Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Random House (2016), Edition: 1, 288 pages
Description
"Like Paul Farmer in Mountains Beyond Mountains, Paul English grew up poor, in working-class Boston, but as Tracy Kidder writes, he had "a mind for the age that was coming." Brilliant, reckless, endlessly energetic, Paul English, after Kayak sold for $2 billion, asked himself: What comes next? Start another company? Use his new wealth to make a difference in the world? With a riveting, page-turning narrative and unmatched storytelling skill, Kidder casts a fresh and critical eye on how new technologies and start-ups, new money, are reshaping our culture"--
User reviews
LibraryThing member JaneReading
I was disappointed with this latest from Tracy Kidder. After the depth and character of Paul Farmer so beautifully captured in Mountains Beyond Mountains, I expected more from this new one and didn't find depth, meaning, or largeness of character. It felt somewhat rote and technical about Paul
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English's career in Boston high-tech. I give it three stars because of the grace and agility and all-round marvelous energy of Tracy Kidder's writing, but just didn't care about the person or the story very much, and got quite bogged down in the tedious detail and slightly repetitious treatment of Mr. English's challenges. I stuck with it because I did care enough to want to know the ending, and because it's a quick read and certainly easy going - but I can't get over the feeling that the subtitle "One man's quest to recover from great success".. was awfully misleading. I thought I was going to meet an extraordinary guy, but it felt flat and not very noteworthy in the end. Show Less
LibraryThing member bfister
My fellow-blogger at Inside Higher Ed and an insatiable consumer of books, Joshua Kim, reviewed Tracy Kidder’s new book, A Truck Full of Money, and I’m glad he did because I found the book frustrating and wasn’t sure how to review it. Reflecting on why made me think better of the book and
I’ve finished the book (I got a review copy) and have been struggling to review it because I have the very same reservations Joshua expresses here. I love Kidder’s work. The Soul of a New Machine got at a certain culture with a lot of focus and depth. Home Town looked at lives in a college town – not a single culture at all, but exploring its many sides. Mountains Beyond Mountains was a portrait of a man driven to make the world a healthier, more just place. The trouble for this reader started when Kidder says he wanted to bookend his Soul of a New Machine to show the world of people who write software. As in his other books, he finds someone who can give him a close third person view, a shoulder to peer over. But while he does a good job of telling us about this person, in the end we never know much about the experience of (or the culture of) coding, which makes it hard to find the book’s soul, it’s motivation. It does bear out Anil Dash’s claim that “there is no technology industry” in the way we usually think of it.
Instead, this guy built a business because he could code, made a lot of money, and thinks about how to spend it. Some of his thinking leads to trying new start ups, some is about how to benefit the poor (which, it turns out, is complicated. Homeless people don’t need big schemes as much as they need a pair of socks, and thinking about how to get people socks doesn’t jazz up tech entrepreneurs much).
Maybe Kidder’s point is that this *is* what bookends the soul of the new machine – a kind of grandiose, meandering, but also highly self-absorbed and often wasteful quest to turn software into money, and what that does to a person.
Thanks for asking, Joshua. I wanted more context from Kidder, plus more about how it feels to code but now I’m beginning to think Kidder knew exactly what he was doing. It felt soulless, though I did get to know a smart kid who grew up without many advantages in Boston, made a lot of money, and wanted to do something cool with it. Maybe the whole point is that being hit by a truck full of money can be painful. And when we think of software, it’s not about code, it’s about money.
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Kidder’s possible purpose. Here’s how I responded to Joshua’s request to “please disagree with this critical review.”I’ve finished the book (I got a review copy) and have been struggling to review it because I have the very same reservations Joshua expresses here. I love Kidder’s work. The Soul of a New Machine got at a certain culture with a lot of focus and depth. Home Town looked at lives in a college town – not a single culture at all, but exploring its many sides. Mountains Beyond Mountains was a portrait of a man driven to make the world a healthier, more just place. The trouble for this reader started when Kidder says he wanted to bookend his Soul of a New Machine to show the world of people who write software. As in his other books, he finds someone who can give him a close third person view, a shoulder to peer over. But while he does a good job of telling us about this person, in the end we never know much about the experience of (or the culture of) coding, which makes it hard to find the book’s soul, it’s motivation. It does bear out Anil Dash’s claim that “there is no technology industry” in the way we usually think of it.
Instead, this guy built a business because he could code, made a lot of money, and thinks about how to spend it. Some of his thinking leads to trying new start ups, some is about how to benefit the poor (which, it turns out, is complicated. Homeless people don’t need big schemes as much as they need a pair of socks, and thinking about how to get people socks doesn’t jazz up tech entrepreneurs much).
