Book Description

The book contains clearly written thumbnail sketches of 31 people who were of paramount importance in the conception and creation of the computer industry ... Read more

Reviews (3)

The People Behind the Computers
The book starts with a brief bio of Charles Babbage from the nineteenth century and then continues with twenty-seven twentieth century masterminds behind computer software, hardware, and business models. Each subject receives ten to twelve well-written pages by prolific journalist Robert Slater - Von Neumann and Shannon, Mauchly and Aiken, Shockley and Cray, Gates and Jobs, Backus and Knuth, and many others.

This book is for the serious reader, interested in the history of science and technology.

The book is part of my 900-volume library on science and technology, and I strongly recommend it. With the short chapters on each subject, the book would make a good gift - something to be carried in a brief case on long trips.

Very good book.
This is the choice when you need to know how the computer came possible.

Necessary Reading For Computer Types
This book is a series of bibliographic essays on the people behind the computer revolution. The subjects range from hardware builders to software writers to those that expanded the uses of computers. If you are a computer enthusiast, a lover of history or just a fan of a good book, this is definite reading. ... Read more

Book Description

Competing on Internet time means competitive advantage can be won and lost overnight. In this penetrating analysis of strategy-making and product innovation in the dynamic markets of commercial cyberspace, bestselling Microsoft Secrets co-author Michael Cusumano and top competitive strategy expert David Yoffie draw vital lessons from Netscape, the first pure Internet company, and show how it employs the techniques of "judo strategy" in its pitched battle with Microsoft, the world's largest software producer.

With a new afterword updating the events of the year following publication of the hardcover edition, Competing on Internet Time is essential and instructive reading for all managers, engineers, and entrepreneurs who want to succeed in ultra-fast-paced markets. Managers in every high-tech industry will discover a wealth of new ideas on how to create and scale up a new company quickly; how to compete in fast-paced, unpredictable industries; and how to design products for rapidly evolving markets. ... Read more

Reviews (22)

Interesting, objective look at the Browser Battle
One thing that I especially enjoyed about this book is that it almost completely avoided any gratuitous Gates/Microsoft bashing that appears to be vogue these days. Instead, Cusumano and Yoffie take the reader on a detailed yet interesting dissection of the organizations and decision making processes of the top brass at both Microsoft and Netscape. I also liked the way the authors would candidly point out where bad decisions/strategies were made, but fairly analyzed why they failed, and why they might have seemed like good decisions at the time. The allusions and comparisons to judo strategy in business were interesting as well.

End of Story
The lesson this reader learned from Competing on Internet Time: Lessons from Netscape and Its Battle With Microsoft is that you cannot publish a book on this topic in current time. Today we know that Netscape was dominated by Microsoft on three fronts. Microsoft attacked the Java technology that was Netscape's future, they eliminated Netscape's revenue stream by paying for Navigator browser removal and IE free distribution, and they forced Netscape to support past spaghetti code to match Microsoft's browser release schedules. Netscape existed for only four years. It, like many software startups, quickly built up a brand name and was sold. End of story.

But David B. Yoffie and Michael A. Cusumano would like us to believe that Netscape is (or could have been) an on going competitive concern. The first question asked by the authors is "Why will Netscape be around when we finish this book about a year and a half from now?"

Rather than pursue that question in any depth, the authors quote a Netscape official and then present principles they believe should apply when a company operates on Internet time. Some of those principles, for professional software developers and managers, border on malpractice.

Chapter Five, Development Strategy, is particularly troublesome. Responsible presentations on this topic relate rapid application design and object oriented tools to classical approaches and will present a life cycle that includes design, development, testing, and maintenance. The authors ignore function point analysis; lines of code are presented as if they were representative of effort. In a presentation sure to anger any CFO, a model for project management that ignores budgets and cost is presented.

I purchased this book because of its potential for explaining the Microsoft antitrust case. Certainly it has value for that purpose. It presents, for example, relevant material regarding the importance of Java to Netscape's development efforts, the use of fewer testers owing to possibly more mature coding staff, and the inability to get Netscape customers and investors to wait for a browser based on Java. The latter forced Netscape into maintaining and releasing a code base it had planned on abandoning. But the reader has to draw many conclusions. The authors note that "It is perfectly legal to win a near-monopoly through good business practices. But, once you have a dominant position, special rules apply." Does that mean that Netscape should still exist, or does it mean that the principles presented in the book have little practical value?

Certainly the work could have been better. It could have predicted the eventual sale of Netscape, instead of, in the last chapters, presenting a prescription for improvement. There will be other books on Netscape vs. Microsoft, by individuals closer to the action. It will be interesting to compare this work with accounts from the practitioners.

Dull
Probably fine as a business tome, but as an entertaining read, I found this a failure. I hardly got through the first few pages; the books starts with a long, obvious and patronising exposition about how internet has transformed our lives and what a revolution it's been. It reminded me a lot of "The Road Ahead" by Bill Gates.
Microsoft has been commercially successful, but at the cost of integrity. It has none whatsoever. This may indeed be Microsoft's downfall in the end, because the hatred towards this company is reaching a fever pitch. More and more users will realise that they can get by using other operating systems and products, supported by companies who have a less selfish vision for the future of computing.

