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No Better Time: The Brief, Remarkable Life of Danny Lewin, the Genius Who Transformed the Internet
No Better Time tells of a young, driven mathematical genius who wrote a set of algorithms that would create a faster, better Internet. It's the story of a beautiful friendship between a loud, irreverent student and his soft-spoken MIT professor, of a husband and father who spent years struggling to make ends meet only to become a billionaire almost overnight with the success of Akamai Technologies, the Internet content delivery network he cofounded with his mentor.
Danny Lewin's brilliant but brief life is largely unknown because, until now, those closest to him have guarded their memories and quietly mourned their loss. For Lewin was almost certainly the first victim of 9/11, stabbed to death at age 31 while trying to overpower the terrorists who would eventually fly American Flight 11 into the World Trade Center. But ironically it was 9/11 that proved the ultimate test for Lewin's vision—while phone communication failed and web traffic surged as never before, the critical news and government sites that relied on Akamai -- and the technology pioneered by Danny Lewin -- remained up and running.
Danny Lewin's brilliant but brief life is largely unknown because, until now, those closest to him have guarded their memories and quietly mourned their loss. For Lewin was almost certainly the first victim of 9/11, stabbed to death at age 31 while trying to overpower the terrorists who would eventually fly American Flight 11 into the World Trade Center. But ironically it was 9/11 that proved the ultimate test for Lewin's vision—while phone communication failed and web traffic surged as never before, the critical news and government sites that relied on Akamai -- and the technology pioneered by Danny Lewin -- remained up and running.
264 pages, Hardcover
First published August 27, 2013
31 people are currently reading
792 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
November 10, 2013
Yesterday I read No Better Time: The Brief, Remarkable Life of Danny Lewin, the Genius Who Transformed the Internet. It was awesome and I recommend it for any entrepreneur out there either working on a company or thinking about starting a company.
If you don’t recognize the name Danny Lewin there are two big things to know before you dive into this book. First, he was the co-founder of Akamai Technologies (NASDAQ: AKAM – currently valued at $8 billion.) Second, he was likely the very first person to die in the 9/11 attack.
There are lots of other interesting and unexpected things to know about Danny before you start the book. He was born in Denver. His parents made aliyah to Israel when he was a young teenager. He was built like a tank and was a member of Israel’s Sayeret Matkal. He longed to be at MIT.
Akamai’s original name was Cachet Technologies. They entered, but didn’t win, the MIT $50K competition in 2008. As a judge for the MIT $50k until 2006, there were always a lot of VCs hanging around. In this case, however, the only VC who truly had conviction to get behind Akamai was Todd Dagres – then of Battery Ventures, now of Spark Capital.
Akamai was an amazing pre-Internet bubble story. From nothing to IPO in less than 18 months, a market cap of > $20 billion, followed by a 99% decline in the stock price post-bubble. Over the last decade, however, they’ve demonstrated that they have a real business, now valued at $8 billion with Q313 revenue of $396m, Q313 GAAP Net Income of $80m, and cash flow from operations in Q313 of +$158m. Not bad for a company that was written off completely a decade ago.
This is the story of the creation of that company. And the people behind the creation, mostly notably Lewin. The author, Molly Knight Raskin, writes beautifully, deeply, and thoughtfully. She combines an origin story (for Akamai), a coming of age story (for Lewin), and a tragedy (for Lewin, his family, his extended family, and Akamai.) While the tragic ending, which comes much to early, is the end of the book, it’s short (less than 10% of the book), appropriate in its level of drama, and helps us process the amazing life that Lewin lived.
I’m tired of the classic boom bust popular media story arc of “hero emerges from nothing, the hero does amazing things, bad things happen and the hero crashes, watch how the hero is no longer a hero, the hero fights and claws his way out of the cellar and rises again to be a hero.” This is not one of those books. Instead, it’s a great biography of an entrepreneur, his company, and his all too short life.
If you don’t recognize the name Danny Lewin there are two big things to know before you dive into this book. First, he was the co-founder of Akamai Technologies (NASDAQ: AKAM – currently valued at $8 billion.) Second, he was likely the very first person to die in the 9/11 attack.
There are lots of other interesting and unexpected things to know about Danny before you start the book. He was born in Denver. His parents made aliyah to Israel when he was a young teenager. He was built like a tank and was a member of Israel’s Sayeret Matkal. He longed to be at MIT.
Akamai’s original name was Cachet Technologies. They entered, but didn’t win, the MIT $50K competition in 2008. As a judge for the MIT $50k until 2006, there were always a lot of VCs hanging around. In this case, however, the only VC who truly had conviction to get behind Akamai was Todd Dagres – then of Battery Ventures, now of Spark Capital.
Akamai was an amazing pre-Internet bubble story. From nothing to IPO in less than 18 months, a market cap of > $20 billion, followed by a 99% decline in the stock price post-bubble. Over the last decade, however, they’ve demonstrated that they have a real business, now valued at $8 billion with Q313 revenue of $396m, Q313 GAAP Net Income of $80m, and cash flow from operations in Q313 of +$158m. Not bad for a company that was written off completely a decade ago.
