By: Richard Dawkins
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How Google Works
- By: Eric Schmidt, Jonathan Rosenberg, Alan Eagle
- Narrated by: Holter Graham, Jonathan Rosenberg
- Length: 9 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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Google Executive Chairman and ex-CEO Eric Schmidt and former SVP of Products Jonathan Rosenberg came to Google over a decade ago as proven technology executives. At the time, the company was already well-known for doing things differently, reflecting the visionary - and frequently contrarian - principles of founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin. If Eric and Jonathan were going to succeed, they realized they would have to relearn everything they thought they knew about management and business.
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Painfully ignorant
- By kameir on 10-13-14
By: Eric Schmidt, and others
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Yes!
- 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive
- By: Noah J. Goldstein, Steve J. Martin, Robert B. Cialdini
- Narrated by: Blair Hardman
- Length: 5 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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Whether you are in advertising, marketing, management, on sales, or just curious about how to be more influential in everyday life, Yes! shows how making small, scientifically proven changes to your approach can have a dramatic effect on your persuasive powers.
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Interesting and useful.
- By 00doc on 03-18-09
By: Noah J. Goldstein, and others
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The Warren Buffett Portfolio
- Mastering the Power of the Focus Investment Strategy
- By: Robert G. Hagstrom
- Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki
- Length: 5 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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Building a concentrated portfolio is critical for investment success. The Warren Buffett Portfolio introduces the next wave of investment strategy, called focus investing. A comprehensive investment strategy used with spectacular results by Buffett, focus investing directs investors to select a concentrated group of businesses by examining their management and financial positions as compared to their stock prices.
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Excellent
- By J on 04-10-20
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Titan
- The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.
- By: Ron Chernow
- Narrated by: Grover Gardner
- Length: 35 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Titan is the first full-length biography based on unrestricted access to Rockefeller’s exceptionally rich trove of papers. A landmark publication full of startling revelations, the book indelibly alters our image of this most enigmatic capitalist. Born the son of a flamboyant, bigamous snake-oil salesman and a pious, straitlaced mother, Rockefeller rose from rustic origins to become the world’s richest man by creating America’s most powerful and feared monopoly, Standard Oil. Branded "the Octopus" by legions of muckrakers, the trust refined and marketed nearly 90 percent of the oil produced in America.
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He makes Bill Gates look like a Pauper!
- By Rick on 11-04-13
By: Ron Chernow
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Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution
- 25th Anniversary Edition
- By: Steven Levy
- Narrated by: Mike Chamberlain
- Length: 20 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
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Steven Levy's classic book traces the exploits of the computer revolution's original hackers - those brilliant and eccentric nerds from the late 1950s through the early '80s who took risks, bent the rules, and pushed the world in a radical new direction. With updated material from noteworthy hackers such as Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Richard Stallman, and Steve Wozniak, Hackers is a fascinating story that begins in early computer research labs and leads to the first home computers.
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Remember Why You Got Into Computing
- By Dan Collins on 07-01-16
By: Steven Levy
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The Selfish Gene
- By: Richard Dawkins
- Narrated by: Richard Dawkins, Lalla Ward
- Length: 16 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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Richard Dawkins' brilliant reformulation of the theory of natural selection has the rare distinction of having provoked as much excitement and interest outside the scientific community as within it. His theories have helped change the whole nature of the study of social biology, and have forced thousands to rethink their beliefs about life.
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Better than print!
- By J. D. May on 07-31-12
By: Richard Dawkins
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Guns, Germs and Steel
- The Fate of Human Societies
- By: Jared Diamond
- Narrated by: Doug Ordunio
- Length: 16 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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Having done field work in New Guinea for more than 30 years, Jared Diamond presents the geographical and ecological factors that have shaped the modern world. From the viewpoint of an evolutionary biologist, he highlights the broadest movements both literal and conceptual on every continent since the Ice Age, and examines societal advances such as writing, religion, government, and technology.
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Compelling pre-history and emergent history
- By Doug on 08-25-11
By: Jared Diamond
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Insanely Great
- The Life and Times of Macintosh, the Computer that Changed Everything
- By: Steven Levy
- Narrated by: Steven Levy
- Length: 8 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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The creation of the Mac, in 1984, catapulted America into the digital millennium, captured a fanatic cult audience, and transformed the computer industry into an unprecedented mix of technology, economics, and show business. Veteran technology writer and Newsweek senior editor Steven Levy zooms in on the great machine and the fortunes of the unique company responsible for its evolution. Loaded with anecdote and insight, and peppered with sharp commentary, Insanely Great is the definitive book on the most important computer ever made. It is a must-have for anyone curious about how we got to the interactive age.
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Mac Aficionado (and a request to Audible)
- By Tim on 10-30-12
By: Steven Levy
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Master of the Game
- Henry Kissinger and the Art of Middle East Diplomacy
- By: Martin Indyk
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 25 hrs
- Unabridged
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More than 20 years have elapsed since the United States last brokered a peace agreement between the Israelis and Palestinians. In that time, three presidents have tried and failed. Martin Indyk - a former United States ambassador to Israel and special envoy for the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations in 2013 - has experienced these political frustrations and disappointments firsthand.
