This Is for Everyone: The Unfinished Story of the World Wide Web

by Tim Berners-Lee

The inventor of the World Wide Web explores his vision’s promise—and how it can be redeemed for the future.

Perhaps the most influential inventor of the modern world, Sir Tim Berners-Lee is a different kind of technologist. Born in the same year as Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, he famously distributed his invention, the World Wide Web, for no commercial reward. Its widespread adoption changed everything—transforming humanity into the first digital species. Through the web, we live, work, dream, quarrel, and connect.

In this intimate memoir, Berners-Lee tells the story of his iconic invention, exploring how it launched a new era of creativity and collaboration while unleashing powerful forces that imperil truth and privacy and polarize public debate. With his trademark humor and candor, he recounts how he arrived at CERN, the European Laboratory for Particle Physics, as a young engineer, and soon came up with the astonishing idea of adding hyperlinks to the then-nascent Internet. His goal was to unleash a wave of creativity and collaboration for the benefit of all—a goal he’s pursued to this day.

Peppered with rich anecdotes and amusing reflections, This Is for Everyone is a gripping, in-the-room account of the rise of the digital world. As the rapid development of artificial intelligence brings new risks and possibilities, Berners-Lee also offers a crucial guide to the decisions ahead—and shows how our digital lives can be reengineered for the sake of human flourishing rather than profit or for power.

Genres: Nonfiction, Technology, History, Science, Biography, Memoir, Audiobook

381 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 9, 2025

About the author

Sir Timothy John "Tim" Berners-Lee, OM, KBE, FRS, FREng, FRSA, DFBCS (born 8 June 1955), also known as "TimBL", is a British computer scientist, best known as the inventor of the World Wide Web. He made a proposal for an information management system in March 1989, and he implemented the first successful communication between a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) client and server via the Internet sometime around mid November.

Berners-Lee is the director of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), which oversees the Web's continued development. He is also the founder of the World Wide Web Foundation, and is a senior researcher and holder of the Founders Chair at the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL). He is a director of the Web Science Research Initiative (WSRI), and a member of the advisory board of the MIT Center for Collective Intelligence.

In 2004, Berners-Lee was knighted for his pioneering work. In April 2009, he was elected a foreign associate of the United States National Academy of Sciences. He was honoured as the "Inventor of the World Wide Web" during the 2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremony, in which he appeared in person, working with a vintage NeXT Computer at the London Olympic Stadium. He tweeted "This is for everyone", which instantly was spelled out in LCD lights attached to the chairs of the 80,000 people in the audience.

In June 2009 then British Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced Berners-Lee would work with the UK Government to help make data more open and accessible on the Web, building on the work of the Power of Information Task Force. Berners-Lee and Professor Nigel Shadbolt are the two key figures behind data.gov.uk, a UK Government project to open up almost all data acquired for official purposes for free re-use. Commenting on the opening up of Ordnance Survey data in April 2010 Berners-Lee said that: "The changes signal a wider cultural change in Government based on an assumption that information should be in the public domain unless there is a good reason not to—not the other way around." He went on to say "Greater openness, accountability and transparency in Government will give people greater choice and make it easier for individuals to get more directly involved in issues that matter to them."

In November 2009, Berners-Lee launched the World Wide Web Foundation in order to "Advance the Web to empower humanity by launching transformative programs that build local capacity to leverage the Web as a medium for positive change."

Berners-Lee is one of the pioneer voices in favour of Net Neutrality, and has expressed the view that ISPs should supply "connectivity with no strings attached," and should neither control nor monitor customers' browsing activities without their expressed consent. He advocates the idea that net neutrality is a kind of human network right: "Threats to the Internet, such as companies or governments that interfere with or snoop on Internet traffic, compromise basic human network rights."

Berners-Lee joined the board of advisors of start-up State.com, based in London.

As of May 2012, Berners-Lee is President of the Open Data Institute.

The Alliance for Affordable Internet (A4AI) was launched in October 2013 and Berners-Lee is leading the coalition of public and private organisations that includes Google, Facebook, Intel and Microsoft. The A4AI seeks to make Internet access more affordable so that access is broadened in the developing world, where only 31% of people are online. Berners-Lee will help to decrease internet access prices so that they fall below the UN Broadband Commission's worldwide target of 5% of monthly income.

Reviews

[Alan Chrisman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author is THE man responsible for invention of the World Wide Web(www) and came up with idea of using hyper text links and abbreviations we use everyday: Http, HTML, URL. He wanted internet to be for everyone. He didn't do it for commercial reasons. Everyone should read this book; you don't have to be a computer geek to understand as he explains it in basic language. A few giant multinational corporations like Microsoft,Google, Meta as we know now control most of it who are taking our data to sell and make enormous profits. He believes in the good and bad of technology and says the same could happen with AI, if we don't put controls on it.

