Reviews from Amazon

Reviews elsewhere on the web:

John Battelle

The Search

In The Search: How Google and Its Rivals Rewrote the Rules of Business and Transformed Our Culture John Battelle looks at the development of internet search engines. Starting in the early days with Yahoo starting as a list of sites, and Alta Vista as a program to demonstrate DEC hardware, he explains how search was considered unimportant - what businesses were aiming at was the status of a portal. Then the internet bubble burst, but somehow Google managed to buck the trend and make a rapidly growing business out of pure search.

Battelle doesn't just look at the history of internet businesses, he also examines what people want out of search engines, with the final chapter looking to the future of search. I felt that the book lacked focus a bit here. This wouldn't have been so much of a problem when it was published, but it is over two years old now, and that's a long time in search engine history. I feel it would have survived the test of time better if Battelle had looked more critically at the issues - is it time, for instance, for a return to human edited databases, moving away from the purely algorithmic approach which gave Google such success. If you're interested in a broad overview of the issues of search, though, then you may well find this book worth reading

Amazon.com info

Paperback 336 pages
ISBN: 1591841410
Salesrank: 69536
Weight:0.55 lbs

Published: 2006 Portfolio Trade

Amazon price $10.17

Marketplace:New from $2.12:Used from $0.44

Buy from Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk info

Paperback 336 pages
ISBN: 1857883624
Salesrank: 165977
Weight:0.93 lbs

Published: 2006 Nicholas Brealey Publishing

Amazon price £7.14

Marketplace:New from £5.66:Used from £3.77

Buy from Amazon.co.uk

Amazon.ca info

Paperback 336 pages
ISBN: 1591841410
Salesrank: 213061
Weight:0.55 lbs

Published: 2006 Portfolio

Amazon price CDN$ 13.51

Marketplace:New from CDN$ 7.81:Used from CDN$ 1.82

Buy from Amazon.ca

Amazon.com Review
If you pick your books by their popularity--how many and which other people are reading them--then know this about The Search: it's probably on Bill Gates' reading list, and that of almost every venture capitalist and startup-hungry entrepreneur in Silicon Valley. In its sweeping survey of the history of Internet search technologies, its gossip about and analysis of Google, and its speculation on the larger cultural implications of a Web-connected world, it will likely receive attention from a variety of businesspeople, technology futurists, journalists, and interested observers of mid-2000s zeitgeist. This ambitious book comes with a strong pedigree. Author John Battelle was a founder of The Industry Standard and then one of the original editors of Wired, two magazines which helped shape our early perceptions of the wild world of the Internet. Battelle clearly drew from his experience and contacts in writing The Search. In addition to the sure-handed historical perspective and easy familiarity with such dot-com stalwarts as AltaVista, Lycos, and Excite, he speckles his narrative with conversational asides from a cast of fascinating characters, such Google's founders, Larry Page and Sergey Brin; Yahoo's, Jerry Yang and David Filo; key executives at Microsoft and different VC firms on the famed Sandhill road; and numerous other insiders, particularly at the company which currently sits atop the search world, Google. The Search is not exactly the corporate history of Google. At the book's outset, Battelle specifically indicates his desire to understand what he calls the cultural anthropology of search, and to analyze search engines' current role as the "database of our intentions"--the repository of humanity's curiosity, exploration, and expressed desires. Interesting though that beginning is, though, Battelle's story really picks up speed when he starts dishing inside scoop on the darling business story of the decade, Google. To Battelle's credit, though, he doesn't stop just with historical retrospective: the final part of his book focuses on the potential future directions of Google and its products' development. In what Battelle himself acknowledges might just be a "digital fantasy train", he describes the possibility that Google will become the centralizing platform for our entire lives and quotes one early employee on the weightiness of Google's potential impact: "Sometimes I feel like I am on a bridge, twenty thousand feet up in the air. If I look down I'm afraid I'll fall. I don't feel like I can think about all the implications." Some will shrug at such words; after all, similar hype has accompanied other technologies and other companies before. Many others, though, will search Battelle's story for meaning--and fast. --Peter Han

Amazon.com Review

If you pick your books by their popularity--how many and which other people are reading them--then know this about The Search: it's probably on Bill Gates' reading list, and that of almost every venture capitalist and startup-hungry entrepreneur in Silicon Valley. In its sweeping survey of the history of Internet search technologies, its gossip about and analysis of Google, and its speculation on the larger cultural implications of a Web-connected world, it will likely receive attention from a variety of businesspeople, technology futurists, journalists, and interested observers of mid-2000s zeitgeist.

