Book Description

Regarded as the most influential Protestant leader of the past century, Billy Graham has touched over 210 million lives in more than 185 countries and territories. He has been a counselor to presidents, an example for pastors, and a shepherd to parishoners. Now, as this pinnacle of the Christian church enters the twilight of his public life at 82 years of age, his legacy is celebrated in a collection of poignant tributes and memories as leaders from the worlds of government, business, sports, entertainment, and religion share their personal stories and remembrances of this remarkable man. Contributors to this volume include former Presidents Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and Gerald Ford; and John Ashcroft, James Dobson, Jerry B. Jenkins, James Kennedy, Steve Largent, Zig Ziglar, and many more whose lives have been impacted by the work and life of Reverend Billy Graham. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Billy Graham: A Tritute from Friends
An easy and cozy reading with profound contents! This books tells what, apart from God, made Billy Graham what he is now through the lips of his friends. The readers will be compelled to be "humble," "genuine," "passionate," and "believing" as Billy Graham has been if they want to make a meaningful dent to the world in which we live. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Author Janet Lowe has assembled a unique collection of Billy Graham's religious and political opinions, as well as his deeply personal stories. Most of the book features Billy Graham's actual words, taken from speeches, newscasts, articles, and interviews--all of which are introduced by Lowe. There are few surprises when Graham shares his opinions on politics and morality. For example, he reiterates his position on racial discrimination (having once been a strong opponent to racial segregation, he is now opposed to discrimination) and on abortion (in favor, only in cases of rape, incest, or if the mother's life is endangered). Fans of the legendary preacher will probably most appreciate his personal stories and reflections, including the discussion of married life with Ruth. Speaking of the couple's tender love affair, Graham shows how a shared devotion to God has strengthened their sexual and emotional intimacy. ... Read more

Book Description

He is Thomas Edison and Henry Ford rolled into one -- except that William Henry Gates III maybe smarter and more successful than either. He is America's richest man, and on the corporate landscape, he may well be the most feared. In less than a generation, Bill Gates has done nothing less than change the way we live and work.

Here is Bill Gate's story, taking you inside the mind of this brilliant visionary and inside the rise of Microsoft, the world's most succesful corporation. What unique combination of historical factors and personal qualities made Gates the right man at the right time? How did he invent an industry from scratch, and what choices -- from people to products -- made Microsoft the resounding success it has become? How has the company faces Apple, Netscape, and its other competitors and partners? From Microsoft's Redmond, Washington, campus to Gates' relationships with women and with other business people, like fellow billionaire Warren Buffett, here is a compelling portrait of a unique American citizen at the dawn of the twenty-first century: a man whose career, and his effect on our world, has only begun. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

GOOD BOOK! you should read it.
This book is a great book. It is a condensed version of his life... Instead of reading too much into boring details you get the quick fast pace version in a great, easy to read novel. The author has obviously done great research of his subject. Do not listen to these other reviews which are obviously from people who hate Bill Gates. Below you will find my summary and analysis of this book:

Bill Gates is probably one of the smartest and most successful men of our time, maybe of all time. This book is the summary of Bill Gates' path to success and the history of how our society became dependant on computers and of course Microsoft. How did Bill Gates become the richest man ever know? What Challenges did he face? All is revealed about the man behind Microsoft, the company that changed how we live.

Bill Gates is a genius that is probably smarter than anyone you will ever know. Here is the story that will show you his inner workings. Interesting combinations of unique personality characteristics that this man has is what has made him the success he is and is explained to you in this story.

Contrived, biased
This book is definitely not worth reading. The premise is misleading (it is hardly in-depth), writing is poor (I found numerous typographical errors), all views are strongly biased towards Gates, and none of the author's arguments are supported sufficiently.