Focus and Execution (not!)
These two business school professors (...) interviewed many people at Netscape and elsewhere. Though the conclusions do not come through as strongly in the book as they might, we learn that Netscape made three major mistakes: 1) it did not focus and execute on a long-term strategy, 2) it's software engineering practices were not as good as Microsoft's, and 3) it's software engineers were not as talented as Microsoft's. The biggest mistake was Netscape kept changing its mind about what business it was in. As a result, it was not able to execute hard enough and long enough to win.

Focus and Execution are key element of any business success!

Highly Recommended!
Michael A. Cusumano and David B. Yoffie have written a play-by-play of the competition between Netscape and Microsoft in an enormously detailed book that became an instant classic. Adding to the insider scoop, the authors take the opportunity to show readers how they can apply the "lessons" from this historic corporate battle to their own businesses in the context of today's fast-paced world, which runs on "Internet time." Critically acclaimed, the book is filled with facts, figures, insights and strategies, and manages to do it all without drowning in tedium. We at getAbstract highly recommend this book to people in all business. It's exceptionally well written and flows like a good adventure saga, which it is. (getAbstract note: Despite its commendable Judo tactics, Netscape in late 1998 was acquired by America Online Inc. in a deal that was roundly viewed as a final victory for Microsoft in the browser war.) ... Read more

Book Description

At its broadest definition, "information technology" is an umbrella term that describes all fields that relate to the organization and dissemination of information: from the worker who lays cable wires to the telephone switchboard operator to the engineer who designs the circuits in your computer. However, keep in mind that just because IT is computer-related, it doesn’t mean that a job in the field is necessarily with a computer-intensive company. In fact, the majority of the IT services jobs today are in fields that have little to do with high tech. What this means for you, the job seeker, is that opportunities are not limited to one industry but cross a wide variety of industries. Interested in taking on an IT role? Learn more by reading this brand new guide.

In it, you will find:

• Where the opportunities for entry are across various industries, from education to health care and the Internet
  
• What kind of skills and education are required to get hired
  
• What types of jobs you may want to consider, including creative, sales/marketing, support, and engineering positions
  
• What life is like as a UI designer, IT consultant, or engineer
  
• How to get in the door, and then put your best foot forward during your interviews
  
• More!

Reviews (3)

top-notch info and writing
a job well done in terms of giving me a very detailed picture of the IT industry. well-written and well-balanced. i'm already in the IT industry but want to make a career switch from front-end development (been doing it for a year now) over to back-end development. of course, i'm talking to friends and colleagues and gathering their advice, but I thought it couldn't hurt to pick up this guide. in fact, it was really helpful. plus, it's always kinda hard to ask people about what they make, so the fact that this guide lays it out with job descriptions and salary ranges was very enlightening indeed.

Clear and Easy to Read
I found this guide really helpful in clarifying the various sectors of the Information Technology industry. It was all laid out in a clear and organized way and was very easy to read. The information is broken up into easy-to-digest paragraphs with bold headings, so after an initial read, you can skim through pretty easily to review the main ideas. The writing was professional, without being stuffy and it was even funny at times. But most importantly, it was genuinely informative.

A Wealth of Info
It's clear this guide was written by an expert. I definitely feel like I got my money's worth in that I had a few vague ideas on what job occupation was right for me, and now I know what specifically to pursue. I am now about to embark on classes in User Interface design and Java programming. With my new skills, I'm hoping to work my way into the IT department at my health care/insurance company. ... Read more

Book Description

In 1996, Kara Swisher, then a reporter at The Washington Post, was granted unprecedented access to one of the hottest and most closely watched companies in the world, America Online, Inc.In aol.com, Swisher has written a book that captures the secrets of how AOL beat the competition and became the world's biggest online company.Swisher also reveals the company's behind-the-scenes dealings with Microsoft cofounders Bill Gates and Paul Allen, CompuServe, Prodigy, Netscape, and the Christian Right.

Throughout its existence, AOL has repeatedly been written off by the media and the high-tech world.Bill Gates threatened to buy it or bury it.Deep-pocketed competitors such as CompuServe and Prodigy thought little of their smaller rival.And AOL made matters worse by committing a series of public-relations and technical blunders that became front page news and enraged its subscribers.

But the company--a "cyber-cockroach"--refused to die.Now, with over eleven million subscribers, AOL is the undisputed leader in the online world, vitally positioned at the nexus of big business, high tech, advertising, and new media.In tellingthe story of AOL, Swisher also conveys the fascinating history of the online business, which has its origins in the dreams of an eccentric and little-known entrepreneur named Bill Von Meister, whose grand ideas and big spending spawned the fledgling company that would become AOL.But it fell to a young marketing executive named Steve Case to build AOL while fending off an onslaught of wealthier competitors and suitors.Ultimately, as Swisher vividly illustrates, AOL gained supremacy because Case possessed the best vision for his company, establishing AOL as a vibrant virtual community rather than an online shopping center or business tool.Included in that community is an array of enthusiasts, activists, and deviants who at times clash in battles over freedom of expression and family values, a flash point best illustrated here by AOL's fight against the Communications Decency Act.

