Having worked for numerous travel startups, this was a must read for me and it didn't disappoint. We of course all know the basics of the Airbnb story, but this dug a little deeper and allows you to get to know more about the key players themselves and it's written fantastically too. A great read for Airbnb regulars and those in the industry.

If you prefer the focus to be exclusively on one company, THE AIRBNB STORY will be published in mid-February. Written by Leigh Gallagher from Fortune magazine, this work seems more analytical and less chronological. She includes some fascinating facts, though, like the statistic that 1.8 million people were staying in an Airbnb hosted property on a single night in August 2016. That certainly illustrates Airbnb's growth and speaks to the power of connection across the internet, although Gallagher explores debates over increasing regulation, too.

She writes about three phases of Airbnb's development from couch-surfing, to quirky locales like igloos and castles and then on to the "Gwyneth Paltrow" phase with something for everyone and only a quarter of the business in the United States. Amongst the chapter titles are "Building a Company," "Airbnb Nation," and "What's Next" – that's where Gallagher describes the recently announced Trips option designed to provide special excursions and help guests to live more like a local. THE AIRBNB STORY tells readers "How Three Ordinary Guys Disrupted an Industry, Made Billions … and Created Plenty of Controversy."

Link in live post: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efNyRmTLbjQ -- Brian Chesky and other founders announcing Trips