[CatReader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tim Berners-Lee (b. 1955) is a British computer scientist whose claim to fame is inventing the world wide web circa 1990, including many of the innovations that made this possible including hypertext markup language (HTML), hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) clients, and the uniform resource locator (URL; Berners-Lee prefers the term 'universal resource locator' but was outvoted) system. Of note, Berners-Lee didn't invent the internet, which predates the WWW.

This is for Everyone, published in 2025 as Berners-Lee has entered his 70s, is mostly a memoir of the author's fascinating career journey, though more of the sort of "I did this, then I did that, then this happened, and this is how I reacted" than the more reflective, circumspect sort I resonate more strongly with. Berners-Lee also shares his impressions of artificial intelligence and his hopes for the future of the web.

Further reading: memoirs and reflections about the past and future web/technology
The Third Wave: An Entrepreneur's Vision of the Future by Steve Case
The Worlds I See: Curiosity, Exploration, and Discovery at the Dawn of AI by Fei-Fei Li
How To Think About AI: A Guide For The Perplexed by Richard Susskind
Code Dependent: Living in the Shadow of AI by Madhumita Murgia

My statistics:
Book 319 for 2025
Book 2245 cumulatively

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Informative but written in a way everyone can understand.

[Adam Duell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding memoir. A fascinating journey through the history of the Worldwide Web and all of the good and bad that have accompanied it, right up to present day, told by the man who created the web itself. Even for the uninitiated, there are countless interesting nuggets of tech history in this book that you might otherwise never learn about. I highly recommend it.

The audiobook version on Spotify, narrated by Stephen Frye, was excellent of course. Frye conducted a half hour interview with Sir Tim Berners-Lee at the end of the book, which made me happy that I’d chosen to listen to the book over reading it in print.

[Kimberlee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free digital audiobook copy of this title from NetGalley. All thoughts are my own.

I am probably the exact correct audience for this. As someone who was born in 1990, I've often used the anecdote that "I'm as old as the world wide web" when doing computer classes at my library. That's fudging the truth just a bit, but not by much. When I was a grad student in a Library Science program, there was a lot of classwork I did revolving around describing what the internet is and isn't, how accessible it is to the public, and how information is contained, disseminated, and misrepresented on the world wide web. I also am of the generation that was coding my own themes for Myspace, Xanga, Neopets, and Gaiaonline. Even now, html and css help me when I'm editing my library's website, though I'm mostly using a CMS these days.

Despite being called This is for Everyone, I feel like the audience for this book is probably pretty niche. I enjoyed my time learning about the prior development of the web, but when I told my friends what I was reading, they got that sort of glazed look in their eyes indicating that I was the only person having fun. (Though the developers on acid story got some attention.) I've found in my years of teaching about computers and tech support to basic users that sometimes people want you to just fix the thing. They aren't interested in learning what http means or why "s" at the end was such a big deal. Burners-Lee alludes to this in the book when talking about product development. First the thing has to go to the geeks. Then it has to be made user friendly so a general audience can pick it up. This book is like that. I feel that the end user is going to find the technical details a slog, but people already in the space will find it pretty interesting and maybe nostalgic.

I liked that AI was specifically touched on and was talked about in a measured way. There are a lot of issues with AI, chiefly the unethical sources of information to train LLMs and the unethical usage on social media creating deep fakes, but AI is probably here to stay. If AI is to help humanity, policy and lawmakers absolutely cannot be as slow to regulate and put up guardrails as they have been for other technology issues. Burners-Lee seems genuinely optimistic about the future of AI but is also cognizant of the deep and troubling issues surrounding data sovereignty and the division of a user's data.

My only true criticism is that sometimes it was difficult to understand what time period I was in reading this book. I would be reading about the development of the web in the 90s, but then would be jumped ahead to 2012. Then suddenly the text would go back to the original historical timeline. I know this was to point out how specific pieces of technology had developed and influenced the world, but I sometimes found it disorienting. Otherwise, I enjoyed the book overall and actually think it would be a good supportive tech for my library science program.

[Christian Zelger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Das Buch ist eine Zeitreise zurück an die Anfänge des World Wide Web, das viele fälschlicherweise mit dem Internet gleichsetzen. Erzählt wird die Geschichte im Rahmen der Autobiographie seines Erfinders. Er gibt einen Einblick in die (technischen) Hintergründe und richtungsweisenden Entscheidungen und zeigt einmal mehr, wie einzelne Menschen etwas antreiben können, das die Welt verändert, weil sie von einer Idee überzeugt sind.

[Sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I genuinely didn't think this was going to be as interesting as it was. I don't even like the internet anymore, I'm just obsessed with it as a concept and I need to know where we collectively take this experiment. I loved how left wing Tim is. He felt no shame in sharing his opinions about big tech monopolies and how neoliberaal social media companies are commofifying all of us through data collection. I feel more empowered than ever to take back the internet.

[Yuvaraj kothandaraman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a thoughtful, personal look at the invention and evolution of the web by its creator, Tim Berners Lee.
It shares inspiring stories about how the web went from a simple idea to a global platform that unleashed creativity and connection worldwide.
A key spoiler is Berners-
Lee’s candid admission of struggles, like the “Eternal September” -when the web opened to the public in 1994, disrupting the polite internet culture, and his fight to keep the web open and royalty-free amid corporate pressures.
While technical at times, the human side- his vision for an inclusive, accessible, and free web shines through. It’s a must read for anyone who cares about the web’s future, though the pace can drag when going deep into standards or organizational politics.

[Lucinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the unfaltering optimism which permeated this book. Berners-Lee's passion for the web, his acknowledgement of where it has gone wrong but his absolute belief in the ability of the web to return to being a place of innovation, creativity, collaboration, community and positivity is refreshing. There is still hope 🤍

[Tyler Mauer · Rating 5 out of 5]

An extremely timely and optimistic commentary on the current state and history of the internet. I don't often read memoirs, but I quite enjoyed this book.

[Karin Jenkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely worth reading as a history of the net and our relationship with it though some of the technical stuff went over my head. Tim doesn’t shy away from the problems but it’s optimistic that we can do better.

[Matthew Tyas · Rating 5 out of 5]

The writing is not world class but the Berners-Lee’s story is fascinating and his principles are on point. He really nails the challenges of the modern web and spearheads a couple of different initiatives to try and solve these problems.

A really great read.

[Frank van Puffelen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read, especially as someone who already worked in tech during the web’s formative years. I appreciated revisiting the early days, but I found the writing less engaging than I'd hoped - too much focus on awards and ceremonies, and not enough on the technology itself. I understand it’s aimed at a broader audience, but that made it less compelling for me. There's also a section that struck me as oddly personal and critical of another figure in web history, which felt out of place. Overall, worth reading, but not quite what I was looking for.

[Austin Carter · Rating 3 out of 5]

perhaps I had too high of expectations for this one ..
started very interesting and nostalgic. I was mostly interested in what was going on at CERN in the late 80s and early 90s
unfortunately the ending becomes increasingly generic and at time outright ostentatious as the author focuses on awards ceremonies and social gatherings. then again, it is a memoir, so take that as you may.
then finally, it turned into a sales pitch for a decent idea but which has been privatized.. that being the data pods or wallets. I'm sure we will move in that direction in time.
unfortunately the author seems like a figurehead, and not directly influential in the AI tsunami

[Jessica Haider · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

A fascinating, optimistic reminder from the man who literally invented the World Wide Web (yes, that one). Tim Berners-Lee blends history, ethics, and a bit of nerdy idealism to explain how a simple idea—open access for all—became the backbone of modern life. His vision of a free, connected internet feels both nostalgic and urgent, like a love letter to the Web before the algorithms took over. Inspiring stuff—especially if you still believe the internet can be more than ads and outrage.

[Jill Ball · Rating 5 out of 5]

So many issues raised in this history and discussion of the world wide web and its place in our lives. The conversational style and use of simple language made it a delight to read and ponder. Thanks Sir Tim for taking the time to share your thoughts and concerns and make me think. Where can I sign up for Solid?

[Jung]

"This Is for Everyone: The Unfinished Story of the World Wide Web" opens with the reminder that the internet we depend on today is far from the one its creator originally imagined. Tim Berners-Lee designed the web as an open, decentralized system where ideas could flow freely, linking in the same intuitive way human thought moves. He wanted a platform that encouraged curiosity, collaboration, and problem-solving. Yet over the past decades, the web has gradually shifted toward the opposite: concentrated control in the hands of a few corporations, business models rooted in monetizing attention, and systems that feed polarization rather than cooperation. The book examines not only how the web came to be but also how it can be reclaimed for the purpose it was invented for - serving people rather than exploiting them.