Re-creating all of the major moments in AOL's frenzied history, aol.com is a fascinating and important inside story about the birth of a new medium, the enterprisinginnovators who are leading it, and the way it is changing our culture. ... Read more

Reviews (42)

The read of the year for geeks and non-geeks alike
For most people in the United States, the phrases "Kleenex", "Xerox Machine" and now, "America(n) Online," all serve the same purpose: the common pop culture reference for generic product categories - facial tissues, photocopiers and online access. Despite the insistence by some to add an extra "n" at the end of "America", AOL has captured that ultimate marketing Holy Grail: the absolute personification of its category. This testament to brand building and the emotional, human struggle of America Online's march to dominance is chronicled by former Washington Post reporter Kara Swisher in her new book, aol.com: How Steve Case Beat Bill Gates, Nailed the Netheads, and Made Millions in the War for the Web [Times Business/Random House, 1998].

From its beginnings as Control Video Corporation, a failed attempt to become the defacto distributor of Amiga video games and its reemergence as a privately branded online service for Commodore and Apple, through the early years of its existence as a platform independent online service to the position of dominance and mindshare it holds today, aol.com is as much a professional biography of Steve Case, AOL's CEO as it is a fascinating corporate history. Author Kara Swisher recognizes and illustrates that which has been a corporate mandate from nearly the beginning: the casting of Steve Case not as AOL's head honcho, but as a human being and a member, Just Like You And Me. Swisher's writing style is as intriguing and surprising as ever: in one chapter, she calmly leads us through an August 1996 pleasure cruise skippered by Ted Leonsis, AOL's PT Barnum, as he attempts to close the deal to install MTV's Bob Pittman as AOL's COO. As their rented yacht anchors on a dock in Italy, Leonsis is handed a local paper with the headline "AOL E Morte" - AOL is Dead, and sets the stage for the surprisingly detailed explanation for the Great Outage. That 19 hour drop in service, in one agonizing day, swung AOL directly i! nto the mass culture, casting a spotlight on what we all already knew: AOL was an indispensable part of our lives, computer geek or not.

Kara Swisher writes with a voice that is at once technically accessible to the masses, and appealing to the netheads who want more than just the cursory skinny on America's largest online entity. Her access to the management team of Case, Leonsis, Jean Villanueva and Pittman gave her the word direct from the source, and although she does not skirt the dark side of AOL's history, she appropriately places just the right importance and relevance to AOL's missteps. When the issue of Case's and Villanueva's personal relationship is revealed, Swisher balances the public reporting of the "scandal" with sensitive attention to the agony the two had over sharing this information with their beloved company. She appropriately takes David Cassel, AOL's enthusiastic but sadly misdirected online critic, to task for glorifying hackers and grasping at straws in an effort to defame AOL is his yellow net.journalism.

Finally, Swisher leaves the reader with a sense that no one really knows where this "Internet thing" is headed, or what AOL's ultimate role will be (and she is right on in her supposition). She provides a supremely satisfying reading experience to users who only know AOL as the "busy signal" company as well as to readers such as myself: a former AOL employee (and the recorded voice of their tech support line) who knows the score already, but loves to wallow in the recap of the game.

Run, don't walk to buy this book. Kara Swisher's aol.com will enjoy the same surprising permanent success that its namesake has been dealt, and is far and away the geek (and non-geek) read of the year.

The history of an online cornerstone is worth reading.
This is a good book, detailing Steve Case's journey in building AOL. Roughly the first half of the book covers birth through the early 90s, and the remainder is devoted to extensive discussion of AOL's many changes in response to the growth of the Internet.

Often described as a cockroach in cyberspace (in more ways than one), America Online has repeatedly defied critics by sustaining its growth and success through repeated hard times. In going from a distant third (behind Compuserve and Prodigy) to becoming the undisputed top proprietary service, the story of AOL takes the reader through a variety of issues which are still very relevant to the Internet in general (e.g. AOL has been dealing with online pornography, first amendment issues, spam, etc. for years).

This book is well-researched, well-written, and very interesting. Whatever your own opinions of AOL, if you are at all interested in the past and future of the online world, you owe it to yourself to learn about AOL and why it is so hugely successful.

AMAZING THE AOL IS STILL HERE!
Very fascinating and detailed look at the early and middle years of AOL (before the latest difficulties with TimeWarner merger). We see just how amazingly close we came to not having an AOL at all. Steve Case and his partners and co-horts came so close so many times to going belly up, yet the book also shows how others failed to capitalize on AOL's weaknesses and failed to understand its strengths.

It's a good read for anyone, but if you're an AOL user, it'll give you a true insight into this important company. It's an easy, fast read, too, which you might not expect. The latest issue was updated once, through 1999. I'd love to see it updated again in a few months, to cover all the Time Warner stuff and many reorganizations that have gone on just lately.

Part one of the history of America Online (AOL.com)
Kara Swisher has covered AOL and the Internet for the business section of The Washington Post since 1994. Now reporting on Silicon Valley for The Wall Street Journal, she lives in San Francisco. This updated version, published in 1999, included an new epilogue by the author.

