How the Internet Happened: From Netscape to the iPhone

How the Internet Happened (2018) by Brian McCullough is a really excellent look at how the commercial internet grew from the early 1990s until the launch of the iPhone. While writing the book McCullough recorded the interviews he did with people and released them as ‘The Internet History Podcast’. Critically McCullough also founded and co-founded a number of companies so he really knows about his subject. The books starts with the history of Mosaic and other early web browsers. Then Microsoft’s realisation of the importance of the internet. Netscape’s rise and fall is carefully covered. AOL, Ebay, Amazon and Yahoo and the early tech boom companies are then described in detail. Google’s birth, the bursting of the bubble and the how Google monetized internet advertising are the next subject. The book dives into mp3s and the iPod. The revitalisation of the internet companies after the ‘Nuclear Winter’ of the early 2000s and the rise of web 2.0 and social media are then covered. Finally the rise of the mobile internet with the launch of the iPhone is where the book ends. It would be very hard to read this book and not learn a lot. The details of the browser wars and how Google actually worked out how to make money are really interesting. Due to his inside knowledge and careful research McCullough manages to capture the zeitgeist of the times he writes about. The podcast has quite a bit that the book doesn’t including interviews with other computer historians and more detail on some subjects than the book. But the book has been well edited and the most important parts kept. The book is probably going to become the default reference for the birth of the mass commercial internet. Just as Triumph of the Nerds by Robert X Cringely is the book to describe the rise of the PCs in the 1980s. McCullough has done a really great job with the book. Like Cringely he has the great advantage of being part of what he writes about. He’s also done a fantastic job interviewing the subjects for the book. Listening to the podcast is a delight for anyone interested in the history of technology. The book and podcast really are fantastic.

A very concise and well-written summary of the history of the internet -- and a truly fascinating read. The writing style was very clear and straightforward, and told the story of the internet in an engaging and thoughtful way. I'd recommend this book to anyone is curious about the history of the companies and individuals who helped make the internet what it is today -- and wants to know how the internet became what it is today.

I remember so many of the things discussed in this book. It makes me feel old. My life is history, apparently. The book reads quickly, moving us through an internet genealogy. It’s part history, part chasing the roots of what we use every day. If you lived it, you may look back fondly, but you’ll probably learn something new. If you’re too young to remember Netscape, this will ground you in where we started (well, yes, it started before that, just read the book). It ends with a sense of inevitability that makes me a little uncomfortable. And it definitely makes me more aware of the device I’m typing on and the review I’m posting on Amazon and Goodreads for everyone else to read... weird.

The author’s podcast is a goldmine of information for anyone seeking to understand technology and business, and given that software, network effects and connectivity will remain fixtures of technology and business for at least the next few decades, anyone seeking to make a meaningful impact in the world using technology. And this book is the essence of that podcast, distilled into pure nuggets of value, that can be consumed quickly and efficiently (there are so many interesting things to read and do in this world), and you can dive back to the podcast (which is free!) for more depth and context from the people who actually did this stuff. For those not in the Bay Area with networks of people who were there since Fairchild, but who need to compete with them, I know of no other resource remotely in the ballpark comparable to this book and the podcast. Unequivocal recommendation to buy the book, *especially* for the benefit of kids coming through school who take the internet and WWW as a part of the firmament and need to know more about these technologies and their evolution.

I had delayed reading this worried it might be too heady but once I started, I couldn't stop and finished it in 2 seatings, fascinated with the events that I actually lived through and realized how the developments also impacted how our company envisioned its role [I work for a media company] in the decades I worked there [from the 80s to the present]. I was an early adopter from computers to pagers to the web to social so I found the whole history so relatable and the personalities admirable with their eye towards the future

I first learned about Brian McCullough by listening to his informative technology podcast, Techmeme Ride Home. I was intrigued when he started to promote his book, so I decided to give it a try. I’m glad I did. Brian gives us the history and background of the internet, and all that has gone into it, in a very readable format. This is book provides great background, the good, the bad, and the ugly, on all the players we know or knew (eg Netscape, Napster, Amazon, Google, Facebook, etc) as well as others we either didn’t know or have forgotten about. In the end he ties it all up in a very neat bundle. Highly recommended for other geeks, or people who are just interested in the history of technology.

