A bold and vital book that asks and answers the most urgent question of today: What Would Google Do?
In a book that's one part prophecy, on... read full description
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Nov 26, 2008
Ryan
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It may be unfair to give this book a rating since I couldn't finish it. For all I know, my complaints were resolved in the second half. So with that in mind...
It was interesting to read this book soon after a reread of Clay Shirky's Here Comes Everybody, as both are recent offerings by major publishers on our changing internet culture. However the strengths of Shirky's book and the faults in this one can be traced, I believe, to the two men's backgrounds. Shirky has been a professo More...
It was interesting to read this book soon after a reread of Clay Shirky's Here Comes Everybody, as both are recent offerings by major publishers on our changing internet culture. However the strengths of Shirky's book and the faults in this one can be traced, I believe, to the two men's backgrounds. Shirky has been a professo More...
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Feb 01, 2009
Jon
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This might be my favorite read so far of 2009 (although I thoroughly enjoyed Outliers and Here Comes Everybody as well). I love discussing creative disruption and this book is full of that. While some of the best ideas aren't Jeff's (Umair Haque and Fred Wilson are heavy influences and mentioned repeatedly in the book) for me it didn't much matter because of the importance and timeliness of the subject matter. If you're entrepreneur you have to read this book.
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Mar 25, 2009
David
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I have to admit that the title of this book put me off from the start. Could it be a serious book based on a blatant rip off of WWJD. So I was a bit grumpy to start with, but the author won me over by the end of the book.
Jarvis does a pretty good job of pulling apart some of the things that Google has done and tries to apply it to other industries.
Google is perhaps give a bit too much credit as being the saviour of all businesses. Google got lucky with Adsense - it was a sear More...
Jarvis does a pretty good job of pulling apart some of the things that Google has done and tries to apply it to other industries.
Google is perhaps give a bit too much credit as being the saviour of all businesses. Google got lucky with Adsense - it was a sear More...
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Mar 16, 2009
Terry
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Ubiquitous connectivity and free-form community connections will allow the savvy and interested to harness the power of large data sets to improve decision making and cut out waste.
I agree entirely. The problem is the author takes the above as given and simply assumes there's a sufficient supply of know-how to implement these services. While I'm not saying this isn't the case, the author starts with this assumption and never reviews or challenges it.
The author doesn't d More...
I agree entirely. The problem is the author takes the above as given and simply assumes there's a sufficient supply of know-how to implement these services. While I'm not saying this isn't the case, the author starts with this assumption and never reviews or challenges it.
The author doesn't d More...
Mar 15, 2009
James
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Where many others have failed, Google has survived in the age of the internet. More importantly it has led by taking full advantage of the new medium. Not only has the company created an effective business model, but it has changed the way we think of information. Jeff Jarvis, who writes on media and news at Buzzmachine.com, explores the company's leadership in shaping the assumptions in the new culture in his book, “What Would Google Do?”. However, Jarvis does not rely on corporate document
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May 12, 2011
Bojan
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WWGD - What would Google Do - is a book about the new ways that internet is changing our lives, and how the best to benefit from it. Despite its title, this is not a book about Google, at least not in a sense that it makes any effort to deeply analyze and try to explain in non-obvious terms the source of Google's success. Recently I came across a picture online which depicts a small store somewhere in India that without any shame or sense of propriety named itself "Google." Google has
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Nov 11, 2010
Hinch
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What Would Google Do? is not a book about Google. At least not directly. This is a manifesto for the social web. A book arguing for transparency, openness, and collaboration. A book imploring that we think differently; beseeching businesses to hand over control to their clients; to share and innovate; to develop platforms and networks of trust; to encourage discovery and diversity over secrecy and authority; to adopt a mindset of abundance over the scarcity models of the past. Google is position
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May 02, 2010
Guy
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Dec 31, 2009
Jay
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Jeff Jarvis has done a great job of presenting a thought-provoking premise: What would Google do? ... even if he has to credit Google with transformations and transitions which were truly catalyzed by the broader impact of the Internet. No, Al Gore did not invent Google.
"What would Google do?" is at its best describing Google culture, vision and world-view; it is much less valuable when the adjunct professor in Jarvis tries to ascribe too much to the already large impact w More...
