Even a bad Michael Lewis book is good by most other standards. However, I wouldn't say this was a bad book; it was just an okay one.

The focus of the book is on Jim Clark, the founder of several companies, including Netscape, and a significant player in the internet boom. Lewis structures "The New New Thing" around a giant sailboat that Clark is having built. This boat has a traditional sailboat captain, but computers handle most of the complex tasks. Lewis wants the reader to believe that this boat is symbolic of Clark, the internet boom, and the "new new thing." However, I wasn't entirely convinced.

Lewis repeats the phrase "the new new thing" numerous times, emphasizing that this technological movement is distinct from just a "new thing." Clark would come up with radical ideas, now known as "disruption," and hire people to execute them. Then he would lose interest and move on to something else. But I'm not sure if the boat was a fair representation of Clark or the internet movement. It was indeed a new way of thinking and forming companies, and one either embraced it or was left behind. Those who did embrace it and followed Clark became extremely wealthy.

Maybe what ultimately bothered me about this book was that Lewis seems to sum up Clark's goals as simply wanting to be ultra-rich. However, money was only one aspect. In reality, he wanted to be the best at whatever he did. And when he realized he couldn't achieve that, he was pragmatic and moved on. This book seems to suggest that the entire internet movement is fleeting, and it's true that some companies weren't successful. But others, like Amazon, Microsoft, and Google, have transformed our lives. Perhaps the formula here is too simplistic: the giant sailboat represents Clark's giant ego.

I'm a fan of all of Lewis's work, but I'm not sure if his reporting style is as effective when he attempts to encapsulate an entire industry, such as the bond industry or the internet revolution. For some reason, I believe his best books are those that focus on sports, like "Moneyball" or "The Blind Side."

This was an absolutely fantastic book.

I wasn't at all familiar with Jim Clark or the truly incredible influence he had as the catalyst and disruptor of technology during the 90s internet boom.

As the founder and visionary behind Silicon Graphics, Netscape, Healtheon (now WebMD), and many other iconic 90s unicorns, his story provides the best possible way to understand the disruption that occurred during the internet boom.

Although I was perhaps a bit less engaged in the stories about his sailing escapades, the rest of the book was an utterly thrilling page-turner that I found extremely difficult to put down.

It left me with a deep and abiding desire to want to return to the role of a startup disruptor and experience the incredible excitement and velocity of those unique times once again.

Michael Lewis is truly one of the very best business storytellers, and the subject of this book was crazy and unique enough to allow his writing style to shine through in all its glory.

I have always been a die-hard fan of Michael Lewis, and this book truly lived up to my expectations!

The protagonist in the story is one of the most active minds, known as “the least happy optimist in Silicon Valley”. The narrative takes us on a journey from the moment he launched his very first company, through the times when he faced setbacks and stumbled, and finally to when he managed to pick himself up and recover.

Throughout all these ups and downs, he showed remarkable perseverance. He managed to stay firmly in touch with his unwavering determination and insatiable curiosity to make a difference and fix things in this complex world. His story is not only inspiring but also a testament to the power of passion and the ability to overcome obstacles. It makes us realize that no matter how hard the road may be, with the right mindset and a strong will, we can achieve great things.

This book is a must-read for anyone who is looking for motivation and a deeper understanding of the entrepreneurial spirit.

This is a captivating story about Jim Clark. He is an extraordinary figure who not only founded multiple crucial Silicon Valley companies such as SGI, Netscape, myCFO, and Healtheon but also conducted significant research in computer graphics. Additionally, he constructed one of the world's largest megayachts. However, his most momentous and enduring impact was shattering the Microsoft stranglehold on the entire technology/startup ecosystem. When Microsoft attempted to intimidate Netscape, he involved the DOJ, thereby making a remarkable stand.

