How the Internet Happened Audiobook By Brian McCullough cover art

How the Internet Happened

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How the Internet Happened

By: Brian McCullough
Narrated by: Timothy Andrés Pabon
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Tech guru Brian McCullough delivers a rollicking history of the Internet, why it exploded, and how it changed everything.

The Internet was never intended for you, opines Brian McCullough in this lively narrative of an era that utterly transformed everything we thought we knew about technology. In How the Internet Happened, he chronicles the whole fascinating story for the first time, beginning in a dusty Illinois basement in 1993, when a group of college kids set off a once-in-an-epoch revolution with what would become the first "dotcom".

Depicting the lives of now-famous innovators like Netscape's Marc Andreessen and Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg, McCullough also reveals surprising quirks and unknown tales as he tracks both the technology and the culture around the Internet's rise. Cinematic in detail and unprecedented in scope, the result both enlightens and informs as it draws back the curtain on the new rhythm of disruption and innovation the Internet fostered, and helps to redefine an era that changed every part of our lives.

©2018 Brian McCullough (P)2018 Blackstone Audio, Inc. History History & Culture Innovations Technology
Comprehensive History • Engaging Storytelling • Excellent Narration • Well-researched Content • Informative Context
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I was there in Cham-bana (University of Illinois) in the early 90’s - and this is just as I remember it. Lots of extra little details too. Everything you ever wanted to know about how the Web got started - the deals, start-ups, phenomenal growth and eventual burst of the Dot-com bubble.

One little quirk - the number spoken at the beginning of each chapter is off by one. Or was it Zero based numbering on purpose? (Good one, then!)

A leisurely stroll around the history of the Web

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I loved it! I finally learned how we got to this point in the internet era. I don't usually write comments, but this book deserves it!

What an awesome book!

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great detailed stories regarding events of computer and internet history some of which I remember. Facebook Amazon etc

great bock

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tells the right stories that you'd be interested in, all the way from the precursor of the www to the I phone. truly beautiful😭

extremely informative and interesting

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Chapter headings are off. When in chapter 8 the reader says 7 and so on.

Error

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If you are over 40 you’ll have fun remembering all these stories. If you are younger you’ll learn a lot!

So much fun

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I found all of the case studies to be very interesting. And they're tied together by the central thesis that to combat cyber crime you must focus on bottlenecks and put incentives on the actors who are most capable of disrupting attacks at those points.

The nature of cyber crime means that this book has to delve into some pretty technical details. The author does a fantastic job of explaining how the security breaches occurred, making the causes and effects understandable to all audiences. No small feat.

The author also does a great job of "finding the story". The text is rich with suspense and drama: hackers battle with security firms, CEOs are fired, government leaders point fingers, millions of dollars are stolen, embarrassing emails are made public, and lawyers file suits. Honestly this would make great source material for a Netflix docu-drama or something, it's like Black Mirror, but IRL.

Clearly written and compelling

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I highly suggest listen to Internet History Podcast before or after listening/reading this book.

An authoritative narrative

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Throwback to all the tech things that happened while I was in high school and college, but now in perspective. Now I understand what was happening behind the scenes of the product releases that moved me when I was younger.
Enjoyed very much.

Must read for anyone seeking a future in tech - Know the history!

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I had the ultimate audible experience with this book. I found myself sitting in my car, at my destination, just sitting and listening. Very enjoyable.

Best book I’ve heard in a while

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