It starts off describing how Page and Brin, the two whiz kids behind Google, watched in awe at the launch of a Delta 2 rocket emblazoned with a Google insignia that is now behind the amazing Google maps. It then describes in detail the background of the two – their pedigree and their early years – before finally diving into the beginnings of Google.

 

For those aspiring to start up their own company, Lowe’s book provides an in-depth look at the challenges faced by would-be entrepreneurs. In many ways, what Google’s experience is suggesting is that there are no clear paths; each company sets out and tries to achieve its goal but the road ahead is never a straight one nor a flat one – even for Google. 

 

Then there are the challenges for entrepreneurs such as Page and Brin who try to set Google apart – a 21st-century company – from the usual image of what it takes for a start-up to be successful – short-term, opportunistic. Instead, they preach the motto – don’t do evil – which has turned out to be controversial considering what Google has had to do as it became more successful and, more recently, as the market downturn forced them to make difficult decisions. Despite what Lowe describes as their differentiated, rollerblading approach to business, it may not be that much different. When making decisions, for example, “if you try to get everybody on board it will prevent things from happening”.

 

Unfortunately, Lowe’s lack of coherence and writing organization can annoy readers who will come across passages mentioned once too many. Factual inaccuracies – Google’s market capitalization of around US$100 million (which should have been billion) – also makes one wonder whether she bothered to re-read her manuscript before going to press. Still, the tidbits about the company and the founders are what make this book interesting.