Soundview Executive Book Summaries

I’d love to tell you that this post is coming to you from the after-glow of an after-party, particularly one that followed the premiere of the new unauthorized Facebook bio pic The Social Network. This would be the ideal spot to post pictures of myself with the film’s stars and share soundbites of answers to witty questions such as, “So … if I asked you, would you friend me?” and “So … what’s the craziest thing someone has ever written on your wall?” Ahhh, I can almost taste that complimentary champagne before my limo whisks me off into the Hollywood night.

Instead, the only carpet upon which my feet have trod is the well-worn one that leads to my office. No matter! After all, if there’s one thing we’ve learned from the world of social media, it’s that the average blogger can achieve the same impact as a 30-year pro in the journalism business, and that includes the penchant for wild, unfounded speculation. When The Social Network hits theaters today, it should rocket straight to the top of the box office. After all, a service which has more than half a billion users should be able to provide just a few audience members for a movie of which the company itself does not approve.

I thought it was important to mention that The Social Network is in part based on a successful (if borderline scandalous) business book by Ben Mezrich: The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of  Facebook: A Tale of Sex, Money, Genius and Betrayal. If you click the link to the book, you’ll notice that it’s been re-released with a new cover and every author’s dream tagline: “Now a Major Motion Picture!”

Here’s something that may surprise you: The book upon which the movie is based should be taken with the infamous grain of salt. For a more in-depth (and less lurid) look at the founding of the world’s second most popular Web site, you may want to instead read David Kirkpatrick’s The Facebook Effect: The Inside Story of the Company that is Connecting the World.

Soundview covered both books in our exclusive FREE e-newsletter, Soundview Executive Book Alert. Don’t miss out on our coverage of new and hidden gems in the business book world. Visit Soundview’s Web site at Summary.com and click the tab marked “Free E-Newsletters” to sign up for all three of our FREE e-newsletters!

If you’re headed out the movies this weekend, don’t forget to come back and visit our blog so we can discuss what you thought about The Social Network. And don’t forget to follow Soundview on our Facebook page!