Berners-Lee’s worldview was shaped long before he began building the web. Growing up in London in the 1950s, he lived in a household filled with circuitry, logic puzzles, and the buzz of early computing. His parents were mathematicians and electronic engineers who had worked with the very first commercial computer, and their stories included figures like Alan Turing - whose ideas on computation indirectly influenced the young Tim. At school he immersed himself in math and science fiction, drawn to imagined worlds built from logic and technology. By the time he attended Oxford, he was already tinkering with homemade computers, assembling devices from discarded parts and teaching himself how information systems worked at a fundamental level.

His first major turning point came when he began working at CERN in Geneva in 1980. Although the particle physics labs were filled with enormous scientific machinery, what captivated him was the daily exchange of ideas among scientists from different cultures. He became fascinated with the challenge of helping information spread as naturally as conversation. His early experiment, a program called 'Enquire,' allowed users to link notes together in branching ways, planting the first seed of what would eventually become hypertext. At CERN he realized that a truly powerful information system had to welcome every format, language, and machine - a universal platform that hid complexity beneath simple, intuitive connections.

As the 1990s approached, the pieces clicked into place. With support from colleagues and armed with a NeXT computer provided by a forward-thinking supervisor, he built the tools that formed the backbone of the web: HTML to structure information, HTTP to fetch it, and URLs to identify it. The first web browser and editor rolled these pieces into a coherent system that anyone could learn. His vision was not merely technical; he wanted a network where the structure grew from how people used it rather than predetermined rules. When he and collaborator Robert Cailliau demonstrated the system at a hypertext conference in 1991, audiences could sense the paradigm shift. Within just a few years, traffic to their CERN server grew from a handful of requests to tens of thousands per day.

But Berners-Lee quickly saw a looming danger: whoever controlled the standards could control the web. Early developers and companies were already looking for ways to lock users into proprietary tools or charge licensing fees. To prevent the web from fragmenting or falling under corporate control, CERN made a radical decision in 1993 - they released the foundational software and protocols into the public domain. Anyone could build on them freely. Browsers multiplied, with projects like ViolaWWW and Mosaic attracting millions of new users. Yet as the web expanded, tensions grew between open experimentation and corporate attempts to steer the evolution of features and standards. To create a neutral space for defining how the web should work, Berners-Lee helped establish the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), ensuring that all stakeholders - from startups to global corporations - had an equal voice.

As the web surged into mainstream culture, it became a playground for creativity. Personal sites, online communities, and new design standards like CSS pushed the medium forward. Geocities neighborhoods, Craigslist’s simplicity, and the rise of blogs showcased the web’s democratic spirit. But alongside the creativity came darker forces. Browser wars escalated, and behind them lurked technologies like third-party cookies - data snippets originally meant for convenience but soon repurposed to track users across sites. These tracking tools became the backbone of targeted advertising, enabling organizations to influence behavior, shape political messaging, and ignite social division. The same web that once symbolized openness began to morph into a system that rewarded manipulation.

Still, Berners-Lee remained committed to expanding access and defending human rights online. With his wife, Rosemary Leith, he created the Web Foundation to promote open access worldwide. Their work took them to classrooms in Rwanda and farms in Burkina Faso, where connectivity transformed communities and demonstrated the web’s potential as a force for empowerment. To guide global principles, the foundation drafted the Contract for the Web, outlining responsibilities for governments, companies, and citizens to protect privacy, accessibility, and democracy. But the growth of smartphones and social platforms introduced new vulnerabilities. The web became simultaneously more powerful and more fragile, capable of fueling revolutions yet also enabling authoritarian regimes and unethical data harvesting.

The rise of artificial intelligence introduced another turning point. Advances from research groups like DeepMind demonstrated AI’s potential to solve problems - from protein folding to medical analysis - but also raised fears about deepfakes, misinformation, and opaque data use. Once again, Berners-Lee saw the need for systems rooted in user control. His response was Solid, a decentralized platform built around personal data pods. Under this framework, individuals - not companies - would decide who could access their information. Applications, including AI assistants, would request temporary permission to use specific data, and users could revoke access at any time. It was a return to his original vision: technology serving people, not silently surveilling them.

Solid hinted at a possible future where AI tools work in partnership with individuals rather than mining their private lives. Instead of being tracked across platforms, users would direct their own data flows. Early adopters have begun exploring such decentralized alternatives through platforms like Mastodon, Matrix, and Bluesky, which demonstrate that networks built on open standards can still thrive. The movement resembles the early days of the web - small communities planting the seeds of a healthier digital ecosystem.

