This recent release has a lot of history, some technical details, and mini-bios of a HUGE cast of characters. Taken from interviews with some of them, this is a prettier version of history.txt - and not exactly fun to read.

The author acknowledges this in the introduction, and other reviewers seem to have given him a pass on that, rating the book 4 of 5 stars. I can't help but rate it as a book, where it falls short. It's not a good history (though it contains a lot of historical information) and it's not a good technical book (too technical for a lot of the audience, probably not specific enough for the rest). Yes, the author recognized that in the intro as well, saying he tried to make it accessible. My feet are firmly planted in the tech industry, which is why I read it - but this is far from accessible to non-coders.

Why not 1 star? It does contain some great history and some wry observations of the team and the work. Could be a good source for another book surveying the industry or the market. Wouldn't recommend reading it cover to cover, though.