This is the story of the creation of that company. And the people behind the creation, mostly notably Lewin. The author, Molly Knight Raskin, writes beautifully, deeply, and thoughtfully. She combines an origin story (for Akamai), a coming of age story (for Lewin), and a tragedy (for Lewin, his family, his extended family, and Akamai.) While the tragic ending, which comes much to early, is the end of the book, it’s short (less than 10% of the book), appropriate in its level of drama, and helps us process the amazing life that Lewin lived.
I’m tired of the classic boom bust popular media story arc of “hero emerges from nothing, the hero does amazing things, bad things happen and the hero crashes, watch how the hero is no longer a hero, the hero fights and claws his way out of the cellar and rises again to be a hero.” This is not one of those books. Instead, it’s a great biography of an entrepreneur, his company, and his all too short life.
July 11, 2014
Danny Lewis is not a household name but it should be. This is a man of genius who transformed the Internet and Molly Knight RASKIN's exceptional account should ensure his achievements will never be forgotten.
Born in America, he spent his formative years in Israel. He joined the army after graduation and went for the most elite of the Voluntary Units, the SAYARET MAKTAL. It had also the toughest training, rivalling that of the US Navy Seals and the British SAS. He pushed himself way beyond all that was required.
Danny was multi-talented with exceptional intelligence as well as physical prowess.
He left the army to continue his studies at the Technion and came across Professor Tom Leighton's textbook on parallel algorithms, which so inspired him he returned to the US determined to meet him. Danny was young, fiery, impulsive, energetic. Tom was a true gentleman, calm, soft spoken and 10 years older, but they were like minded in their belief that complexity and slowness were the problems of the Internet and they could be solved using algorithms.
Having grown up in an era where adding machines and telephones were the technology of the day, and having no idea what an algorithm was, I had doubts about my own ability to understand the complexity of the work being undertaken by these remarkable men. However, the author has a real talent for making the complex comprehensible and I was always aware of the the objectives and their plans for overcoming the problems.
AMAKAI Technologies was founded and algorithms were its powerhouse. They built a global infrastructure and bought and programmed all the servers. Their organisation became enormous in the days of the dot-com boom. Investors were not hard to find on the back of the progress being made by Akamai which enabled ISPs to host content at thousands of locations worldwide at the flip of a switch.
Levin perished on 9/11 having been stabbed to death before the crash of the first aircraft to hit The World Trade Centre. Molly Knight Raskin has brought his genius back to life
Born in America, he spent his formative years in Israel. He joined the army after graduation and went for the most elite of the Voluntary Units, the SAYARET MAKTAL. It had also the toughest training, rivalling that of the US Navy Seals and the British SAS. He pushed himself way beyond all that was required.
Danny was multi-talented with exceptional intelligence as well as physical prowess.
He left the army to continue his studies at the Technion and came across Professor Tom Leighton's textbook on parallel algorithms, which so inspired him he returned to the US determined to meet him. Danny was young, fiery, impulsive, energetic. Tom was a true gentleman, calm, soft spoken and 10 years older, but they were like minded in their belief that complexity and slowness were the problems of the Internet and they could be solved using algorithms.
Having grown up in an era where adding machines and telephones were the technology of the day, and having no idea what an algorithm was, I had doubts about my own ability to understand the complexity of the work being undertaken by these remarkable men. However, the author has a real talent for making the complex comprehensible and I was always aware of the the objectives and their plans for overcoming the problems.
AMAKAI Technologies was founded and algorithms were its powerhouse. They built a global infrastructure and bought and programmed all the servers. Their organisation became enormous in the days of the dot-com boom. Investors were not hard to find on the back of the progress being made by Akamai which enabled ISPs to host content at thousands of locations worldwide at the flip of a switch.
Levin perished on 9/11 having been stabbed to death before the crash of the first aircraft to hit The World Trade Centre. Molly Knight Raskin has brought his genius back to life
May 27, 2016
Danny Lewin was a bodybuilder, a former Israeli commando, and received his Ph.D. in mathematics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Lewin founded the Akamai Technologies Company after graduation from MIT. A very simple explanation of Lewin’s work is to say he developed a new way of routing network traffic that allows the major websites to deliver more content faster. This allows millions to read the same news story or watch the same internet video simultaneously. The proof of his success occurred on September 11, 2001 when Akamai customers such as CNNs internet site coped with the demand for news.
The tragedy is that Lewin was on one of the hijacked commercial airliner, American flight 11, the first to crash into the World Trade Center. Lewin was in seat 9B surrounded by the hijackers. Apparently he realized the plane was being hijacked and tried to stop one of the men, unaware he was surrounded by hijackers. He was the first to die that day when they slit his throat.
This is a great story about a brilliant man. I only wish the book had been written with more details and information. I want to know more about his family; his life in Israel. And more detailed information about how a fourteen years old American teenage adapted to life in Israel and difficulties learning a new language. As a scientist, I want more detailed information about Lewin’s work. Raskin is a documentary film producer and she wrote the story in that brisk style. I would have preferred to have more in-depth information about all aspects of the story instead of the quick highlights that is the style of a documentary film. To me the story comes across as flat and abrupt. I may be influenced by my preference for books over films; maybe another person would view the book differently. This book only wet my appetite but left me hungry for more information. I do hope that in the future a biographer will write the life story of this interesting man. Christine Marshall did a good job narrating the story.
