The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook: A Tale of Sex, Money, Genius and Betrayal

Great insight to a pivotal company

As you've come to expect from Ben Mezrich, this is a great window into a world that not everyone knows about. Whether Mark stole the ideas or enhanced his own will always be an issue but Ben puts all the cards on the table and lets you decide. Great unknown facts about Facebook and another well written book.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

It must've been a disappointment to Mezrich, not talking to Zuckerberg...

I hadn't read any of Mezrich's earlier books, though they are extremely popular in Boston, due to the MIT angle for Bringing Down the House. I expect that some of his earlier work was easier to complete, since he had the cooperation of the people he was profiling. In the case of this book, Mezrich could not get Mark Zuckerberg to go on record. Since the book is about Zuckerberg's (and others') accomplishments in establishing Facebook, I'd have to say that must have been a big disappointment to Mezrich, since it gave his story a one-sided feel.

The bulk of the story rested on the testimony, I guess you could call it, of Eduardo Saverin, Zuckerberg's initial financier, sounding board, and moral support while Zuckerberg was at Harvard. Zuckerberg subsequently found ways to ditch people he felt were feeding off his creation, including Saverin. I guess what struck me most was the juvenility of everyone involved in the whole process. They were only college kids after all, but somehow one hopes that those with exquisite gifts also have exquisite sense. Unfortunately, we all know that is not true--witness Tiger Woods. If you ever wondered if sex makes the world go round, look no further than this book.

When I was first exposed to Facebook, I must admit I was awed at its reach. But this story of its founding makes me uneasy. Not that I think Zuckerberg stole anybody's idea. After all, he not only had unique ideas, he could do the programming himself, something many others could not do. But he doesn't sound like the kind of person anyone wants to have as a friend. Zuckerberg's reluctance to speak for himself could be just a desire to let his creation speak for him, a shrug at what readers think of him, a fear that the writer would not give him a fair shake. Whatever it is, he probably doesn't feel like he needs to justify himself. Shrug. He certainly doesn't care what I think, and how lonely can a billionaire be?

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Average book, confusing at times

In the book Accidental Billionaires by Ben Mezrich, the motif of greed is both an obstacle and a necessity for Mark Zuckerburg on his summit to the top of success mountain.
The summary of Accidental Billionaires is all centered on Zuckerburg’s often “bratty” attitude and relentless love for the world of computers and hacking into the forbidden treasures that many would possess. Zuckerburg got his reputation of a “jerk” when he made a website all by himself to help rate girls on their attractive qualities. He forwarded the link and what used to be the “hot or not” website rapidly transgressed into what is now known as Facebook. This novel emphasizes the troubles and obstacles that got into Zuckerburg’s way. The most crucial hindrance that Zuckerburg encountered was the problem of his best friend and how he betrayed him to achieve maximum profit and success.
In Accidental Billionaires, Mezrich’s diction helps paint a picture for the reader to invasion the event-filled road for Zuckerburg to get where he is today. Not only does diction assist the reader in imagery, it also helps Mezrich get his point and story across in a fluid way. By looking through Eduardo Saverin’s perspective, Zuckerburg’s best friend during college, the reader can really get a grip on the life and personalities Zuckerburg would preform everyday. Through the vivid imagery of Mezrich, the reader benefits heavily from it and can achieve the upmost happiness during the reading.
This book has gotten the reputation as a “false” told story but it still falls under the umbrella as a non-fiction novel. Although this book helped establish the foundations for the major motion picture about Zuckerburg and Facebook, I would state how this book is very confusing and often hard to follow completely. There are many characters in this novel and the majority of the time the reader has no idea who is speaking. Mezrich does do a phenomenal job at multiple variations of syntax, which helps personify the speech and jargon of the students and everyone else involved. Alternating the short and complex sentence structure is significant in really understanding the complexity of Zuckerburg’s mind.
Overall, Accidental Billionaires is a book that I would recommend; however, this novel does have parts that may be confusing and language and imagery that may not be suitable for the whole community. The motifs and diction make this book unique and a must-read for any person who loves to be relished with the mysteries behind what Facebook has become today.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Very Interesting Read

Although it does not cover all the aspects of how social network makes their money, it gives the user an insight of how we are making ourselves and all of our networks available for sale. The book is an exquisite insight on how Facebook began but it fails to give concrete formula on Facebook business model. And this is true for most books that talk about how any particular company makes money. Since most authors do not have access to the inside day-to-day economic activities of the companies. As well most of this book assertions are based on speculations, which makes it hard to be used as a valid source.
Otherwise the book is an interesting read about the development of Facebook as company. If one is looking to learn about how Zukerberg developed his business model I will recommend looking somewhere else. At the end it remains an exciting read and just like the title indicates, the moneymaking part seems more accidental than from an invention of a visionary business model.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Engaging writing style based on speculation

This is a great book that is easy to read in a day or two. It is definitely based on impressions and speculations, so not exactly a good reference book. However, the way the book is written allows the reader to be there at the time and the place where the idea came into fruition, and the book tags the reader along the various stages of the development of FB. It is inspiring to all idea-creators and motivating for all entrepreneurs. Truly, there is a world out there that is willing to embrace new ideas that are meant to make our life experience a better one. I haven't seen Social Connection and I don't think one needs to - this books alone is very entertaining and very well-written. Recommended.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

ok

Entertaining and interesting to see how this company began

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

not as good as the movie but...

if you can seperate the film from the book then this is an enjoyable read which gives an interesting view into the creation of an internet behemoth.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Fun read

Fascinating, well-researched story - from the "accidental" initiative to the seemingly not-so-accidental duplicity. A must read in particular for any college student - including those that I teach - lamenting the decline of the media given the new potential for opportunities. Couldn't put it down.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Jewelfrost

Goes to to first result

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0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Dog eat dog world

Interesting how Facebook evolved and what has become of the people that were first associated with the social site. Looks like Mark is the lasting survior and rightfully so.