"What would Google do?" is at its best describing Google culture, vision and world-view; it is much less valuable when the adjunct professor in Jarvis tries to ascribe too much to the already large impact w More...
Dec 04, 2009
Jonny99
rated it:
Jeff Jarvis explains that Google rules the world, that this is a good thing and it would be even better if Google ruled the world more in a fast-paced combination of business book and thought experiment which comes off more as love letter than analysis. Every once in a while a company distinguishes itself among its global corporate fellows for being populated with the coolest, smartest guys in the room. Prior to Google, it was a world-beating, game-changing Houston firm called Enron. At other
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Apr 27, 2011
Lumpenprole
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Jarivs makes a fairly strong case for the Internet as an exciting whiz-bang tool for change, with Google as his shining avatar for the changes coming. Except when it isn't, as with their secrecy about their server farms. Or how the "anti-Google" (I believe that was his term) Apple can break all the rules and still find success. He might be right, he might not be, but his constant honking on advertising driven doo-dads on every site around to pay for all this free content is a concept t
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Jun 24, 2010
Tony
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If you're 40-plus, you must read this book if you want to be relevant going into your future.
The Google/craigslist/Wikipedia/etc. economy has changed the world with great consequence to those who think this is a phenomenon you can sit out and re-enter from the sidelines later: ain't gonna happen! It's no surprise that companies hire people well under 40: they don't need to be converted because it's all they know and they understand it well.
The main thing is it forces you More...
The Google/craigslist/Wikipedia/etc. economy has changed the world with great consequence to those who think this is a phenomenon you can sit out and re-enter from the sidelines later: ain't gonna happen! It's no surprise that companies hire people well under 40: they don't need to be converted because it's all they know and they understand it well.
The main thing is it forces you More...
Jul 23, 2010
Ahmad
rated it:
It should be 3.5 stars out of 5 (or somewhere between 3-4 stars).
In this book, author Jeff Harvis of BuzzMachine.com, discusses the concept of "Googlethink". He takes Google and studies what made today's huge company, an enormously successful organization and how that success can be transferred to other industries.
The book is divided into 2 parts. The first of which is the answer to "What/Why?" as in "What/Why is Google successful?". Jeff dis More...
In this book, author Jeff Harvis of BuzzMachine.com, discusses the concept of "Googlethink". He takes Google and studies what made today's huge company, an enormously successful organization and how that success can be transferred to other industries.
The book is divided into 2 parts. The first of which is the answer to "What/Why?" as in "What/Why is Google successful?". Jeff dis More...
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Jul 07, 2011
Eric
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Good look at how Google has directly or indirectly affected various markets from Newspapers to Music. The book is already a little dated as it does not include all the affects of Android, Google+, The Guardian going to Internet first etc.
It also lacks come of the controversy surrounding Google in terms of the data captured by the Google streetview cars, domination of on-line advertising, purchase of SABER travel system, Privacy concerns, etc. Additionally it misses the closing of Goog More...
It also lacks come of the controversy surrounding Google in terms of the data captured by the Google streetview cars, domination of on-line advertising, purchase of SABER travel system, Privacy concerns, etc. Additionally it misses the closing of Goog More...
Aug 15, 2011
Matthew
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It's a worthwhile read (or listen, in my case) but it does get repetitive toward the end. Yes, Jeff, we get it. Businesses should open themselves up so the consumers have more control. It's a grand idea and it could work. Time will tell.
The best thing about this book is that, for all the repetition of idea, Jarvis does tailor things to each business. The core concepts are the same but each type of business has challenges the others don't. Medicine in particular is a touchy subj More...
The best thing about this book is that, for all the repetition of idea, Jarvis does tailor things to each business. The core concepts are the same but each type of business has challenges the others don't. Medicine in particular is a touchy subj More...
Aug 27, 2011
Tim
rated it:
A quick easy read with a some interesting comparisons of how google and ultimately the internet will open up industries. There were several references to Clue Train Manifesto and many of the positions reminded me of segments of Wikinomics and Naked Conversations but still was worth the time to read.