The tragedy is that Lewin was on one of the hijacked commercial airliner, American flight 11, the first to crash into the World Trade Center. Lewin was in seat 9B surrounded by the hijackers. Apparently he realized the plane was being hijacked and tried to stop one of the men, unaware he was surrounded by hijackers. He was the first to die that day when they slit his throat.
This is a great story about a brilliant man. I only wish the book had been written with more details and information. I want to know more about his family; his life in Israel. And more detailed information about how a fourteen years old American teenage adapted to life in Israel and difficulties learning a new language. As a scientist, I want more detailed information about Lewin’s work. Raskin is a documentary film producer and she wrote the story in that brisk style. I would have preferred to have more in-depth information about all aspects of the story instead of the quick highlights that is the style of a documentary film. To me the story comes across as flat and abrupt. I may be influenced by my preference for books over films; maybe another person would view the book differently. This book only wet my appetite but left me hungry for more information. I do hope that in the future a biographer will write the life story of this interesting man. Christine Marshall did a good job narrating the story.
October 3, 2013
As an Akamai employee I knew some of this story well. Having never met Danny personally good legacy lives in to the point that I always felt like I knew him anyway. This is a must read for anyone who is working or worked at Akamai. Overall it's a great story about a man who changed the internet and most people don't even know who he is.
November 8, 2020
A page-turner, that will increase your heartbeat every flip. MUST-READ.
I heard about Akamai Technologies 13 yrs ago when I started my mobile games business & became their early Indian customers. I finally understood their magic AFTER this book!
Later Akamai was mentioned in the insider trading case of Rajaratnam / Rajat Gupta.
A real-life, super inspiring, tragic book that captures the INCREDIBLE life of Danny Lewin who 'saved' the Internet from crashing (hint: caching.) It's tragic 'coz Danny died in the 9/11 attack while saving the plane from being hijacked.
Read to learn:
- How startups flourished in the early Internet & the huge roller coaster ride they 'endured'.
- The POWER of academics meeting business. Danny & his prof Leighton collaborated to change the Internet forever. YES what you learn in books CAN be used!
- The STORIES of how startups really work (A car tool kit was used to repair servers :)
- The PAIN, struggle and TIME required to MAKE it. It's NEVER a one-way street. From $327 to 0.9 cents, Akamai's share price has seen it all!
I heard about Akamai Technologies 13 yrs ago when I started my mobile games business & became their early Indian customers. I finally understood their magic AFTER this book!
Later Akamai was mentioned in the insider trading case of Rajaratnam / Rajat Gupta.
A real-life, super inspiring, tragic book that captures the INCREDIBLE life of Danny Lewin who 'saved' the Internet from crashing (hint: caching.) It's tragic 'coz Danny died in the 9/11 attack while saving the plane from being hijacked.
Read to learn:
- How startups flourished in the early Internet & the huge roller coaster ride they 'endured'.
- The POWER of academics meeting business. Danny & his prof Leighton collaborated to change the Internet forever. YES what you learn in books CAN be used!
- The STORIES of how startups really work (A car tool kit was used to repair servers :)
- The PAIN, struggle and TIME required to MAKE it. It's NEVER a one-way street. From $327 to 0.9 cents, Akamai's share price has seen it all!
January 9, 2017
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Actually couldn't put it down, a rarity for non-fiction.
February 4, 2014
From my book review blog at:
http://kickinbooks.wordpress.com/2014...
Via NetGalley, I received a copy of this galley from Perseus Books Group / Da Capo Press. While I received it at no cost to myself, I am under no obligation to give a positive review.
That said, I loved loved loved this book.
I imagine that most people outside of computer geekdom are probably not familiar with Danny Lewin or Akamai Technologies. But if you enjoy quick-loading websites with video streaming that doesn’t constantly lag, or if you are able to hit CNN and get regular updates when a huge breaking story hits, then you have Lewin to thank.
The story starts with Lewin as a gifted teenager, raised in a Jewish family. While he is in high school, Lewin’s family moves to Israel, where Lewin finishes his secondary education. Following high school, he tries out and qualifies for the most elite group in the Israeli special forces. The experiences he gains serves him well throughout his life, especially in the tenacity, determination and endurance necessary to excel.
Eventually Lewin takes a leave from the military to follow his educational dream: a post-graduate stint at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. There Lewin finds an advisor and mentor in Tom Leighton, one of his instructors at MIT. Lewin is quickly identified as someone who has a lot of potential and ability, and people begin expecting great things from Lewin.
The roots of Akamai Technologies began when Lewin wanted to enter a contest at MIT for startup business ideas, primarily because he and his family desperately needed the cash prize to survive. Lewin’s concept was to tackle a huge issue on the Internet at that time: speed of delivery for content. When something became suddenly popular or breaking news hit the web, servers often buckled and crashed under the load. Lewin’s idea was simple in concept: devise a set of algorithms to distribute the load to cached copies of popular websites located on servers spread out over the country and, eventually, the world.
There begins the majority of the story, talking about how Akamai came to be, their meteoric rise and eventual leveling out with the dot.com crash on NASDAQ.
The book also covers Lewin’s eventual death, likely as the first victim of 9/11. Based on reports from flight attendants during the initial part of the hijacking of the first plane, Lewin was killed trying to stop one of the hijackers.
Which of course, leads to one of the big questions in the book: Can Akamai handle the huge media crush during and following 9/11, especially when they are still coming to grips with the loss of one of their founders?