The book starts with the now legendary meeting between the world-richest man Bill Gates (founder and chairman of Microsoft) and Steve Case (now chairman of AOL) in May 1993. In this meeting, Gates makes the following proposal to Case: "I can buy 20 percent of you or I can buy all of you, or I can go into this business myself and bury you." In hindsight, we now know that Gates did not buy America Online and did not bury them either. With this conversation in the background Swisher discusses the roots, the lack of business plan, the strategy changes (through which AOl got the nickname cockroach: "... a bug you couldn't kill no matter how hard you tried."), the people involved, the battles with Microsoft, Prodigy and CompuServe, the financial problems, the legal problems, the acquisitions of Netscape and various other companies, and Steve Case's vision (the three C's - "communication, community, clarity"). Most of the information comes from inside the company itself, where Swisher has interviewed the numerous people involved, but as a Washington Post-journalist there is plenty of external information.

Although this excellent book is about one of the best-known brands in cyberspace, it is perfectly readable for non-Internet geeks (like me). Yes, yes, I know, there are plenty of names and Internet terms around, but that doesn't even make this a bad and difficult read. I see this book as the first part in the history of America Online (AOL), from pre-startup through to late-1998. But plenty has happened since 1998 and I do expect the author to write another book on those events?!?

To dance beneath the diamond sky with one hand waving free
Karen Swisher weaves a compelling tale of America Online, a company saga that is remarkable in the annals of American business history. She recounts at the outset of this tale how Steve Case paid proper tribute to Bill Von Meister, the founder and visionary techie responsible for AOL becomming a commercial possibility.

Von Meister (VM) attracted some of the finest venture capitalists in the nation to his vision of sending video games into individual homes for a fee. While this dream did not pan out as commercially viable Von meister revealed a keen grasp of the future of the internet as long ago as the late seventies. Steve Case was not only intellectually curious when he met Von Meister, but immediately grasped the significance of his vision. Because VM was lax with his corporate spending habits while ignoring the rivers of red ink produced by a product without a market, Frank Caufield of Kleiner Perkins brought in his friend and investor in CVC, Jim Kimsey, to be his eyes and ears at the company.

As CVC tanked Quantum ne Aol was begun and Kimsey fought off the creditors while Case ran the business. As the company struggled thru the 80's Kimsey provided adult leadership while searching and finding enough capital to sustain AOL thru its bleakest times. As the microchip revolution caused a faster and more powerful computer base to grow up and around the company, Aol surpassed its resident competitors, Prodigy and Compuserve, as Case's clever marketing ideas continued to build a virtual community online.

When alex Brown took Aol public in 1992 the stock actually drifted below its IPO price for a couple of months before beginning its remarkable accent. Kimsey, who was older than Case and who had suffered more from opportunity cost than his younger counterpart, was in favor of selling out to Bill Gates in 1993. This didn't fly well with Case who eased Kimsey out in 1995, but what a way to go. Kimsey amassed one of the more significant fortunes in Washington DC business history and he did it largely by having the sense to know "which horse to ride", one Steve case.

Case went on to perform one of the more remarkable records of business timing any of us will ever witness. This series of correct moves included adding the right executives to the mix, the ones who could lead Aol "thru the iceburgs", and culminated in his buyout of Time Warner. The timing could not have been more deft.

This is a fascinating book about the best America has to offer. All aspiring businessmen should read it. ... Read more

Book Description

Momentous developments in the global economy over the last two decades have dramatically increased the availability of industrial investment sites and lowered the cost of relocating core activities to new countries. But how should these developments be exploited for competitive advantage? Firms face competing pressures: scale economies and the advantages of proximity push them to concentrate activities in one or only a few locations, while low wages and new markets invite dispersal across several countries.

This book examines how location decisions have contributed to the global dominance of U.S. firms in the hard disk drive industry. In analyzing the industry since its beginnings some forty years ago, the book explains how American leadership in disk drives has rested on the formation of two complementary industrial clusters. Fundamental research and product development has been located almost entirely in the United States, principally California. Manufacturing has been concentrated in Southeast Asia (initially in Singapore and later in Thailand and Malaysia as well). This duality has proven key to the successful competitive position of the U.S. disk drive industry.

Beyond the particulars of the disk drive industry, the authors present new perspectives on the sources of industrial leadership, the strategic behavior of multinational corporations, the geographic evolution of industry, and the creation and endurance of industrial clusters. Managers will gain insight into how location decisions can contribute to organizational effectiveness, and will learn that globalizing production, while keeping innovative activities at home, can contribute to their firms' competitive advantage. Policy makers will find that first mover advantages may be as important for countries as for companies, since early and systematic efforts to attract a specific industry can generate a critical mass of investments that, over time, will make a location resistant to inducements offered by other countries. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Outstanding book
This is an excellent comparative study of efforts by developmental states in India, Brazil, and South Korea to break out of preordained "comparative advantage" and develop modern high-tech sectors for their respective economies. Based on extensive field research in all three countries and supplemented by thorough use of archival evidence. A simply outstanding book!