If nothing else it will force you to look at inefficient business processes and the business of innovation itself.
If nothing else it will force you to look at inefficient business processes and the business of innovation itself.
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Mar 01, 2010
getAbstract
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Insightful analysis of the Google goliath
Google is the world's most widely used search engine. Its users conduct hundreds of millions of searches daily, many pursuing links from corporate ads. Each time you click on a company's paid link, Google makes money. Already one of the best-known corporations on the planet, Google continues to grow tremendously as it sets the paradigm for booming Internet commerce. Author Jeff Jarvis explains what makes Google and other successful Web compani More...
Google is the world's most widely used search engine. Its users conduct hundreds of millions of searches daily, many pursuing links from corporate ads. Each time you click on a company's paid link, Google makes money. Already one of the best-known corporations on the planet, Google continues to grow tremendously as it sets the paradigm for booming Internet commerce. Author Jeff Jarvis explains what makes Google and other successful Web compani More...
Aug 12, 2009
Natali
rated it:
Although I think this book is about 50 pages too long, I still highly recommend it to anyone trying to understand modern economy and culture. I was afraid that it would be a big bowing down to Google, which I see enough of in my career. It isn't. Instead, it is a series of case studies proving how companies like Google are leading a civil movement against closed-system corporation culture.
I didn't feel like I needed this paradigm applied to so many industries. Jarvis uses the Google More...
I didn't feel like I needed this paradigm applied to so many industries. Jarvis uses the Google More...
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Dec 09, 2011
Elius
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Our Promotional Marketing teacher recommends a book to us after every chapter, and this was one of those books. Although I am not "into" non-fiction books in general, I decided to give this a go simply because it had Google in it's name, and I wasn't disappointed with my choice.
Truth be told, it isn't a mind shattering book, but it did give words to the ideas that we have been seeing already. It focuses on the change in society in the internet era and gives most of the cred More...
Truth be told, it isn't a mind shattering book, but it did give words to the ideas that we have been seeing already. It focuses on the change in society in the internet era and gives most of the cred More...
May 15, 2011
Howie
rated it:
I remember the first time I went to Google for a search in high school. I specifically remember being impressed by how simple the home page layout was. This fact about Google has not changed. In an era where companies constantly change their image to gain more market share, Google has focused on simplicity. As Jarvis explains in What Would Google Do, simplicity, a quality product, strong customer relationships, and a company motto of 'Do no evil' have made Google one of the greatest driving forc
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Apr 21, 2009
Dave
rated it:
Posted on my blog at http://blog.liftdevelopment.com:
I recently finished reading the book "What Would Google Do?" by author/blogger/journalist Jeff Jarvis. Jarvis is probably recognized primarily as proprietor of the popular blog Buzzmachine.com. I had an interest in this book right from the start because I am fascinated with the approach Google takes to everything they do: Offering premium services for free and finding alternative ways to make their money. A lot of mon More...
I recently finished reading the book "What Would Google Do?" by author/blogger/journalist Jeff Jarvis. Jarvis is probably recognized primarily as proprietor of the popular blog Buzzmachine.com. I had an interest in this book right from the start because I am fascinated with the approach Google takes to everything they do: Offering premium services for free and finding alternative ways to make their money. A lot of mon More...
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Dec 20, 2009
Ken
rated it:
I have been listening to Jeff Jarvis on the This Week in Google podcast
http://twit.tv/twig
and reading his blog
http://www.buzzmachine.com/
I bought his book because I thought it might be a good reading selection for a new course I'm creating at NJIT for 2010 called "Designing for Social Media."
Jarvis comes up with forty "rules" based on the way Google operates.
Not that Google is the master of all knowing, but it certainly has taken in More...
http://twit.tv/twig
and reading his blog
http://www.buzzmachine.com/
I bought his book because I thought it might be a good reading selection for a new course I'm creating at NJIT for 2010 called "Designing for Social Media."
Jarvis comes up with forty "rules" based on the way Google operates.
Not that Google is the master of all knowing, but it certainly has taken in More...
Aug 08, 2011
Nura
rated it:
It's a very long ode to Google, methinks. Maybe too long? It seems like an expanded version of a blog post.
