Audible Sample

Playing...

Paused

The Airbnb Story: How Three Ordinary Guys Disrupted an Industry, Made Billions…and Created Plenty of Controversy Audiobook – Unabridged

Leigh Gallagher (Author), Christine Marshall (Narrator), Audible Studios (Publisher)

61 customer reviews

See all 5 formats and editions Hide other formats and editions

Price

New from

Used from

Kindle

"Please retry"

$9.99

—

Hardcover

"Please retry"

$15.82

$3.00

$1.82

Paperback

"Please retry"

$8.79

$6.99

Audible, Unabridged

"Please retry"

$0.00

Free with your Audible trial

MP3 CD, Audiobook, MP3 Audio, Unabridged

"Please retry"

$9.99

$5.99

$22.88

This is the remarkable behind-the-scenes story of the creation and growth of Airbnb, the online lodging platform that has become, in under a decade, the largest provider of accommodations in the world. At first just the wacky idea of cofounders Brian Chesky, Joe Gebbia, and Nathan Blecharczyk, Airbnb has disrupted the $500 billion hotel industry, and its $30 billion valuation is now larger than that of Hilton and close to that of Marriott. Airbnb is beloved by the millions of members in its "host" community and the travelers they shelter every night. And yet, even as the company has blazed such an unexpected path, this is the first book solely dedicated to the phenomenon of Airbnb.

Fortune editor Leigh Gallagher explores the success of Airbnb along with the more controversial side of its story. Regulators want to curb its rapid expansion; hotel industry leaders wrestle with the disruption it has caused them; and residents and customers alike struggle with the unintended consequences of opening up private homes for public consumption. This is also the first in-depth study of Airbnb's leader, Brian Chesky, the quirky and curious young CEO, as he steers the company into new markets and increasingly uncharted waters.

Listen to this book for FREE when you try Audible.

With a 30-day Audible trial. What is Audible?

What is Audible?

Audible special offer

List Price: $19.95

You Save: $2.00 (10%)

Sold and delivered by Audible, an Amazon company

Customers who bought this item also bought

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1

This shopping feature will continue to load items. In order to navigate out of this carousel please use your heading shortcut key to navigate to the next or previous heading.

Adam Lashinsky

41

Audible Audiobook
$0.00 with Trial
Duncan Clark

110

Audible Audiobook
$0.00 with Trial
Billy Gallagher

17

Audible Audiobook
$0.00 with Trial
Mike Hoefflinger

33

Audible Audiobook
$0.00 with Trial
Brad Stone

120

Audible Audiobook
$0.00 with Trial
Scott Galloway

225

Audible Audiobook
$0.00 with Trial

Product details

Audible Audiobook
Listening Length: 8 hours and 27 minutes
Program Type: Audiobook
Version: Unabridged
Publisher: Audible Studios
Audible.com Release Date: March 21, 2017
Whispersync for Voice: Ready
Language: English
ASIN: B06WVK6W1Q
Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
- #105 in Books > Business & Money > Industries > Hospitality, Travel & Tourism
- #235 in Books > Business & Money > Biography & History > Company Profiles
- #652 in Books > Audible Audiobooks > Business & Investing

Would you like to tell us about a lower price?

Customer Reviews

Write a customer review

See all 61 customer reviews

Rated by customers interested in

What's this?

Business & Economics Books

4.3 out of 5 stars

Sports Books

4.4 out of 5 stars

Reference Books

4.8 out of 5 stars

Is this feature helpful?

Thank you for your feedback.

Read reviews that mention

Top customer reviews

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Alex J. Hughes

One of the most engaging success stories of recent years

April 12, 2018

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

Essentially a giant case study of Airbnb and its founders–Brian Chesky, Joe Gebbia, and Nathan Blecharczyk–which documents the evolution of their initial concept through its unprecedented growth. With regard to each of the founders, it was interesting to hear about their backgrounds and a great reminder that there's no one-size-fits-all approach to launching a company. Chesky and Gebbia were resourceful and got things off the ground without the traditional "technical DNA" that most investors in Silicon Valley obsess over. Their art-school background ended up being an asset that helped set them apart from competitors (better user interface), along with a perfect wave of external factors including timing, price, and a shift in consumer preferences towards artisanal experiences. Gallagher also does a great job remaining objective and presenting both sides of the story–as Airbnb hasn't come without controversy. It's one of the most engaging success stories of recent years.

Comment 3 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?

Yes

Susan Douglas

Captivating story - Inspiring to all

March 13, 2017

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

I'm known as the self-appointed "Airbnb Expert," so when I heard there was a book coming out that was not only written by a talented Fortune editor, but was created in cooperation with Airbnb founders and top executives, I was first in line to buy.

The read does not disappoint. I joke that I would do very well in a game of Airbnb Trivial Pursuit. I was delighted to learn new things about the creation of the company I hold so dear.

The author is a first-rate story teller. This is just the beginning of Airbnb. as the company continues along its meteoric rise, author Leigh Gallagher will have no trouble following it up with updates.

Comment 7 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?

Yes

Deborah L. Jacobs

Excellent Company Profile

April 10, 2017

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

An exhaustively researched and beautifully written profile of the company that is to home-sharing what Facebook is to social media. Leigh Gallagher's access to the founders of this privately-held company reflects her reputation as a journalist. If a much rumored IPO comes to pass, reading this book should be part of investors' due dilligence.
Though there's an extensive discussion of disruption in the hotel industry, opposition in cities and already much-publicized horror stories, the book barely mentions how this company has transformed the lives of ordinary people since the Great Recession. For example, by being both a host and a guest via Airbnb, I was able to quit the job from hell and divide my time between New York City and France. It turns out, as the author tells us deep into "The Airbnb Story," that she has very little firsthand experience using the platform, and prefers to stay in hotels.

Comment 6 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?

Yes

A. Conrad

Well-written, super engaging book

March 21, 2017

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

Loved learning about this company, its roots, its players. Gallagher does a great job explaining this company that managed to hack travel in a way that has impacted almost all of us on some level. Love the storytelling and anecdotes - really helps you feel like you have a front row seat to the rise of this company.

Comment 3 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?

Yes

Frederique Media Productions (F.M.P)

great book with a lot of good insight and useful ...

March 20, 2018

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

great book with a lot of good insight and useful information as to the history of home sharing. Airbnb was not the first but definitely made it relevant in the digital space that pioneers of the industry had to pay attention and join in the revolution that is Airbnb.

Will be doing a full book review on my channel soon. Check it out.

CommentWas this review helpful to you?

Yes

Race To Pinnacle

Think Like Brian- Sharing is Caring!

October 13, 2017

Format: Audible AudiobookVerified Purchase

The Airbnb Story is a must read for all execs looking to enter the sharing economy The Sharing Economy: The End of Employment and the Rise of Crowd-Based Capitalism (MIT Press).

The book gives you insight to how Brian thinks and why he does what he does. It gives you insight into the importance of establishing a healthy corporate culture from the get-go. Creativity can spawn creativity.

Great read!

Comment One person found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?

Yes

Donn Bennett

Very helpful read.

April 23, 2017

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

Great. Very interesting story about one of the biggest and fastest growing companies ever. There are probably a couple chapters worth of info that could have been left out. I'm an AirBnB host and love doing it. This book gave me a little insight into what made this company and the concept of home sharing take off.

Comment 2 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?

Yes

Corey Simples

Great Story

March 24, 2018

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

The story of Airbnb is an intriguing look into the numerous challenges that a company faces. Only through perseverance will success come to those who desire it!

CommentWas this review helpful to you?

Yes