The mechanism of developmental state
This book is regarded as de facto classic in the tradition of developmental state. The strategy of developmental state is the denial of extant hierarchy of comparative advantage. To achieve high growth rate, there should be high return sectors. But such sectors, in general, have no relation with developing countries. Then, should developing countries rest with agriculture or labor-intensive industries? Not necessarily. Such sectors tend to be low value-added, in other words, with low growth prospect. If you don¡¯t have it, then make it! It¡¯s the strategy of developmental state. But it¡¯s no more than what to do. There was not satisfactory conceptualization on how East Asian developmental state put that strategy into practice. Amsden¡¯s ¡®Asia¡¯s Next Giant¡¯ (reciprocity) and Evans¡¯ this book marked some conceptual leapfrogging.
In the tradition of developmental state, state intervention is pinpointed as a necessary factor to rapid industrialization in East Asian countries. This book elaborates what states did to promote the industrial transformation (or, in Porter¡¯s word, achieve competitive advantage). Evans argues that ¡®embedded autonomy¡¯ (networking between bureaucrats and business) was the key to the developmental state¡¯s effectiveness. What define the developmental state are ¡®the state autonomy¡¯ (or strong state in the jargon of political science) and ¡®the state capacity¡¯. The state autonomy refers to the insulation of the bureaucracy from particularistic interests of, for example, the labor, the landlord, civil society, or the business. But ¡® a state that was only autonomous would lack both sources of intelligence and the ability¡¯ to implement its strategy. But the state that is only embedded is ready for capture. ¡®Only when embeddedness and autonomy are joined together can a state be called developmental.¡¯ Evans takes real world example, to support his conception, from history of IT sector in South Korea. IT sectors of India and Brazil are taken together. But latters are mobilized to contrast Korea¡¯s against them. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

You've seen all this before
If you've read anything online about Tech Support and dumb computer users, then you'll already read this book.

I had high hopes of reading some funny, new, interesting stories. This book was a big disappointment. I don't think there was anything here that I hadn't already seen online at sites like www.idiotwatchers.com

I was hoping for something more like Computerworld's Shark Tank.

At any rate, save yourself some money and just look for items like this online. You won't miss a thing.

I think i'm the tech in some of these lol
Tim was a level 2 tech where I work. Some of these stories are straight from there. This book should be shipped with every computer with a disclaimer that reads:Unless you can honestly say that you will not be a canidate for the sequel of this book and are not under the effects of alcohol or medication and none of the walls are padded in the room you're in do not call technical support you will be transferred to the id10t (pronounced- eye dee ten tee) queue. :P

This book is hilariously funny! I can't wait for the sequel! (there will be a sequel right tim?) James

A 'laugh out loud' look at dumb computer users
I just got my copy in the mail today, and I can't stop laughing. When I was a computer tech, I thought I heard it all - apparently not. The stories in this book are a real treasure for anyone who uses a computer or works in customer service. It's also a fun read - one of those books you can open to any page and just start laughing out-loud. Highly recommended.

Painfully funny
To anyone who has ever worked as a tech or just tried to help a retarded friend figure out how to play an MP3, this book will bring back some pretty painful memories, but at least this time, you get to laugh at someone else!!!

many thumbs up on this book...
I've read this book 2 times in the past week it hit the shelf. I once worked with the author and this guy isn't joking about anything in this book. If you're a tech rep, phone rep or otherwise, this book is for you. If you're not a tech, get it anyway so you're not written about in the next book! The people that actually own these systems should've never passed the 3rd grade let alone drive a car or be trusted with our children. This book tells you alot of problems that we have to sit through everyday and keep a big smile and say 'you're right, sir' you didn't need that cable in there that was red, red ones are extra parts. I dont know, every tech on the phone or somewhere else could write a book but not this creative and explixive. Give many thumbs up on this book - hell, it should be a novel to the people in it. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Few industries can grab the world's attention these days--and hold the promise of totally reshaping its future--like communications. Bestselling author Ken Auletta profiles many of the field's leading lights in great depth in The New Yorker, and 17 of his most compelling essays since 1992 have been collected in a book that offers close-up details as well as long-range perspectives on movers and shakers such as Bill Gates, Rupert Murdoch, and Ted Turner. Available in paperback, The Highwaymen: Warriors of the Information Superhighway has been extensively revised and expanded since its original publication. --Howard Rothman ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Insight on Superhighway Creators
The highway being described in this book is the information superhighway and the people being discussed are its developers. Jumping to the postscript at the very end, Auletta observes "while the Highwaymen enjoy immense power, they remain vulnerable" (p. 355). This is the paradox presented throughout the book. The regulators, entrepreneurs, and public do a dance of vulnerability in the development of the new technologies as niches are being carved out. One of the realities of corporate growth is that as they become large, they sometimes lose the freshness associated with risk and creativity. Auletta says "it becomes more difficult for them to maintain a focus, to make quick decisions, to stay creative" (p. 134).
The ancient concept of pathos is explored in 21st century corporate America. In describing how business decisions are made in Sumner Redstone's organizational culture, he quotes an associate as saying "most deals are fifty percent emotion and fifty percent ecnomics" (p. 61).
Aulette spends a little time on media content, pointing out the hypocrisy of film producer Oliver Stone, who sees his distortions (to be even more accurate fabrications) as "artistic freedom, while he demands strict accuracy from reporters covering him.
The reader is left with numerous insights that would not be attained anywhere else. This book is a worthy read.