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was even more enjoyable because I’m not only a math geek, I’ve been involved in computers since I was nine (more than 35 years). But even if that wasn’t the case, it was still a great story about a young man who who driven from his teenage years to make a difference, which he certainly did in his 31 years.
Rating: 5 stars (out of 5)
http://kickinbooks.wordpress.com/2014...
Via NetGalley, I received a copy of this galley from Perseus Books Group / Da Capo Press. While I received it at no cost to myself, I am under no obligation to give a positive review.
That said, I loved loved loved this book.
I imagine that most people outside of computer geekdom are probably not familiar with Danny Lewin or Akamai Technologies. But if you enjoy quick-loading websites with video streaming that doesn’t constantly lag, or if you are able to hit CNN and get regular updates when a huge breaking story hits, then you have Lewin to thank.
The story starts with Lewin as a gifted teenager, raised in a Jewish family. While he is in high school, Lewin’s family moves to Israel, where Lewin finishes his secondary education. Following high school, he tries out and qualifies for the most elite group in the Israeli special forces. The experiences he gains serves him well throughout his life, especially in the tenacity, determination and endurance necessary to excel.
Eventually Lewin takes a leave from the military to follow his educational dream: a post-graduate stint at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. There Lewin finds an advisor and mentor in Tom Leighton, one of his instructors at MIT. Lewin is quickly identified as someone who has a lot of potential and ability, and people begin expecting great things from Lewin.
The roots of Akamai Technologies began when Lewin wanted to enter a contest at MIT for startup business ideas, primarily because he and his family desperately needed the cash prize to survive. Lewin’s concept was to tackle a huge issue on the Internet at that time: speed of delivery for content. When something became suddenly popular or breaking news hit the web, servers often buckled and crashed under the load. Lewin’s idea was simple in concept: devise a set of algorithms to distribute the load to cached copies of popular websites located on servers spread out over the country and, eventually, the world.
There begins the majority of the story, talking about how Akamai came to be, their meteoric rise and eventual leveling out with the dot.com crash on NASDAQ.
The book also covers Lewin’s eventual death, likely as the first victim of 9/11. Based on reports from flight attendants during the initial part of the hijacking of the first plane, Lewin was killed trying to stop one of the hijackers.
Which of course, leads to one of the big questions in the book: Can Akamai handle the huge media crush during and following 9/11, especially when they are still coming to grips with the loss of one of their founders?
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was even more enjoyable because I’m not only a math geek, I’ve been involved in computers since I was nine (more than 35 years). But even if that wasn’t the case, it was still a great story about a young man who who driven from his teenage years to make a difference, which he certainly did in his 31 years.
Rating: 5 stars (out of 5)
December 6, 2013
I finished reading this book a month ago and have been struggling with the words to express how I feel. This is a magnificent memorial to an exceptional person, a young man who excelled at everything he tried, who led with strength, courage and a stunning mental acuity. From a young age he seemed destined for something more than just an average life, and he exceeded expectations.
When his parents, both of whom worked in the medical field, decided to leave their home in Colorado and take Danny Lewin and his two brothers "Home" to Israel, he was not an excited eighth grader. Back in the States he fit in, was popular, excelled in most everything, but in Israel with his limited vocabulary and coarse American accent, he was an outsider. So he went to the gym and focused on working his body into peak shape which was excellent preparation for joining the military after high school. But he didn't just enlist, he decided to join the Sayeret Matkal, the most elite of the Israeli Special Forces. And the most demanding. And he excelled there, becoming in a very short time a legend among these hardened commandos.
When he decided to leave the military and was asked about his plans, he said he would go to the Israel Institute of Technology. And he did. And he excelled there as well.
But he wanted to go to an American school, so he took the SATs and did good enough (near perfect in English and perfect in Math) to be accepted to MIT. And it was there that he met Professor Tom Leighton and the World Wide Wait. Leighton was destined to be his teacher, his mentor, business partner and friend. But is was Danny Lewin's brilliant mind which solved one of computing's biggest problems at the time and lead the pair into a vast share of the internet billions. They devised an algorithm which unclogged the traffic jam of the internet, brought surfing times down to almost nothing and, ironically enough, stopped all major news sources and servers from crashing on September 11, 2001.
Ironic in that Danny Lewin died that infamous day. He was aboard Flight 11, the first plane and, given his commando background and his inability NOT to do, even the 9/11 Comissionacknowledged that Danny Lewin "may have tried to stop the attacks", something which those who knew him were certain of and would thereby have made him the first victim on that day.
This is a touching story of his life mostly concentrating on his work at MIT, his family, his friends, the company he founded and the positive aspects of a short but full life. The book is so much more than I have described here, sometimes reading more like a thriller than a biography, but just as exciting.
I never met the man although even as I write this I know his legacy will help propel these words anywhere in the world. Thank you Danny Lewin.
When his parents, both of whom worked in the medical field, decided to leave their home in Colorado and take Danny Lewin and his two brothers "Home" to Israel, he was not an excited eighth grader. Back in the States he fit in, was popular, excelled in most everything, but in Israel with his limited vocabulary and coarse American accent, he was an outsider. So he went to the gym and focused on working his body into peak shape which was excellent preparation for joining the military after high school. But he didn't just enlist, he decided to join the Sayeret Matkal, the most elite of the Israeli Special Forces. And the most demanding. And he excelled there, becoming in a very short time a legend among these hardened commandos.
