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“Googled” by Ken Auletta (suggested retail price: $27.95); “Inside Larry & Sergeys Brain” by Richard L. Brandt ($24.95).
Stanford University graduate students Larry Page and Sergey Brin were never coy about their outlandish ambitions when they founded Google in a Silicon Valley garage 11 years ago. They were determined to change the world, and Auletta – the longtime media columnist for The New Yorker magazine – thinks they have pulled it off.
Thats why his book is subtitled his book, “The End of the World as We Know It.” Unlike the band REM, Auletta isnt convinced we should feel fine about it.
The book covers a lot of turf already tread upon by previous tomes about the Internet search leader. But it also provides an up-to-date look on Googles intensifying battles with the media, privacy watchdogs and antitrust regulators worried about the companys growing power.
By comparison, “Inside Larry & Sergeys Brain,” is more like a stocking stuffer, both in size and substance. It covers the main bases and is a good read, but the Google founders seemed to have shared more of their inner thoughts with Auletta. Or maybe Auletta just does a better job of dissecting them.
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“The Twitter Book” ($19.99) by Tim OReilly and Sarah Milstein ($19.99); “Twitter Tips, Tricks and Tweets” ($19.99) by Paul McFedries and Pete Cashmore; “Twitter Wit” ($12.99) edited by Nick Douglas.
Twitter isnt quite as powerful as Google, but can be an interesting and fun communications tool. Its even better if you learn how to make the most of it.
Both “The Twitter Book” and “Twitter Tips, Tricks and Tweets” make sense of the Twitterverses lingo and etiquette, and they point out other twitterific services and applications.
“Twitter Wit” is a whimsical collection of the best tweets so far, pithy posts that say a lot in 140 characters or less. Even if they dont inspire you, tweets like these might make you smile (or grimace): “A hangover is the wrath of grapes” and “The baggage carousel sounds a lot more fun than it actually is.”
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These are very different takes on Internet hangouts that have redefined how millions of people stay connected to their family and friends.
Although it was released in March, “Stealing MySpace” already may feel a little outdated because the sites owner, News Corp., has brought in a new management team to place a greater emphasis on entertainment. But the book remains an engaging look at how online social networks became ingrained in our culture.
“The Accidental Billionaires” made plenty of enemies at Facebook, where its tale of young lust and betrayal is derided as being more fiction than fact. And Mezrich definitely seems to have exaggerated the truth about Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his zealots. But that doesnt make the book any less zesty, especially if its taken with a grain of salt. A movie version is already in the works, with Jesse Eisenberg (recently in “Adventureland”) starring as Zuckerberg.
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“Behind The Cloud” ($27.95) by Marc Benioff and Carlye Adler.