Great book on the media business!
This is an interesting series of past news features on the media business. The book chronicles some of the most fascinating media personalities from Rupert Murdoch to Herb Allen to Barry Diller to John Malone to Edgar Bronfman Jr. to Bill Gates. This is a fascinating book by a guy who was given incredible access by a large number of media executives. Highly recommended.

well reported; worth reading
Ken Auletta already proved with Three Blind Mice--his book about the Big Three traditional broadcast networks--that he's a dogged reporter. Few thoughts, musings, or nuances of expression go unrecorded. "The Highwaymen" continues in that tradition. Auletta aims to offer some sense of the men (and they're almost all male) who make the decisions about what the rest of us will be seeing, listening to and seeking for entertainment and how that software will be delivered. He delivers well-wrought profiles of these people through their deeds--which often contrast with their words, and that tension is illuminating. Finally, at the end of each piece are postscripts which offer the reader a scorecard; which of the fearless mogul's bold predictions came true, which crashed a burned: everybody thought interactive/VOD TV was going to take off--so far, it's been a stalled cash-disposal scheme that sucks in capital with no discernable result. The point is that for all their visionary claims, these people are no better at predicting the future than anybody else. If you missed the original pieces as they ran in The New Yorker and have an interest in the thinking (or lack thereof) behind movies like Basic Instinct or any of Oliver Stone's noxious fantasies, buy the book ... Read more

Book Description

The unauthorized biography of an immigrant's son whobecame a multibillionaire working for Bill Gates, and probably the highest-paid employee in American history.

In January 2000, Bill Gates gave his vast responsibilities and title of Microsoft CEO to his best friend Steve Ballmer, a man relatively unknown to the public. Based on in-depth study and interviews with classmates and Microsoft insiders, Fredric Alan Maxwell vividly brings to life one of the technology industry's most colorful and controversial figures: Steven Anthony Ballmer. From Ballmer's relatively humble suburban Detroit beginnings (where he and his archrival Scott McNealy went to competing high schools) and his 1974 meeting with Gates in a Harvard dorm, Maxwell richly details how the competition addicts Ballmer and Gates have worked together for the past twenty years to form Microsoft's ego and id. The up-by-the-bootstraps saga reveals both the good boy Ballmer -- the dedicated son, great friend, and supportive schoolmate -- and the bad boy Ballmer -- the ruthless businessman who earned the nickname "The Em-balmer."

Reviews (2)

Better than Mambo Chicken!
Ed Regis is an exceptional writer.

This book is actually based on research, or least we anticipate a journalist's report of details. If you read his earlier book Mambo Chicken and the Transhuman Condition you might choke on a few missing details. Ever hear of a transhuman? Regis applied this title grabbing "transhuman" to a few people who didn't know what the word was, let alone meant.

Regis' use of "transhuman" was wide of the mark. His writing was marginalized when he neglected to point out the transhuman futurists in Los Angeles. Even one who coined the term, let along with a hundred others. At least they called themselves transhumans, unlike the Silicon Valley geeks. But then Wired magazine appealed to Silicon Valley and LA was Hollywierd. Sounds like Regis was noshing his editors at Wired.

At least Regis is moving in an interesting direction with alchemy, can't factualize that.

Roy Whitman

Well Written and Researched Complexity and Santa Fe Hype
This is a well researched, well written, interesting book about scientists in Santa Fe developing entrepreneurial start-ups based on complexity science. The science and business combination is fun and wide ranging. It belongs to a genre of books about the Santa Fe Institute, of which Michael Waldrop's Complexity is one of the earliest and best. Many of the characters are the same in both books. My criticism of the Info Mesa is that much of it reads like publicity hype. It overstates the scientific accomplishments of the Santa Fe Institute and the importance of complexity research. It overstates the health of the tech business climate in Santa Fe. It romanticizes the people who work at SFI. It romanticizes the town in which they work. The descriptions of Santa Fe are so over the top as to be laughable to those of us who live here. Not even our tourist brochures hype Santa Fe so well. So, in conclusion, the Info Mesa's story isn't really so. All of you should just stay home, and leave Santa Fe to those of us who got here before you. ;-) ... Read more

Book Description

The JobBank Guide To Computer & High-Tech Companies is the most comprehensive resource available for one of America's fastest-growing industries. The JobBank Guide To Computer & High-Tech Companies includes:

-Detailed information on 5,600 computer and high-tech employers nationwide-with company profiles including descriptions; addresses; phone, fax; and jobline numbers; and hiring managers. Many listings also include e-mail and Web addresses; common professional positions; educational requirements; internships; and benefits.

-Geographical and alphabetical indexes to help target potential employers by name or state.

-Professional associations for computer and high-tech jobseekers.

-Concise, practical guidance on all aspects of the job search-from preparing resumes and cover letters to lining up interviews.

