Janet Lowe (1)

I learned a lot more about Google than I thought I would ever know! :) However this book did inspire me to try out some new things using Google. I am pretty sure I NEED to work at the Googleplex (Preferably the Dublin, Ireland location! *Ahem* Google I can send you my CV!!!).

Otherwise I tabbed a lot of the pages to come back to later and bookmarked webpages that I can use later on (like www.bananaslug.com). But there were a few things that made the book kind of blah. For instance there are show more pages that almost seem verbatim of previous pages or chapters (almost like they weren't sure how to fill out a particular section so they copy/pasted) so that was a bit annoying, but that was really the only bad thing I have to say about.

It is definitely worth a read if you are in the information business. :) show less

I believe the history of Google itself is probably fascinating. Janet Lowe's write up of the company did not, however, produce a level of intense interest or excitement about all things Google. It did, however, give a high-level background on the history of the company and it's founders, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, and a sense of the massiveness of the Google mission (which seems to be to rule the world, to be honest).

"An icon more powerful than anything on a Windows screen, Bill Gates today stands atop his fabled Microsoft fortress staring down competitor's threats and injunctions from an annoyed U.S Justice Department. The kind of success Gates has created rarely escapes criticism. And Bill is getting more than his share.
The story of how this Harvard dropout created the operating system that would become the worldwide standard for millions of computers is legendary. And equally legendary has been the show more take-no-prisoners tactics of his corporate colossus, Microsoft. We've witnessed Gates's transformation from a geeky wunderkind into a business titan.
Whether admired or detested, glorified or vilified, Gates is a household name and a worldwide curiosity. Bill Gates Speaks discloses what Bill Gates has to say on everything from financing a start-up to running a conglomerate, developing technology to raising a family, and growing his business to expanding his personal wealth. Drawing on quotes culled from speeches, articles, essays, newscasts, and interviews, this unique book weaves all of this information into a compelling and easy-to-read biography." show less

I found this a disappointing biography. I would say this was more a collection of facts and quotes about the life of Bill Gates. I would also assume that Bill Gates had very little to do with it. I find a book of this style disturbing. A person's quotes can often be taken out of context. I would recommend another book if you are really interested in either the history of Microsoft, or Bill Gates' life.