David Kirkpatrick, meticulously discusses the ubiquitous social-networking site, Facebook, and the people who lifted it from a late-night college project to a Silicon Valley powerhouse

An idea deliberated upon and conceptualized by Mark Zuckerberg and his dorm mates of Kirkland house is today known better as Facebook. The idea, now a hit social networking site, commands a net worth of around $105 billion.

David Kirkpatrick, a veteran technology reporter, in his book The Facebook Effect brings out the inside story of a company which is amongst the fastest growing companies in history. The book is divided into two halves; the first part is a fascinating corporate history, starring Facebook’s reticent creator, the Harvard dropout Zuckerberg; the second is a thoughtful, even-handed analysis of the website’s impact. The author chronicles the story of Facebook’s success, its missteps and takes the readers through a journey of what Zuckerberg and his team at Facebook did to connect the world to the extent that one could believe in gift economy and openness of sharing information on a virtual platform.

A great idea can do wonders; the author, who had the full cooperation of Facebook’s key executives in researching this fascinating story, lucidly shows how Zuckerberg never compromised with the long term vision. Facebook had its own share of trivia; the author provides insights into a few such dramatic instances in its journey of success. One such instance is one of its co-founder Eduardo Saverin suing Zuckerberg and facebook.com for diluting his share holdings in the company.

Kirkpatrick, provides for the most complete assessment of the chief architect of Facebook – Zuckerberg – who has been instrumental in the company’s remarkable ascent. He says Facebook is a “platform for people to get more out of their lives”; a “technological powerhouse with unprecedented influence across modern life” and an “entirely new form of communication.”

The author cites references as to how veterans from the industry quit their job to join a revolution called Facebook. A case in point is that of Sherly Sandberg who left Google to shape Facebook’s business model and since then, the company has progressed miles being successful. He skillfully tracks the rise of commercialism on Facebook. There are vivid accounts of how people have raised revolutionary movements by posting their thoughts on the network; such is the power of Facebook. Kirkpatrick cites one such example in the book, that of people agitating against Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia FARC.

The story of Facebook makes one believe in the power of ideas. “The Facebook Effect” leaves the reader with a deep understanding of Facebook, its philosophies and, most startlingly, its power.

The Facebook Effect
The Inside story of the company that is connecting the world
Authored by:
David Kirkpatrick