Dave Nelson

From the writer of “Bringing Down the House” comes the story of the founding of Facebook. I listened to the unabridged version of this book purchased on Audible.

Like “Bringing Down the House” this book is a very conversational accounting of historical events. I find it similar to Hunter S. Thompson’s style of gonzo journalism without the drugs or bombastic language. I like the writing style and believe it makes the story interesting and listenable.

I found it an interesting listen even though it doesn’t really contain any insights that could be used to create a successful web business, but I guess that ties into the title “The Accidental Billionaires.” I believe that Mark Zuckerberg’s personality is fundamental to the things I like most and like least about Facebook.

I now believe that Facebook’s initial success was mainly due to Mark’s ability to quickly build a web site that copied the best of what other social networking sites were already doing using a simpler interface. Other people have had similar ideas, but Mark was able to execute and get the idea into the hands of the public when others failed.

The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook is a good read but I don’t consider it a business book, I’ll give it a 6 out of 10. If you haven’t read “Bringing Down the House” I highly recommend it as an 8 out of 10.