When he decided to leave the military and was asked about his plans, he said he would go to the Israel Institute of Technology. And he did. And he excelled there as well.
But he wanted to go to an American school, so he took the SATs and did good enough (near perfect in English and perfect in Math) to be accepted to MIT. And it was there that he met Professor Tom Leighton and the World Wide Wait. Leighton was destined to be his teacher, his mentor, business partner and friend. But is was Danny Lewin's brilliant mind which solved one of computing's biggest problems at the time and lead the pair into a vast share of the internet billions. They devised an algorithm which unclogged the traffic jam of the internet, brought surfing times down to almost nothing and, ironically enough, stopped all major news sources and servers from crashing on September 11, 2001.
Ironic in that Danny Lewin died that infamous day. He was aboard Flight 11, the first plane and, given his commando background and his inability NOT to do, even the 9/11 Comissionacknowledged that Danny Lewin "may have tried to stop the attacks", something which those who knew him were certain of and would thereby have made him the first victim on that day.
This is a touching story of his life mostly concentrating on his work at MIT, his family, his friends, the company he founded and the positive aspects of a short but full life. The book is so much more than I have described here, sometimes reading more like a thriller than a biography, but just as exciting.
I never met the man although even as I write this I know his legacy will help propel these words anywhere in the world. Thank you Danny Lewin.
October 15, 2013
No Better Time is the perfect mix of human interest, business and biography. The story is remarkable in its coincidence and complexity. The fact that the protagonist develops an algorithm to solve the "world wide wait" and has his technology proven on 9/11, the same day he becomes the first victim of the attacks, makes for a story that is as ironic as it is compelling. The author, Ms. Raskin, deserves huge credit for presenting the exceedingly complex world of MIT, theoretical math and the technology behind the founding of Akamai in a way that is accessible and compelling. Raskin also paints a beautiful and fully formed portrait of Danny Lewin, as genius, entrepreneur, son, husband, father and friend. As a reader, you can practically see Danny bounding off the page with his infectious enthusiasm and he certainly comes across as someone you would like to have known. This is an amazing story told by a skilled writer and will not disappoint.
January 23, 2016
While Akamai is a Boston based company that came out of MIT, I didn't know much of their history. The story was interesting. It was surprising to hear the ups and downs and how many times Akamai almost didn't make it. It was also fascinating to hear how the company largely succeeded based on the will power of Danny Lewin. The book's ending is bittersweet with 9/11 both taking Akamai's soul (Lewin) and at the same time, providing the test that the Akamai business needed to be able to show the rest of the world how valuable they could be.
December 3, 2013
Fascinating and previously untold story of a genius, his life's work and how it all collided in a bittersweet way on 9/11. I can't wait for Molly's next story, whatever it is!
October 31, 2013
A tough technical start for an IT challenged reader...but a emotional, thoughtful finish. An amazing life and a remarkable legacy.
July 11, 2018
Before I picked up this book I had never heard of Danny Lewin. I doubt most people have.
As a former software guy who lived through the dot com boom, I found this book fascinating. The author has done a credible job of minimizing tech-speak while explaining how the Internet works in the process of telling Lewin's story. She wisely focuses his biography on two main areas: his larger than life enthusiasm and the company based on his math genius. Although important to the story, his prowess in Israeli special forces and his childhood move to Israel are both told in brief backstory.
The end of his story is revealed in the book jacket copy and introduction, so this is no spoiler: Danny was the first man to die at the hands of the hijackers September 11, 2001. The mathematical algorithms he developed, have kept the internet from crashing numerous times.
This biography, well researched and well written, drew me into Danny's story.
As a former software guy who lived through the dot com boom, I found this book fascinating. The author has done a credible job of minimizing tech-speak while explaining how the Internet works in the process of telling Lewin's story. She wisely focuses his biography on two main areas: his larger than life enthusiasm and the company based on his math genius. Although important to the story, his prowess in Israeli special forces and his childhood move to Israel are both told in brief backstory.
The end of his story is revealed in the book jacket copy and introduction, so this is no spoiler: Danny was the first man to die at the hands of the hijackers September 11, 2001. The mathematical algorithms he developed, have kept the internet from crashing numerous times.
This biography, well researched and well written, drew me into Danny's story.
October 27, 2017
Impressive to read the story of Danny Lewin. Apart from his story, this book contains the story of Akamai; the company of which Danny was one of the cofounders.
I could have not been more amazed by the extremes that Danny Lewin lived in. Being both in the most right and wrong time and place in history. The right time and place is being at MIT at the start of the internet bubble; this leading to the start of Akamai. The wrong time and place is being in American Airlines Flight 11 on 9/11. One of the planes that hit the WTC.
This gripping story is a very worthwile read in my opinion. It concentrates mainly on the Akamai story in Danny’s impressive and extreme life. The book mentions that Danny Lewin could have become prime minister of Israel in the end. An ambition he would have had. After raeding this book, I can say this person could indeed have been a candidate for that person.
I could have not been more amazed by the extremes that Danny Lewin lived in. Being both in the most right and wrong time and place in history. The right time and place is being at MIT at the start of the internet bubble; this leading to the start of Akamai. The wrong time and place is being in American Airlines Flight 11 on 9/11. One of the planes that hit the WTC.
