Publisher: Portfolio Hardcover
Authors: John Battelle
List Price: $25.95
Amazon Price: $16.35
Usually ships in 24 hours
Reviews:
Summary: Manifest destiny meets myraid web font
When you read the title, you might make the false presumption that this is a book about Google; it really isn't. The author puts forth a concept of a database of intentions early on. In his words:
"The Database of Intentions is simply this: the aggregate results of every search ever entered, every result list ever tendered, and every path taken as a result...Taken together this information represents a real-time history of post-Web cultuare - a massive clickstream database of desires, needs, wants, and preferences that can be discovered, subpeonaed, archived, tracked and exploited for all sorts of ends." (p.6)
It is the importance of this idea that drives Battelle and the book. He points out early on, that this is a book about search using the Google and other significant stories, to illustrate his point - that Search is bigger than all of us. This may be a potentially cold topic, but Battelle takes the reader on a fascinating journey through time. Really it presents a history of search, with reminders of where Google is in the process/picture.
Battelle gives us the technical side (watered down) of searches, the growth of the search economy, big names such as Monier, AltaVista, Compaq, Lycos, Yahoo, Excite until we get to the birth of Google - an interesting and informative chapter.
He then takes a detour on the history of GoTo.com arguing that it is this, Bill Gross' business model that "saw in search seeds of an economic revolution." (p.93) Battelle then spends time tracing the business model and, essentially, Bill Gross' career from early GNP to IdeaLab and to GoTo.com. Essentially, Gross saw something in the undifferentiated traffic - the fact that intentional traffic was/could be valuable. Enter advertisers paying when their ads are clicked upon. The story of GoTo continues and leads to Google and (messy) dealings. The search regains power. Portals regain status.
The Chapter on Google is informative, fascinating, and a worthwhile read. Battelle's writing skills come to the fore in this one as he keeps us as up-to-date as a book can be. The sense of the giant of Google is reinforced but none of the panic. The following chapter on the Search economy is really a prediction and validation of Battelle's own beliefs - that Search is essential to the economy and the one binding thing across all sites.
The last few chapters jump back and forth between Google and the importance of Search addressing issues such as privacy and the government. The book ends with the Perfect Search and reminds us once again what searching is all about and its importance. These chapters are a good read.
One interesting idea that came from reading this book is that the next decade is going to be known not for the expansion of technology, but the ability to make the information already at the beck and call of this technology into ordered, tidy packages for consumption. Think of the Internet like the US economy, once driven by industry, the margin for innovation is now static compared to the service sector.
Battelle's book is an odd read at first; his outlined intentions jar a little with the jumpiness of the early chapters.. Asserting early that he didn't want to write a book about Google (and the Google people didn't want that either!), or just another business book, I think he achieves that. However, it is in his writing about people and situations that the book comes alive.
Should you read this? Yes. It's an important book giving breadth and depth to an area we may not really think that much about. Will search engines really drive the change in web culture?
Summary: Great Insight into SE History
John Battelle brilliantly lays out the history of search engines in his book The Search: How Google and Its Rivals Rewrote the Rules of Business and Transformed Our Culture. While many have focused on Google exclusively for the past few years Battelle explores the reality behind Google and others.
John Battelle also has a weblog available to keep you updated on the latest and greatest. Though this book was published a while back it is definately still up-to-date as far as a reference.
An easy read, I recommend this to anyone in the search engine industry from advertisers to searches, marketers to web designers. Very informative. You will not be disappointed!
Summary: Book on Google that tries hard to pretend that it is a book on search
This book tries hard to say that it is a book on search and not on Google. Indeed, even the reviews on the backcover tries hard to convince me that this is not a book on Google. However, I get the impression that this is a book that was probably originally intended as a book on Google, but was late to the game, and tries to be rebranded as a book on search. To the author's credit, he does add material on search that is more original, but the feeling that this book started out as a book on Google never left me.
Summary:
,
amazon.co.uk
,
google.com