In "This Is for Everyone: The Unfinished Story of the World Wide Web", Tim Berners-Lee offers not only a history of the web’s creation but also an argument for its renewal. He shows how a curious child surrounded by logic circuits grew into the architect of a technology that reshaped the world, and how that invention thrived only because it remained open to all. He charts the shifts that turned an idealistic network into a system fueled by tracking, advertising, and political manipulation. Yet he also outlines a path forward - one where decentralized platforms, ethical standards, and user-controlled data can restore trust and reshape the web into the tool it was always meant to be. The book ends with the reminder that the unfinished story of the web is still being written, and that its future depends on decisions we make today.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tim Berners-Lee — the inventor of the World Wide Web himself — takes readers on a fascinating journey through the birth and evolution of one of humanity’s most transformative inventions. ”This is for Everyone“ isn’t just a technical recount; it’s a passionate reflection on the ideals, challenges, and human connections that built the internet as we know it today.

⸻

The Human Side of Technology

As a software developer, I went in expecting the usual deep dive into technical architecture and protocols (HTTP, HTML, TCP, etc.), and they did play a role, but what really stands out here are the people and the ideals. Berners-Lee highlights collaboration, curiosity, and a genuine belief in democratizing information. He humanizes the creation process, giving faces and motivations to what’s often portrayed as a sterile technological milestone.

It’s a refreshing perspective — the Web as a community effort rather than a lone genius’s achievement.

⸻

Style & Accessibility

The tone is warm, thoughtful, and deeply personal. Berners-Lee writes like someone who’s both an engineer and an idealist — a rare combo (believe me). He explains complex ideas clearly but never condescends, which makes the book accessible to both tech-savvy readers and curious newcomers.

It’s short but dense in spirit; you come away feeling both nostalgic and inspired, a little in awe of how much the Web has evolved — and how much of its founding ethos still matters.

⸻

Final Thoughts

”This is for Everyone“ reads like a love letter to the Web — not just the code, but the people and ideals behind it. It’s enlightening, humble, and surprisingly emotional for a book about technology.

You might come for the history, but you’ll stay for the heart. And honestly? After reading it, it’s impossible not to respect Tim Berners-Lee even more than I already did, which was a lot because without him I wouldn’t have a job today. :P

⭐️ 5/5 stars — an inspiring must-read for anyone who lives and breathes the internet.

[Frtaberna · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s a testament to the success of the Web that we never really think about where it came from, who made it, what it actually is. And it’s amazing that it was conceived and created by a single person as a side-project. Still, what is even more incredible is that Tim Berners-Lee had such a clear vision of what he wanted it to be and what its potential was, and the dangers it would face in its development as third-party interests would want to exploit it.
I would say it is miraculous that he and the collaborators that believed in his project managed to maintain the fundamental mechanisms of the web close to his humanistic vision of an open technology that would connect anything and everything in the world and in which everyone could participate. But it is only miraculous in the sense that he tapped into an idea that deeply resonated with an ideal for a better world that many were willing to fight for and sacrifice the very easy attainment of enormous wealth through it.
This utopian state of things concerns the first half of the book because as expected Tim Berners-Lee is deeply troubled by the turn that the web took after social media companies decided to enrich themselves through exploiting its user’s data and manipulating their attention in order to get engagement. He is also understandably worried about what will happen with AI regarding the use of data and attention manipulation.

But even so, in these last sections he shows us again why he is such a special thinker. He is an optimist that believes in people’s capability to prevent disaster from happening and create something that is good for everyone, and he displays this optimism with pragmatic and refreshing ideas and solutions. He has indeed been working in new projects regarding personal data socereignty such as SOLID, which is a very convincing solution (and exciting, as he clearly explains in his understated idealism how it could make our relationship with the web much more exciting and positive for our lives). I would say that what makes his unique streak successes so admirable is that he has successfully made a universal technology while at the same time not making it about the technology itself but the idea behind it.

The web was created from an ideal and it never compromised away from it. That’s what technology should he about, because humans always come first. What’s the point of ever improving technology with its seemingly endless promises when the humans that are supposed to enjoy them grow ever more apathetic, disoriented, anxious, depressed, disconnected, simple-minded, and all the maladies of our modern times?

Overall, I think that his approach to these problems (and to how he came up with the idea of the web -urls, html, http, etc.- is reflected by a recurrent idea in his book: that peace and prosperity cannot exist simply by vanquishing all that is bad, we need to also create what is good.

[Firsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I believe this is a very important book. I am as young as the internet and it was a fascinating story, especially the older the story the better. Newer ones weren't exactly super interesting, because I'm not living under a rock and I'm familiar with recent developments, by recent I mean the last 10-20 years'. If it weren't for him I wouldn't be what I am today (a web dev), though.

