Overview:
With over a billion daily active users, Facebook is clearly one of the most important companies of our generation. Steven Levy’s book, Facebook the Inside story is part biography of Mark Zuckerberg, and part history of Facebook. Reading this relatively long book will get you up to speed on what you need to know about the company, with insight into topics ranging from the connection to the movie the social network, Mark’s relationship with Sean Parker of Napster, current challenges with government regulation, and the future of Facebook.
Here is what the book was about:
The history of Facebook’s founding, background on Mark Zuckerberg’s life and upbringing, who he is as a person, and motivations throughout his life, as well as a look at current events and future prospects for the company. If there is a topic about Facebook you’re interested in learning m ore about this book will have at least something for you. It is very comprehensive, and engaging at the same time. Additionally, what makes this book unique is that the author Steven Levy had unprecedented access to Mark Zuckerberg, Sheryl Sandberg, Chamas Polihapatia and many other high-profile executives.
Rating: (1 to 5)
I rated this book a 4.8 out of 5 because it was so engaging, well written, and all around good journalism. The fact that the author, Steven Levy, is an editor at the influential Wired magazine also helped this title earn the highest rating I’ve given a book this year.
Other Thoughts on The Book:
In determining whether or not to read this book, I came across reviews that indicated the book was biased in favor of showing Mark and Facebook in a positive light. I did not find that to be the case at all. Steven was fair in his reporting and both accurate and engaging in the story telling. He went into just enough detail so as to avoid being off topic.