Just plain stinks
If this book is called The Path to the Future, why does the author spend so much time talking about the past? The book contains boring histories that everyone already knows, plus a lot of filler and no actual insights. Don't waste your time. ... Read more

Book Description

The first of three volumes, this comprehensive bibliography of more than 2,200 entries includes all English-language biographies of Gandhi, writings by Gandhi, and bibliographic sources. A unique aspect of the work is a section on books read by Gandhi, a useful list of those seeking insight on Gandhi. Pandiri has carefully examined the titles included, and, unlike many earlier bibliographers, he has annotated all of Gandhi's voluminous writings. He also provides in-depth descriptive and evaluative annotations for the other works, noting content, scope, authority, use, and historical significance. This up-to-date, comprehensive work is a vital reference tool for scholars and researchers. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Comprehensive, annotated bibliography on mahatma Gandhi: b
This book is extraordinary, the like of which I have not read in the extensive Gandhian literature. Mr. Pandiri, the author of this great book has exhausted the literature to put together this volume. It must have taken many years to complete this work. I have read almost the entire Gandhian literature, and nowhere can I recall anyone who had done such a commendable job. Not only is this book essential for the libraries but I also strongly recommend this book to any student of Gandhi dedicated to researching and unearthing the truths about this elusive figure better known as Mahatma gandhi. ... Read more

Book Description

Supplying lessons from today's most celebrated and successful business thinkers, DK's Business Masterminds series is perfect for people hoping to advance their corporate careers, make their own businesses grow and prosper, or achieve personal goals. In addition to providing overviews of each mastermind's most influential writings and speeches, each title is packed with full-color charts, diagrams, and photographs that graphically illustrate complex concepts. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A Computer in Every Home
Bill Gates originally wanted to create "a tool for the Information Age that could magnify your brainpower instead of just your muscle power." He saw digital tools as the way to enhance the unique powers we all possess. For academics and techies it is pure heaven to share information online. Bill Gates predicted that the Internet would help to bring people together instead of causing "society to fly apart."

Either you love Bill Gates or you loathe him. I'm in the "love" category for many reasons. For one, I just love the software and it makes my life a dream. While he may be controversial, he seems to have a great heart for philanthropy and is well known for The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation with a focus on scholarships, computers in schools and world health. So while many envy his wealth, you have to look at his generosity and how he is helping to change the lives of children all over the world.

"It's possible to save millions of children's lives just by applying the technology that's here today." ~Bill Gates

In this book, Robert Heller analyzes the key skills behind the genius of Bill Gates and presents the experience of one of the worlds top business gurus in an accessible format.

Discover how Gates:

Siezes Opportunities
Forges Key Collaborations
Hires the Best Brains - Read about what it takes to be considered "super smart!"
Focuses on His Goals - "A PC on every desk and in every home, using Microsoft Software"
Outwits the Opposition

Dominates the Market
Makes Solid Decisions
Recognizes His Mistakes - How Gates go the Internet wrong and then got it right.
Stays Ahead of The Game - Invading the Internet
Excels as a "Practical Intellectual"

This book also shows his Environmentally-Friendly-Computer-Controlled Lake Washington futuristic home that was so difficult to see from the freeway. ;>

Other books you will want to read:

The Road Ahead
Business @ the Speed of Thought
Bill Gates Speaks by Janet C. Lowe

The business philosophy of Gates as a study in management
Exact figures would no doubt be elusive, but certainly one of the most recognized names is that of Bill Gates. Despite some of the negative circumstances of his success, it is gratifying to realize that he has star power to rival that of any other celebrity. Business and intellectual leaders contribute so much to the world, it is high time that they are treated as the stars they are.
This book is an examination of the Gates/Microsoft phenomenon from the perspective of business strategies. It is a combination of a brief historical record of the development of Microsoft and the reasons for that success. These reasons are then examined as case studies for how to succeed in the area of business management. The examples include the successes as well as the failures of Microsoft over the years. The dramatic changes that took place when Microsoft finally discovered the Internet will no doubt become the model for how a large company can change direction quickly and successfully. For all his faults, Bill Gates has shown a knack, albeit sometimes ruthless, for being one of the best business people of all time. His actions should be studied, both for emulation and avoidance.
Since most of the historical record was known to me, my interest was primarily in how the events were used to describe the introductory principles of management. In that area, the book is well-designed. The case studies are easy to follow and certainly relevant to the modern business climate. The level of the presentation is such that it can be understood by anyone interested in basic management.
It will be years before the historical record concerning Bill Gates is finalized. Until then, it should be studied as a modern success story to be examined for the lessons that can be learned. This book presents those tales in a manner that is neutral concerning the controversial aspects of the richest man in the world who still flies economy as an example to his employees. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