Brian is doing an excellent job with his "Internet History Podcast" and has done a fantastic job with this book. Katie Haffner's Book "Where Wizards Stay Up Late" tells much of the early part of the story, although it misses the classified aspects that were tied into the Minuteman Missile System. But, between these two books is a huge hole with respect to how the networking of personal computers in the 1980's using systems like Novell Netware and AppleTalk were transformed to use TCP/IP all the way to the desktop. The internet had to change and PC networking had to change. In short, the two had to embrace each other, and do so in the face of concerted resistance by all of the most powerful technical companies of the day, who had the support of the US government for an alternate path toward an "information super highway." So, the sum of these two books simply doesn't get you there. Thus, the title is extremely misleading. It should be more like: "How the Internet Happened - Part III." Katie's book would be Part I. Part II has yet to be written.

A great read. I tore through this book in one week. Super enjoyable. I was in college when Mosaic/Netscape was born and recalled all of the major developments in tech/internet from 93 to date, which made this educational, nostalgic and reinforcing. It has been the best read for me this year. Highly recommended!

Book Quality : Hardcover, Pages, Print & Font: 10/10. Contents: As a tech enthusiast, This has been a fantastic read, The author sets up the pace with crisp data points and exciting details of the tech industry from the 1990s to the almost current scenario. I can highly relate to this book in the current years i.e. 2022 in the Indian tech startup space. The Hype, The IPOs, The potential bust if there is. Beautifully written and a must-read to understand the Web 2.0 landscape, which can help you prep for the Web 3.0 scene.

If you want to understand how is it possible that at this moment, you are reading a recommendation from a stranger from somewhere in the world, at any time, from a mobile device . And that you can get this book in 5 seconds and read it in a tablet, instead of going to the library.. read this to understand what Could have been impossible 50 years ago READ this to understand how technology has changed your life . Im surprised because I bought this book accidentally and now it changed the way I see things. READ THIS BOOK!! thank me later.

Wahrscheinlich bin ich voreingenommen – denn ich war dabei. Ich war im Internet, vor Mosaic und Netscape, vor Yahoo und Google, als man die unendlichen Weiten noch mit „gopher“ und „ftp“ von der Kommandozeile aus erforschte. Mir macht das Buch unendlich viel Spaß, denn ich weiß noch als da plötzlich das neue Ding, ein „Browser“, war und Farbe in die Welt des Internets kam. Ich erinnere mich an meine erste Bestellung bei amazon.com, die ersten deutschen Nachrichtenseiten im Web, und wie nach und nach „das Intrenet“ passierte. Es ist herrlich die Hintergrundgeschichten zu lesen die Brian McCullough über Jahre in Interviews zusammengetragen hat. Vieles davon kann man auch in seinem Podcast „Internet History Podcast“ nachhören, aber eben nicht alles. Denn während dort die Länge der Folgen beschränkt war und sich auch aus dem Gesprächsfluss der Interviews nicht immer die exakte Chronologie verfolgen läßt, so sind hier auf 300+ Seiten viele Hintergründe, auf 30+ Seiten unzählige Quellenangaben und auf 15 Seiten ein ausführliches Stichvortverzeichnis sodass es vieles Neues zu entdecken gibt. EIn sehr schönes Buch. Vielleicht auch ein sehr wichtiges Buch. In jedem Fall eine lohnende Investition.

I figure that no matter how advanced the Internet is today, when facing problems or issues related to Internet-based business, it's worth returning to the basics—the genesis and history of the Internet. This book was published several years ago, but it offers insights that are often overlooked in the rush to chase emerging technologies.

Nice Book