Architects of the Web: 1,000 Days that Built the Future of Business [Hardcover]

Robert H. Reid (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 5, 1997

"A terrific book that captures the explosion of creativity and business evolution at the center of the Internet phenomenon. A tantalizing mix of diverse players with utopian visions, animated by equal parts aggression and delight. A true saga of our time."-James F. Moore author, The Death of Competition; Chairman, Geo Partners Research Inc.

Architects of the Web presents the dynamic history of the Web's creation and evolution-as well as its emergence as a dynamic business tool-through revealing profiles of its architects, the brilliant minds who have helped thrust the Web onto desktops and corporate agendas around the world. A diverse, ambitious group, the architects of the Web are:
* Marc Andreessen, Netscape
* Ariel Poler, I/PRO
* Rob Glaser, Progressive Networks Andrew Anker, HotWired
* Kim Polese, Marimba
* Halsey Minor, C/NET
* Mark Pesce, VRML
* Jerry Yang, Yahoo!

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Robert Reid explores the history of the Net from a business perspective--how a communication system nominally built for national defense and in effect taken over by education and research came to erupt as the most important medium since television--and with greater speed and intensity than any communication medium ever. Each chapter examines the Web's business development through the story of one of its pioneers--including Marc Andreeson of Netscape, Mark Pesce of VRML, Jerry Yang of Yahoo!, Halsey Minor of CNET, and more. Its an exciting story of frantic activity in a whirlwind environment and of the individuals who rode the tornado to success.

From Library Journal

The origins of the rapidly evolving World Wide Web extend back only to late 1993. Reid, himself a veteran of web business ventures, describes how eight web pioneers and their businesses laid the groundwork for the web today. Drawing on interviews with founders and others, he chronicles the development of Netscape, RealAudio, the Java and VRML programming languages, I/PRO and web advertising, Yahoo!, HotWired, and CNET. Each of the book's eight main segments combines a company history with a biographical sketch of one of the company's entrepreneurial founders. The introduction by technology analyst J. Neil Weintraut clearly delineates the web's uniqueness as an efficient information medium. Despite several typos and the absence of documentation, this book is clearly written, providing good, solid information on an industry that is so new that details are sometimes hard to find. Highly recommended for both public and academic libraries serving readers interested in either the web or in doing business on it.?Lawrence R. Maxted, Gannon Univ., Erie, Pa.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 424 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (March 5, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471171875
• ISBN-13: 978-0471171874
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.4 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,367,073 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 39 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars A ghastly revisionist history for businessmen April 4, 1999

By A Customer

Format:Paperback

This book is a revisionist history which attempts to give the credit for the development of the web to businessmen, and almost completely ignores the people who actually designed the architecture of the web. Even Tim Berners-Lee gets only a token mention; and Ted Nelson, who invented hypertext, multimedia and "linking", is completely ignored.

The first chapter tries to credit Netscape with the invention of the web, and pretends that they lead the development of HTML. The truth, of course, is that Netscape has never managed to fully implement any of the HTML standards, let alone improve on them. Most of the HTML "improvements" thought of as Netscape's were defined in HTML 3.0 long before Netscape implemented them via gratuitously incompatible tags.

As the book goes on it gets even worse. CNET and HotWired as architects of the web? Yeah, right, and I suppose the Psychic Friends Network invented the telephone? I'll be generous, and assume that this book happened because some poor soul started believing the nonsense Internet companies put out in their press releases. The alternative is that it's a deliberate attempt to re-write history. Unfortunately, judging from the 'professional' reviews there must be plenty of suckers who actually do think CNET and WIRED magazine invented the web. I wish it was possible to give this book a score of zero; you could learn more about the real history of the web by spending half an hour browsing the W3C web site.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Insight for the Intrepid June 3, 1997

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover

Thorough, throughful and provocative. A "business biography" that was written in real time. Reid takes the reader on the roller coaster of innovation and drive to commericalize the some of aspects of the 'web. Contrary to the viewpoint of some readers, Reid adequately describes the academic roots of the web. Yet, as is stated in the title, Reid masterfully articulates the stories that are being re-written hourly that will alter the future of business and commerce

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars MUST READ -- Great industry insight and storytelling! March 25, 1997

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover

I would highly recommend Architects of the Web for anyone that is interested in the Internet phenomenon and it's increasingly monumental impact on modern business and society.

The author successfully combines a keen industry insider's view with cogent business insight and compelling storytelling. While framed as the stories of the people that made the commercial Web happen, the book provides a fascinating history of how the Web developed into the medium we know today, as well as ample vision for where it's going.

With it's combination of personality, anthropology, storytelling, and insight -- Architects is a "must read" for anyone that surfs!