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The Search: How Google and Its Rivals Rewrote the Rules of Business and Transformed Our Culture Hardcover – September 8, 2005

by John Battelle (Author)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 159 ratings
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The story of the popular Internet search engine draws on more than 350 interviews with executives at Google and other leading technology companies, explaining how it became one of the world's leading IPOs and revealing how Google and its competitors contributed to changes in information searching and viral marketing. 40,000 first printing.
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    320 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Portfolio Hardcover
  4. Publication date
    September 8, 2005
  5. Reading age
    18 years and up
  6. Dimensions
    6.24 x 1.14 x 9.22 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    1591840880
  8. ISBN-13
    978-1591840886
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

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

From Publishers Weekly

Rather than write a book strictly about the rise of Google as a business, technology journalist Battelle targets his research on the concept of Internet search, beginning the book with a discussion of an abstract idea he terms the "Database of Intentions," defined as the sum total of all queries that pour into search engines daily, revealing the intricacies and idiosyncrasies of our culture. Though most of the book is devoted to the search engine giant (which Battelle reports corners 51 percent of the search engine market), the author also includes chapters on "Search, Before Google" and the "Who, What, Where, Why, When. And How (much)" of search. Battelle is at his best when describing the creation of Google, especially through the yin-yang personalities of its founders, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, and in describing the company's culture. Though Battelle's descriptions of Internet search technology can get too technical for readers without a computer science background, the book is a deeply researched and nimbly reported look at how search has defined the Internet and how it will continue to be a tremendous reflection of culture.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Portfolio Hardcover; First Edition (September 8, 2005)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1591840880
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1591840886
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 18 years and up
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.2 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.24 x 1.14 x 9.22 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 159 ratings

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John Battelle

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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
159 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Phil Simon
5.0 out of 5 stars Epic
Reviewed in the United States on May 18, 2012
Verified Purchase
A few weeks ago, I saw a list of the best business books of all time. I was a bit proud of myself that I had read most of them--at had at least heard of the rest. For whatever reason, though, one book had escape me over the years: The Search: How Google and Its Rivals Rewrote the Rules of Business and Transformed Our Culture. I was more than five years late, but figured that I owed it to myself to give it a read.

I'm glad that I did.

I had seen Battelle on Bloomberg West and he was particularly smart and articulate. My one initial hesitation with The Search: I had already read many books about Google. (I count Ken Auletta's book among my very favorites.) Did I really need to read yet another book about Larry and Sergey's company?

But here's the rub: Battelle's book is hardly Google-specific. Rather, it's about the vast implications of being able to find an increasing amount of information within seconds, a trend that shows no signs of abating. Now, to be sure, you can't write a book about the history of search without delving into Google, but this is a book about so much more than one company. For instance, I learned a great deal about the role of Bill Gross and GoTo.com, a precursor to Google and the guy who cracked the nut on paid placements. I hadn't realized that Larry and Sergey modified Gross' central idea.

A Glimpse of What's Beyond

While I probably should have read this excellent text when it was released, in a way I'm happy that I stumbled upon it now. Sure, AOL and Yahoo! are not nearly as relevant today as they were when Battelle was hammering away on his Mac. But reading books like this years after their release allows you to assess the author's predictions ex post facto. Battelle's vision of then then-future in 2006 is, for the most part, panning out.

On a general level, my very favorite business books do the following:

* advance a big idea
* teach me something new (not that easy to do, since I read many non-fiction, business, and technology books)
* tell interesting stories
* leave me wanting more

Battelle does all of the above with considerable aplomb. The man is a gifted writer and I can't wait for his next opus.

Get. This. Book. Now.
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H. Woo
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
Reviewed in the United States on November 19, 2008
Verified Purchase
The Search by John Battelle provides an interesting history of Internet search technology with a heavy emphasis on Google. It also highlights how search engines and the Internet have rapidly changed and offers insight into where search technology may be heading next. Although there is a heavy emphasis Google, the book ultimately aims at the bigger picture: the past, present, and future of search, in both the business and technology aspects.

