Maybe will write another update after I hear the author speak in a couple of days. Oct 05, Ann rated it really liked it Shelves: business , nonfiction. Super Pumped is methodically researched and compelling. It confirms what we've always suspected: that Travis Kalanick and his cronies are insufferable douchebags. This is a conclusion yielded by the facts of the story, not by the author's writing, which is a surprisingly balanced account. After everything Kalanick does in the name of "winning," it's satisfying to see him pushed out of his own company.
At the same time, however, he's still a billionaire, and now has another startup, so that's a sobering reminder that unless you say a firm "NO" to the assholes of the world early on, they might still get away with a yacht and a big pile of cash. It's also a great reminder to take Lyft instead of Uber. At least Lyft didn't spy on its opponents including following them home or secretly photographing them , go out of its way to steal from and screw over competitors, actively deceive government officials, or encourage work environments full of unfettered backstabbing, misogyny, and toxicity.
Uber under Kalanick was simultaneously uncontrolled chaos and vicious calculation. The lengths the company went to in order to "win" are nothing short of psychopathic. If anything, this is a cautionary tale to us, the consumers—apps and tech companies seem so safe and regulated in their ubiquity and popularity, but this is a lesson to the contrary. Never trust a company. Especially companies run by jerks, which, let's be real, most of them are.
Kalanick doesn't even come close to the worst of them I felt bad for him at times - he's not evil , just a power-obsessed douche. If this is something that bothers you, well, vote with your wallet, and encourage others to do the same.
With regards to the writing, there are several issues that stem from switching from quickly-penned online articles to a full-length book.
But overall, the book is very well done, both fascinating and thoroughly researched. Let's hope we as a society learn something from the story of Uber though history tells me we probably won't. Oct 14, Vuk Trifkovic rated it did not like it. Pretty poor book. It's such an NYT thing. The author is, as it is typical for tech press, totally in thrall of the companies they cover. It is not so much that he's "pro" Kalanick, it's more than total mediocrity of Kalanick actually really resonate with Isaac.
He bends over backward to paint an aggressive everyman well, almost into a super-being just because he calculated ETA in a car once. More to the point, the book brings very little Pretty poor book. More to the point, the book brings very little new for anyone who did not read the tech blogs at the time. Moreover, the book only explodes to life at the very last, and actually not that interesting or important part - boardroom struggles behind the scenes.
That's the kind of "he said, she said, they said" limit of the book. Sep 24, Bryan Rahija rated it liked it. Both books show the dangerous results of the recent firesale on venture capital: companies run by megalomaniacs who blatantly disregard the rules. Still, there was plenty to enjoy here for industry enthusiasts. I left with mixed feelings for the founder, Travis. Not super admirable! On the other hand, it seems like he's had a rough go of things: he suffers personal tragedy at the moment his company is flying apart, and seemed to give his life completely away to achieve early retirement floating around on yachts Some people make it through a combo of pluckiness and luck e.
And some people succeed by being utterly, completely relentless. Nov 14, Shridhar Sp rated it it was ok. I don't even know why I picked this book. It is just a collection of randomly pieced news articles about all the misgivings of Uber. Please note, only misgivings.
Also, other key takeaway, all executives at Uber are over 6 feet tall with hustle in them. What a waste of time! View 2 comments. Aug 12, Penner rated it really liked it. What did everybody think was so new about it? In the old days you had to call a cab using your phone. Now, with Uber, you can call a cab with… your phone. Except that instead of a licensed and vetted professional driver backed by state insurance, you get some dude with a car.
This phenomenon, of Uber brainwashing everyone into forgetting that there are alternatives to Uber, is not a focus of the book. The author himself, Mike Isaac, takes Ubers to clandestine off-the-record meetings with current and former Uber employees.
But it seemed to me then, as now, that what customers really like about Uber is being able to watch the cab crawl toward them on their little phone screen map. It starts out seeming like a biography, but as Uber grows the story takes on a global, giants-in-the-playground aspect.
When the adults finally enter the room, i. Without these, is the ride-hailing business model even theoretically profitable? But he does a great job telling the story of the personalities, places, and technical hurdles involved in turning one simple smartphone app into a global behemoth. As an outsider, the way this company was run is mindblowing to me. Is it an outlier, a unicorn among unicorns, or is it a bellwether of an entire reckless, headlong, move-fast-and-break-things industry?
View 1 comment. That was before the nightmare year Uber survived in Uber was still seen as cool, even if it had blemishes to its name. He detailed Uber's values and how we could use some of them at our company. The longer I listened, the more passionately I felt that we definitely should not use those values at Vinted.
I don't want to be "super-pumped. But I was not surprised. I was surprised though by a lot of the details in this book. Super Pumped tells quite a compelling story. Very much recommended for anyone at least a little interested. The book worked for me as a study on corporate values and how they stem from the founders.
While it's a cautionary tale on how values can go wrong, Uber still ended up a company worth billions. It was not explored in the book, but it would be interesting to think through which values were the good ones and how the good ones could've worked without the bad ones.
Aug 04, Mahesh Naidu rated it it was amazing. The book sheds light on some of the deepest darkest secrets as well as success stories originating from the silicon Valley. Mike does a great job at keeping the audience in mind in every little detail shared through the book which keeps you wanting for more.
Dec 16, Peter Knox rated it really liked it Shelves: , library-ebooks , non-fiction. Decades from now I predict students may turn to this book to try to understand startup culture, ride sharing, and the gig economy. As curious a study as Travis is, this book goes beyond his biographical study into what actually builds and breaks a company. I loved getting an inside look into the culture shocking anecdotes as expected and venture capital valuation - as well as a full on inter company takeover a la Succession that seems impossible then inevitable.