The first half, his origin story was really really good. As a bonus surprise, this was actually narrated by Stephen Fry. I have Harry Potter series narrated by him on my phone but have not yet started them (nth revisit). I kept the best for last. I first listened to them using the Jim Dale narration. Anyway, it was very, very great of an experience hearing his voice and thus I didn't have the heart to speed it up more than 1.5 or 1.6 times. At the end, there is an interview/talk as well between him and the author.

I would say that some editing would have been useful and by that I mean discarding at least one quarter of the content would not change the meaning very much. Nevertheless, the excellent narration and the overall interestingness offsets that. Hence, I'm giving this the full five stars. He was particularly enthusiastic about some project called Solid that I had never heard about. Maybe the shareholder is speaking from me, but I don't think the big tech companies' dominance can be challenged, they have too much money so they can stuff anything down our throats. Because the average person doesn't really care about data privacy conscious solutions or human first websites. The granular access permissions to give to services he writes about sounded an awful lot like AWS IAM, therefore cumbersome. People just want their cat videos and echo chambers, the easiest, the more effortless, the better. Heck, they don't even use ad blockers but use Chrome or iDevices, so who are we trying to fool?

Still, the best parts were when he described how the URL was born, or the RSA encryption and how it was found out, and when he told us about three letters that are three persons' names. I immediately knew what this was going to be about and how it worked. And as a kid, I used to think that the Internet (~as we know it) came from primarily some kind of military usage, an ARPANET or DARPA or whatever, but it's apparently not the case, or we are led to believe it came from CERN, the particle accelerator, where this guy invented it. I have read a book before on this subject (Weaving the Web), but this one was far better.

[Paul Rushton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would highly recommend reading This Is for Everyone: The Unfinished Story of the World Wide Web by Sir Tim Berners-Lee, It left me both nostalgic and unsettled.
Berners-Lee’s account of creating the web is refreshingly human. There’s no grandstanding, just a quiet reminder that the web was never meant to be owned, controlled, or optimised purely for profit. It was designed to connect people, share knowledge, and remove friction from collaboration. Reading that, I found myself thinking about how much of that original intent we’ve slowly traded away without really noticing.
What resonated most with me was his reflection that the web is still unfinished. That idea feels important. It suggests responsibility, that what the web has become isn’t inevitable, and that its future is still a choice.
His thoughts on AI sit squarely in that same space. Berners-Lee doesn’t frame AI as something to fear, but as something to be deliberate about. AI, in his view, simply accelerates human behaviour, good or bad. And if we’re honest, many of the problems we’re now worried about with AI already exist in today’s digital platforms: manipulation, attention extraction, opacity, and a lack of meaningful accountability.
Reading this from an Australian perspective, I couldn’t help but think about the current discussions around restricting or banning certain apps for under-16s. On the surface, these debates are often framed as over-regulation or generational panic. But through Berners-Lee’s lens, they feel more like a signal that we’re finally questioning whether technology is still serving people, particularly the most vulnerable or whether people are now serving the technology.
I don’t see these conversations as anti-tech. If anything, they feel overdue. They’re an acknowledgement that innovation without guardrails tends to drift toward outcomes we didn’t originally intend, especially when commercial incentives dominate. Protecting young people, demanding transparency, and insisting on humane design shouldn’t be controversial, they should be baseline expectations.
This book reminded me that the web, and now AI, reflects the values we embed into it. If we want better outcomes, we have to be clearer about those values, more willing to regulate when necessary, and more active as participants rather than passive consumers.
This Is for Everyone isn’t just a history of the web. It’s a quiet challenge to all of us to decide what we want the next chapter to look like and whether we’re prepared to take responsibility for it.

[Drtaxsacto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sir Tim, as he is known in the technology community is an exceptional innovator. He is the undisputed creator of the World Wide Web and was a leader for a couple of decades (now emeritus) of the standards body which created protocols for the web which were open source (for many things in computing that is important because it simplifies the ability of successors to amend and enhance functions).

This is in part a biography of Sir Tim. But it is also a policy book which attempts mostly successfully to do a couple of thought experiments about where the web and AI will develop - with some ideas about how it should develop.

While I agree with most of what he describes, I disagree with his criticism on two issues. First, he makes an impassioned case for "Net Neutrality" (which argues that net operaters should be prohibited from charging differential rates based on how big the user is. That is a common position among techies but I don't think the countervailing evidence is considered. As cellular was first developing it became important for two reasons - first, it avoided the bureaucratic and regulatory hoops that landline carries lived with. Over time land line providers began to adopt lower pricing structures. But even with cellular providers part of your rate structure is based on volume. The regulatory overburden, in my opinion is constricting AND there is little evidence that smaller users are disadvantaged by differential pricing. I know the arguments in favor of net neutrality - I have just not found an argument on that side that is dispositive.