John Battelle does a great job at giving a detailed overview of the role of Search, which is especially helpful for a person like me, who has a very limited knowledge of this topic. In addition, having a strong business and technical background, Battelle is even able to get a lot of insider information to further support his ideas. For example, he is able to incorporate his interviews with people like Brin and Page at Google, Bezos at Amazon, Yang and Filo at Yahoo, etc. Not to mention, he even brings the lesser known to the spotlight: Bill Gross, founder of GoTo.com, the first company to successfully provide an Internet search engine which relied upon sponsored search results and pay-per-click advertisements. It is these parts of the book that are most interesting, and enlightening. Not to mention, the book is a lot more credible with so many key figures of the Search industry being incorporated into the book.

Before reading this I thought that Search was just a box to enter in terms to search for. However, it is a rapidly growing field that morphs with many business ramifications: advertising, media, and sales to name a few. As we all know, Google makes the majority of their money off advertisements. In addition, many Internet users use the search engine to do their shopping as they are able to do some research on the item and find the best price before making their final purchase. Or, many also just do it because it allows for them to conveniently shop in the comforts of their own homes. The search engine's capabilities are endless. Many really novel ideas are and will continue to be coming out of the search engine/internet media industry. Already, we are thinking beyond text search queries and looking into visual queries. However, at the same time, agreeing with Battelle, we are definitely not far from search becoming like the voice of the Star Trek computer that even understands our verbal queries.
One person found this helpful
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Jay C. Hardin
4.0 out of 5 stars How Do Search Engines Work?
Reviewed in the United States on March 8, 2007
Verified Purchase
I had long been intrigued by the ability of search engines to quickly lay the world's knowledge at our fingertips and wanted to know how they worked. This book well explained the intricacies of search as well as the economics, ethics and future of the field. Certain computer terminolgy is never explained for the uninitiated--a glossary would have been useful. However, these do not detract from an excellent coverage of the main subject. I highly recommend this book.
2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Paulo Castro
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent! 👏👏👏
Reviewed in Brazil on October 25, 2018
Verified Purchase
Excellent book that tells the story of search before Google's era. It's about internet, the tech worlf and the act of search.
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VV981
2.0 out of 5 stars Two Stars
Reviewed in India on July 2, 2015
Verified Purchase
Not much insights. Dated stiry
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Mans Art
5.0 out of 5 stars Heute schon gegoogelt?
Reviewed in Germany on August 19, 2012
Verified Purchase
Kaum ein Unternehmen zuvor hat die Welt so rasant verändert wie Google. Doch was steckt dahinter, was trieb die Gründer Larry Page und Sergey Brin an? Wie kam es zu diesem gewaltigen Umbruch der sich auch im Denken der Menschen manifestiert hat? Heute sind ganze Wirtschaftszweige auf der Suche nach neuen Geschäftsfeldern und sie nutzen die Infrastruktur und Technologie von Google. John Battelle beleuchtet die Anfänge als auch die Gegenwart, er nimmt zukünftige Entwicklungen vorweg und beäugt ebenso kritisch Google's Credo - Don't be evil
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在星猫
5.0 out of 5 stars 検索業界史と裏話を
Reviewed in Japan on April 27, 2007
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　検索業界史と裏話を業界に詳しいジャーナリストのジョーン・バトルが描いた本書は、当然ながらGoogleの設立から株式の公開、そして将来への展望を中心に「検索」が技術的また産業として成り立つまでを中心の課題としている。その中でGoogleのライバル達である、Yahoo,Microsoft等との競争についても語られている。

　もうひとつのキーワードが「意思」。検索が単なる語句の収集から検索者の意思の痕跡を積み上げていくものになった時にビジネス・モデルができあがったという点である。この見方からの検索ビジネスの将来についての著者の見通しはスピードの速いIT産業の中でも特にスピードの速い検索サービス業界の将来を見据えるのに役立つものであると思う。
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Aaron Jackson
5.0 out of 5 stars Really interesting
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 15, 2013
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This book is a really interesting book into the history of how Google came to become the biggest search engine on the planet. It covers the how competitive the search market actually is.

Very interesting, definitely worth a read if you interested in this kind of book.
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