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Brian Blum's deeply researched account is like playing a car-wreck video in slow motion: You can watch every stroke of bad luck, bad timing, and bad blood reduce a once-thrilling idea to dust. -- David Pogue, Yahoo Finance, former New York Times tech columnistBrian Blum's got the wheel, and you get to ride shotgun. And you'd better hang on: this fast-paced, action-packed journey presents a side of the startup world that few ever get to see--much less survive. Blum's breezy style, muscular prose and impeccable research are a rare combination for any business book, but his eye for detail, character development and story are nothing short of genre bending. -- Gina Smith, author of iWoz: Computer Geek to Cult Icon and former ABC News tech correspondentTOTALED tells an amazing true story that reads like fiction. Shai Agassi is an endlessly fascinating, larger-than-life figure, and Brian Blum's TOTALED ferrets out every colorful detail. In the process, the book gives us vivid living history from the early days of today's electric vehicle revolution. -- Jim Motavalli, author of High Voltage and Forward Drive, columnist for Car Talk at NPR and longtime contributor to The New York TimesBrian Blum's TOTALED is a treasury of lessons for entrepreneurs, managers, and board members alike. Required reading for ambitious innovators everywhere. -- Dr. Ron Adner, author of The Wide Lens: What Successful Innovators See that Others MissThe mystery of what really crashed electric car startup Better Place is finally unraveled. It's an account as fascinating as those that unfolded simultaneously at Fisker, Tesla and even GM. No one said getting into the 21st century would be a no-brainer--and with stories like this one, it's easy to see why it's already been such an epic ride. -- Chris Paine, director of Who Killed the Electric Car and Revenge of the Electric CarEloquent, sharp, insightful and entertaining, Brian Blum's autopsy of a lavishly financed venture's collapse is a must-read for inventors, investors, economists and anyone curious about the Israeli start-up scene's culture of adventure, inspiration and risk. -- Amotz Asa-El, commentator, Dow Jones MarketWatchThere are deep lessons to be learned from this consummate insider who writes more like an author of detective thrillers than business books. -- Jon Medved, venture capitalist and CEO, OurCrowdBrian Blum tells a story of unfettered ambition, unchecked hubris, bad luck and worse timing with the skill and dexterity of a professional driver on a rainy course. TOTALED takes us on the wild ride that is the spectacular rise and fall of the most audacious startup of the last decade. -- Chris Shipley, executive producer, DEMO conferenceBrian Blum documents this remarkable meltdown from transformative beginning to sputtering end. Without his voice, the Better Place story might have remained untold. TOTALED is a riveting narrative that had me glued to each page -- Karin Kloosterman, founder, Green ProphetUsing his deep reporting and research skills, Brian Blum brilliantly chronicles the fascinating story of this pioneering company. He makes us understand how difficult disruption is. If you love cars and are interested in change, you will be captivated reading this book. -- Sandy Schwartz, president, Cox AutomotiveBetter Place CEO Shai Agassi is as compelling an antihero as found in any technology thriller. The book's as-it-happens narrative makes for riveting reading. -- Barry Silverstein, Foreword Reviews

Brian Blum's deeply researched account is like playing a car-wreck video in slow motion: You can watch every stroke of bad luck, bad timing, and bad blood reduce a once-thrilling idea to dust. -- David Pogue, Yahoo Finance, former New York Times tech columnist Brian Blum's got the wheel, and you get to ride shotgun. And you'd better hang on: this fast-paced, action-packed journey presents a side of the startup world that few ever get to see--much less survive. Blum's breezy style, muscular prose and impeccable research are a rare combination for any business book, but his eye for detail, character development and story are nothing short of genre bending. -- Gina Smith, author of iWoz: Computer Geek to Cult Icon and former ABC News tech correspondent TOTALED tells an amazing true story that reads like fiction. Shai Agassi is an endlessly fascinating, larger-than-life figure, and Brian Blum's TOTALED ferrets out every colorful detail. In the process, the book gives us vivid living history from the early days of today's electric vehicle revolution. -- Jim Motavalli, author of High Voltage and Forward Drive, columnist for Car Talk at NPR and longtime contributor to The New York Times Brian Blum's TOTALED is a treasury of lessons for entrepreneurs, managers, and board members alike. Required reading for ambitious innovators everywhere. -- Dr. Ron Adner, author of The Wide Lens: What Successful Innovators See that Others Miss The mystery of what really crashed electric car startup Better Place is finally unraveled. It's an account as fascinating as those that unfolded simultaneously at Fisker, Tesla and even GM. No one said getting into the 21st century would be a no-brainer--and with stories like this one, it's easy to see why it's already been such an epic ride. -- Chris Paine, director of Who Killed the Electric Car and Revenge of the Electric Car Eloquent, sharp, insightful and entertaining, Brian Blum's autopsy of a lavishly financed venture's collapse is a must-read for inventors, investors, economists and anyone curious about the Israeli start-up scene's culture of adventure, inspiration and risk. -- Amotz Asa-El, commentator, Dow Jones MarketWatch There are deep lessons to be learned from this consummate insider who writes more like an author of detective thrillers than business books. -- Jon Medved, venture capitalist and CEO, OurCrowd Brian Blum tells a story of unfettered ambition, unchecked hubris, bad luck and worse timing with the skill and dexterity of a professional driver on a rainy course. TOTALED takes us on the wild ride that is the spectacular rise and fall of the most audacious startup of the last decade. -- Chris Shipley, executive producer, DEMO conference Brian Blum documents this remarkable meltdown from transformative beginning to sputtering end. Without his voice, the Better Place story might have remained untold. TOTALED is a riveting narrative that had me glued to each page -- Karin Kloosterman, founder, Green Prophet Using his deep reporting and research skills, Brian Blum brilliantly chronicles the fascinating story of this pioneering company. He makes us understand how difficult disruption is. If you love cars and are interested in change, you will be captivated reading this book. -- Sandy Schwartz, president, Cox Automotive Better Place CEO Shai Agassi is as compelling an antihero as found in any technology thriller. The book's as-it-happens narrative makes for riveting reading. -- Barry Silverstein, Foreword Reviews

Author Information

Business and technology journalist Brian Blum (www.brianblum.com) has covered all sides of the high-tech revolution. His articles about companies --- and the people, behavior and sometimes astonishing events that are behind them --- have appeared in The Jerusalem Post, Haaretz and Israel21c. He is a senior analyst for the Advanced Interactive Media Group and its Classified Intelligence Report. Blum's own Internet publishing startup Neta4 raised $3.2 million, in 1998. He served as entrepreneur-in-residence for Jerusalem Global Ventures and was a vice president of marketing for telecommunications provider Comverse. Blum has spoken at conferences and universities worldwide and was international president of the IICS multimedia professional association. He holds a B.A. in Creative Writing from Oberlin College and a master's in Instructional Technology from San Jose State University. His first book, Interactive Media: Essentials for Success, was published by Ziff-Davis Press. Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, Blum lives in Jerusalem with his wife and three children.

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