For me, I struggled to finish this. Yes, there are nuggets to be gleaned from it but it just wasn't gripping enough for me to get through this in one long sitting.
This book is for those who don't exactly understand why Google is big news and how it really works and why it's important in our lives. In other words, this book is actually for those who are not Net-savvy More...
For me, I struggled to finish this. Yes, there are nuggets to be gleaned from it but it just wasn't gripping enough for me to get through this in one long sitting.
This book is for those who don't exactly understand why Google is big news and how it really works and why it's important in our lives. In other words, this book is actually for those who are not Net-savvy More...
Aug 05, 2011
Nick
rated it:
Even though Jarvis covers very little terrain that I'm not quite familiar with, I experienced serial "aha" moments throughout the entire book, little jolts of pleasure at how well he marshalls an argument, how well he writes, how prescient his "rules" of the Google age have proven to be in the years since he wrote the book. He has elevated the business practices of Google and other web-centric companies into ethical and philosophical principals that drive his eponymous title,
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Oct 16, 2010
Mark
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'What Would Google Do' reads like a love letter, or perhaps an extended job application.
Jeff Jarvis loves Google. No, Jeff Jarvis really loves Google and can't shut up about how Google has already changed the world, and has the potential to change the world even more. If only every organisation would apply the principles of openness, collaboration, elegant organisation and innovation then we would be living in a customisable nirvana where we could each be showered in rose petals in More...
Jeff Jarvis loves Google. No, Jeff Jarvis really loves Google and can't shut up about how Google has already changed the world, and has the potential to change the world even more. If only every organisation would apply the principles of openness, collaboration, elegant organisation and innovation then we would be living in a customisable nirvana where we could each be showered in rose petals in More...
Aug 14, 2011
KungFu
rated it:
Jarvis' What Would Google Do is a pretty thought provoking view into the new mindset of the net-related economy and how it looks to topple the old titans. While the second half of the book consisted of "case studies" that were a mix of good and bad, I could hardly set the book down through the first half. But since the first part of the book was more examination of the concepts that could just be a me thing. I groove on that more than applications.
If you have ever wondered ho More...
If you have ever wondered ho More...
Sep 08, 2009
Kim
rated it:
I listened to this book, read by the author. It was like getting hit on the head with a really big light bulb AH-HA, crystallizing much of my thinking since reading Disrupting Class 
. Jarvis is a smart, savvy guy - and while I think even he misses the mark on how it applies to education, he's helped me tremendously in framing my own ideas on how to radically disrupt and innovate!
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. Jarvis is a smart, savvy guy - and while I think even he misses the mark on how it applies to education, he's helped me tremendously in framing my own ideas on how to radically disrupt and innovate!
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Apr 01, 2009
Lilah
rated it:
The title is silly, but this really captures the technological/economic/social zeitgeist going on right now. It starts off with the total reversal of traditional businessthink, secrecy and competition giving way to conversations, collaborations, and openness. He then goes on to gleefully smash down the conventional models of each industry - publishing, real estate, health care, law - with loads of suggestions for how each could be made ultimately more useful to customers, consumers, co-creators.
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Dec 05, 2010
Claudina Sarahe
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I can't finish this book. I may eventually, but I'm in no hurry. I'm about 100 pages from the end; the Jeff shares his approach to revive old media behemoths. I mean, I'm interested in seeing him apply his rules but I'm tired of his voice. I can hear it in my head and it is grating.
My neighbor, when he noticed that I was reading this book, told me about how Jeff had a stint of appearances on the Lopate show. "His voice", he says, "I wouldn't be able to read it without h More...
My neighbor, when he noticed that I was reading this book, told me about how Jeff had a stint of appearances on the Lopate show. "His voice", he says, "I wouldn't be able to read it without h More...
Sep 09, 2010
Sarah
rated it:
I loved the whole concept of coverting the world from atoms to bits and thinking about how we can approach business that way. Also when we think of business this takes it from the old notion that all business has to be from the top down and makes it about the consumers and the relationships that is established with the customers and the business, making it a win-win relationship for all. Making it an experience where everyone has a stake in the business and we all have equal say. With the expans
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