SKU: 49988678644

Totaled: The Billion-Dollar Crash of the Startup That Took on Big Auto, Big Oil and the World

Sale price$13.76 Regular price$15.29
Save 10%

Pay in installments of $3.82 with ShopPay, AfterPay and Klarna

Shipping Estimate
USA
  • USA
  • CAN

Ships within 48 hours · Estimated delivery Sep 9 - Sep 14

Promo Codes Available:

For Your Every Summer RSVP, with Code: SUMMER15

Description

Totaled: The Billion-Dollar Crash of the Startup That Took on Big Auto, Big Oil and the WorldWhen a billion dollar electric car startup crashed and burned, global investors and average car buyers alike asked: What happened? Business and technology journalist Brian Blum reveals the answer in his new book TOTALED: The Billion Dollar Crash of the Startup that Took on Big Auto, Big Oil, and the World. The Tesla 3 has grabbed the spotlight as the first "affordable" all electric vehicle, but Israel's Better Place came first. The plan was to use

When a billion-dollar electric car startup crashed and burned, global investors and average car buyers alike asked: What happened? Business and technology journalist Brian Blum reveals the answer in his new book TOTALED: The Billion-Dollar Crash of the Startup that Took on Big Auto, Big Oil, and the World.

The Tesla 3 has grabbed the spotlight as the first "affordable" all-electric vehicle, but Israel's Better Place came first. The plan was to use Israel --- a country the size of New Jersey and dubbed "the Startup Nation" --- to prove electric cars could work everywhere. Instead of fast charge, Better Place addressed range anxiety by building a network of battery-swap stations --- operated by robots.

Better Place's charismatic CEO Shai Agassi believed his company's innovative technology could help stop climate change and free nations from the yoke of oil dependence. His magnetic television appearances, viral TED Talk and compelling boardroom presence had investors and business leaders worldwide jumping in to ride shotgun. Countries from Japan to Denmark to Australia signed on and the privately-held Better Place raised nearly a billion dollars.

Yet in a few years, it was all over --- the company, buffeted by internal strife, an international corporate spy scandal, the Great Recession and technology disruptions, went bankrupt.

The story of the "electric car unicorn that collapsed" is a cautionary tale; a timely case study filled with valuable lessons for entrepreneurs, investors and executives in businesses of all sizes --- as well as everyone chasing the electric car Holy Grail.

TOTALED lays out the story of what happens when change hits a company on multiple fronts, sometimes all at once. Do you double down and stay the course or pivot like your company's life depends on it?

TOTALED plunges deep into the riveting rise and fall of a company that sincerely wanted to change the world but couldn't quite get to the finish line. TOTALED will captivate you, whether you're interested in electric cars and mobility, green energy and the environment; or you simply enjoy reading business biographies.

TOTALED has received rave advance reviews from people like David Pogue, the former New York Times tech writer, who says that "Brian Blum's deeply researched account is like playing a car-wreck video in slow motion: You can watch every stroke of bad luck, bad timing, and bad blood reduce a once-thrilling idea to dust."

Gina Smith, author of iWoz, the New York Times best-selling biography of Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, writes that TOTALED grants access to "a side of the startup world that few ever get to see --- much less survive."

Ron Adner, author of The Wide Lens: What Successful Innovators See that Others Miss, describes TOTALED as "required reading for ambitious innovators."

And Foreword Reviews writes that Better Place CEO Shai Agassi is "as compelling an antihero as found in any technology thriller. The book's as-it-happens narrative makes for riveting reading."

More information at www.brianblum.com



Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Blue Pepper Press
Published: 08/22/2017
ISBN: 9780983042815
Pages: 358
Weight: 1.16lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.80d

Review Citations: Foreword 08/26/2017
Shipping Notes
  • Free Standard Shipping on $100+ Orders to the USA.
  • Except Preorder products are shipped in 48 hours.
  • Delivery to the USA:
  1. Standard Shipping : 3-10 business days
  • If time is of the essence, please consider selecting expedited delivery for faster service.
Exchange/Return Notes
  • We offer a 30-day return/exchange service after receiving.
  • Final sale items are not eligible for returns or exchanges.
  • To process your return/exchange, please contact us at [email protected]
  • Please click here for more details>>> Return & Exchange Policy
SKU: 49988678644

Discover Niche Categories That Outsell

Top-Converting Item to Boost Your Average Order

4.0 ★★★★★
Based on 10 reviews
Sort
Highest Rating
Newest First
Oldest First
Product Reviews
M
Verified Purchase
Melissa Alexander
Waukegan, US
★★★★★ 3
Lovely product, low ROI
Size: 4.2 Fl Oz (Pack of 1)
The cream is lovely, not greasy, low odor, and beautifully hydrating. However, being quite the frugal customer, I cannot, in good conscientious, pay the cost per ounce.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2026
A
Verified Purchase
Amazon Customer
Draper, US
★★★★★ 5
Whipped Tallow smooth and creamy
Size: 4.2 Fl Oz (Pack of 2)
Love it!!! A great moisturizer and it lasts a long time. It makes my skin feel great! It’s a great deal with minimal ingredients.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on May 8, 2026
E
Verified Purchase
Elizabeth O'Dell
Boise, US
★★★★★ 5
Good product.
Tastes terrible, I know what you're thinking why are you tasting it we'll just putting it on you can taste it. It is very good on your lips made them very soft and hydrated.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on January 19, 2026
C
Verified Purchase
Catcentric Circles
Belleville, US
★★★★★ 1
Update: Chemical smell?
Edit: Something seems to be different with the current version. Why does "pure tallow, beeswax, and raw honey" smell (and taste!) like cheap perfume? Ick. Good luck getting that scent out of your brain. And what the heck is it? I don't know why they changed it but it unfortunately wasn't an improvement. It's too bad. It made a great foot balm. Pretty moisturizing and the size and form factor made it easy to apply. Hope it comes back the way it was. _______ This has great/safe ingredients. It's huge. And the company seems legit so I tried it. I've given it a go and it's okay but it seems like the proportions would need to be adjusted to be more of a balm. It's good… just a little too greasy. This feels more like I just put my tallow moisturizer on my lips instead. I get that from Fancy Farm and I guess I'm going to have to stock up on theirs if I don't find something else here that has that consistency. (And no seed oils!) Lip balm needs staying power or it just becomes a nuisance.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on November 2, 2024
T
Verified Purchase
TheGreatWifeShark
Draper, US
★★★★★ 5
Finally, a non-toxic chapstick!
So I typically make my own products at home using beef tallow. But I was in dire need of chapstick, and just didn't have any time or energy to do it, so I came across this brand on Amazon and had to try. I love it! Not only is it HUGE, but it is unscented, it's glides on perfectly and my lips feel super moisturized for hours. As with all tallow products, you have to be super careful about letting this stuff sit in the heat. So if you were planning on keeping it in your purse or car, it'll definitely turn into a ooey gooey mess. I keep mine in my nightstand in an air-conditioned room, and even then it gets a bit too warm on our hot 103F Summer days. Nevertheless, I recommend to those who are looking for a non-toxic chapstick that super moisturizing.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on August 1, 2024

recommand products