This ambitious book comes with a strong pedigree. Author John Battelle was a founder of The Industry Standard and then one of the original editors of Wired, two magazines which helped shape our early perceptions of the wild world of the Internet. Battelle clearly drew from his experience and contacts in writing The Search. In addition to the sure-handed historical perspective and easy familiarity with such dot-com stalwarts as AltaVista, Lycos, and Excite, he speckles his narrative with conversational asides from a cast of fascinating characters, such Google's founders, Larry Page and Sergey Brin; Yahoo's, Jerry Yang and David Filo; key executives at Microsoft and different VC firms on the famed Sandhill road; and numerous other insiders, particularly at the company which currently sits atop the search world, Google.

The Search is not exactly the corporate history of Google. At the book's outset, Battelle specifically indicates his desire to understand what he calls the cultural anthropology of search, and to analyze search engines' current role as the "database of our intentions"--the repository of humanity's curiosity, exploration, and expressed desires. Interesting though that beginning is, though, Battelle's story really picks up speed when he starts dishing inside scoop on the darling business story of the decade, Google. To Battelle's credit, though, he doesn't stop just with historical retrospective: the final part of his book focuses on the potential future directions of Google and its products' development. In what Battelle himself acknowledges might just be a "digital fantasy train", he describes the possibility that Google will become the centralizing platform for our entire lives and quotes one early employee on the weightiness of Google's potential impact: "Sometimes I feel like I am on a bridge, twenty thousand feet up in the air. If I look down I'm afraid I'll fall. I don't feel like I can think about all the implications."

Some will shrug at such words; after all, similar hype has accompanied other technologies and other companies before. Many others, though, will search Battelle's story for meaning--and fast. --Peter Han

Way better than the Long Tail *****
Great book, well written, entertaining and thought provoking. This is the book on the Internet in the 2000's that should have got all the attention that 'The Long tail' book got. I read the authors blog most days now. I hope he updates this book with a new edition, I'd buy that for sure.

Way better than the Long Tail *****

Great book, well written, entertaining and thought provoking.
This is the book on the Internet in the 2000's that should have got all
the attention that 'The Long tail' book got.

I read the authors blog most days now.
I hope he updates this book with a new edition, I'd buy that for sure.

totally missed the boat *
The author makes a horrendous error: Look in the index for the word "data mining". It shows that "data mining" is discussed on page 33. Wrong! There is no mention of data mining in the book at all. Any book that talks about Google yet fails to mention data mining is absolutely worthless. That's pretty much the WHOLE POINT of Google. They acquire data from users and use that data to direct advertising at people. They study patterns in data. That's how they make money. Author = FAIL.

totally missed the boat *

The author makes a horrendous error: Look in the index for the word "data mining". It shows that "data mining" is discussed on page 33. Wrong! There is no mention of data mining in the book at all. Any book that talks about Google yet fails to mention data mining is absolutely worthless. That's pretty much the WHOLE POINT of Google. They acquire data from users and use that data to direct advertising at people. They study patterns in data. That's how they make money. Author = FAIL.

If you're searching for a fascinating read, The Search is it! ****
Conventional wisdom states that the company that is first to a new market, usually has an insurmountable competitive advantage; however, that logic simply gets turned on its head regarding issues of the Internet. By all accounts, Google was a laggard to the Internet party - well behind pioneers such as Lycos, Excite, AltaVista and Yahoo!. But Google offered a truly disruptive technological innovation that reshuffled and restacked the cards in its favor. Not only did Google survive the dot-com implosion of the early 2000s, it went on to change how we use the Internet and - frankly - the world as we know it. The book titled - The Search - by author John Battelle goes beyond the traditional "rags-to-riches" saga of the companies co-founders and offers a comprehensive look at the technology that makes Internet search possible as well as its inescapable impact on nearly every aspect of our lives. Soundview recommends this book because it is based on interviews of more than 350 people at Google, as well as those who compete with Google, to provide an interesting 360 degree perspective of this fascinating company. Google has become a truly "can't-live-without-it" application, and this book offers a front row seat at how that happened as well as what the future holds for online searches.

