My rating: 4 out of 5
I read business books and blogs, so was keen to read this one – to see what hurdles the three Airbnb founders encountered, how their product revolutionised the travel industry, and what impact their product has had on individuals and communities. Leigh Gallagher’s The Airbnb Story does address bits of the first two but it’s very much a company manual, even the criticism is framed positively. The three founders are impressive individuals and have taken huge steps to learn the necessary skills to promote and scale their business, this part of the book was well done and interesting, but their technology is causing huge upsets in communities already struggling with a lack of affordable housing and tourist invasions. Instead of having a balanced view on this and appreciating that those people being impacted do have rights too, Leigh pretty much says times-are-a-changin, so get onboard and stop your whinging.
Bits did drag, especially when listing the various hosts and what they do or did, but those sections are easily skimmable. On the whole, an interesting read.
Book supplied by Netgalley for an honest review.
See Goodreads review.