Maybe Kidder’s point is that this *is* what bookends the soul of the new machine – a kind of grandiose, meandering, but also highly self-absorbed and often wasteful quest to turn software into money, and what that does to a person.
Thanks for asking, Joshua. I wanted more context from Kidder, plus more about how it feels to code but now I’m beginning to think Kidder knew exactly what he was doing. It felt soulless, though I did get to know a smart kid who grew up without many advantages in Boston, made a lot of money, and wanted to do something cool with it. Maybe the whole point is that being hit by a truck full of money can be painful. And when we think of software, it’s not about code, it’s about money.
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LibraryThing member thewanderingjew
A Truck Full of Money, Tracy Kidder, author; Paul Michael, narrator
Kidder describes and extols the accomplishments of Paul English, a product of the Boston school system, who was a creative student of technology and a supporter of entrepreneurship for decades. His ventures, large and small, some
The book begins describing him as a troubled young boy who continued to be troubled as a young man. He struggled with huge mood swings, and manic episodes. He was finally diagnosed with bi-polar disorder. He researched his mental illness to find out how to control it better without becoming a zombie from the medications. He resisted them because of their side effects, but over many years and many trials and errors, he finally found a woman who validated him and medications he could tolerate. Together, they could keep him centered. His illness worked to his benefit because it inspired him to keep thinking and doing and to not accept failure as a consequence, but to always rise up in the face of it and begin again. He often judged himself and found he fell short of the mark. This inspired him to do better. When his mom said “keep up the good work”, on her deathbed, he interpreted her remark to mean he, so far, hadn’t done well enough. His moments of depression, the alternate side of his bi-polar disease, never seemed to gain control of him. He always kept trying to do something else to change the world, to enter modernity with a bang.
He needed to always have a project in the pipeline, something on the drawing board, something to work on that would move him in a useful and a productive direction. He liked building teams of workers. He wanted to interact with others to get ideas, and even today, that need inspires him to use his own Tesla to drive for Uber, not for the money but because he likes to interact with people, to learn about their ideas. These may be the people he might someday consider hiring to work for him on a project. So, he always needed to keep busy, busier when he was in a mania phase of his bipolar disease, but it was his passion that stood out most for those people who worked with him or listened to him or attended his classes. His display of sheer excitement, when an idea came to him, and he promoted it, actually enticed people to join in his efforts and endeavors. Some were wary of his impulsiveness, at times, and tried to rein him in, but it also attracted the creative technocrats who admired his passion.
He was inspired to create an anti NRA organization for people who liked guns but thought there should be better controls for the industry. It failed, but not because of lack of good reasons, but more because of lack of interest. Some of his ideas failed, not because they were not good ideas, but because they were before their time. Another person would bring them to the world, like Uber and Trip Advisor and cars that could think and act to curtail speeding and prevent accidents. He brought aid to Haiti when he witnessed the sad state of affairs for the children. He investigated the homeless situation to find out how he could better help them, aside from simply donating money.
English is definitely one of the do-gooders in our time. He doesn’t waste too much time thinking about what he should do, he acts on his ideas promptly. He took time off to care for his father when his memory began to fail. Until it was necessary to put him in a facility, he was devoted. He is one of those people who is more interested in the value that his work brings to the world rather than in the money he receives for it or the money he pays for it. Fortunately, his successes have placed him in a financial position to feel that way. The results of his efforts are what actually inspire him. His need to help others less fortunate is genuine and he seeks out those who need help.
Paul English never stared defeat in the face, rather he looked askance at it, dusted himself off and sought another avenue to explore and build upon, another company, another group of people to support and to encourage in their endeavors.
English is driven by the idea of opportunity. His results, come what may, don’t deter him. If he fails he just keeps trying to succeed. The mania part of his illness works positively for him because it keeps him on his toes, thinking and creating constantly. The book is well written for what it is, but I really had no interest in it. The narrator did as good a job as one would expect for a book that was a bit dry, but I wasn’t inspired by it, although the subject of the books apparent “goodness” is admirable. I will soon have a hard copy and will give it another look-see, since I am going to an author breakfast with him. Perhaps in a hard copy, it will be more inspiring.
