"The Google Story"
So I finally got around to purchasing and thus reading "The Google Story", a book written by David Vise which takes readers inside the creation and growth of Google. I must admit that I enjoyed it very much.
I've wanted to pick up this book since its release in November of 2005, but like with most things, I knew that I wouldn't have time to give it my full attention. Since my girlfriend Jackie has recently been traveling up and down the state like hell to follow up with job opportunities, I was able to find more than enough time to soak in the 26 chapters and 317 pages while riding shotgun. Hey, it sure beats staring at the same cornfield/farm scene on every trip.
Obviously, the book didn't tell me the secrets of spamming my way to the top of Google's search results (I've got plenty of other resources that help do that), but, it did help me to understand how Google came about and why the search giant is the hottest leading business, media, and technology success of our time... which is information that I didn't previously know.
The book's chapters cover, in great detail, such stories as to how Larry Page and Sergey Brin (Google's co-founders) met, the days leading up to Google's billion dollar IPO, and everything in between. The book even makes mention of Google's future plans for expanding into the fields of biology and genetics (being able to search your genes via the Google search engine) and how Google's very own Matt Cutts became known as the "Porn Cookie Guy".
One of the best parts of the book was learning that Larry, Sergey, and the Stanford University attempted to sell Google's search technology (before they turned it into a search engine) to Yahoo!, but were turned down. Here's a snippet from the book:
"Blue-chip venture capital firms, Yahoo!, AltaVista, and many other major search engines and technology companies approached by Stanford University turned down the chance to buy Google's search system for $1 million. Their refusals forced Stanford Ph.D students Sergey Brin and Larry Page to reluctantly drop out of school and start the firm. By the summer of 2005, each of the founders had a net worth of more that $10 billion."
To think that Yahoo! actually had a chance to own such great search technology and at the same time could have stopped Google from ever existing is truly amazing. What's even more amazing is learning that Yahoo! actually turned them down. According to "The Google Story", Yahoo! had rejected the purchase because they wanted users to shop, view ads, check their email, play games, and spend more money and time on their website, rather than less. Seeing how Google's search engine was designed to provide users with fast answers to their questions, it was apparent to Yahoo! that they could not benefit from Google's search technology. Yahoo! is no doubt still kicking themselves in the ass over this mistake.
Well, if you interested in learning more about Google, a company who's stock is worth more than Disney's and General Motor's combined, who's staff eats for free in a dining room that used to be run by a former chef for the Grateful Dead, who's employees travel their colorful Silicon Valley work campus on scooters and inline skates, and who's mantra is simply "Don't Be Evil" than check out "The Google Story".
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posted by Karl Ribas Friday, May 12, 2006 Read Comments (8) | Post a Comment | Subscribe  
 
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8 Comments:
Hey Karl... Have you read The Search by Battelle? If so, how would you compare it to The Google Story?
By
kid disco, at May 16, 2006 2:19 AM
Actually, I haven't read "The Search", but it's definitely on my list of books to pick up, along with a few Seth Godin's books.
Have you read the book? If so, would you recommend reading it? I'd love to hear your thoughts.
By
Karl Ribas, at May 16, 2006 8:38 AM
From what it sounds like, "The Google Story" seems very similar, but "The Search" also touches on other search engines and the evolution of the internet.
I definitely recommend "The Search" and Godin's books as well.
By
kid disco, at May 16, 2006 6:33 PM
Thanks Disco. I'll be sure to pick them up.
By
Karl Ribas, at May 17, 2006 9:25 AM
Correction!!
Charlie Ayers wasn't a chef at Grateful Dead, he had only helped one of his friend once, who worked there. This thing has been clarified in the book. :-)
By
Sandeep Warikoo, at July 17, 2006 6:00 AM
Hey Sandeep -
You are indeed correct. Charlie was not the actual chef for the grateful dead, but rather his friend was. He was asked to step-in once when his friend's team was short-handed.
Looking back at it now, I bet saying "I was once the head chef at Google" carries more weight than saying "I once cooked for the Grateful Dead". It's a completely different world now that Google exists. Less Dead-Heads and more Googlers! What do you think?
Thanks for the comment!
By
Karl Ribas, at July 17, 2006 9:45 AM
Yes being a head cook at Google carries more weight-age than cooking for grateful dead. Reason is simple: That's actually how we came to know about Charlie. Frankly it carries more weight-age to me, as being in India I had never heard of Grateful dead till I read about it in the book. ;-)
By
Sandeep Warikoo, at July 18, 2006 10:42 PM
That makes sense.
And by the way... your not missing out on to much by not knowing who the Grateful Dead are. Just my opinion though.
By
Karl Ribas, at July 18, 2006 11:44 PM
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