This gripping story is a very worthwile read in my opinion. It concentrates mainly on the Akamai story in Danny’s impressive and extreme life. The book mentions that Danny Lewin could have become prime minister of Israel in the end. An ambition he would have had. After raeding this book, I can say this person could indeed have been a candidate for that person.
October 10, 2024
If you already have a vague idea about what or who Akamai is then you know exactly what to expect. Since it’s more of a biography or a recollection of events on how Akamai started and became the company it is, there is nothing exciting to look forward to. Obviously you will still be in awe of certain events in the book because they are impressive. It’s a straight forward read. It can be a bit boring at times and that’s not the author’s fault.
Since there is not exactly much to look forward to other than reading this to learn more about Akamai, it’s not a book I would go around recommending to people. This needs a certain niche to read. Those who understand servers, caching and how Akamai revolutionised the CDN game then this ones for you.
Since there is not exactly much to look forward to other than reading this to learn more about Akamai, it’s not a book I would go around recommending to people. This needs a certain niche to read. Those who understand servers, caching and how Akamai revolutionised the CDN game then this ones for you.
December 11, 2019
solid coverage of cdn technology, but not a particularly good account of the cdn space/industry, especially given that it was published in 2013 and skips most of what transpired between 2001 and 2013. of course, this is entirely reasonable since the book is first and foremost about co-founder danny lewin, who died on 9/11 after an accomplished, eventful life tragically cut short.
traces of the classic 9/11 new yorker piece, "the real heroes are dead"
lighter note: the notion of a company trying to "create a new internet" made this a bizarrely timely read given the end of hbo's silicon valley
traces of the classic 9/11 new yorker piece, "the real heroes are dead"
lighter note: the notion of a company trying to "create a new internet" made this a bizarrely timely read given the end of hbo's silicon valley
July 29, 2020
Danny Lewin has such an interesting story. Most people don't know his story, but if he was still alive today he'd be one of the big names that everybody knows. Fascinating book. The book tells Danny's life story and explains his research breakthroughs that helped create the internet as we know it today. 4.5/5
November 28, 2018
Good Read
Very interesting book. I had seen with wire shark the name Akamai and wondered what it was. Heard about Akamai and Danny Lewin and it was a recommended read. Glad I did.
Very interesting book. I had seen with wire shark the name Akamai and wondered what it was. Heard about Akamai and Danny Lewin and it was a recommended read. Glad I did.
February 19, 2020
I didn’t expect to like this book as much as I did, but it really draws you in. Working for a competitor of Akamai, I found it incredibly interesting how the space/technology began and developed. Great read.
July 9, 2024
Daniel Lewin is a true hero from 9/11 and had so much more to give to the world. As sad it is that he was taken from everyone far too soon, his impacts on the world/internet continue on. I highly recommend this book!
December 8, 2018
Enjoyed this book. A remarkable guy.
September 25, 2020
Wonderful book about a fascinating, brilliant man. Everyone should know this story and his role in 9/11.
September 27, 2022
The story of Danny Lewin, a remarkable man that served in the IDF and went on to build an internet company. He died an early death, quite possible on of the first casualties of 9/11.
December 17, 2024
Beautiful memorial to a remarkable person.
October 4, 2013
A True Titan of the Modern World
No Better Time tells a fascinating story about an extraordinary individual who was at the crux of three major historical events: The rise of the Internet, the rise and precipitous fall of the tech stock market, and the attack on September 11th. An American whose family had emigrated to Israel, Daniel Lewin had been trained in an elite unit of the Israeli Army before coming back to the US to study at MIT with Professor Thomas Leighton. He was a bit of a paradox: athletic and battle hardened, but also a math geek with an affinity for computer algorithms.
Those algorithms would prove crucial in speeding up the internet so it is able to handle the vast amounts of data coursing through it. As their fledgling company of MIT students and a professor began implementing those algorithms, Venture Capital entrepreneurs began to notice. This portion of the story is actually the most exciting as they work long hours building their company and get ready for the IPO. It is also amusing as the mathematicians are baffled by the process of setting the price, thinking there should be some mathematical formula to determine the value and price, when it is actually an irrational process of guessing. Irrational exuberance, it would seem, when the whole tech market starts to tank and drags their stock down with it.
But while the Tech Stock Market bubble bursts, the internet keeps growing at an incredible rate. Soon a tragic event will put the internet to the test: will it be able to handle the millions of people who turn to it for news on September 11, 2001? Ironically, just as the algorithms that Danny Lewin and his company developed are passing this ultimate test, the company is mourning the loss of Lewin who was on the plane that was hijacked and crashed into the Twin Towers. Because of his military training, those who knew him are certain that he was probably killed trying to prevent the tragedy. He was probably the first person to die in the attack. As his company deals with their loss by throwing themselves into making sure that their servers aren't crashing, it kind of casts a pall on the whole narrative. We get numbers and data stream metrics just when the story should be at its climax.
This is a big challenge in telling such a complex story, so I don't want to blame the author for the lull in the third act, like I'm some Hollywood Action film producer calling for more explosions and car chases. It was remarkably well done, when you consider the amount of information conveyed and put into context. An analogy to the amount of data speeding through the world wide web, perhaps?