If you're searching for a fascinating read, The Search is it! ****

Conventional wisdom states that the company that is first to a new market, usually has an insurmountable competitive advantage; however, that logic simply gets turned on its head regarding issues of the Internet. By all accounts, Google was a laggard to the Internet party - well behind pioneers such as Lycos, Excite, AltaVista and Yahoo!. But Google offered a truly disruptive technological innovation that reshuffled and restacked the cards in its favor. Not only did Google survive the dot-com implosion of the early 2000s, it went on to change how we use the Internet and - frankly - the world as we know it. The book titled - The Search - by author John Battelle goes beyond the traditional "rags-to-riches" saga of the companies co-founders and offers a comprehensive look at the technology that makes Internet search possible as well as its inescapable impact on nearly every aspect of our lives. Soundview recommends this book because it is based on interviews of more than 350 people at Google, as well as those who compete with Google, to provide an interesting 360 degree perspective of this fascinating company. Google has become a truly "can't-live-without-it" application, and this book offers a front row seat at how that happened as well as what the future holds for online searches.

Read this book *****
I originally read this book from the library and was moved to buy it as a gift. While this book is a history of Google, it also gives a thought provoking discussion of how our brains work. The whole concept of "search" is presented so that anyone can understand how search engines (including our brains) operate and how this knowledge informs those who are writing these engines. It's a bit scary to realize that computer programs are tailoring every interaction we have with a computer in the hope that our experience will be what the programmer thinks is our desire. From the articles which appear on the home pages of places like MSN to the suggestions for other purchases on Amazon, someone is second guessing our every move. What ever happened to serendipity? All in all a fascinating read.

Read this book *****

I originally read this book from the library and was moved to buy it as a gift. While this book is a history of Google, it also gives a thought provoking discussion of how our brains work. The whole concept of "search" is presented so that anyone can understand how search engines (including our brains) operate and how this knowledge informs those who are writing these engines. It's a bit scary to realize that computer programs are tailoring every interaction we have with a computer in the hope that our experience will be what the programmer thinks is our desire. From the articles which appear on the home pages of places like MSN to the suggestions for other purchases on Amazon, someone is second guessing our every move. What ever happened to serendipity? All in all a fascinating read.

great survey of Google's implications, decent survey of search history *****
This book give some insights into how Google has affected the world (mostly positive, but some negative as well) As a history of Google, this book tells us a lot, from inception to post-IPO. It also explains the histories of some of the earlier defunct search engines. For someone looking for some general knowledge about the search industry, this book would be very good. Writing style is somewhat informal but makes for quicker reading.

great survey of Google's implications, decent survey of search history *****

This book give some insights into how Google has affected the world (mostly positive, but some negative as well)
As a history of Google, this book tells us a lot, from inception to post-IPO.
It also explains the histories of some of the earlier defunct search engines.

For someone looking for some general knowledge about the search industry, this book would be very good.

Writing style is somewhat informal but makes for quicker reading.

An excellent companion volume *****
A story, written from further on the outside than 'The Google Story' about the early stages of google development. Not really an insider view, this concentrates on the public face of Google history as well as the details of the many companies that set the scene and created the early technology that allowed Google to exist. Provides a rich context for Google, but doesn't cover the internals of the company all that well, a good companion volume to 'The Google Story'

An excellent companion volume *****

A story, written from further on the outside than 'The Google Story' about the early stages of google development. Not really an insider view, this concentrates on the public face of Google history as well as the details of the many companies that set the scene and created the early technology that allowed Google to exist. Provides a rich context for Google, but doesn't cover the internals of the company all that well, a good companion volume to 'The Google Story'

A Google-focused useful insight into the world of search ****
John Battelle has written an unputdownable page turner with a wealth of first-hand knowledge about the world of internet searching. He tells the story of Google and does not shirk away from dealing with some of the thorny legal and ethical issues surrounding one of the most successful companies in history. This book will prove invaluable to all those who want to upgrade their background knowledge of SEM, SEO and the world of the internet in general.

A Google-focused useful insight into the world of search ****

John Battelle has written an unputdownable page turner with a wealth of first-hand knowledge about the world of internet searching. He tells the story of Google and does not shirk away from dealing with some of the thorny legal and ethical issues surrounding one of the most successful companies in history.

