Title: Unbelievably inaccurate, sloppy reporting
Product review: As someone who actually worked at Napster, I think I am in a position to say that this book is way off. I won't take issue with Menn's choice of whom to champion and whom to vilify in the Napster crew; however the reams of factual errors betray his inability to reach a wide number of inside sources and his complete ignorance of the music industry. Let's just say that he refers to a very senior female head of a record label as "he", and has his dates and players completely wrong with regards to the Bertelsmann investment in Napster - a very important chapter in the company's history. Menn also fails to examine in detail the actual demise and eventual bankruptcy of the company, preferring instead to dwell on the "wacky hijinks" of a bunch of young programmers. THAT story is nothing new. It happened at every startup. I found this book badly written and way off the mark.
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