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Sad in its lack of creativity
- By Uri Pilichowski on 11-16-21
By: Martin Indyk
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Facebook
- The Inside Story
- By: Steven Levy
- Narrated by: Will Damron
- Length: 18 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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The definitive history, packed with untold stories, of one of America’s most controversial and powerful companies: Facebook. Based on hundreds of interviews from inside and outside Facebook, Levy’s sweeping narrative of incredible entrepreneurial success and failure digs deep into the whole story of the company that has changed the world and reaped the consequences.
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Not a history of Facebook
- By Rodney on 12-02-20
By: Steven Levy
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Getting It Done
- How to Lead When You're Not in Charge
- By: Roger Fisher, Alan Sharp
- Narrated by: Mario Machado
- Length: 2 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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Getting it Done explains how you can: best help a group formulate a clear vision of the results they want; suggest a course of action; learn from past experiences; ask questions effectively; offer ideas that will be heard, and influence the actions of other through your own behavior. The invaluable skills of lateral leadership enable you to achieve the ultimate goal-successful collaboration.
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not well structured
- By Carla on 12-04-18
By: Roger Fisher, and others
What listeners say about In the Plex
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall
- Asit
- 04-29-11
Excellent Book about Google
There are many things about google and its founder which is well described. Good information on how the founder thinks about google. Excellent work by Steven Levy.
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16 people found this helpful
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- TM
- 12-05-13
A Reporter Reporting, not a Writer Writing
Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?
The narrator does the best he can with the material, but it is dry stuff and slow-going.
Any additional comments?
Having enjoyed "I'm Feeling Lucky", and assuming it was a single persons perspective on the amazing start-up story, I thought I would try another book about Google. However, this book had no narrative arc. It was just a series of reported events with dry quotes from Google employees. I did my best to stay engaged, but about half way through the second part I found other books to listen to.
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5 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Nina Donnard
- 07-12-11
Creation of the Information Future Giant
The book is a history of Google creation, Google policies and Google functioning. It reads like a novel and a fiction. But I know that everything is real in Google: ideas, accomplishments and management skills. The process of company management is the most exciting part of the whole story. It is not a surprise that Google as a tool became a part of most people life that are using computers, cell phone and look for most of information on web. It is a Must read for information technologists. I loved it...
Michael Bergelson
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3 people found this helpful
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- David Dietrich
- 09-04-14
Don't Be Evil*
If you could sum up In the Plex in three words, what would they be?
Interesting, amazing and disturbing. It's great American entrepreneurial tale, but in the back of my mind I couldn't escape the realization that the core of their business is selling ads. Billions of dollars in ads, and said billions they spend like drunken sailors.
What other book might you compare In the Plex to and why?
Barbarians at the Gate, because that book features a similar value toward large sums of money and the desire to own everything.
What three words best describe L. J. Ganser’s voice?
Neutral, bland and unexciting. There were a few pronunciation curiosities... "DEC" is usually pronounced "Deck," and to the best of my knowledge, "Vista" in "Alta Vista" is not pronounced "Vee-stuh." Small quibbles, though.
If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?
It's worse than you think.
Any additional comments?
I enjoy Steven Levy's books. Hackers is one of my all-time favorites. BUT it's clear that the cost of the level of access to Google that Levy was granted came at a cost of objectivity. Still, it's an interesting story.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Kevin
- 10-11-12
The Definitive Book on Google
This book is way better than "What Would Google Do". I particularly like the sections that talked about Google's data centers: the machines they use, the cooling systems, the locations, etc. Techies and non-techies will get enjoyment out of this book.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Pauly Morefuss
- 03-02-13
20 Hour Infomercial?
Smart. They're all super smart. Big. Google is big. It's very big. Everyone at Google is smart. It's very smart. Big and smart.
Did I mention they're all smart? Yes, it's smart. And it's really big.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Mikeyxote
- 07-29-12
Fascinating recap of Google's history
What made the experience of listening to In the Plex the most enjoyable?
I enjoy technology and learning about how innovations made it from concept to full integration. For the longest time Google did a great job hiding their internal workings. Now it's possible to catch up on all that happened behind the curtain. This book not only tells the story of each of the key Google people, but also tells the story of how their ideas were implemented. It goes into great depth about Google's corporate culture and how it fostered so many changes in the IT industry.
Any additional comments?
If you're looking for a book on Google or even just to learn more about how the internet has developed, you can't go wrong with this book.
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- Amazon Customer
- 10-30-16
Thought provoking
Interesting insight into the company that is so pervasive in our daily lives. Left me wondering who's in control now?
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- TMeade
- 11-13-13
This is a MUST for anyone in the software world
Would you listen to In the Plex again? Why?
I had no idea. Yes I thought I understood google since I've been in software design for 20 years. Then I listened to this. Now I get it. Googly is IMPORTANT. People are IMPORTANT. It's all about the engineering.
What did you like best about this story?
Total behind the scenes breakdown of Google and how they became the behemoth they are.
Any additional comments?
First section is about algorithms. If you are a coder its fascinating. Others may find it tedious but get past it. It's needed to 'get' Google. The rest of the book more than makes up for it.
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- Dan Buckland
- 01-23-15
Such an amazing story
I listened to this book almost every day - in the car, on the way to work, whilst cooking dinner - it's genuinely inspiring! The book strikes the right balance between being entertaining and informative and I don't think you'd need to be technical at all to understand or enjoy what is way more than a chronological record of events. I'll certainly be gifting it to friends!
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