• The Google Story

  • Inside the Hottest Business, Media, and Technology Success of Our Time
  • By: David A. Vise, Mark Malseed
  • Narrated by: Stephen Hoye
  • Length: 10 hrs and 25 mins
  • 4.0 out of 5 stars (778 ratings)

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The Google Story  By  cover art

The Google Story

By: David A. Vise, Mark Malseed
Narrated by: Stephen Hoye
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Publisher's summary

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 General Motors’ and Ford’s combined, its staff eats for free in a dining room that used to be run by the Grateful Dead’s former chef, 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 100 languages, Google’s quest continues as it seeks to add millions of library books, television broadcasts, and more to its searchable database. Listeners 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: DO NO EVIL.

©2005 David A. Vise (P)2005 Books on Tape, Inc.

What listeners say about The Google Story

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Very Good

I listed to both this book and "Search". This book has more colorful and historical stories on Google. But "Search" has better material on history, strategy, and technology. I would recommend listening to "Search" first and this one second.

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12 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Must read for computer geeks of the world

I work as a computer consultant and knew some of the google story, but these fascinating insights are truly inspirational to us computer geeks of the world. Great insights into the business behind the computer industry and how staying true to your dreams can pay off.

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Interesting Read

Very interesting book to listen to? facts I was unaware of and I closely followed this company. I would have given it a 5/5, if the author better organized the information it often repeats the same facts several times. The author gives both sides of the controversies.

Good overall book.

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Read The Search instead

This book is a love note to Google by the authors. For a clearly-written, superior, unsentimental assessment of that company read John Battelle's The Search.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

A must read.

This is book has great insight into a great story. Well done. I highly recommend this book.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars

Irritating

I purchased this book in order to get a detailed look at the ideas and practices that made Google the success it is today. While this information is present, it is so overwhelmed by the fawning and sycophantic praise of the company and its founders that I was completely distracted.

Within the first few minutes, the author has already dubbed the company founders as geniuses, in a class by themselves, and more worthy of praise than American inventors such as Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas Edison. And that's just a sample.

It makes it very difficult to trust any aspect of the book as objective.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Good Story, OK Writer, Bad Narration

The Google Story is a great story to know and definitely worth listening to, but don't expect the best as far as writing style or narration.

The writer often switches back-and-forth between Larry and Sergey's first and last names making parts of the story a little hard to follow (as to who's doing what) until you get used to their names. The author also paints a relatively one-sided picture which is heavily Google, Larry and Sergey friendly.

Also, the narrator over-dramatizes everything which makes the story a little annoying to listen to.

Other than the above drawbacks, the overall story is excellent.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Good from start to finish

I enjoyed every minute of this book from start to finish. It offers an interesting perspective into Google on both a business and personal side. I've used Google many times without ever giving any consideration into the origin of the website, how it operates or it's long range business plan. This book offers a unique insight into the personal and business sides of it's founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page. And provides many interesting behind the scenes details, that hold your interest throughout the entire book. This was my 4th Audible book, and was my best so far.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

infomercial for google

I tried so hard to finish this book, but it was torture at times. It felt like I was listening to a 10 hour infomercial for Google. It had some helpful information about the founding and founders of the company, but it was so contrived that it was hard to swallow. I haven't listened to any of the other google books so I can't recommend them. But I can tell you in all honesty to avoid this one. It's a yawner.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

A good source of informaiton on Google

The authors did a competent job of presenting how Google rose to be the company it is today and where it is heading. However, there seems to be a strong bias in the way the story was told. The authors put the Google founders on a pedestal, interpreting events in such a way as to paint them as extraordinarily brillant forces of good, changing the rules of business, pervailing against vulture capitalists, greedy investment bankers and the evil Microsoft, and generally making the world a better place for mankind. Nevertheless, a good source of information for those interested in Google.

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2 people found this helpful