This book will prove invaluable to all those who want to upgrade their background knowledge of SEM, SEO and the world of the internet in general.

Not too geeky ****
Although I've been using computers, in one form or another, since the late 80's I didn't really use the Internet until around 2001. I'm not a particularly sophisticated user and haven't thought particularly carefully about the various search tools available. This book has changed my view - I now understand more about the differences between the search engines available on sites like Google and Yahoo - where did they come from, what drives their development, what are the aims and motives of those who control them? This book is simultaneously reassuring and deeply worrying, prompting some real thought on the consequences of our headlong rush into a digitised world. It is written in a very approachable style so that someone with only a modest knowledge of the Internet can understand the points it makes. The numerous items of 'insider gossip' and anecdotes make it lighter, helping the reader to digest the longer passages and also illuminating the characters and the part they played in the history and development of the Internet. I have deducted one star from a non-USA reader point of view - some terms were unfamiliar (particularly to do with the US financial world) and a bit of explanation for international audiences would have been useful.

Not too geeky ****

Although I've been using computers, in one form or another, since the late 80's I didn't really use the Internet until around 2001. I'm not a particularly sophisticated user and haven't thought particularly carefully about the various search tools available. This book has changed my view - I now understand more about the differences between the search engines available on sites like Google and Yahoo - where did they come from, what drives their development, what are the aims and motives of those who control them?

This book is simultaneously reassuring and deeply worrying, prompting some real thought on the consequences of our headlong rush into a digitised world. It is written in a very approachable style so that someone with only a modest knowledge of the Internet can understand the points it makes. The numerous items of 'insider gossip' and anecdotes make it lighter, helping the reader to digest the longer passages and also illuminating the characters and the part they played in the history and development of the Internet.

I have deducted one star from a non-USA reader point of view - some terms were unfamiliar (particularly to do with the US financial world) and a bit of explanation for international audiences would have been useful.

Simple search, complicated industry *****
Receive the search query and give back the results - it's that simple. There can't be more to this industry, right? Very wrong. Read this book to get a good understanding of the birth, rise and future of this (massive) industry.

Simple search, complicated industry *****

Receive the search query and give back the results - it's that simple. There can't be more to this industry, right? Very wrong. Read this book to get a good understanding of the birth, rise and future of this (massive) industry.

A 'must read' for Human Resources Executives ****
Companies pay millions to Futurists to tell them how consumer behaviours are likely to change. At the core of much of this, of course, is the internet. When you read this book though, you'll understand that the real power of the internet lies in 'search' - and that's where the future is going to get interesting! Human Resources leaders need to understand their business - we've known that for a long time - but they also need to understand the external world and what lies ahead. This book will broaden your thinking about the future of business and consumerism in ways that will inspire you.

A 'must read' for Human Resources Executives ****

Companies pay millions to Futurists to tell them how consumer behaviours are likely to change. At the core of much of this, of course, is the internet. When you read this book though, you'll understand that the real power of the internet lies in 'search' - and that's where the future is going to get interesting! Human Resources leaders need to understand their business - we've known that for a long time - but they also need to understand the external world and what lies ahead. This book will broaden your thinking about the future of business and consumerism in ways that will inspire you.

A must for every marketer *****
Starting with the fascinating concept of the Database of Intentions introduced in Chapter 1, the book kept my attention. This is a well told story of the development of the Internet search industry. The book documents in a journalistic fashion that is very enjoyable to read, the convergence of academic research and business thinking around the problem of searching an exponentially expanding internet. Inevitably the story of Google is at the center of the book but Batelle covers well the known and unknown pioneers of search. He also shows that despite Googles dominance, the search for the perfect search function is far from over. The book puts in perspective how all marketers must now think in terms of consumer intent when designing their web properties or SEO strategies.

A must for every marketer *****

Starting with the fascinating concept of the Database of Intentions introduced in Chapter 1, the book kept my attention. This is a well told story of the development of the Internet search industry. The book documents in a journalistic fashion that is very enjoyable to read, the convergence of academic research and business thinking around the problem of searching an exponentially expanding internet. Inevitably the story of Google is at the center of the book but Batelle covers well the known and unknown pioneers of search. He also shows that despite Googles dominance, the search for the perfect search function is far from over. The book puts in perspective how all marketers must now think in terms of consumer intent when designing their web properties or SEO strategies.