An Honest Military Assessment
A historical figure like Che Guevara can easily become enshrouded in myth and legend. Much of the material written on him focuses on Che the revolutionary or Che the theorist, but they miss the real point. Guevara was first and foremost a soldier and tactician, and that is the emphasis of Paul J. Dosal's level-headed assessment of Guevara as a military figure.

Dosal takes a hard, honest look at Guevara's contributions to history, eschewing image for substance. When one probes beyond Guevara's vitriolic words against capitalism and imperialism, we find a man impatient with debate and theory, and anxious for decisive action and violence. Instead of a live-saving man trained in medicine, Guevara cast himself as a dealer of death in combat.

The Cuban Revolution is examined, from the first disastrous engagement after landing to the deluge of victories over Batista's tottering regime. Dosal supplies helpful and detailed maps of specific engagements and campaigns (some as small as squad-level) to illustrate the action for his readers. I found the maps to be a welcome addition that allowed me to visualize the engagements as they happened. They also made other engagements easier to imagine, because Che's ambushes usually followed a fairly set pattern.

It is refreshing to read a book that is so solidly concerned with Guevara's actions. While Dosal dwells on the development of Guevara's revolutionary philosophy, he also illuminates his record as a commander. Guevara was a superior tactician among his comrades in the Cuban revolution, but he had no subtlety or finesse in the political arena. This shortcoming steadily hindered his efforts after the victory over Batista: first by angering the USSR and China while ostensibly seeking their support for Third World revolution, and second by alienating any Bolivian allies during his ill-fated campaign there.

Che's modest theoretical efforts are reviewed in detail as well, and Dosal makes no effort to portray these contributions as especially original. Instead he points out that Mao Tse-Tung's writings, as well as those of Lawrence of Arabia, originally covered the field of Guerilla Warfare in more detail. Dosal also highlights how the conditions of the Cuban Revolution were unique. Batista's army was well equipped with weapons, but not with the will to fight. Guevara wrongly assumed that every other undeveloped capitalist/authoritarian regime would crumble just as easily. In fact, many of Guevara's theories are based upon this mistaken belief, and explain his awful performance in Bolivia.

The focus is kept tight throughout, and Dosal's findings are not always flattering. Fidel's miscalculations, especially at the beginning of the campaign, are highlighted. Guevara's bravery and natural tactical abilities in conventional and guerilla warfare are never questioned. But his impulsive, arrogant, impatient, and fatalistic traits come to the fore after the Cuban victory. Dosal covers his ineffectual fiasco in Congo. While the results were not entirely his fault, his naïve belief that African nationalists would embrace an Argentine as their leader was the root of his failure there. Dosal reveals how Guevara persisted long after failure seemed certain, and how it almost cost him his life when he refused to leave.

Special attention is paid to the disastrous Bolivian campaign. Many historians hint that Castro had a hand in Guevara's death, but Dosal effectively argues against the notion. Che's own shortcomings as a politician and planner proved to be the root of his failure and death. His tryst with a possible double agent, lack of planning for an urban support network, and insulting behavior toward Bolivian communist leaders all contributed to Guevara's doom. Guevara also violated most of the principles he articulated in his writings. Dosal's honesty about Guevara's character flaws ultimately make Che a more human, compassionate, and tragic figure than a lionizing biography would have.