-Profiles 1,270 executive search firms and permanent employment agencies whose specialization's include the placement of computer and high-tech professionals, organized by state. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

high tech resource book--
great list of technical headhunters
great place to make calls when looking for a job

a great resource
i read the previous edition (1997) to the jobbank guide to computer and high-tech companies, and i must say that it was well-written. i'd recommend it for anyone looking to get an overview of who's who in an exploding industry. i'd also recommend a look at the VaultReports Guide to the High-Tech Industry, which was extremely insightful and a bit more of a fun read.

This book is great
Hey this book is great! I now can fix minor problems on my computer ... Read more

Book Description

While information technology companies have a special affinity for the Internet, they are not necessarily using Internet marketing to its fullest potential. Addressing the specific Internet marketing needs of IT companies and written for IT marketing pros, this how-to guide shows how to make the best of a Web site, get the most out of online advertising and e-mail marketing, build a Web community, and participate in affiliate marketing programs. Numerous case studies from IT companies are used to illustrate the concepts. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A good journalist's overview of the Microsoft antitrust case
This is a well written chronicle of the anti-trust battle waged between Microsoft and the Justice Department's Anti-trust division.

Auletta does a fine job of revealing the personalities of the major players on both sides of the aisle, especially Davied Bowies of Justice and Bill Gates. Gates, who, by common consent is seen as a brilliant is shown (also by common consent) as an emotionally immature individual who genuinely believes that what Microsoft is doing a good thing for everyone and seems to think that laws do not have the final say in matters over his company.

I came away with the feeling that if Microsoft had dealt with the allegations by co-operating with the Anti-trust division early on and with total honesty this may not have ever been a front page story. But the stubborness of Gate's personality, his inability to compromise almost guaranteed this would become a major newstory and legal case.

There's a lot to be commended here. Auletta has interviewed literally all the key players, poured through the legal record and has some keen insights that are both his own and garnered from interviews. I really enjoyed World War 3.0 and don't believe you need to be a lawyer to understand the issues at hand. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Informative book on the evolution of the computer
The Dream Machine provides a plethora of information to the reader. It gives specific detials of the evolution of the computer. Including: many people, companies (IBM, Remington Rand), the languages of programming, the personal computer and more... ... Read more

Book Description

Though Japan has successfully competed with U.S. companies in the manufacturing and marketing of computer hardware, it has been less successful in developing computer programs. This book contains the first detailed analysis of how Japanese firms have tried to redress this imbalance by applying their skills in engineering and production management to software development. Cusumano focuses on the creation of "software factories" in which large numbers of people are engaged in developing software in cooperative ways--i.e. individual programs are not developed in isolation but rather utilize portions of other programs already developed whenever possible, and then yield usable portions for other programs being written. Devoting chapters to working methods at System Developing Corp., Hitachi, Toshiba, NEC, and Fujitsu, and including a comparison of Japanese and U.S. software factories, Cusumano's book will be important reading for all people involved in software and computer technology, as well as those interested in Japanese business and corporate culture. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Software factories now in India?
The explanation for what happened to Japanese software factories is in Cusumano's latest book, The Business of Software, which is a more valuable read. The Japanese factories tried to solve the problem of efficiently building custom systems for Japanese customers using mainframes. Cusumano still argues that the factory approach worked well for mainframe software but Japanese programmers didn't have the skills to shift to newer platforms (PCs, workstations). I think the author over-estimated what the Japanese would be able to do. The Japanese are still struggling with old-style development techniques, despite close to zero-bugs, according to recent data from Cusumano. The Indians adopted similar practices (standard dev techniques, reuse, statistical data) but with much better trained people, more adaptable processes, and have been able to handle a wide variety of systems requirements and technologies. I still find Japan's Software Factories a useful look at how Japanese and some U.S. companies made progress in software engineering, particularly their approach to quality control and testing, and reuse. The Indians have gone a step beyond Japan, but they had to start somewhere.

Cusumano's initial misconceptions about software
This is one of the earliest in a series of books that Cusumano has written on software technology. In this book he cries "Wolf!": the Japanese are so much better at industrial strength software development than Americans, they have a "software factory", etc., etc.

In his subsequent books, especially those on Microsoft and Netscape, Cusumano slowly discovers that the traditional software development process, requirements/specifications/code, etc., e.g. the waterfall model, is *NOT* the model adopted by successful software companies (and, indeed, not the model adopted by many hardware companies). He learns that designs are not something to be churned out by a factory - indeed, if they can be churned out, then they should be reusing exactly the same software.

In some ways the packaged software industry, e.g. Microsoft, supplanted the custom software industry in this timeframe, the time of the PC; Microsoft's process, which Cusumano calls "synchronize and stabilize", may be considered to be JIT (Just In Time) software specification and development. Or, if not Just In Time, As Soon As Possible and No Earlier than Necessary.

While I cannot agree with the conclusions of this book, it is interesting to have on one's bookshelf, to see the evolution of the author's thought over time. ... Read more

Book Description

In January 2000 Bill Gates gave his responsibilities and the title chief executive officer of Microsoft to his best friend, Steve Ballmer, who had been at Gates's side almost since the company's earliest days. The news sent shock waves throughout the technology and computer worlds, making many people wonder about the man who was now entrusted with Bill Gates's baby.

