Book Review: Accidental Billionaires by Ben Mezrich

Hey guys - just finished this fantastic book titled, "The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook A Tale of Sex, Money, Genius, & Betrayal" by Ben Mezrich.

Great read. Talks about the founding fathers of Facebook by Mark Zuckerberg, Eduardo Saverin. And the supposed controversy that Mark supposedly stole the Facebook idea from Cameron & Tyler Winklevoss (Founders of ConnectU.com). The book then chronicles how he went to kick out Eduardo Saverin (financier) & venture capitalist Sean Parker.

Some highlights I particularly liked:

1. The rise of social media, social networking.

2. Mark Zuckerberg dropping out of Harvard to work on Facebook, similar to Bill Gates.

3. Mark Zuckerberg's genius & passion was in computers & found a way to create something truly life-changing. Got me to thinking about my passions & talents.

4. The Information Revolution - sites such as Google (revolutionized Search), Facebook revolutionized social networking. The innovators, creators using technology & the flattening world to fulfill a need.

5. To see something start out as an idea, work on it as a hobby/side project, & to see it grow to a full time endeavour, with a billion-dollar valuation.

6. The rise of intellectual property & potential conflicts of interest.

Ben Mezrich has written other books about young, energetic, smart talented renegades/cowboys /mavericks/rebels who find a way to take their hobbies & make them into something big, unique, & interesting.

1. Ugly Americans: The True Story of the Ivy League Cowboys Who Raided the Asian Markets for Millions

2. Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six MIT Students for Took Vegas for Millions

3. Busting Vegas: A True Story of Monumental Excess, Sex, Love, Violence, & Beating the Odds

4. Rigged: The True Story of an Ivy League Kid Who Changed the World of Oil from Wall Street to Dubai

That's it!