Definitely worth a credit

This follows the author from his hire when Google was a startup until the IPO. It's a parallel story of Google the company and his personal odyssey from being a key player at the beginning to slowly becoming marginalized, and finally shown the door.
Recounting successes and failures, it's fascinating to hear the accounts of when AOL and Yahoo! were the big fish, and Google had to swim carefully to keep from upsetting them.
It's also a fascinating account of being in a company when it's an infant and there are no walls, and watching the company become a corporation. Anyone who's been in an organization during a growth phase has been in the situation where it goes from being this wide open playing field and you can talk to the "big boys and girls" anytime you wish, to watching walls spring up, things start to divide, and finding yourself boxed on the wrong side of the wall. The previously friendly faces are replaced by new people that make power plays to take your authority and slide you into the outer circle until the day you sit across from some person you don't know, being informed you no longer have a place at the company where you were once a key player.
I don't know how much you'll learn about business from this book, except that the founders of Google believed strongly in certain things. They pushed hard for their beliefs, but as much as they tried, Google eventually became another corporate entity. It was still different in a lot of ways, and they challenged a lot of traditional business thinking.
There's more there, I think, than the author intended.

27 people found this helpful

A Totally different look at Google

I have to admit that I was somewhat skeptical about this book. A marketing guy's perspective on Google? That's crazy, who cares about that, I thought. But I had just finished a couple other popular books on Google and thought that this might round out my perspective one of the most influential and successful companies of all time.
What I didn't realize was that I would be taken on a tour of Google, from it's childhood through adolescence, as though I were riding on the shoulders of the author. I would listen, mouth agape at the stupidity of running servers without cases on metal racks then marvel at the subtle and not-so-subtle genius exhibited by Googlers. I would learn how a quick hack could lead to billions of dollars of profits but I would also discover that my suspicions about chaotic product management were in fact correct.
"I'm Feeling Lucky" goes where no other Google book dares - it explores the intimately human aspect of a company often characterized as "The Borg." It reveals that Google engineers are not just single-dimensional geeks, but are creative people who share a passion for excellence and doing the "right" thing. But more importantly, it shows us a prime example of how a group of supremely confident and intelligent people can eschew tradition and change the world.

13 people found this helpful

I'm Feeling Tired

Wow, this was a LONG one. I listened to it on audio and it was over 16 hours; it's a good thing that the narrator was good or I would have given up on it long ago.

I liked the story overall, but there was nothing astounding about it. This told the story from the perspective of the author, who was a marketing employee at Google. I get the trials of being a non-engineer in an engineering company, as I have been in that situation before. There were many sections that I found extremely interesting, such as the controversy over Google Doodles, April Fools jokes, the perks of working there, the magnitude of the operation, and everything that went into the development of the search function. I take it for granted when I go to Google that I will see the box, type in my request, and find what I am looking for. I never thought of it as this complex algorithm that is actually very highly developed. I also never thought of the scope of the manpower and physical equipment that is required to make this happen.

There were no great "confessions" in this book, so maybe I was expecting more of that based on the title. Rather, it was a history of the company and there was no real "dirt" revealed. I found that many names were mentioned and when they came back up again, I could not recall exactly who all of them were. There were also great details about some of the competitors and their skirmishes with Google that I felt went on for way too long. This book definitely would have benefited from editorial work in the area of shortening the story up. When I look back at the entire book, I'm glad that I persevered and finished it, although there were some points where I felt that it was never going to end. Maybe by now, as you are reading this, you are thinking that this review is never ending as well, so on that note, I will conclude!

9 people found this helpful

Next great tech drama movie!

Watch out "Social Network" and "Pirates of Siicon Valley" the next great tech movie is contained within the pages this book. I also enjoyed to Jeff Jarvis's "WWGD" and "In the Plex" but this book has great personal drama as well as the interesting Google Story. You can relate the Doug as he takes you on his journey through the world of search, working hard to understand the Google Culture and create a better world. This guy is an awesome writer and a wonderful story teller. I can't wait to see the movie!! I've only written a few reviews but this book is so good I wanted to recommend it to others. This book is not the usual "yada-yada!" Awesome book! Highly recommended!!

17 people found this helpful

You'll be the lucky one

One of the funniest books I've ever read. The style is witty, kind and down to earth. A must read for anyone who has ever worked at a start-up. Hearing the story from the author's own mouth adds to the personal feeling of the book. You'll be the lucky one if you take the time to listen to this book.

10 people found this helpful

Highly Amusing

This is not just your yaddah yaddah tell all. I came away tremendously impressed by Google, Douglas Edwards, the Founders and a truly amazing cast of characters making their way in a world of opportunity on a rather bizzare silicon valley playing field. I admit that that I only understand some of technical issues a little better. Nevertheless, if, like me, you have used Google's growing arsenal of tools since its infancy, you will find this a particularly interesting history lesson, even though some of it is going to be over your head too.

3 people found this helpful

Fantastic insight!

Written from the insight you discover how google started and became what it is. It's an obliged reading if you want to fully understand google and probably it's future as well. It's well written and shows the human part behind the little box of search in the corner of your browser.

3 people found this helpful

Entertaining

An entertaining, well written personal story of the career-choice of a lifetime. Highlights include the AOL-negotiations and the behind-the-curtain look at the googlers on the annual ski-trip. Edwards doesn't drop any huge bombs or surprises, except how blatantly he describes his sour relationship with Marissa Mayer who cannot be very pleased reading this book.

3 people found this helpful

Great book, great reading and amazing story.

I just have to say thank you for this book. One of the best business books I've ever read not because it's a business book but because of the insights, opinion, history and detail that was shared by Douglas Edwards about a amazing company that didn't just happen but was built.

2 people found this helpful

A Job-Culture Mind-Shift

What made the experience of listening to I'm Feeling Lucky the most enjoyable?

It is clearly and unashamedly a single person's perspective of the early part of the Google story. However, what lends credibility to the narrative is the author's openness about his difficulty in transitioning from the ingrained working culture of his previous life, to a new up-is-down, black-might-be-white world of Brin and Page.

Did Google succeed with a great technology product despite this contrarian, unconventional thinking, or because of it?

I'm not sure, but it must have been challenging and fun to be a part of that experience and that is what is conveyed in this book, and that is why I enjoyed it.

What does Douglas Edwards bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I like listening to books read by the author when the author has the voice and skill to pull it off, and Douglas Edwards does a fine job.

Any additional comments?

A fascinating and fun read (listen). I recommend it.

1 person found this helpful