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)

Good Stuff

I think this book does a great job teaching us about how Google thinks as a company and how its founders see the purpose and direction of the company. I also think the book is a very honest look into Google, it exposes many of the rough spots the company has experienced in more detail than many of us know.

I do not like the way the book was written, it does not follow a single timeline but instead chooses to devote each chapter to a different topic and restarting the timeline at the beginning of the topic covered. And because the topics do not begin an end within the same time period I felt confused about when things were happening in relation to each other throughout most of the book.

On the other hand, Steven Levy is an amazing writer with a great voice, each chapter can stand on its own and maybe should have.

Thorough Reporting, Intelligent, Great Narrator

What did you love best about In the Plex?

Lots of useful information about Google. Bonus interview with Marissa Meyer.

What about L. J. Ganser’s performance did you like?

Speaks clearly and at a good pace.

To see through the eyes of google.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, I would recommend everyone listens to this book as you will gain insight to why and how Google makes its choices.

Most comprehensive google book out there

This book is incredible, fun to hear. So much info about inside google you can not find anywhere else.

Great Book for Nerds and Geeks

Would you try another book from Steven Levy and/or L. J. Ganser?

Probably

Has In the Plex turned you off from other books in this genre?

No

What three words best describe L. J. Ganser’s performance?

Average at best

What else would you have wanted to know about Steven Levy’s life?

Nothing

Any additional comments?

This is the only book I've tried of his, and I wouldn't judge anyone just off of one book. I would give him another try.

In The Plex

An excellent portrait of our modern business world. The internet has opened the door and given opportunities to the young and intelligent ambitions of this world.

Great History of Google

Great history of Google. I particularly loved reading about their advertising strategy. Always the revolutionaries, cofounders Brin and Page consistently refused to follow a standard model when it came to their company. This approach changed the face of advertising (and other things) in ways of which I was not fully aware. Loved it.

What a great read. From learning about privacy concerns to understanding what it went into Google Maps, to gaining an understanding of what it was like for Google in China, this book really took the reader inside Google.

As much as I loved this book, I still love Hatching Twitter more. If you liked this book, you will love that book.

Extremely Interesting

As a person who has limited interest in technology I found this book extremely interesting and well written. Obviously the author has an affinity for the "boys" at Google, but the reporting is pretty objective. When I stop googling long enough to think about what they accomplished it is mind altering. I have recommended this book to absolutely everyone!

First half so so - second half much better

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I found the more recent history interesting and I did learn a lot about search history - definitely worth the read.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

The first half was too detailed in the technical aspect of how they developed the algorithms and it got too technical for me - great for tech geek types though.

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

It was a little dry but okay.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Not really.

Any additional comments?

If you get past the technical portion the rest is pretty good.

A great story, well written, and well read.

Where does In the Plex rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This book not only tells the story of Google the writing seems to capture and convey the mood and sentiment of those portrayed as well. I liked the reading as well and felt entertained as well as educated. I learned a lot about the high tech world that I was unaware of, as well as quite a bit about Google, Apple, and corporate culture. A good book all in all and I have already recommended it to friends.