Kidder describes and extols the accomplishments of Paul English, a product of the Boston school system, who was a creative student of technology and a supporter of entrepreneurship for decades. His ventures, large and small, some
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hare-brained and some brilliant, some failed and some successful, were and still may be, all over the map, but he made fortunes and lost fortunes, because he was in the right time and the right place at the crossroads of an America about to enter cyberspace. For English, it was full speed ahead into the future; he had the nerve and the brain power to survive and succeed. English was a risk taker, and he sometimes broke rules, even as a school boy. To partner with him, you would risk failure, but when you succeeded, it would be beyond your wildest dreams. His creation Kayak, which merged with Priceline, set him up financially for the rest of his life. He became a very wealthy man.The book begins describing him as a troubled young boy who continued to be troubled as a young man. He struggled with huge mood swings, and manic episodes. He was finally diagnosed with bi-polar disorder. He researched his mental illness to find out how to control it better without becoming a zombie from the medications. He resisted them because of their side effects, but over many years and many trials and errors, he finally found a woman who validated him and medications he could tolerate. Together, they could keep him centered. His illness worked to his benefit because it inspired him to keep thinking and doing and to not accept failure as a consequence, but to always rise up in the face of it and begin again. He often judged himself and found he fell short of the mark. This inspired him to do better. When his mom said “keep up the good work”, on her deathbed, he interpreted her remark to mean he, so far, hadn’t done well enough. His moments of depression, the alternate side of his bi-polar disease, never seemed to gain control of him. He always kept trying to do something else to change the world, to enter modernity with a bang.
He needed to always have a project in the pipeline, something on the drawing board, something to work on that would move him in a useful and a productive direction. He liked building teams of workers. He wanted to interact with others to get ideas, and even today, that need inspires him to use his own Tesla to drive for Uber, not for the money but because he likes to interact with people, to learn about their ideas. These may be the people he might someday consider hiring to work for him on a project. So, he always needed to keep busy, busier when he was in a mania phase of his bipolar disease, but it was his passion that stood out most for those people who worked with him or listened to him or attended his classes. His display of sheer excitement, when an idea came to him, and he promoted it, actually enticed people to join in his efforts and endeavors. Some were wary of his impulsiveness, at times, and tried to rein him in, but it also attracted the creative technocrats who admired his passion.
He was inspired to create an anti NRA organization for people who liked guns but thought there should be better controls for the industry. It failed, but not because of lack of good reasons, but more because of lack of interest. Some of his ideas failed, not because they were not good ideas, but because they were before their time. Another person would bring them to the world, like Uber and Trip Advisor and cars that could think and act to curtail speeding and prevent accidents. He brought aid to Haiti when he witnessed the sad state of affairs for the children. He investigated the homeless situation to find out how he could better help them, aside from simply donating money.
English is definitely one of the do-gooders in our time. He doesn’t waste too much time thinking about what he should do, he acts on his ideas promptly. He took time off to care for his father when his memory began to fail. Until it was necessary to put him in a facility, he was devoted. He is one of those people who is more interested in the value that his work brings to the world rather than in the money he receives for it or the money he pays for it. Fortunately, his successes have placed him in a financial position to feel that way. The results of his efforts are what actually inspire him. His need to help others less fortunate is genuine and he seeks out those who need help.
Paul English never stared defeat in the face, rather he looked askance at it, dusted himself off and sought another avenue to explore and build upon, another company, another group of people to support and to encourage in their endeavors.
English is driven by the idea of opportunity. His results, come what may, don’t deter him. If he fails he just keeps trying to succeed. The mania part of his illness works positively for him because it keeps him on his toes, thinking and creating constantly. The book is well written for what it is, but I really had no interest in it. The narrator did as good a job as one would expect for a book that was a bit dry, but I wasn’t inspired by it, although the subject of the books apparent “goodness” is admirable. I will soon have a hard copy and will give it another look-see, since I am going to an author breakfast with him. Perhaps in a hard copy, it will be more inspiring.
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LibraryThing member JosephKing6602
Pretty good story-line but a bit unfocused. I generally like Kidder's books, but this one seemed to lack one core over-arching theme. "House" or "Soul of anew Machine" both brought you into the single story of the book....this one seemed to bounce between the Dot-Com culture and philanthropy. As a
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result it seemed a bit scattered at times. But, overall, I'll keep reading whatever Tracy Kidder publishes! #TracyKidde Show Less
LibraryThing member gmmartz
Let me first state that I am an unabashed admirer of Tracy Kidder's work. He's my favorite non-fiction writer, and several of his books are among my all-time favorites (The Soul of a New Machine, Mountains Beyond Mountains, House.....). That being said, 'A Truck Full of Money' isn't up to the
My main problem is with the subject of the book, programmer/entrepreneur Paul English. He doesn't come across as being very likable and neither his backstory nor mental condition are enough to make his story compelling enough to really care about. He may be a 'world-class recruiter' of software development talent, a programming savant, and successful enough entrepreneur to get a lot of money thrown his way, but he's also not Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, or even Jeff Bezos. I think if the author went into greater depth on the effects of his mental condition, or his family background (this was covered to some extent, but I think there was much more material that should've been there) Mr. English would appear as a more sympathetic character. To me, though, he was someone who'd be a jerk to work for, a sort of symbol of the excesses of the internet bubble, and an egotist with a mental condition who, when he wasn't spending outrageous amounts of money would occasionally consider doing something charitable with his life.