Overall, Dosal's work rounded out my already considerable knowledge of this remarkable man. It penetrated through the myths to the man and his actions. I was impressed by the detail of the book. If I could name any fault, it is that events at the end of the Cuban campaign seemed to pass too quickly, without the detailed treatment of other battles. But in Dosal's defense, events did unfold in a virtual landslide pace, and the final military collapse of Batista's regime took little more than a month. Commandante Che is a must-read for anyone interested in Che Guevara as a soldier, tactician, and human, with as many flaws as dreams. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A masterful achievement
"The Papers of Ulysses S. Grant" is a project begun in 1962 for the purpose of publishing all the known letters written by Ulysses S. Grant. Volume one was published in 1967 and there are now twenty-four volumes in the series. People who follow Grant's career are aware of the inestimable value of this project. The Papers contain all known correspondence written by Grant and letters received by him. The editing of the series is unparalleled and the volumes represent primary source material at its apex.

Those who believe Grant was a "drunkard" or a "butcher" should read his own words, which show Grant's humor, pathos and unique personality. Masterfully edited by John Y. Simon, these volumes are a "must have" for anyone with an interest in U.S. Grant as a general, a politician and as a man ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Exceptional!
This is another masterful book in the series of the Papers of Ulysses S. Grant. Covering a privotal period of his Presidency, the book reprints all of Grant's letters of the time, as well as responses and memoranda directed to him.

"The Papers of Ulysses S. Grant" is a project begun in 1962 for the purpose of publishing all the known letters written by Ulysses S. Grant. Volume one was published in 1967 and there are now twenty-six volumes in the series. People who follow Grant's career are aware of the inestimable value of this project. The Papers contain all known correspondence written by Grant and letters received by him. The editing of the series (by John Y. Simon), is unparalleled and the volumes represent primary source material at its apex.

Those who believe Grant was a "drunkard" or a "butcher" should read his own words, which show Grant's humor, pathos and unique personality. Masterfully edited by John Y. Simon, these volumes are a "must have" for anyone with an interest in U.S. Grant as a general, a politician and as a man. My highest recommendation goes to these volumes. ... Read more

Book Description

The inside story of how a small band of agitators at Microsoft staged the stunning turnaround that transformed the company from an Internet laggard into such a dominant force that it was declared a monopolist.

1993. When Bill Gates peered into Microsoft's crystal ball, he saw a world of Windows.Then the Internet burst onto the scene, and suddenly Gates's Windows-oriented future didn't look so bright. The Internet was the future of computing--and the world's largest software company wasn't ready for it. In How the Web Was Won, veteran Seattle Times journalist Paul Andrews chronicles the explosive drama and high-stakes gamesmanship behind the most remarkable business turnaround of the 1990s: the story of Microsoft's turbulent journey from Windows to the Web--and of the handful of Internet believers who led the charge.
... Read more

Reviews (3)

Overall, pretty brutal
This book could have been written by Microsoft's PR group, since it so blatantly paints them as innocent coders just trying to better the world and makes no attempt to balance that position by exploring any dissenting opinions. The first few chapters are relatively interesting, covering some of the early internal development that's not widely covered elsewhere, but as soon as he gets near the antitrust stuff, Andrews is so pro-Microsoft that it's tough to believe what he's saying.

How the Interviews Were Won: Sucking up
Bill Gates will like this book. It casts him in a very favourable light. Andrews is consistent - in any issues of argument between Microsoft and its competitors, be they Sun, AOL, Netscape, or a host of other companies, Microsoft is the benevolent company that only wants to do well and the competitors are out to get this well-intentioned, if lumbering, giant.

This book is biased. But such bias is inherent in the format of the work - an insider expose of the history of Microsoft. It is the breadth and depth of information that the author was able to gain for access to internal Microsoft emails and interviews with relevant parties that makes the book the interesting page-turner that it is. That is both the book's biggest weakness and it's greatest strength.

