{"product_id":"planet-usedgle","title":"Planet Google: How One Company Is Transforming Our Lives by Randall Stross","description":"\u003ch2 data-end=\"185\" data-start=\"153\"\u003eBook Summary: \u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"452\" data-start=\"187\"\u003ePublished in 2008, \u003cem data-end=\"221\" data-start=\"206\"\u003ePlanet Google\u003c\/em\u003e examines how Google evolved from a search engine into a dominant, wide‑ranging tech powerhouse intent on organizing all the world’s information and making it universally accessible and useful me of the key themes and contents:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul data-end=\"2530\" data-start=\"492\"\u003e\n\u003cli data-end=\"769\" data-start=\"492\"\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"769\" data-start=\"494\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-end=\"515\" data-start=\"494\"\u003eOrigins \u0026amp; Culture\u003c\/strong\u003e: Stross recounts how founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, with CEO Eric Schmidt, set up Google with a unique culture — one that valued scalability, experimentation, engineering excellence, speed, and staying lean. \u003cspan data-state=\"closed\" class=\"\"\u003e\u003cspan data-testid=\"webpage-citation-pill\" class=\"ms-1 inline-flex max-w-full items-center relative top-[-0.094rem] animate-[show_150ms_ease-in]\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-end=\"1089\" data-start=\"770\"\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"1089\" data-start=\"772\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-end=\"793\" data-start=\"772\"\u003eTechnical Aspects\u003c\/strong\u003e: The book delves into Google’s infrastructure (huge server farms, data centers), its core algorithm (“the Algorithm”), how search quality is improved, and how Google handled the enormous technical challenge of indexing and retrieving vast amounts of data. \u003cspan data-state=\"closed\" class=\"\"\u003e\u003cspan data-testid=\"webpage-citation-pill\" class=\"ms-1 inline-flex max-w-full items-center relative top-[-0.094rem] animate-[show_150ms_ease-in]\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-end=\"1450\" data-start=\"1090\"\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"1450\" data-start=\"1092\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-end=\"1117\" data-start=\"1092\"\u003eExpansion of Services\u003c\/strong\u003e: Beyond search, Google was branching into other services — Google Earth, YouTube (which it acquired), Book Search (digitizing books), cloud‑based services (software, email, storage), etc. These extensions amplify Google’s reach and bring new challenges (legal, ethical, business competition).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-end=\"1450\" data-start=\"1090\"\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"1450\" data-start=\"1092\"\u003e\u003cspan data-state=\"closed\" class=\"\"\u003e\u003cspan data-testid=\"webpage-citation-pill\" class=\"ms-1 inline-flex max-w-full items-center relative top-[-0.094rem] animate-[show_150ms_ease-in]\"\u003e\u003ca class=\"flex h-4.5 overflow-hidden rounded-xl px-2 text-[9px] font-medium text-token-text-secondary! bg-[#F4F4F4]! dark:bg-[#303030]! transition-colors duration-150 ease-in-out\" alt=\"https:\/\/www.simonandschuster.net\/books\/Planet-Google\/Randall-Stross\/9781416580478?utm_source=chatgpt.com\" rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.simonandschuster.net\/books\/Planet-Google\/Randall-Stross\/9781416580478?utm_source=chatgpt.com\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"relative start-0 bottom-0 flex h-full w-full items-center\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"flex h-4 w-full items-center justify-between\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"max-w-[15ch] grow truncate overflow-hidden text-center\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong data-end=\"1485\" data-start=\"1453\"\u003eBusiness Model \u0026amp; Advertising\u003c\/strong\u003e: How Google’s advertising model (contextual ads, sponsored links, user‑targeted offerings) became its primary source of revenue, how competitors underestimated this, and the ways Google grew that income stream.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-end=\"1736\" data-start=\"1451\"\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"1736\" data-start=\"1453\"\u003e\u003cspan data-state=\"closed\" class=\"\"\u003e\u003cspan data-testid=\"webpage-citation-pill\" class=\"ms-1 inline-flex max-w-full items-center relative top-[-0.094rem] animate-[show_150ms_ease-in]\"\u003e\u003ca class=\"flex h-4.5 overflow-hidden rounded-xl px-2 text-[9px] font-medium text-token-text-secondary! bg-[#F4F4F4]! dark:bg-[#303030]! transition-colors duration-150 ease-in-out\" alt=\"https:\/\/www.simonandschuster.com\/books\/Planet-Google\/Randall-Stross\/9781416546962?utm_source=chatgpt.com\" rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.simonandschuster.com\/books\/Planet-Google\/Randall-Stross\/9781416546962?utm_source=chatgpt.com\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"relative start-0 bottom-0 flex h-full w-full items-center\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"flex h-4 w-full items-center justify-between\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"max-w-[15ch] grow truncate overflow-hidden