For the Google guys, impossible is nothing
The story of Google and its two founders is a potential goldmine for riveting narrative journalism. Indeed, Richard L Brandt's The Google Guys: Inside The Brilliant Minds Of Google Founders Larry Page And Sergey Brin (a paperback version of the author's 2009 book, Inside Larry & Sergey's Brain with a new afterword) starts promisingly, with its breezy narration of Larry and Sergey's early years, how they came together while in university and how they managed to get two top venture capitalists to back them on their terms to start the mother of all internet companies.
But from there on it slips into the familiar territory of business histories, where indeed the author has done a competent job. Speaking of business histories, one recurring theme that sticks out is how almost each of its competing behemoths were very close to being where Google is today, but missed out because of lack of vision. Brandt attributes this to Larry and Sergey's farsightedness and single-mindedness.
Sure, the book tells us things like how the bedrock of anything in Google is its 'Don't be evil' policy and how Google puts the interest of its customer above anything and how it has rubbed a lot of its rivals — and governments — the wrong way. But it is also slightly hagiographic; while it does touch upon thorny issues, Brandt pulls his punches at the last minute, and paints a picture of awe about how Larry and Sergey did the right thing every time.
Thus while the book tells the story of what makes Google such a great company, it doesn't say anything about what makes Larry (the force that drives the company) and Sergey (the company's conscience keeper of sorts) tick.
There are small nuggets — when an AOL executive says in a 2001 meeting that Google is stupid, Sergey walks out of the meeting and says, loud enough for people in the meeting to hear, "Someone get me a can of gasoline. I have to set myself on fire to get rid of the scum of these people."
In another instance, Schmidt recalls Sergey arriving late for a meeting with Larry and other engineers and "throwing up all over the decision in front of everyone." That is when Schmidt decided that if there was going to be an argument it would be in private — but the book comes nowhere close to what it claims to be in the title, while still providing a competent account of the company.
In fact, the one character that the book manages to explore in some depth is Eric Schmidt, the company's CEO for a decade who plays the calming influence and arbitrator for the precocious founders.
But what works against a book like this is the lack of any relevant update since its hard cover publication in 2009.
While Google+ was launched only in June 2011 and probably could not have found its way into the new book, there have been a lot of other developments since 2009, the most important among them being Google's problems in China, and the rise and rise of its Android operating system.
Rather than try and add a chapter or two about such issues, Brandt has merely slapped an afterword mentioning these major developments and saying they will shape Google's future. While his publisher may have been all for it, one wonders if the Google Guys would have approved.
The story of Google and its two founders is a potential goldmine for riveting narrative journalism. Indeed, Richard L Brandt's The Google Guys: Inside The Brilliant Minds Of Google Founders Larry Page And Sergey Brin (a paperback version of the author's 2009 book, Inside Larry & Sergey's Brain with a new afterword) starts promisingly, with its breezy narration of Larry and Sergey's early years, how they came together while in university and how they managed to get two top venture capitalists to back them on their terms to start the mother of all internet companies.
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Sure, the book tells us things like how the bedrock of anything in Google is its 'Don't be evil' policy and how Google puts the interest of its customer above anything and how it has rubbed a lot of its rivals — and governments — the wrong way. But it is also slightly hagiographic; while it does touch upon thorny issues, Brandt pulls his punches at the last minute, and paints a picture of awe about how Larry and Sergey did the right thing every time.
Thus while the book tells the story of what makes Google such a great company, it doesn't say anything about what makes Larry (the force that drives the company) and Sergey (the company's conscience keeper of sorts) tick.
There are small nuggets — when an AOL executive says in a 2001 meeting that Google is stupid, Sergey walks out of the meeting and says, loud enough for people in the meeting to hear, "Someone get me a can of gasoline. I have to set myself on fire to get rid of the scum of these people."
In another instance, Schmidt recalls Sergey arriving late for a meeting with Larry and other engineers and "throwing up all over the decision in front of everyone." That is when Schmidt decided that if there was going to be an argument it would be in private — but the book comes nowhere close to what it claims to be in the title, while still providing a competent account of the company.
In fact, the one character that the book manages to explore in some depth is Eric Schmidt, the company's CEO for a decade who plays the calming influence and arbitrator for the precocious founders.
But what works against a book like this is the lack of any relevant update since its hard cover publication in 2009.
While Google+ was launched only in June 2011 and probably could not have found its way into the new book, there have been a lot of other developments since 2009, the most important among them being Google's problems in China, and the rise and rise of its Android operating system.
Rather than try and add a chapter or two about such issues, Brandt has merely slapped an afterword mentioning these major developments and saying they will shape Google's future. While his publisher may have been all for it, one wonders if the Google Guys would have approved.
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