Sir Tim also goes on a rant against app platforms. The argument for allowing all apps and all platforms is pretty weak in my opinion. I fully support the walled garden for platforms. If it makes economic sense then companies will open their platforms. But I remember before the APPLE Store when quality control was not very good. And a lot of crappy apps made it on to my devices. That does not say I agree with the royalty structure - but just like the issue of privacy on the iPhone - I fully support keeping the wall up -if it begins to cause problems for the APP stores - the companies will change their policies - if pricing becomes a problem then either apps will migrate or the APP stores will lower their costs.

If you want to have a front row seat on the history and future of the WEB - this would be an excellent place to start.

[Ammon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished the audiobook version of This is for Everyone: The Unfinished Story of the World Wide Web by Tim Berners-Lee, narrated by Stephen Fry. And it honestly came at the perfect time.

The book begins as a personal memoir, tracing Tim’s upbringing, education, and early career before eventually landing him at CERN. From there, the narrative shifts toward the creation of the World Wide Web and the daunting task of getting governments, corporations, and developers around the world to agree on a shared vision.

For a book about protocols, consortiums, and consensus-building, it’s surprisingly easy to follow, and dare I say it, actually fun. Sir Tim writes with clarity, optimism, and a humility that makes the story accessible without ever dumbing it down.

As the creator of the Web, he could easily have become a tech billionaire. Instead, he gave his invention away, recognizing the immense good it could bring to all of humanity. It’s hard to think of another 20th-century innovation that has lifted so many out of poverty, connected families and friends across borders, or turned strangers into lifelong friends. Of course, the book doesn’t shy away from the darker side: tech oligarchies, threats to privacy, and the misuse of digital platforms to violate human rights.

What becomes clear is Berners-Lee’s unwavering dedication to the principle that the Web should remain open, free, and equitable for everyone, and his belief that governments, companies, and individuals all have a role in sustaining that vision.

Stephen Fry is the perfect narrator. His warmth and humor bring life to what could otherwise have been a very dry, technical story, making the audiobook both engaging and deeply enjoyable.

📖 Text: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🎙️ Narration: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
⭐️ Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Disclaimer: I received a free advanced reader copy (ARC) of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest, unbiased review. These are my personal opinions.

P.S. I couldn’t help but chuckle at the ending disclaimer: “The publisher of this audiobook does not authorize the use or reproduction of any part of this audiobook in any manner for the purpose of training artificial intelligence technologies or systems.” TimBL may have given the Web to humanity, but clearly the same spirit of openness does not extend to his publishers.

[Diogo H. Ferreira · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book by Tim Berners-Lee offers a rich, compelling narrative about the invention and evolution of the World Wide Web, combining impactful biography with profound reflections on the future of the internet. Berners-Lee chronologically recounts his journey, from his initial motivation to create an open, decentralized platform, to his ongoing efforts to preserve that vision in the face of commercial and political pressures.
One of the text’s strongest contributions is its discussion of decentralized web governance. Berners-Lee makes a strong case for the urgent need to protect the democratic potential of the internet. He points out how today’s web is increasingly dominated by a handful of corporations and governments, which leverage data to consolidate power and erode individual agency, turning users into products. Although he does not directly state that data has replaced oil as the critical resource of our time, the book’s analysis makes it clear that personal data now drives decision-making, economic interests, and social control in ways that rival or surpass the oil-based power dynamics of previous decades.
Berners-Lee’s solution centers on data sovereignty, empowering individuals to reclaim ownership and control over their data. He presents practical proposals, including his work on Solid, aiming to return autonomy to users and limit the influence of technocratic and feudal-like regimes that have emerged in the digital economy. The book does not merely diagnose problems; it promotes ethical and technological changes to restore the web’s foundational values.
A more detailed blueprint for achieving decentralization would strengthen the text, but its accessible narrative and moral clarity make it essential reading for anyone interested in technology’s impact on society. This memoir is both a testament to visionary innovation and a call to reclaim the internet as a collaborative resource for everyone.

[Alejandro G. Rangel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve spent a good part of my life building things on top of the web, often taking its underlying structure for granted, like the foundation of a house you didn't build yourself. Reading "This Is for Everyone" felt like getting a personal tour of that house from the original architect, who not only shows you the blueprints but also points out the cracks in the walls and hands you a set of tools to fix them.

