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

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.

Good but not too insightful

I definitely learned more about Sergey & Larry, and about the overall story of the company, but the author never went too deep into analyzing any part of it, it was mostly a historical account of events, as seen from the outside with the occasional detail of internal knowledge. I still do recommend the book. Performance was great for high speed listening, I had no problem listening at 2.7x speed.

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.

Fascinating history of Google

This book tells the fascinating and exciting story of one of the most important companies in our generation. It's unbelievable how a small company that started in the late nineties, survived the .com burst and be, not only the most profitable company in the internet, the symbol of what the internet is all about. David Vise does an excellent job is taking you through that journey. My only complaint is in its last chapters where it talks about certain areas Google worked on but doesn't finishes its point (i.e. The China chapter). But, all in all, a great read (or listen).

A Fascinating Learning Experience

Great listen--I highly recommend this to anyone in search of learning business strategies while concurrently being entertained. Like others said, the book does sometimes sound like an advertisement for Google. However, I gained a newfound respect for the business giant after listening to this. There were aspects of the business that occurred when I was too young to care, but the book did a great job to conclusively bring those subjects to light. Everyone knows how large Google has grown as a business, but I think few people realize how significantly they have changed the global economy.

Very informative

I got a lot of background information about Google in the early days, which also clears out why Google is/was the way they are.

Great Book

The best book I've read/listened to in a long time. It gives you all the details about a very unique company, along with educating you about the venture capital industry.

Just a Fascinating Story

Not especially deep, but you just can’t put it down.

Did help in understanding Google’s Business Model.

good one

not soo special, but a good one, is nice to know how the company made history

Gag me with a spoon!

I couldn't stand to listen to the whole book, so it may get better near the end, but what I did get through was pure marketing fluff.

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.