This book read just like a screenplay, very wooden and redundant

This book read just like a screenplay, very wooden and redundant, but when I say it was as if it was meant for a screen treatment, it is. There is no nuance to the story,nor any additional insight.

Didn't read it

Not really fair to give the book a bad review but after seeing the movie it totally put me off reading the book. Not fair to the author but it is the chance he/she takes when a movie is based on a book or a book on a movie

Great Book - I couldn't stop reading it!!

I just recently saw The Social Network and was instantly fascinated by how the founding of Facebook came about. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, yet I still wanted to know more. I wanted to get a further insight into the dynamics of each character so i could get a true understanding of why things turned out the way they did. Because the movie is based off of The Accidental Billionaires by Ben Mezrich, I immediately turned to this book; luckily it was the right direction to turn. For those of you who have not seen the Social Network or know nothing about the founding of Facebook, I would definitely suggest reading about this remarkable story. Mark Zuckerberg and Eduardo Saverin are two nerdy friends at Harvard who are both fairly low on the social ladder. Out of the two, Mark is significantly more socially challenged, yet he is completely brilliant and a computer whiz! When Mark comes up with his latest idea for a website, he turns to Eduardo for help. The two friends become cofounders of the new social network that they call "thefacebook." The website was originally just meant for Harvard students, but it becomes so increasingly popular that they decide to expand it to many other colleges around the country. When word of this innovative website spreads, the two boys eventually find themselves involved in the capitalistic business world. Sadly Eduardo has to find out the hard way that the business world is truly a dog-eat-dog world. Ben Mezrich does a wonderful job of providing an exciting account of this interesting story. He not only captivated my attention in the beginning, but was also able to hold my attention throughout the entire book. He tells a great story while also adding in appealing extra details about things like college life at Harvard and the capitalistic world of Silicon Valley. He was truly able to capture the essence of each character in his writing. He leaves me feeling as if I personally know Mark Zuckerberg and Eduardo Saverin. I applaud Mezrich on his stimulating book of how two very unsocial students ironically became heads of the Social Network.

The Purposeful Billionaires

Yes, I admit I saw the movie prior to reading the book. The movie was entertaining and I had a reflexive moment (or two) to run back home & immediately cancel my facebook account. The book by Ben Mezrich provides more details then the movie adaptation but also creates some timeline confusion. From the beginning Mezrich writes a caveat that some of the incidents described may be "compressed" because they occur over a long period of time. Additionally, if you saw the movie the chronology of the events in the book don't mirror up. Also, the movie tells the story as if it were being recounted via the testimony during the dispositions while the book tells it in real time with no mention of anyone being in a court house or being deposed.

Once you get past those points the book is an enjoyable read if somewhat one-sided given that Mark Zuckerberg declined to speak with Mezrich so just like in the movie he comes across as the villain. Which brings me to the title. I don't see anyone here being "accidental" billionaires. Zuckerberg had a plan and he executed it. The Winkllevoss' were apparently already rich and they got a nice check on top of that. And the doe-eyed described Eduardo Saverin hooked/partnered knowingly with Zuckerberg because the idea was a good one.

The biggest drawback to the book is the lack of history. The reader isn't given a sense, except for in brief glimpse, as to the childhood of any of the characters to any depth or their parents. And speaking of the parents; where are they? They never appear at all in the story line (except for the Winkllevoss' dad) & even though we're talking about university age people one would have to wonder where the parents of Zuckerberg are during his review board hearing, when he flew out to California. Did he discuss it with them? Did he just ignore them and go anyway? How about Saverin's dad? Did he seek his advice on what was happening? I was hoping the book would provide more depth into this then the movie but it did not.

Also, similar to books on the founders of Google, this story has yet to come close to completion. Although, also like the Google story, given how fast companies rise now and then plummet the story of facebook may already be on the decline. Up next; Look for someone to write the (in)complete story of the Groupon founder.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

The Founding of Facebook

This was a fast and fascinating read!

Interesting read

A quick read. Unfortunately, I saw the movie first which ruined the book a bit.
A nice glimpse behind the scenes at the start of Facebook. Painful narrative for those who fell, success story of those who rose.

Rarely Stated...Watch the Movie

This is just an Okay Book. Filled with a lot of "filler" that I didn't care to read about. I don't care read about the in depth descriptions of the Harvard Campus, which I precieved as the writer using the decriptions to fill in space since he couldn't get both sides of the story. At least the movie is entertaining.

Its amazing how these two books are alike!

This book and "The 50 Laws of Control: The music industry edition", are amazingly similar if read with depth!... The schemes used to control people and manipulate a industry (internet/music) are similar. It is funny to me that a computer hacker develops a site to where you must give him all of your personal information and photos in order to fully participate. "The 50 Laws of Control" is a MUST READ!!!!!!

Nice Book

Superb book ....nice...<<<...>>>>...&&&&&....""""""....