This is so much more than a memoir. Berners-Lee’s account of the web's creation is fascinating, but the real power of the book is his clear-eyed diagnosis of how his utopian vision was co-opted by the "attention economy." He doesn’t pull any punches when describing the toxic algorithms and data-hoarding business models that now dominate our digital lives. You can feel his frustration and disappointment, but what you don’t feel is despair.

The last third of the book is where it truly becomes essential reading. He pivots from history to a detailed, actionable blueprint for the future. His work on the Solid protocol isn't some abstract dream; it’s a tangible project to give us back control over our own data. It’s the most compelling and optimistic plan I've seen for fixing the internet's biggest problems.

This isn't just a book for technologists. It’s for anyone who feels a sense of unease with their digital life, who suspects the game is rigged against them. Berners-Lee reminds us that the web was built *for us*, and he makes a powerful, urgent case that it's not too late to take it back.

[It's.about.the.books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not being tech savvy, I wasn't sure how I'd go with This is for Everyone: The Unfinished Story of the World Wide Web by Tim Berners-Lee.  Thankfully, it was written in a way that will be accessible to a variety of readers - I for one, appreciated Berners-Lee's way of translating computer language and concepts into layman terms! This book actually gave me vibes similar to that of Supremacy: AI, ChatGPT, and the Race that Will Change the World by Pammy Olson - interesting and informative, even if I didn't completely agree with everything Berners-Lee proposed for the future of computing.  Specifically, my already sceptical opinion regarding AI is now cemented in fear for the future (regarding that particular technology.)  Furthermore, I wish people would listen to experts like Tim Berners-Lee rather than industry corportations whose only concern is capitalism. What I found most striking about this story, was not only how humble and benevolent the creator of the world wide web is, where collaboration and decency in the pursuit of a noble purpose were and remain the norm. Such a shame these moralistic ideals are not more prevalent in the world today.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the more optimistic books of this genre. The genre being "books about the internet written by people who were there when it was being created". The best part of this book, as of any book in the genre, is the fun anecdotes and story of how things came to be. The end of the book is typically speculative, pushing the policies and technologies that Tim Berners-Lee hopes will improve the world. But you know what, he was starting to convince me as well. I don't fully understand how his digital wallet thing would work (does everybody's personal device need a ton of storage for it?) but he has clearly sunk quite a bit of time and energy into the concept, and he sure understood once before what it would take to make www attractive for widespread adoption, so maybe there's value in this as well. Personally I was less interested in the specific hypothetical technology than I was in the fact that people still believe the internet can shift gears. Having grown up with the internet, it seems like such an immovable behemoth and I am overwhelmed by the futility of trying to make a difference. But I am glad to see people other than the monopolistic tech giants still trying to effect change.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

New technological paradigms aren’t just ‘discovered’, they are intentionally designed and stewarded. The web as we know it was fought for by Tim and as he writes, the design choices he made in the earliest days of the web define how we use it and how it has shaped society since. Those early decisions can’t be reversed now (even if we know there’s a better way!) so making them right the first time is all the more important.

Now in the AI age, Berners Lee is pushing for a new design decision — data sovereignty. I had not thought about this but am really interested in his vision of a world where I would have access to all of my data in one place, rather than it being decentralized across all of my online accounts.

Most importantly, Tim’s optimism for the power that technology was apparent in every chapter. He shares his very strong sense of purpose, meaning, and morality that is so important for technologists who shape our digital worlds. An important read for designers and technologists!

[Kelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Is for Everyone is a remarkable memoir that captures the vision, ingenuity, and enduring idealism of Sir Tim Berners Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web. Berners-Lee’s narrative balances personal anecdotes, technical insights, and reflections on the social impact of his invention, offering readers a rare, in-the-room perspective on the birth of the modern digital era. Beyond recounting history, the book serves as a timely meditation on the challenges facing the web today privacy, misinformation, and the ethical use of technology while reaffirming the potential for innovation to serve humanity. Engaging, insightful, and deeply human, this memoir is essential reading for tech enthusiasts, historians, and anyone seeking to understand the origins and future of our interconnected world.

[Miguel Alho · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting read, and a look back at how the web started, evolved, and the obstacles ahead. I only got access and HTML editing in knowledge in the late 90s, but it was great to recall how a lot of that was - building simple(r) sites, using view source to discover how others did things, self hosting things, etc.

This was my first time hearing about Solid (https://solidproject.org/) and it's quite an interesting concept. Sure got me thinking about data sovereignty. And dark patterns (though not those are not covered deeply, they come to mind for sure) .

Anyone who has fiddled and/or worked on the web, professionally or just as a hobby, I think will enjoy getting this point of view on the history and how it came to be (and the care throughout history to try to keep it true to it's origins).