I’m Feeling Lucky:The Confessions of Google Employee Number 59 by Douglas Edwards

I’m Feeling Lucky: The Confessions of Google Employee number 59, is an entertaining, teeth-gritting, and compelling account written by Google’s former “word guy” Douglas Edwards. An English major who spent several years building an established career in marketing, Edwards decided to rearrange his professional life completely (with disgruntled wife and children in tow). He did this in the hope of hitching onto one of the countless dot-com start-ups in Silicon Valley. At the time, the next Multi-billion dollar stock giant could be hiding in any small office around the corner.

Unsure of where to begin, Edwards decided to give a microscopic search engine company named  ”Google” a chance – even though it had no active revenue stream, no business model, and employees that showed up to work in band tee’s and board shorts. Edwards’ career wavered delicately in a market tropical storm with only two thin reeds to grasp hold of: the 25 million dollar grant (courtesy of Stanford) which funded the company, and its two brilliant founders – Sergey Bring and Larry Page.

You’ll probably recognize Edwards’ comforting writing style and tone once you begin reading. He’s the guy who sieved the voice of Google into amusing error/privacy messages such as “Not the Usual Yada Yada,” and “Whoah, Horsey.” His branding tactics ended up translating hieroglyphic “geek speak” into short, friendly messages that reassured users around the world that Google lived up to its main credo: “Don’t be evil.”

I’m Feeling Lucky takes the reader through the maze of Google’s headquarters.  It starts with Edwards at a gutted office in the heart of Silicon and moves towards the world-conquering, quirky edifice that the Googleplex is today. Whether this means being exposed to the flabbergasting, prodigal antics the company bestows upon its employees, or letting you peek over the shoulder of dozens of crucial decisions in Google’s development, Edwards doesn’t skimp on the details. To give you a taste of the book’s agenda let me list some of the topics covered:

staff message therapists, Hula parties, hockey tournaments, the display board that outlines Google’s facetious plan to take over the world, Larry O’s, and Page and Brin’s backbreaking  monarchical aspirations.

This is not to say that Edwards purposely paints Google to be eclectic, in fact, Edwards does his utmost to remain completely true to the events and eccentricities embedded within the soul of the company.  He gives credit where credit is due when discussing product launches, the mercurial dispositions of some of the engineers and staff, and his own faults as a “Noogler.” I’m Feeling Lucky discloses a general fervor on Edward’s part to share his love for a company truly devoted to the user. It might be the most honest presentation of a company to date, and it is one that comes without reluctance.

The Negatives:

Overall, I highly recommend  I’m Feeling Lucky to anyone who  is sporting opposable thumbs and a penchant for humor (if this is you then grab a copy!).  But there may be some bumps along the way for users:

Length

This depends on your schedule as a reader. Even though the book is just shy of four hundred pages, I believe that each page is entertaining enough to warrant the length.

Some minor use of verbose language

Occasionally, you’ll find a sparkly, ten-gallon word. The language is usually used for a hyperbole though, with comedic effect in mind.

Tech Terms

Edwards provides a personalized glossary of “Geek Speak,”  to aid the reader. This can be found at the end of the book. It is interspersed with jokes and isn’t crucial to get the gist of the prose.

Rating: 9/10 Dropps

Dropped by Melika Millie Hadziomerovic