Entertaining and interesting stories about the early days of AOL and the people who really created it. AOL by GEORGE! celebrates the AOL enterprise. In time it will likely peek the interest of readers and collectors inquirinig about the history of the onliine movement in America.
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Editorial Reviews
Review
Everyone who reads "AOL BY GEORGE!" will come away with a deeper sense of what it means to be human in a world increasingly governed by technology that can often be dehumanizing." __Guy Kawasaki, CEO, Garage.com --Guy Kawasaki, CEO, Garage.com
Some see AOL as merely a network; others as a communication system; still others see AOL as a high-tech investment. Here with stories and smiles George Thornally tells the evolution of this worldwide electronic community. --Cliff Stoll, Astronomer, Author of "The Cookoo's Egg"
"AOL BY George!" is a breezy narative, like Kerouac online, without drugs and better grammar. --David Donnelly, Filmmaker
Some see AOL as merely a network; others as a communication system; still others see AOL as a high-tech investment. Here with stories and smiles George Thornally tells the evolution of this worldwide electronic community. --Cliff Stoll, Astronomer, Author of "The Cookoo's Egg"
"AOL BY George!" is a breezy narative, like Kerouac online, without drugs and better grammar. --David Donnelly, Filmmaker
About the Author
From an early age, George has treated challenges creatively. He was given the supreme opportunity to prove himself at age 16 when he was completely paralyzed with polio. Not being able to move was an obstacle; not being able to communicate was a challenge of another magnitude. George mastered both. George pursued the study of creativity at Immaculate Heart College in Los Angeles and The University of Redlands where he also taught George teamed up with Apple Computer and then, with colleague Kent Fillmore, he helped build America Online. His enterprise book about the early days of America Online is available at Amazon: "AOL by GEORGE! The Inside Story of America Online." George's book that tells of his experience with polio is: "Georgie-Boy: Help, I'm Not A Vegetable!" It will soon be released in an expanded new edition. George has appeared on national television for "Talk Back Live" and "Larry King Live" to talk about his recovery. George is living proof that "pulling the plug" might just snuff out a potentially useful life. George will shortly release a new title, "VIRGIN: The Mystery of Amos Virgin," Writing under the pen name "George Francis." George promises more books to come. His other interests include the study of Neurogenisis, Civil Air Patrol (search and rescue), and General Aviation. George's e-mail is george@urly.com. His website is: www.ALLbyGEORGE.com.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Long-Winded and Tedious Beyond Belief.,
By A Customer
This review is from: AOL BY GEORGE!: The Inside Story of America Online (Paperback)
I was looking forward to reading this book because I remember the very early days of AOL, and I thought some insider's perspectives from that era would be fascinating. And they probably would be, if this guy would stop rambling, pontificating, and congratulating himself long enough to make a coherent point. This is barely even a book--it's like a parody of bad, pointless writing. (It has several introductions--that should have been a big red warning sign.)
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Bizarre, near-schizophrenic rant,
By
This review is from: AOL BY GEORGE!: The Inside Story of America Online (Paperback)
Intending to tell the story of "AOL Community" in the old days through his own experiences, former AOL Forum Leader George ends up repeating it in this cranky, disconnected, and occasionally psychotic rant. It's true that the earlier years in AOL forums and chat were an interesting time, and there are many good stories that could be told. This book is more of a glimpse into the strange and twisted world of "remote staff" and forum volunteers. George slides into pipe-in-mouth storytelling about his own life too much, and even includes recipes. Recommended for the student of abnormal psychology only.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Forum Leader's Insight on a Virtual Organization,
By David Donnelly (Boise, Idaho) - See all my reviews
This review is from: AOL BY GEORGE!: The Inside Story of America Online (Paperback)
AOL BY GEORGE! is an intriguing story that I couldn't put down. It's quite different from what I'm used to reading about AOL; it's certainly not a computer book. In the early days of AOL, George Thornally was a forum leader, conducting online discussion groups among wide and diverse people whose ages, identities, and background were curiously disguised and anonymous in this new type of communications medium. And with perhaps unintended irony, the author uses this earlier medium--print--to weave in the stories of communication and technology leaders from previous times as prologue for even more changes to come. This generates a richness to his story that surpasses the singular importance of new communications media because we see its role in a historical context. Unlike other corporate books that offer an insider's look at the rise and fall of power, with self-serving praise towards the founders, here we have an intimate look at the people who really created AOL. The author bares his thoughts as he weathered the ups and downs inside AOL, while describing the vicissitudes of information entreprenuring, and offering musings about the future. It's the fascinating tales of his anonymous forum members that I found most compelling. For example, there's the wise "old" philosopher-genius who turned out to be a young boy, the lovely Dawn surrounded in mystery, and Charlie's life course crisis. As the new century approaches, we can expect changes in communications as profound as those of the last hundred years. Will virtual organizations overtake the geopolitical unions that have defined the ability to disseminate information in the past? Will an alternative culture develop online due to a lack of trust in the conventional sources of authority? The author speculates, "From associations such as these, relationships can flourish and, under the right circumstances, community can formulate and be sustained. If people so connected become charged up, a great force for change can be unleashed."
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