text-center\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong data-end=\"1783\" data-start=\"1739\"\u003ePrivacy, Ethics, and Regulatory Concerns\u003c\/strong\u003e: Stross does not shy away from the more controversial implications of Google’s scope: privacy issues, copyright disputes (digitizing books), collecting user data, choices around handling censorship (e.g. China), and the possible risks of having so much personal and public information in one corporate entity. \u003cspan data-state=\"closed\" class=\"\"\u003e\u003cspan data-testid=\"webpage-citation-pill\" class=\"ms-1 inline-flex max-w-full items-center relative top-[-0.094rem] animate-[show_150ms_ease-in]\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-end=\"2530\" data-start=\"2134\"\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"2530\" data-start=\"2136\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-end=\"2171\" data-start=\"2136\"\u003eFuture Ambitions \u0026amp; Implications\u003c\/strong\u003e: What does it mean if one company controls so much information? Stross explores visions Google seems to have (or is developing) — about ubiquitous computing, integrating more user data, possibly doing more than just providing search — and the implications for society, culture, individual privacy, power dynamics, etc. \u003cspan data-state=\"closed\" class=\"\"\u003e\u003cspan data-testid=\"webpage-citation-pill\" class=\"ms-1 inline-flex max-w-full items-center relative top-[-0.094rem] animate-[show_150ms_ease-in]\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"2731\" data-start=\"2532\"\u003eOverall, the tone is investigative yet balanced — Stross is impressed by Google’s achievements and vision, but remains cautious and critical about over‑reach, unintended consequences, and trade‑offs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 data-end=\"2784\" data-start=\"2746\"\u003eAbout the Author: \u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"3257\" data-start=\"2786\"\u003eRandall E. Stross is an author, historian, and business scholar. He holds a PhD in history from Stanford University, and his earlier work included studies in Sino‑American business relations, startup culture, and biographies of major technological figures.\u003cspan data-state=\"closed\" class=\"\"\u003e\u003cspan data-testid=\"webpage-citation-pill\" class=\"ms-1 inline-flex max-w-full items-center relative top-[-0.094rem] animate-[show_150ms_ease-in]\"\u003e\u003ca class=\"flex h-4.5 overflow-hidden rounded-xl px-2 text-[9px] font-medium text-token-text-secondary! bg-[#F4F4F4]! dark:bg-[#303030]! transition-colors duration-150 ease-in-out\" alt=\"https:\/\/www.randallstross.com\/bio?utm_source=chatgpt.com\" rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.randallstross.com\/bio?utm_source=chatgpt.com\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"relative start-0 bottom-0 flex h-full w-full items-center\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"flex h-4 w-full items-center justify-between absolute\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"-me-1 flex h-full items-center rounded-full px-1 text-[#8F8F8F]\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e He has been a columnist (Digital Domain for \u003cem data-end=\"3145\" data-start=\"3125\"\u003eThe New York Times\u003c\/em\u003e) and a professor of business (now emeritus) at San Jose State University. \u003cspan data-state=\"closed\" class=\"\"\u003e\u003cspan data-testid=\"webpage-citation-pill\" class=\"ms-1 inline-flex max-w-full items-center relative top-[-0.094rem] animate-[show_150ms_ease-in]\"\u003e\u003ca class=\"flex h-4.5 overflow-hidden rounded-xl px-2 text-[9px] font-medium text-token-text-secondary! bg-[#F4F4F4]! dark:bg-[#303030]! transition-colors duration-150 ease-in-out\" alt=\"https:\/\/www.randallstross.com\/?utm_source=chatgpt.com\" rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.randallstross.com\/?utm_source=chatgpt.com\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"relative start-0 bottom-0 flex h-full w-full items-center\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"flex h-4 w-full items-center justify-between\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"max-w-[15ch] grow truncate overflow-hidden text-center\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003eStross’s writing style is characterized by clarity, careful research, access to primary sources, and a balanced view: he presents both the strengths and the concerns of the tech giants he writes about. In \u003cem data-end=\"3479\" data-start=\"3464\"\u003ePlanet Google\u003c\/em\u003e, this shows up in how he lauds Google’s innovation and scale but also probes into its ethical, privacy, and societal implications. Stross often focuses on how technology, business, and culture intersect, making his books relevant both for people interested in technology as well as those curious about how these changes affect society\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Best of used books","offers":[{"title":"Used","offer_id":44270800371969,"sku":"2U5TIW0LD-Used","price":150.0,"currency_code":"INR","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0421\/4299\/0495\/files\/I8I.jpg?v=1689593315","url":"https:\/\/bestofusedbooks.com\/products\/planet-usedgle","provider":"Best Of Used Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}