In the Plex

How Google Thinks, Works, and Shapes Our Lives

By: Steven Levy

Narrated by: L. J. Ganser

Length: 19 hrs and 45 mins

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.

This edition of In the Plex includes an exclusive interview with Google's Marissa Mayer, one of the company's earliest hires and most visible executives, as well as the youngest woman to ever make Fortune's "50 Most Powerful Women in Business" list. She provides a high-level insider's perspective on the company's life story, its unique hiring practices, its new social networking initiative, and more.

©2011 Steven Levy (P)2011 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Thoroughly versed in technology reporting, Wired senior writer Levy deliberates at great length about online behemoth Google and creatively documents the company’s genesis from a 'feisty start-up to a market-dominating giant'.... Though the author offers plenty of well-known information, it’s his catbird-seat vantage point that really gets to the good stuff. Outstanding reportage delivered in the upbeat, informative fashion for which Levy is well known." ( Kirkus Reviews)

"The book, a wide-ranging history of the company from start-up to behemoth, sheds light on the biggest threats Google faces today, from the Chinese government to Facebook and privacy critics." ( The New York Times)

“With a commanding voice, L.J. Ganser narrates this history and exploration of Google….Ganser’s stern voice is clear and moves through the text with determination.” ( AudioFile)

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

Thought provoking

Interesting insight into the company that is so pervasive in our daily lives. Left me wondering who's in control now?

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.

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!

Well worth the read

I started recommending this book even before I finished reading it, a great insight into one of the world’s largest companies.