If you've worked with software developers (as I have) of have a historical interest in the early days of internet applications, you'll probably have the same mixed feelings about this book. It's a good Kidder effort, but certainly nowhere near his best.
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standards of his best production. It's still well-written, fast-paced, and interesting to a point, but there's not enough there there.My main problem is with the subject of the book, programmer/entrepreneur Paul English. He doesn't come across as being very likable and neither his backstory nor mental condition are enough to make his story compelling enough to really care about. He may be a 'world-class recruiter' of software development talent, a programming savant, and successful enough entrepreneur to get a lot of money thrown his way, but he's also not Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, or even Jeff Bezos. I think if the author went into greater depth on the effects of his mental condition, or his family background (this was covered to some extent, but I think there was much more material that should've been there) Mr. English would appear as a more sympathetic character. To me, though, he was someone who'd be a jerk to work for, a sort of symbol of the excesses of the internet bubble, and an egotist with a mental condition who, when he wasn't spending outrageous amounts of money would occasionally consider doing something charitable with his life.
If you've worked with software developers (as I have) of have a historical interest in the early days of internet applications, you'll probably have the same mixed feelings about this book. It's a good Kidder effort, but certainly nowhere near his best.
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LibraryThing member bemislibrary
Paul English used his education in computer science and work as a software engineer to develop several software programs and cofounded companies such as Kayak and Lola. The sale of Kayak to Priceline for over a billion dollars gave him the flexibility to try new things. This biography provides an
Goodreads Giveaway randomly chose me to receive this book. Although encouraged, I was under no obligation to write a review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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overview of his childhood and highlights from his professional career. Readers learn about current partner Paul Schwenk, Karl Berry and Bill O’Donnell and other team members that help English achieve success. The book provides insight to the struggles and successes startup companies face and a glimpse at what some call a genus programmer. Although there is a selected bibliography, there are no footnotes or endnotes. This is a superficial look rather than an in depth study of Mr. English’s life. There is not even a photograph of the English in the book.Goodreads Giveaway randomly chose me to receive this book. Although encouraged, I was under no obligation to write a review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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LibraryThing member nyiper
The CD, read by Paul Michael, was GREAT! There were so many interesting details about Paul English and Tracy Kidder was the perfect person to write about him. I'm about to look up several of the companies English was involved with. It will be fascinating to see what happens next in his life---will
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Kidder provide an updated book at some point, or perhaps add some chapters? Show Less
LibraryThing member FormerEnglishTeacher
The story of the founding of the online travel website, Kayak, by inventer and entrepreneur Paul English. Interesting story beyond the DotCom boom is the story of English’ ongoing psychological problems. And then there is Tracy Kidder’s writing, which is always worth the price of admission. I
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also enjoyed Soul of a New Machine, House, and Among Schoolchildren. I would like to read Good Prose, which he co-write with Richard Todd. Show Less
LibraryThing member susandennis
I was only vaguely familiar with the subject of this Tracy Kidder book. I knew and had used Paul English's company's website but did not know the backstory. In true Tracy Kidder, his whys and wherefores and hows were all laid out in a most interesting fashion. It was a most compelling read and now
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I want to know what happens next. Wikipedia was most disappointing :) Show Less
LibraryThing member susandennis
I'm a Tracy Kidder fan and while this one was good, it could have been better. He delves into the work life of Paul English - most notable for founding Kayak.Com. It was not really a biography but it really wasn't either. So I was left wanting to know about the details he skipped and, since Paul
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English isn't old or dead, I also had a big ole' dose of 'well, what happened then???' I enjoyed what I got but I wanted more. Show Less
Awards
Massachusetts Book Award (Must-Read (Longlist) — Nonfiction — 2017)
Language
Original language
English
Physical description
288 p.; 6.5 inches
ISBN
0812995244 / 9780812995244
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