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Learn moreAfter one of the most successful IPOs in history, Google set forth on an incredible, audacious new strategy for its future—a vision so bold, large-scale, and controversial, that the company has worked very hard to keep it totally under wraps. Neither The Search nor The Google Story, both successful books about the company, included any information about this new vision the business has for itself. The business world and the large community of those interested in web issues have been desperately trying to understand what Google is up to, because they know that Google is the arbiter of the future of the web, and really of computing altogether.
Randy Stross has achieved unprecedented access to the Google headquarters and top management, including notoriously close-to-the-vest CEO Eric Schmidt, as well as to a wide range sources who have worked with Google or monitored its activities. In this book he will reveal for the first time the astonishing scale and scope of what Google is setting out to accomplish, including such potentially disruptive initiatives as free downloadable software, which could put providers like Microsoft out of business, and Google Earth satellite technology, which is rapidly mapping the entire surface of the Earth in high-powered detail. Stross explores the profound implications of these plans, not only for the business world, but for our culture at large.
Randall Stross is the author of the New York Times column on business and technology, “Digital Domain,” as well as a professor of organization and management at San Jose State University, which is based in the heart of Silicon Valley. His book The Microsoft Way (Addison Wesley, 1996) was the most critically acclaimed book about Microsoft at the height of the company’s power, and his book eBoys(Crown, 2000) was one of the most successful books about the web 1.0 phenomenon, for which he was given full access to the venture capitalists who funded eBay and was able to tell the inside story of how and why eBay took off.
William Hughes is an AudioFile Earphones Award–winning narrator. A professor of political science at Southern Oregon University in Ashland, Oregon, he received his doctorate in American politics from the University of California at Davis. He has done voice-over work for radio and film and is also an accomplished jazz guitarist.
Reviews
“A computer enthusiast who wants to Google Google couldn’t find a more dedicated guide than Stross…Stross’ access to the company pays off nicely for both Google’s fans and people who read books on paper."
“[An] even-handed and highly readable history of the company.”
“A vigorous history/analysis/appraisal of the 21st century’s most notable company."
“A spellbinding behind-the-scenes look…Readers will find the sheer scale and scope of Google’s progress in just a decade astounding. The unfolding narrative of Google’s journey reads like a suspense novel.”
“Whether you buy the company’s snuggly, anticorporate image or whether you think that image is cover for a sinister, Orwellian agenda—heck, even if you’ve never given Google much thought at all—you will likely find much of interest in Planet Google, a riveting account by New York Times ‘Digital Domain’ columnist Randall Stross…Clearly, the end of this story has yet to be written, but this fascinating book will leave readers ready for whatever comes next.”
“An outstanding business history of Google from its humble beginnings through the dot-com era to current times…A balanced portrait, including criticisms concerning copyright, privacy, and other ethical issues…Recommended for all business collections, both public and academic.”
“As the first outsider to receive unfettered access to Google’s headquarters, top management, and company meetings, Stross has provided the most in-depth look at the company to date.”
“New York Times business and technology columnist Stross takes readers on a revelation-packed journey into the secretive world of today’s most transformative and potentially disruptive company, uncovering Google’s bold, provocative pursuit of control of all the world’s information.”
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