And how when that reputation was exposed and soured, it sunk. Amazing book, easy to read, and compelling.
But not life changing. Well done. Nov 17, Elena rated it it was ok Shelves: nonfiction. Sep 17, Bartosz Majewski rated it it was amazing Shelves: business. Great reporting in one of my favourite genre: biographies of companies.
And this is a fascinating story starring an Uber-Aggressive founder, Best VCs in the world, Taxi corporations connected to mafia, China and of course softbank.
If you liked Bad Blood you are probably going to like this one as well. However, it does not include non journalistic perspective. Which makes the picture really really incomplete. But this is not a problem of anyone that got equity early. Everyone got massively rich, e Great reporting in one of my favourite genre: biographies of companies.
Everyone got massively rich, even in the scenario in which the company won't survive. I guess that if you shoot for the moon and fail which I hope they won't you still manage to grab a handful of stars.
Sep 19, Eric rated it it was ok. This is a fascinating story poorly told. Isaac is so excited to tell salacious stories that he completely skips over the building of the company. The timeline jumps all over the place which muddles the narrative to an extreme level. It would have been great if this book were written by a journalist instead of by someone with a weird axe to grind at least it sure feels that way.
At the outset it appeared that this could be a 5 star book, however it was not to be. In a tour-de-force that is both an homage to an immortal work of literature and a modern masterpiece about the quest for love and family, Booker Prize-winning, internationally bestselling author Salman Rushdie has created a dazzling Don Quixote for the modern age. Inspired by the Cervantes classic, Sam DuChamp, mediocre writer of spy thrillers, creates Quichotte, a courtly, addled salesman obsessed with television, who falls in impossible love with the TV star Salman R.
Meanwhile his creator, in a midlife crisis, has equally urgent challenges of his own. Just as Cervantes wrote Don Quixote to satirise the culture of his time, Rushdie takes the reader on a wild ride through a country on the verge of moral and spiritual collapse, with the kind of storytelling magic that is the hallmark of his work.
The fully realised lives of DuChamp and Quichotte intertwine in a profoundly human quest for love and a wickedly entertaining portrait of. Il aura suffi de cinq mots pour que l'univers de Pauline bascule. Une histoire universelle. Physical benefits of keeping a book journal: It's aesthetically pleasing to look at. Organizes your thoughts and your feelings on a certain book.
It's not expensive to have. It's convenient and it isn't bulky to bring with you. Writing on paper helps you remember things. In general, a lot of people would find that having a book journal with them is very handy and useful.
In forgetting details after writing a book, you don't have to feel bad about this. You'd be surprised how many writers and authors use book journals just to keep a record of their thoughts and details of the book they read. In using a book journal, you can be sentimental in going back to a book you loved reading and keeping all the significant details all to yourself.
A book journal can also be useful for when you have to summarize a book for a book report at school to help gather all your needed information. Basically, it really doesn't matter if you're a reader because a book journal is for everyone. In addition, I'm sure there are moments where you've read a book that you've loved so much and the sequel came a year after, and you forgot the entire story of the book.
With this book journal you no longer have to go through the hassle of re-reading it again. This is where book journals would be so helpful. It's also a great tool to have to contribute to social media posts, blogs, podcasts, book reviews, book clubs, or just conversations with friends! This book journal helps you take notes of important details of 'Super Pumped'. To have the ability to remember the plot of the story, have a space to write your thoughts on 'Super Pumped', and have a way to summarize this book in your own words, scroll to the top and click or tap 'Buy Now'.
Whether you want to write a quote from 'Super Pumped', your thoughts on a specific scene, the plot summary, or you just want to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of 'Super Pumped' and compare it to another book of the same genre, this journal is for you!
Based on hundreds of interviews with current and former Uber employees, as well as previously disclosed documents, New York Times reporter Mike Isaac reveals the details behind the dramatic rise and fall of Uber.
Many believed that tech founders were remaking the world — making it smarter and more efficient. Mike Isaac presented the tale of Uber; its' rise and fall, such as its work, play hard culture. He also talked about the scandals that were faced by the company. Mike Isaac has been praised for his investigative and writing skills that are evident in the book. The characters and their world come alive, and the characters and its world still live on. Conversation Starters is peppered with questions designed to bring us beneath the surface of the page and invite us into the world that lives on.
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The global order is being simultaneously shaken by climate change and the shale revolution in oil and gas - and now by the coronavirus. Controversial fracking technology has given America unprecedented leverage as the world's leading energy powerhouse, ahead of Saudi Arabia and Russia, upending the chessboard of global politics and changing the psychology of the global economy.
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Oil producers, from the Middle East and Moscow to corporate boardrooms around the world, now fear that peak demand for oil is coming as renewable energy vies with fossil fuels.
The New Map tells a sweeping story about how the role of energy in climate change is shaping geopolitical discussions, challenging our industries and our lifestyles, and accelerating a second energy revolution - the quest for renewables.
It also brings realism to the debates over the energy transition. Pink, bestselling author of To Sell is Human From Kim Scott, author of the revolutionary New York Times bestseller Radical Candor, comes Just Work: Get it Done, Fast and Fair — how we can recognize, attack and eliminate workplace injustice — and transform our careers and organizations in the process. We — all of us — consistently exclude, underestimate and under-utilize huge numbers of people in the workforce even as we include, overestimate and promote others, often beyond their level of competence.
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