There was moment in time between my work in the wine industry and working in bookstores while I waited to ship off to Japan. It was a time for me to test out working in a different industry that was growing quickly in the Silicon Valley not far from where I was living.
I’ve always been interested in technology, although less on the gadget side and more on the internet and PC side, and so I sort of fell into designing websites and eventually convincing some companies to hire me to do it professionally.
This book starts with the author’s career in journalism and how she saw the burgeoning tech industry as something with a future, and how she transitioned from old to new and followed the ups and downs right up close. Although I came to it later than she did, it was really interesting to read about the chronicles of those early days of Web 1.0. I remember working in companies and being amazed at how much money was being thrown around. The author of this book focuses on what all that money can do to leaders in tech.
I didn’t know the writer who is apparently one of the big names in rise of Silicon Valley tech scene – which speaks to how tangential my involvement was. She writes with a very sharp wit and is really funny. Speaking truth to power and not knuckling under takes a lot of commitment and resolve – it is good to see that she has deep wells of both.
It did feel sometimes like this book was a way for her to say “I told you so” about various people and developments, and it grew a little wearisome sometimes. She seems to have a fan base and sometimes it was like she was pitching raw meat to her followers. I think people who know this writer well will enjoy the book more.
But I enjoyed the book overall and the insight into the industry over time, and the leaders who have come and gone.
Next I am reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson.
