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“The Accidental Billionaires”, by Ben Mezrich; a Meta-review “The Accidental Billionaires: Sex, Money, Betrayal and the Founding of Facebook”, written by Ben Mezrich, was released in South Africa in July 2009.
What is it all about?
When Harvard students Eduardo Saverin and Mark Zuckerberg realised that their geeky awkwardness and lack of family money were counting against them in the university’s popularity rankings, they took up technological arms.
What began as a website rating Harvard’s female students, soon morphed into The Facebook – and the rest is Internet history. “The Accidental Billionaires” traces the birth of Facebook from its early days in Harvard dormitories through to its establishment as an international phenomenon. The focus falls on Saverin and Zuckerberg, whose best-friend status was soon eroded by the pressures that came with the success of Facebook. Tales of hacking, computer crashes, nightclubs, venture capitalists, silly money and all-out warfare – this is just some of what you can expect in “The Accident Billionaires”.
Who is the author?
Ben Mezrich is a columnist and Harvard graduate. “The Accidental Billionaires” marks his 11th book. His book “Bringing Down the House”, which documents the true story of how Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) students ventured into Las Vegas casinos to make money by counting cards, became a motion picture called “21”, starring Kevin Spacey.
What do others say?
On the vast majority of counts, “The Accidental Billionaires” is lambasted as a poorly written and researched book. Criticised as being formulaic, predictable, sexist and way too long, critics had very little to say in the way of positive feedback. Most of the criticism was levelled against Mezrich’s embellishment of the truth. He did not manage to secure an interview with Zuckerberg, and therefore what truth exists in the book comes from Saverin, Zuckerberg’s bitter ex-partner.
Although Mezrich admits in an author’s note that his is a "dramatic, narrative account", his embellishments are said to be laughable. Read “The Accidental Billionaires” if you are looking for fluffy ‘lad lit’, gossip and scandal. After all, the book did skyrocket onto the “New York Times” bestseller list. However, for a more incisive (and apparently truthful) insight into the social networking business, rather read Julia Angwin’s “Stealing MySpace”.
“New York Times”: "'The Accidental Billionaires' is so obviously dramatised, and so clearly unreliable, that there’s no mistaking it for a serious document." “Telegraph.co.uk”: "Popular culture is being revolutionised by radical new technologies such as Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook. Ben Mezrich’s “The Accidental Billionaires” is an entertaining and provocative introduction to the cultural consequences of this revolution." “The Globe and Mail”: "Once I sort of adjusted to Mezrich’s method, I began to appreciate that he had a fine story to tell, with some huge holes in it, and he did what he could to make it whole. Mostly, I came to give the book a new title: 'Facebook: The Screenplay'. Essentially, what Mezrich does – and, it should be said, rather decently – is give a classic Hollywood ‘based on a true story’ treatment to his subject… Mezrich has written a compelling movie – er, sorry, book – that may not stand as the definitive account of Facebook’s origin, but may well be the breeziest."
How do I get hold of it?
“The Accidental Billionaires” is published in South Africa by Arrow Books. It is available at Exclusive Books at a recommended retail price of R199.00.
