The accidental billionaires by Ben Mezrich : Book review

Sometimes it is just difficult to define what a good book really is. Is it something that is overflowing with robust language and literary merits or something that really quickens your heartbeat and makes you want to turn pages in anticipation of what happens next?. A lot of people have reviewed this book as a pedestrian effort with almost a frat-boy style of writing. I do tend to agree with the frat-boy comment ,but I do think that this story demanded the kind of handling Ben Mezrich has used.

I saw the movie before I read the book and really liked it.The movie is a faithful adaptation of book ,with some minor rearrangement in the flow of the events. Whereas the book focuses more on the genesis of Facebook and the trials and tribulations the founder went through, the movie focuses more on the law suits that plagued Mark Zuckerberg. I was putting off reading this book mainly because I always find that reading a book after seeing the screen adaptation takes away from the charm of the book.In a way this was true with this book as well ,as the words bought forth images from the movie only and left little to my imagination. Nevertheless, I enjoyed reading the book.

One does wonder whether all sides were represented properly in the book, what with Zuckerberg refusing to have anything to do with the book. To me, the book seemed fair ,with viewpoints of all the major players in the "drama" represented. What really happened is something only a few people know. At the end of the book, one is just overwhelmed at the sheer genius of people like Zuckerberg.I guess we need to take into account the fact that he ate, breathed and lived Facebook. Focus of that kind is just phenomenal and jaw-droppingly inspirational.

Though Zuckerberg is painted as someone who didn't really care much about things like friendship, honor and morals as long at his baby,Facebook surged ahead, I couldn't really see him as an opportunist. Great enterprises are sometimes born out of cold, calculated moves devoid of emotions and other baggage that often staggers the progress of that enterprise .Maybe, all the bad-blood that was shed and the law suits that happened were essential to the birth of a true monolith of Facebook's proportions.

Overall, an awesome story of a maverick kid who chose to dream big and matched it with hard work and focus.My rating " 4/5