The Search
With all our class dissusion of research tactics, I felt it was appropriate to write about a book that deals with search engines, specifically google. The book is titled The Search: How Google and Its Rivals Rewrote the Rules of Business and Transformed Our Culture and was written by John Battelle.
The Search
In a world where search engines have become the basis of obtaining information, Google has emerged into a dominate force in its field. Google, which is new compared to other search engines, has grown so large, so fast that it is only natural to wonder exactly what Google’s secret is. How did it manage to surpass all competition? While the book The Search, written by John Battelle, focuses on Google and its success, it also examines the other search engines in order to see why this form of retrieving information has taken over our culture and what it truly can do.
Battelle mentions a term “the Database of Intentions” which refers to the millions of users wants, needs, and desires all compiled into a giant piece. You can essentially find any kind of information you would ever need to know by simply typing into a search engine. Not to mention the huge affect it is having on the world of both the market and the media. It is hard to imagine life without these search engines and according to Battelle, they are going to be sticking around.
To validate his research, Battelle interviews many of the “big wigs” in the industry including the co-founders of Google as well as many of their competition. Now he is not just forming a biased opinion on what he believes to be true, but instead he has proof and documentation of the information he presented.
Overall, The Search is a well-written book about Google and the other search engines that have taken over the internet and been the basis how many people receive information. It gives the reader an idea on how search engines work as well as how a company like Google can become such a powerhouse in such a short amount of time.
