When two Harvard students met at a party little did they know they would eventually change the way people connect. One was a brilliant computer programmer with an idea, and the other was a budding businessman with a large bank account. What Mark Zuckerberg and Eduardo Saverin had in common were social challenges. Mark was painfully quiet and talked like a computer, and although Eduardo struggled to get a date, he took the plunge to join the Phoenix, a Final Club.

Nevertheless, Mark and Eduardo made a deal. Mark was the brains behind the project, and Eduardo was the money. What could go wrong? After all they were friends, and friends look out for each other, right? Throw in a hunky pair of twins with an idea for a similar website, and now it gets interesting.

Mark lived for Facebook. So much so that he decided to leave college and head to California. Eduardo, on the other hand, would never leave school based on a dream. Enter the infamous Sean Parker, who quickly became a mentor to Mark, and things changed quickly. Loyalties were displaced, as newcomers tried to grab onto the lightning bolt that was Facebook. When all was said and done, innocence was lost, and no one would be the same.

The Bottom Line: Discover the fascinating story behind the founding of Facebook with this entertaining book. Based on interviews, documents, court proceedings, and scene re-creations, this fascinating account of the beginnings of a revolutionary company will get you thinking about relationships, money, and privacy. The perfect read for a snowy weekend. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys biographies, business, and stories of betrayal.

For the complete review including Book Club Notes, please visit the Mini Book Bytes Book Review Blog. ( )

A very easy read. Having seen the movie, I think the way they presented it was a bit more engaging. Either way, read the book. ( )

Not often I think the movie is better than the book but this is one of those times. ( )

Halfway through the book I was kinda over it. It went from an exciting back story to everything you would expect from a power hungry genius. Interesting book nonetheless. ( )

Este livro é um misto de relato documental e de estudo sobre a origem do Facebook e do ambiente universitário que lhe deu origem.

É interessante pela partilha de como as origens de uma ideia vencedora nunca são claras, mas sim resultam de uma complexa interacção e de um enredo que, na realidade, consegue superar a ficção.

É uma boa leitura para empreendedores de base tecnológica e para aqueles que estão motivados a criar a sua própria empresa ou avançar com o desenvolvimento de uma satisfação para necessidades observadas

Por último, é um excelente complemento ao filme A Rede, que teve por base este livro.
Nota: tal como no filme, o mentor do Facebook, não fica muito bem na fotografia... ( )