"How the Web Was Won" is filled with Internet Explorer icons. Everything from the cover to the chapter heading are decorated in the (in)famous blue 'e'. When reading this book one would expect that more of it would focus on the actual development of the browser. Instead, the development of the browser is relegated to a single chapter and the remainder of the book is a combination of armchair strategy analysis and a recount of previously published information relating to the so-called "Browser Wars".

Don't look to this book for an independent look at the browser wars. Don't look to this book for a view from the front lines of browser development. This is yet another history of Microsoft from the DOS days to the latest .NET initiative, all coloured by the lens of looking at all developments from the perspective of the internet.

I take notes when I read a book. Based on my notes, this is what I learned from this work:

* Recent events in technology have moved from technology being driven by war to more peaceful societal pursuits - Lockheed Martin vs. Microsoft * IBM failed on the desktop because its software design process was rigid - and that was necessary for "five 9s" reliability on servers

However, they didn't change to the desktop which needed innovation and iteration at the expense of reliability

Microsoft succeeded in supplanting IBM because it used fast iterations on its products to get shipping code at the expense of perfect code.

Microsoft has failed in moving from the desktop to the server-side internet where greater reliability (security, virus-protection) is needed at the expense of features

* NAFTA's chapt.11 charges that Canada Post can't use government-subsidised revenue to finance a business that competes with a private enterprise

Microsoft used Windows money in the browser fight against Netscape

These are my thoughts on this interesting and personable recount of already published information.

Engrossing and Informative
You've all heard of Billionaire Bill Gates and the Merry Men of Microsoft. The story, in light of the recent antitrust ruling, is a good bit of modern history. Although a little too heavy on the biographies of the players, the narraive is well paced and seemingly objective. This book is for all who are using Windows, those who hate it, and wonder all about the Redmond, Washington company and what goes on behind its walls. The story is basically that of Microsoft and how it was about to write off the Internet until it was forced to work with it- and did it so well that the Feds came in (and other companies) want to put a stop to it. Really, this book is well written and entertaining for all those who, like me, want to keep up with the history of this seemingly overnight phenomenon known as the Internet. ... Read more

Book Description

On May 10, 1876, Ulysses S. Grant pulled a lever to start the mighty 1,400-horsepower Corliss Steam Engine, powering acres of machinery for the nation’s Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia. Grant summed up a century of American progress by saying, "Whilst proud of what we have done, we regret that we have not done more. Our achievements have been great enough however to make it easy for our people to acknowledge superior merit wheresoever found."

That summer, Fourth of July celebrations coincided with early reports that Lieutenant Colonel George A. Custer and his Seventh Cavalry had been wiped out by Sioux. Grant resisted the subsequent clamor for volunteers to crush the Sioux, but his peace policy lay in shambles, and he later criticized Custer’s unnecessary "sacrifice of troops."Soldiers sent to subdue Indians meant fewer available to help ensure a fair election in November. Grant’s correspondents described a pattern of physical and economic intimidation throughout the South, as Democrats sought to keep blacks from the polls. After whites massacred black militia in South Carolina, Grant warned that unchecked persecution would lead to "bloody revolution." As violence spread, Grant struggled to position limited forces where they could do the most good.

Scandals diverted Grant’s attention from larger policy questions. A series of Whiskey Ring prosecutions culminated in the February trial of Orville E. Babcock, Grant’s private secretary. A new scandal erupted in March when Secretary of War William W. Belknap resigned, hoping in vain to avoid impeachment for selling post traderships. Grant drew fire for having accepted the resignation, a move that ultimately led to Belknap’s acquittal by the Senate. An investigation also linked Grant’s brother Orvil to the scandal.

Grant battled a Democratic House of Representatives until late that summer over issues as vital as the budget and as symbolic as the president’s absences from the capital. He welcomed Rutherford B. Hayes as the Republican choice for his successor, despite private irritation at Hayes’s pointed pledge to serve only one term. As his presidency waned, Grant planned a trip to Europe when he left office. Investments would finance his travels, and he staked his fortunes on western mining stocks. In June, a granddaughter born at the White House brought the family joy in an otherwise trying year. ... Read more