Marissa Mayer and the Fight to Save Yahoo!

By: Nicholas Carlson

Narrated by: Kiff VandenHeuvel

A page-turning narrative about Marissa Mayer's efforts to remake Yahoo as well as her own rise from Stanford University undergrad to CEO of a $30 billion corporation by the age of 38.

When Yahoo hired star Google executive Mayer to be its CEO in 2012 employees rejoiced. They put posters on the walls throughout Yahoo's California headquarters. On them there was Mayer's face and one word: HOPE. But one year later, Mayer sat in front of those same employees in a huge cafeteria on Yahoo's campus and took the beating of her life. Her hair wet and her tone defensive, Mayer read and answered a series of employee-posed questions challenging the basic elements of her plan. There was anger in the room and, behind it, a question: Was Mayer actually going to be able to do this thing?

Marissa Mayer and the Fight to Save Yahoo! is the inside story of how Yahoo got into such awful shape in the first place, Marissa Mayer's controversial rise at Google, and her desperate fight to save an Internet icon.

In August 2011 hedge fund billionaire Daniel Loeb took a long look at Yahoo and decided to go to war with its management and board of directors. Loeb then bought a 5% stake and began a shareholder activist campaign that would cost the jobs of three CEOs before he finally settled on Google's golden girl Mayer to unlock the value lurking in the company. As Mayer began to remake Yahoo from a content company to a tech company, an internal civil war erupted.

In author Nicholas Carlson's capable hands, this riveting book captures Mayer's rise and Yahoo's missteps as a dramatic illustration of what it takes to grab the brass ring in Silicon Valley. And it reveals whether it is possible for a big lumbering tech company to stay relevant in today's rapidly changing business landscape.

Best Business Book of 2015- A Must Read!

Best book I've read in years, I simply could not put it down! Carlson provides the inside scoop on Yahoo & their eight CEO's over the past 20 years to their latest CEO and rising tech star, Marissa Mayer.

Amazing story about the fall of a dot com giant

This story is enthralling. Not your typical "start from nothing and achieve unattainable success story" which I love.

A raw story about the rise and fall of Yahoo and the failed plight to try and save a once valuable company. Highly recommended for anyone who loves stories about tech companies.

Lots of lessons learned about what NOT to do.

Almost got me using Yahoo

Gives insight into the establishment and life history of Yahoo. Yahoo had seemed to lack direction for some time. Now I realize it is because of a lack of a clear vision. The story of tech may be the story of our generation.

Fascinating story

Very interesting and highly informative book on Yahoo and the internet business. Certainly no puff piece on yahoo and Marissa Mayer, which makes the book even more compelling. The narrator was excellent and held your attention by adding a level of suspense to this story.

A lot about Yahoo

The Good: In-depth reporting on the history of Yahoo, as well as good analysis of why the company is in the position it is. The author has clearly talked to hundreds of people to get all the facts he did. Also, excellent narration.

The Bad: People who expect a book about Marissa Mayer will be disappointed. It's a book about Yahoo, where Ms Mayer gets slightly more space than her predecessors. I didn't mind because Yahoo's history is fascinating, but others might.