I would have liked a little more math, when they described how Danny would 'wow' the crowds with his mesmerizing performance at the white board, just what was he saying? Could it be put into words so that the average math-challenged reader could understand some of the concepts the algorithms were predicated on?
Another problem for me was that Danny Lewin was such a larger-than-life heroic figure, yet between the lines you could see that he could also be an abrasive workaholic who drove himself and his employees so hard that many marriages were ending in divorce. His own marriage among them. Yet, the author did provide clues to the possibility of an alternative interpretation, so I guess it wasn't her fault, but just that at times Danny Lewin seemed too good to be true. But he was true.
Al Gore was pilloried for saying that "we invented the Internet" but in the summarized history of the Internet this book provides, it turns out that Al Gore did in fact play a role by funding a project that became the Internet. Daniel Lewin, this book makes clear, had perhaps an even bigger role in inventing the Internet as we know it today, by coming up with algorithms that made moving data through it fast enough so we could watch youtube videos of cats, Miley Cyrus, and Britney Spears. Daniel Lewin was--a word he liked to use--a titan. Danny was a true titan who had a profound impact on our modern world.
Coincidentally, I began reading this book on September 11th, 2013. What a loss it was that Daniel Lewin was most likely the first casualty of September 11th, 2001. He accomplished a lot in his short life, and one can only wonder how much more he would have accomplished had he lived.
No Better Time tells a fascinating story about an extraordinary individual who was at the crux of three major historical events: The rise of the Internet, the rise and precipitous fall of the tech stock market, and the attack on September 11th. An American whose family had emigrated to Israel, Daniel Lewin had been trained in an elite unit of the Israeli Army before coming back to the US to study at MIT with Professor Thomas Leighton. He was a bit of a paradox: athletic and battle hardened, but also a math geek with an affinity for computer algorithms.
Those algorithms would prove crucial in speeding up the internet so it is able to handle the vast amounts of data coursing through it. As their fledgling company of MIT students and a professor began implementing those algorithms, Venture Capital entrepreneurs began to notice. This portion of the story is actually the most exciting as they work long hours building their company and get ready for the IPO. It is also amusing as the mathematicians are baffled by the process of setting the price, thinking there should be some mathematical formula to determine the value and price, when it is actually an irrational process of guessing. Irrational exuberance, it would seem, when the whole tech market starts to tank and drags their stock down with it.
But while the Tech Stock Market bubble bursts, the internet keeps growing at an incredible rate. Soon a tragic event will put the internet to the test: will it be able to handle the millions of people who turn to it for news on September 11, 2001? Ironically, just as the algorithms that Danny Lewin and his company developed are passing this ultimate test, the company is mourning the loss of Lewin who was on the plane that was hijacked and crashed into the Twin Towers. Because of his military training, those who knew him are certain that he was probably killed trying to prevent the tragedy. He was probably the first person to die in the attack. As his company deals with their loss by throwing themselves into making sure that their servers aren't crashing, it kind of casts a pall on the whole narrative. We get numbers and data stream metrics just when the story should be at its climax.
This is a big challenge in telling such a complex story, so I don't want to blame the author for the lull in the third act, like I'm some Hollywood Action film producer calling for more explosions and car chases. It was remarkably well done, when you consider the amount of information conveyed and put into context. An analogy to the amount of data speeding through the world wide web, perhaps?
I would have liked a little more math, when they described how Danny would 'wow' the crowds with his mesmerizing performance at the white board, just what was he saying? Could it be put into words so that the average math-challenged reader could understand some of the concepts the algorithms were predicated on?
Another problem for me was that Danny Lewin was such a larger-than-life heroic figure, yet between the lines you could see that he could also be an abrasive workaholic who drove himself and his employees so hard that many marriages were ending in divorce. His own marriage among them. Yet, the author did provide clues to the possibility of an alternative interpretation, so I guess it wasn't her fault, but just that at times Danny Lewin seemed too good to be true. But he was true.
Al Gore was pilloried for saying that "we invented the Internet" but in the summarized history of the Internet this book provides, it turns out that Al Gore did in fact play a role by funding a project that became the Internet. Daniel Lewin, this book makes clear, had perhaps an even bigger role in inventing the Internet as we know it today, by coming up with algorithms that made moving data through it fast enough so we could watch youtube videos of cats, Miley Cyrus, and Britney Spears. Daniel Lewin was--a word he liked to use--a titan. Danny was a true titan who had a profound impact on our modern world.
Coincidentally, I began reading this book on September 11th, 2013. What a loss it was that Daniel Lewin was most likely the first casualty of September 11th, 2001. He accomplished a lot in his short life, and one can only wonder how much more he would have accomplished had he lived.
February 13, 2023
No Better Time is a biography, written by Molly Knight Raskin, of a math/tech genius named Danny Lewin who, as a graduate student at MIT, developed a computer algorithm that kept websites experiencing a high amount of traffic from crashing. He, along with one of his professors at MIT created a company called Akamai Technologies that made a ton of money in the "Dotcom" bubble of the mid-1990s and barely managed to survive the bust that occurred at the end of the 1990s and early 2000s. The company's technology helped transform the internet from its early dial-up modem days to what it is today.