Overall, this book presents an excellent portrayal of the late-1990s Silicon Valley. Published in 1999, well before the subsequent collapse, it vividly captures the essence of that era. Moreover, it delves into Jim Clark's own distinct style and personality. It stands as one of the most genuine and precise accounts of the period that I have had the pleasure of reading.

I firmly believe that it would be far more meaningful for me to possess several billion dollars.

With such a vast amount of wealth at my disposal, I could embark on a journey of fulfilling my wildest dreams and aspirations.

I would be able to travel the world, experiencing different cultures, cuisines, and landscapes.

I could also invest in various philanthropic causes, making a positive impact on the lives of countless people.

Moreover, having several billion dollars would give me the freedom to pursue my hobbies and interests without any financial constraints.

I could start my own business, or support the growth and development of existing ones.

In short, having several billion dollars would open up a world of possibilities for me, and I would truly enjoy every moment of it.

Reading this book now, a quarter of a century after its publishing, it offers an interesting retrospective on the pre-dot-com-bubble era. Jim Clark is a fascinating character around whom a story can be built. However, perhaps fortunately, the world has moved away from idolizing individuals like him. Considered as a character portrait of Clark, it makes for an interesting read. Beyond that, it left me somewhat unsatisfied.

As always, Lewis creates a captivating picture, but misses the mark on some details and conclusions. From the outside, and as a software engineer myself, it's clear that Clark's successes stemmed from hiring and recruiting extremely intelligent and motivated software engineers and providing them with the support and means to do their best work. Lewis touches on this, but places much more emphasis on Clark's vision. This is a reflection of the times - before the dot-com bubble burst, ideas were thought to be worth billions. Now, they are essentially worth zero, and execution (along with new technology itself, currently "AI", which seems to be the ever-repeating new new bubble) determines value, and there is much less fear of missing out on ideas.

Clark himself is an intriguing protagonist. It's easy to see how and why Lewis gets caught up in his ideas. But I often found myself wondering just how deeply unhappy Clark was and still is, and how that seemed to affect those around him, especially in the way he treated them. There is a pattern exemplified by Clark among the people in this story of making deep personal sacrifices in pursuit of ideas and ideals. But it often seemed to result only in moments of jubilation amid long periods of depression and anxiety. "The New New Thing" promotes the common Silicon Valley narrative that the greatness of ideas and new technology might be worth the pursuit. But in retrospect, as all of Clark's companies and pioneering technologies have become obsolete, I can't help but wonder how many lives were wasted in this pursuit of money, disguised by an idolization of technical progress.

As expected, this was an engaging book by Michael Lewis.

He seemed to have had almost unprecedented access to wealthy tech businessman Jim Clark, and made full use of it.

Part feature piece and part history, this book was both strangely relevant and notably dated in many respects, being 20 years old.

I had never heard of Jim Clark before reading this.

Without ever giving a personal opinion of him, Lewis portrays him in a very unfavourable light.

Throughout the book, there are people who admire his drive but dislike the person.

He is the epitome of someone who can do what they want because they have so much money.

And despite Lewis' grasp on the business story, it's difficult to discern what he actually does to earn this money, after earlier bemoaning financiers who get wealth from others' hard work.

There's a lot of talk about businessmen, CEO's and chairmen, but I'm still at a loss as to what the day to day role involves.

In a way this book has aged badly.

Netscape and many of the other companies discussed seem like relics now, and were the cutting edge at the time of writing.

Google is mentioned as an example of an IPO, and there is a discussion that 'portals', or search engines, will be the next big thing, but the big names in tech today are not found mentioned here.

This highlights some relevant points, that tech is constantly changing, but means this book works only as a long magazine feature, rather than anything more significant.

Yet it is still a very interesting read.

Lewis is very adept at bringing fringe characters to life in a way that doesn't seem false, a skill very much needed when none of the names are familiar to the reader.

And there are some modern lessons too.

Healthscape is described as a health company masquerading as a tech company so that they are viewed differently - in Britain especially, the same is seen with taxi firm Uber who have marketed themselves as an app.

