78 ratings | 2 reviews | avg rating:4.47

Brendan Borrell’s Followers (22)

Brendan’s Bookshelves

to-read (15)
currently-reading (7)
read (79)
covid-19-vaccines (10)

Brendan’s Friends (15)

Josh

833 books | 78 friends

Julian

4 books | 1,131 friends

Donna Foster

2,395 books | 4,998 friends

Heather

100 books | 41 friends

Hilary Byrnes

1,358 books | 38 friends

Ben Goldfarb

348 books | 214 friends

Jill Adams

578 books | 161 friends

Ananyo Bhattacharya

5 books | 12 friends

More friends…

Brendan Borrell

Goodreads Author

Born

Houston, The United States

Website

https://powersoak.substack.com

Twitter

bborrell

Genre

Nonfiction, Science, Business

Influences

Jon Krakauer, Michael Lewis, Charles Portis, David Grann, Richard Pres ...more

Member Since

August 2021

edit data

Brendan Borrell is an award-winning journalist and the author of The First Shots: The Epic Rivalries and the Heroic Science Behind the Race to the Coronavirus Vaccine, which tells the inside story of Operation Warp Speed.

Over the last fifteen years, Brendan's essays and reporting have appeared in dozens of magazines and newspapers, including The Atlantic, Bloomberg Businessweek, National Geographic, and the New York Times. He has tracked down the Canadian maple syrup thieves, penetrated the secretive world of British mole catchers, and come face-to-face with the most powerful man in parrot-collecting. As a correspondent for Outside magazine, he searched for a whimsical French adventurer who went missing in Alaska and participated in a survi ...more

Learn more
Ask the Author

To ask Brendan Borrell questions, please sign up.

Combine Editions
Brendan Borrell’s books

Average rating: 4.03 · 363 ratings · 56 reviews · 6 distinct works • Similar authors

	The First Shots: The Epic Rivalries and Heroic Science Behind the Race to the Coronavirus Vaccine 3.96 avg rating — 293 ratings — published 2021 — 14 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Power Soak: Invention, Obsession, and the Pursuit of the Perfect Sound 4.39 avg rating — 67 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Environment: Science, Issues, Solutions by Manuel C. Molles Jr., Brendan Borrell (Goodreads Author) 3.25 avg rating — 4 ratings — published 2004 — 9 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Loose-leaf Version for Environment: Science, Issues, Solutions & LaunchPad for Environment: Science, Issues, Solutions by Manuel C. Molles Jr., Brendan Borrell (Goodreads Author) 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	LaunchPad for Environment: Science, Issues, Solutions (1-Term Access) by Manuel C. Molles Jr., Brendan Borrell (Goodreads Author) 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Environment: Science, Issues, Solutions & LaunchPad for Environment: Science, Issues, Solutions by Manuel Molles, Brendan Borrell (Goodreads Author) 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Brendan Borrell…

39 posts
Brendan Borrell's Blog: Power Soak

The First Rockman

In the early 1980s, Tom Scholz was trying to package the growl of his guitar into a box the size of “a peanut butter sandwich,” as he later put it. Scholz, who had trained as a mechanical engineer at MIT, had been building his own gear for years, including the Power Soak, but this was a whole other level of complexity.

To pull it off, he brought in Neil Miller, an electrical engineer. The resu

Brendan is Currently Reading

Brendan Borrell is currently reading

Hell's Angels

by Hunter S. Thompson

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Sep 21, 2023 06:19PM

Brendan Borrell is currently reading

Masters of the Lost Land: The Untold Story of the Amazon and the Violent Fight for the World's Last Frontier

by Heriberto Araújo

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Jul 27, 2023 05:41PM

Brendan Borrell is currently reading

The Crossing (The Border Trilogy, #2)

by Cormac McCarthy

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Jan 16, 2023 08:11PM

rss
Brendan’s Recent Updates

Brendan Borrell has read The Soul of a New Machine by Tracy Kidder	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
22 hours, 29 min ago · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Soul of a New Machine by Tracy Kidder. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Soul of a New Machine by Tracy Kidder <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Brendan Borrell and 4 other people liked Matthew Medeiros's review of Power Soak: Invention, Obsession, and the Pursuit of the Perfect Sound: "I was able to read an advance copy of this book and I really enjoyed it. While I can't say I'm a big fan of Boston the band, this book offers an incredible view into the way the music industry functioned behind the scenes during the album era of Amer" Read more of this review »
Jan 19, 2026 08:47AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Power Soak by Brendan Borrell. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Power Soak by Brendan Borrell <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Brendan Borrell liked JoAnna Rollings's review of Power Soak: Invention, Obsession, and the Pursuit of the Perfect Sound: "Audiophile or Wooden ear listen up! Power Soak: Invention, Obsession, and the Pursuit of the Perfect Sound brings the reader into a fascinating investigative inquiry straight from the vault of the 1970s. The writing has the same genius as the BOSTON " Read more of this review »
Jan 19, 2026 08:46AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Power Soak by Brendan Borrell. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Power Soak by Brendan Borrell <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Brendan Borrell liked Jeff Rougvie's review of Power Soak: Invention, Obsession, and the Pursuit of the Perfect Sound: "Brilliant, lively, tight account of Tom Scholz’ struggles & triumphs Fascinating story brought to life with impeccable attention to detail and a sense of empathy for all parties, no matter how duplicitous some of them may have been. Thoroughly enjoyab" Read more of this review »
Jan 19, 2026 08:46AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Power Soak by Brendan Borrell. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Power Soak by Brendan Borrell <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Brendan Borrell has read Power Soak: Invention, Obsession, and the Pursuit of the Perfect Sound by Brendan Borrell (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Dec 27, 2025 09:27AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Power Soak by Brendan Borrell. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Power Soak by Brendan Borrell <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Brendan Borrell rated a book it was amazing The Discomfort Zone: A Personal History by Jonathan Franzen	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 09, 2025 06:53AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Discomfort Zone by Jonathan Franzen. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Discomfort Zone by Jonathan Franzen <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Brendan Borrell rated a book liked it Thrive: The Vegan Nutrition Guide to Optimal Performance in Sports and Life by Brendan Brazier (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 09, 2025 06:53AM · like
Brendan Borrell has read Thrive: The Vegan Nutrition Guide to Optimal Performance in Sports and Life by Brendan Brazier (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 09, 2025 06:52AM · like
Brendan Borrell rated a book it was amazing Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 09, 2025 06:42AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Brendan Borrell rated a book really liked it Child of God (Vintage International) by Cormac McCarthy	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 09, 2025 06:41AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Child of God by Cormac McCarthy. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Child of God by Cormac McCarthy <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

More of Brendan's books…

Quotes by Brendan Borrell (?)

“Without in any way limiting the author’s and publisher’s exclusive rights under copyright”
― Brendan Borrell, Power Soak: Invention, Obsession, and the Pursuit of the Perfect Sound

0 likes

“This new contract committed Boston to produce eight albums for CBS over the next five years, while those earlier papers in Scholz’s desk gave Ahern a cut of every dollar those albums would earn.”
― Brendan Borrell, Power Soak: Invention, Obsession, and the Pursuit of the Perfect Sound

0 likes