Even if that was all he was known for Lewin's story would be impressive, but he was also unique in that he was born and grew up for a time in America, then moved to Isreal in the mid-1980s (against his will) and managed to flourish not only in school but becoming a member of the elite military unit (Isreal's version of special forces) that is usually reserved for people who were born and raised in Isreal. He also had the misfortune to have booked a trip from Boston to Los Angeles on September 11, 2001, onboard American Airlines flight 11 which, of course, was the first plane hijacked and the first to fly into the World Trade Center. It would also turn out that he was most certainly the first passenger killed on any of the airplanes but was very likely the first person overall to be killed on 9/11 as he tried to intervene to stop the hijacking.
The book does a good job of portraying the good and the bad of Lewin's personality and work ethic. It does not paint a completely rosy picture as it details how he was prone to outbursts of anger, was a workaholic who often put work above family, and had a management style that definitely chaffed some of the people he worked with. On the other hand, he never asked anyone to do something he was not willing to do himself, and his force of personality got the company contracts with entities like Yahoo, Apple, CNN, and more, when most of the time the people he was making pitches to had no idea what he was talking about.
The book is mostly focused on Lewin's life. Only one chapter at the very end of the book discusses the events of his death. In that chapter the author does not speculate as to what happened on the plane, just giving general details that resulted from the investigation which was based on what the flight attendants on flight 11 who managed to reach people on the ground were reporting.
The book is definitely more interesting the better you understand computers. The author admits that it is hard to understand and describe exactly what Lewin figured out and what Akamai as a company does. She does a fairly good job of putting a very complex subject into layman's terms and not focusing on the overly technical aspects. As I said above, this is not a detailed look at all into the 9/11 attacks, so if that is what you are after, this is not the book for you. Chances are, had he lived, Lewin may have been up there in the pantheon of tech giants like Steve Jobs or Bill Gates because what he did for the internet was certainly worthy of that company. While the book can be a bit dry and will not appeal to everyone, I think it is an interesting read and if you are a fan of biographies this is worth checking out.
Even if that was all he was known for Lewin's story would be impressive, but he was also unique in that he was born and grew up for a time in America, then moved to Isreal in the mid-1980s (against his will) and managed to flourish not only in school but becoming a member of the elite military unit (Isreal's version of special forces) that is usually reserved for people who were born and raised in Isreal. He also had the misfortune to have booked a trip from Boston to Los Angeles on September 11, 2001, onboard American Airlines flight 11 which, of course, was the first plane hijacked and the first to fly into the World Trade Center. It would also turn out that he was most certainly the first passenger killed on any of the airplanes but was very likely the first person overall to be killed on 9/11 as he tried to intervene to stop the hijacking.
The book does a good job of portraying the good and the bad of Lewin's personality and work ethic. It does not paint a completely rosy picture as it details how he was prone to outbursts of anger, was a workaholic who often put work above family, and had a management style that definitely chaffed some of the people he worked with. On the other hand, he never asked anyone to do something he was not willing to do himself, and his force of personality got the company contracts with entities like Yahoo, Apple, CNN, and more, when most of the time the people he was making pitches to had no idea what he was talking about.
The book is mostly focused on Lewin's life. Only one chapter at the very end of the book discusses the events of his death. In that chapter the author does not speculate as to what happened on the plane, just giving general details that resulted from the investigation which was based on what the flight attendants on flight 11 who managed to reach people on the ground were reporting.
The book is definitely more interesting the better you understand computers. The author admits that it is hard to understand and describe exactly what Lewin figured out and what Akamai as a company does. She does a fairly good job of putting a very complex subject into layman's terms and not focusing on the overly technical aspects. As I said above, this is not a detailed look at all into the 9/11 attacks, so if that is what you are after, this is not the book for you. Chances are, had he lived, Lewin may have been up there in the pantheon of tech giants like Steve Jobs or Bill Gates because what he did for the internet was certainly worthy of that company. While the book can be a bit dry and will not appeal to everyone, I think it is an interesting read and if you are a fan of biographies this is worth checking out.
February 11, 2017
It's a remarkable story about a special person, a bit of a shame the writing wasn't a bit better. Too often it felt like a traditional business puff piece, which, if anything, detracted from the power of Lewin's story. I confess I didn't really understand what Akamai did and the book certainly helped with that.
December 7, 2013
"No Better Time" is about exactly what the title suggests. Danny Lewin was a remarkable person, a genius, and the man with the idea that transformed the internet! (No it wasn't Al Gore! Although now I know what Al Gore did to make him say such a thing.) I thoroughly enjoyed this book! As I sit here using my computer, now I know a little bit about how it is possible to have such "high speed" internet. I not only learned so much about the internet, but I also learned what it takes to build your own business from the ground up and I gained a greater respect for people who have genius minds. Word to the wise, don't read the end of this book when you are on an airplane getting ready to land. The guys sitting on both sides of me must have thought I was nuts! (I had tears streaming down my face and was trying my hardest not to sniff.)
November 15, 2013
Is there a way to give 1/2 stars? If so, I would say 3 1/2. Having spent most of my career in high tech and predominately with young companies and/or start-up, I was pulled into the story quickly and remained compelled to turn the pages, throughout. That said, there were a few points where I had to slog through a bit, but I always did as I was gripped by the larger story being told. I finished the book early one morning and it "sat with me" in my consciousness the rest of the day. Danny Lewin's last week, days, hours and the irony surrounding the circumstances of his death and the events of the days following (in regards to the Internet) were powerful. Truly a great story and he sounded like a one of a kind man.
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