The self-operating yacht has some parallels with self-driving cars.

And Silicon Valley is still where the truly top talent aim to go, rather than the finance companies of Wall Street.

One day I'll read a Lewis book about a subject I'm really into and be dismayed by his liberal use of the facts, but until then, I'll continue to read interesting books on completely new subjects.

The work in question now feels horribly outdated.

It is in desperate need of an epilogue that would deal with the aftermath of the internet bubble.

Compared to other books written by Lewis, this one falls far short in terms of being compelling or amusing.

The passage of time has clearly taken its toll on the relevance and appeal of this particular piece.

Perhaps with the addition of a well-crafted epilogue, it could regain some of its lost luster and offer readers a more comprehensive and engaging perspective on the subject matter.

As it stands, however, it pales in comparison to the other works in Lewis' oeuvre.

It is a pity that this book has not aged as gracefully as some of his others, as it may have once held great promise.

Nonetheless, there is still potential for improvement if the right changes are made.

This book places a significant emphasis on Clark's boat, and although it is interesting to a certain extent, I couldn't help but find myself asking, "who really cares?"

Ultimately, this book delves into a subject that is now extremely outdated. Virtually all of Clark's companies either went out of business or failed to have the profound impact that he had boasted they would. I remained in a state of anticipation, waiting for the proverbial hammer to drop and for all of these grand plans to come crashing down, but the book doesn't quite reach that point.

It would be rather fascinating if Lewis were to update it.

Clark did manage to amass a considerable fortune and undoubtedly had an influence, but I'm left questioning whether this book is truly justified.

Perhaps a revised version could offer a more comprehensive and contemporary perspective on Clark's story and its relevance in today's context.

As it stands, while the book has its moments of interest, it falls short in fully exploring the implications and ultimate fate of Clark's endeavors.

After reading this book, my immediate thought was that I wanted to devour everything that Michael Lewis had ever penned.

Subsequently, I discovered that he has a passion for baseball, or something along those lines, and has written a plethora of baseball books. Well, fuck that. Baseball simply sucks.

However, this particular book is truly fucking awesome. Lewis masterfully weaves a thrilling narrative, populated with fascinating characters, much like a captivating novel. It delves into the story of how the west was won. How did all those major start-ups achieve success, and what led to the downfall of those epic failures? As an entrepreneur, I find this book to be absolutely electrifying.

If you couldn't care less about business, start-ups, or technology in any way, then you will most likely find this book to be mind-numbingly boring. But for the rest of us, there is simply nothing better. It's a great, enjoyable romp of a book that keeps you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.

The only value I see in this book is... actually, I see no value in this book at all.

I purchased this book for less than a dollar. However, it turns out that I was completely ripped off.

I feel so sorry and apologize to planet Earth for my increased carbon footprint due to buying and getting this book shipped to me.

This book is such a disappointment that I had to create a new shelf specifically to categorize it as garbage.

It's really a waste of both my money and the resources used in the production and shipping process.

I hope others can learn from my experience and avoid buying such worthless books in the future.

Maybe next time I should be more careful when choosing books to ensure that I'm getting something of real value.

Overall, this has been a very unsatisfactory experience with this particular book.

I purchased this item solely on the basis that it was penned by Michael Lewis. I had no inkling whatsoever about what it was all about. Well, guess what? I adored it. It was written to perfection.

The subject matter is Jim Clark (whom I can scarcely remember) and the internet boom of the late 1990s, which is closely intertwined with the Wall Street bubble that was created around it (and this I remember vividly). I particularly relished the details surrounding the sailboat venture. As the daughter of a sailor, I possess just enough knowledge to affirm that Jim Clark is a complete lunatic!!

This book not only provides an engaging account of a significant era in technology and finance but also delves into the idiosyncrasies of its central figure. It's a captivating read that keeps you hooked from start to finish. I would highly recommend it to anyone with an interest in these topics or simply a love for well-written non-fiction.