Not a definitive history of the internet but rather an in-depth look at some of the companies and products that (as of 2018) made the biggest impact.
The highlights for me were the chapters on Netscape and America Online, two companies that were massive in the era that I was first logging on. I was less interested in the constant discussion of stock value and IPOs (yes I know it’s important and how success is measured but still, I don’t care). Also, the uncritical praise of goons like Thiel, Bezos, Zuckerberg, Musk, etc. has certainly not aged well. It’s frustrating to think about how the amount of money raised/spent/wasted on building the enshittified internet we’re stuck with today could have been used to actually improve our society.
It’s a well-written and engaging book, but one that’s hard for me to fully recommend. On one hand I’m glad to have read it for the information within, but on the other it left me feeling pretty angry and hopeless.
3/5
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