Google it A history of Google

Review by Booklist Review

*Starred Review* This is an entertaining history of how Google, now almost 20 years old, has become so ubiquitous in many lives. Stanford University students Larry Page and Sergey Mikhaylovich Brin. began a PhD thesis project (initially called BackRub!) to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful. Eventually, it evolved into Google, and this book covers further innovations, from Google Doodle to Google Home and Google's project expansion into space travel, health, and ways to prolong life. One of the newest projects is a balloon-powered internet for areas lacking an internet infrastructure. Some innovations have failed (remember Google Glass?), and their success hasn't been without controversy. Some authors believed Google Books was a copyright infringement, while Gmail led people to question privacy issues. Google was criticized for allowing China to censor certain searches until Google redirected those users to another site. Investigative journalist Redding does an admirable job of chronicling the co-creators' amazing successes and will inspire young people to follow in their ingenious footsteps. It's more comprehensive than other books for young readers about Google's founders, with energetically written short chapters, interesting facts, graphics, and photos, although it does lack an index. The sky is the limit on what this fantastically innovative company can achieve.--Rawlins, Sharon Copyright 2010 Booklist

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.

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Review by School Library Journal Review

Gr 6 Up-This readable and breezy history of the tech behemoth begins with the 1995 meeting of cofounders Larry Page and Sergey Brin at Stanford University, where Google (initially called BackRub) began as their doctoral thesis. Short chapters dip back to Page's and Brin's childhoods, then rapidly trace the company's time line to the present, providing ample context, which is particularly important, given that the intended audience is likely to need some background on business and tech concepts and to imagine how life was before Google. Well-placed images, callouts, and short interstitial chapters ("Not To Drone on, but.") add humor, clarify noteworthy points, and underscore the strong sense of pacing. Although the consistently cheerful tone is inviting and contributes to ease of reading, it also glosses over some more problematic aspects of Google and Alphabet, its umbrella company. Recent news about YouTube (an Alphabet subsidiary) has ranged from disheartening to disturbing, while controversy has swirled regarding Google's handling of diversity initiatives. Difficult issues, such as the compromise with the Chinese government over censorship, are mentioned, but Redding stops short of questioning whether Google has strayed from its famous ethical motto: "Don't be evil." Instead Page, Brin, and Google are cast as central (and largely sympathetic) figures in a narrative of conquest. VERDICT An appealing and timely look at a universally relevant subject and a good fit for STEAM-related reading lists.-Miriam DesHarnais, Towson University, MD © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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Review by Horn Book Review

This enthusiastic history of Google starts with Larry Page and Sergey Brin as Stanford doctoral candidates then clearly and comprehensively traces the company's growth and diversification. Emphasizing Google's motto, "Don't be evil," the conversational text celebrates the company's revolutionary products, business model, and work culture. This book is timely, given Google's pervasiveness. Photographs, archival screenshots, and sidebar anecdotes are scattered throughout. Bib. (c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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