Google Speaks

by Janet Lowe

In many ways, Google is the prototype of a successful twenty-first-century company. It uses technology in new ways to make information universally accessible; promotes a corporate culture that encourages creativity among its employees; and takes its role as a corporate citizen very seriously, investing in green initiatives and developing the largest corporate foundation in the United States.

Following in the footsteps of Warren Buffett Speaks...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 047039854X
• ISBN13: 9780470398548
• Release Date: May 2009
• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
• Length: 315 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 5.2" x 7.0"

Customer Reviews

A Fair Assessment of a Controversial Company

Google Speaks is the first "Speaks" book I have read, apparently there are two others - Warren Buffett Speaks and Jack Welch Speaks, both of which I plan on reading after having read this book. The style is conversational which makes it accessible for technologists and the general population alike. This book basically traces the roots of Google back to the childhood of the company's founders through the eyes of the founders, family, friends, colleagues, investors, and employees, which in total provide a comprehensive picture of Google and the culture within that company. Google Speaks is really rare in that it was over 300 pages, but felt like a short book as it is so engaging and conversational. What I really enjoyed about this book it that it felt very fair - at some points the company and it's leadership are praised, while at other times it is critical. The good, bad, and ugly are all presented here. There is much valuable content here - the Web 2.0, Web 3.0, and cloud computing personally stand out for me, as well as the glossary which provides a nice resource of Web (and Google specific) definitions. Great book for those interested in Google, a motivating success story, Internet search and advertising, or just a good, engaging story.

Google Speaks--An Enlightening Read

For those who cannot get through the day without using Google to search out an item on the Internet, Google Speaks is an enlightening book to read. The story of Sergey Brin, a young Russian immigrant, and Larry Page, described as "a typical American boy" in most ways, this book is, also, the story of the founding of Google, a company designated by Time magazine in 2006 as "the smartest company of the year." Author Janet Lowe brings out some revealing facts about the young entrepreneurs, including the information that both Sergey and Larry attended Montessori elementary schools. The educational methods of Maria Montessori "seemed to have shaped both Sergey and Larry," Lowe writes. The two gifted young men later met as Stanford graduate students, and what began as a college research project developed into an amazing company. Lowe's book details the growth of Google and tells about many of the people involved in the company's phenomenal developement. It also tells how the name "Google" came to be. Larry and Sergey intended to name the company "googol" which is "the mathematical term for the number 1 followed by 100 zeros. However, someone misspelled the word as "Google" which Lowe terms "a blessed blunder." Among the many unique projects described in the book, is a collaboration between Google and NASA to provide "high-resolution lunar imagery and maps to the Google Moon program. The book also tells about a copyright infringement dispute with the Authors Guild and others when Google began scanning and copying millions of books in library collections. The Timeline and Glossary sections in the back provide excellent references for the reader. Google Speaks is a wealth of information. It is a book that everyone who enjoys using the Internet should read. Mary Montague Sikes, author Secrets by the Sea, Eagle Rising, Hearts Across Forever, Hotels to Remember [...]

Google, the powerful search engine

Google is an exceptional company. It is currently the most used search engine on the web. I picked up this book because I wanted to learn how this company started and why it is so successful. I enjoyed reading the history of the two founders who met at Stanford, and, at first, thought of each other as arrogant and obnoxious, but then ended up founding one of the most powerful companies in the world together. Google is extremely successful because it has a platform power or network effect. As more people use the platform to search the Internet, the more valuable it becomes. The company knows how powerful its platform is so it works really hard to expand it in any way it can. I enjoyed reading this book. - Mariusz Skonieczny, author of Why Are We So Clueless about the Stock Market? Learn how to invest your money, how to pick stocks, and how to make money in the stock market

Search me!

The story of Larry Page and Sergey Brin and their company, Google, makes one of the most interesting tales of this century. Brin and Page are the twin princes of high technology who pulled the proverbial swords from the stone. They were groomed for greatness in the computer field from infancy, traveled to a holy land (Stanford University and Silicon Valley) to prove their mettle in battle, slew a whole den of dragons, and emerged from the quest flying flags of victory. In //Google Speaks//, author Janet Lowe delves into the world of Google and its founders to reveal what drives Brin and Page and how they became the world's youngest billionaires, in much the way she explored the lives and works of Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, Jack Welch, and Ted Turner in previous "Speaks" books. With access to family, friends, employees, and company records, Lowe focuses on the company and the personalities who created and run Google: Sergey Brin, an immigrant from Russia who fled Moscow with his family when he was 6 years old; Larry Page, who dreamed of being a creative as Nikola Tesla but wanted to achieve recognition as well; and Eric Schmidt, who as CEO of the firm provides the "adult supervision" that helps keep the balance and the business moving forward. Lowe examines the modest beginning of the firm, from its inception by then Stanford graduate students Page and Brin and the creation of the company name and colorful logo, to the development of the AdWords advertising business model. Google's corporate vision of creating something that is useful to others, and its culture, which with its continued innovation and perks of laundry equipment, massages, volleyball courts, and food, has been the envy of the corporate world, is contrasted with the criticism and controversy surrounding the organization, whether over-borrowing patented or copyrighted material without permission, or the failed effort to reach a search ad deal with Yahoo! that would have given the company 80 percent of the market. Moving beyond a mere company profile, Lowe explores difficult issues: the significance of a single company becoming our primary portal to the entire worldwide web; the individual's privacy concerns in relation to Google and other search engines; ownership and use of intellectual property such as music, books, art and other creations to earn money; the growing reach and power of Google; and what lies ahead and behind the company as it matures. Google is more than a business success story. It is a company that is redefining how we use technology, how corporations treat their employees, and how companies adhere to their social, cultural, and environmental responsibilities. The book //Google Speaks// is, in all, an entertaining account of Google's early days and the two men who changed the world with a simple URL. Reviewed by Dominique James

wow great book

I was impressed on how much I learned from this book very well written. I knew little about Google before reading this. In one word EXCELLENT!!!