The life of Steve Ballmer is an incredible story of tremendous ambition, genius, arrogance, and charisma, an up-by-the-bootstraps saga of how the child of immigrants growing up in suburban Michigan became the only American billionaire to acquire his wealth working for someone else. Bad Boy Ballmer also reveals a man so arrogant that after the Department of Justice filed its antitrust suit against Microsoft, Ballmer stood onstage in San Jose and proclaimed "to hell with Janet Reno," a man so intense and aggressive that he once ripped his vocal cords by yelling too loudly.

In this revealing biography -- based on in-depth study and interviews with Microsoft insiders -- Fredric Alan Maxwell provides the complete, controversial narrative of one of the technology industry's most influential, talked-about figures: Steven Anthony Ballmer, the awkward Detroit Country Day School valedictorian who rose to become Microsoft's president, and in the past two years, its CEO. Together with Bill Gates, Ballmer leads the company he and Gates took from less than 30 employees to some 50,000, and annual revenues from $12 million to more than $20 billion and rising. A balanced portrait, this book reveals the good boy Ballmer -- the dedicated son who once took three months off to care for his ailing parents, and the bad boy Ballmer -- the ruthless businessman who at the same time devised and led a scorched earth policy against other software developers, a policy that earned him the nickname "The Em-balmer."

Bad Boy Ballmer is also the definitive story of the Bill Gates/Steve Ballmer relationship, from their 1974 meeting at a Harvard dorm to the present. Providing fresh insights into the longstanding bond between this odd couple, who describe their relationship as a marriage, the book will show how Ballmer and Gates work together to form Microsoft's ego and id. Or, as former competitor, Novell's Ray Noorda calls them, "the Pearly Gates and the Emballmer: one promises you heaven, the other prepares you for the grave." One half of the new economy's most powerful partnership, Ballmer's greatest accomplishment, Bad Boy Ballmer shows, may be putting up with Gates for over two decades.

Eye-opening and thorough, Bad Boy Ballmer is a shocking look at one of the masterminds of the technological age.

Reviews (18)

Interesting, Geekish, Exhuberate, and Brilliant
Fredric Alan Maxwell is loud and proud. I would have discarded the book early in the reading, if it had not been for exuberate descriptions and storys of Steve Ballmer. Maxwell seems to hate capitalism. I'm a strong believer in capitalism, so his scarcastic remarks really annoyed me. Rather than letting the reader analyze the facts about Microsoft, he interjected stupid idols, such as, calling Microsoft the "beast". Its like he wants the reader to believe, Microsoft is the gangster who rapes, pillages, and destroys the community. Maxwell does not seem to be high tech expert, he can barely talk intelligently about subjects like Java, dot.net, and Server technology.
Think about it, Microsoft has made Corporate America richer because of its products. Microsoft wealth is simply a product of supply and demand. Customer continue to demand their products. Most of the VB and MFC programmers I know have migrated to developing in C# , ASP.net, and VB.Net. Dot.net was a great strategic move by MS. Win 95 was a hugh success and pattern to follow for emerging hardware introductions. Win 95 made the leap from 16 bit apps to 32 bit apps. The 32 bit apps were cool, so I dished out the money and receive value for several years using win 95. I've never regretted my investment in MS products.

Maxwell wants badly to denounce Microsoft incredible wealth machinery by claiming MS pulled a fast one. Maxwell points out the battle turned from the Justice Department to the political election. MS would reverse political democratic tradition by supporting Republican George Bush Junior and hope his administration would not agressively pursue the anti-trust charges. $2 million in soft money to the Republican party. Ballmer would yell "Who op!" three times seeing a possible escape from Judge Jackson. Bush would reveal, he was on the side of big business, just what Microsoft wanted to hear.

At the turn of the century, 2000, Ballmer became the MS CEO, fourth richest man in the world, and characterized himself by screaming "I love this company!". I found Ballmers biography from childhood to adult: interesting, geekish, exhuberate, and brilliant. Ballmer would meet Gates at the Currier house. Gates would leave Harvard claiming they had nothing more to teach him. Gates and Paul Allen purchased existing code for 75k and created Basic. Ballmer graduates Harvard and goes to work for P&G. Later, Ballmer's excellence in math and ambition would take him to Stanford. In the meantime, Gates would be under pressure to build an OS compatible for the IBM PC Junior. Prior to graduation Ballmer would leave Stanford and help Microsoft manage the amazing feat.

Ballmer is a interesting person to follow. I found his story inspiring.

Extremely disappointing
Very poorly written, frequently goes off on irrelevant tangents, clearly biased against Ballmer, MS and Bill Gates, and full of factual errors. His attempts to describe technology are laughable.

Interesting and Eye-opening Read
I got Bad Boy Ballmer as a present, put it on my bedside table, and picked it up one night last week. I read it all the way through, discovering more about Microsoft than I'd read anywhere else. A tech buddy has his birthday next week. I'm getting him a copy.

Extrodinary
I hadn't heard of this book until I read a New York TImes Magazine piece by the author, about how he was investigated by the Secret Service while writing the book. The author has a fine sense of humor as he relays the story of how Ballmer became a multibillionaire and possible the highest paid employee in American history. Most important, he researched the story at over fifteen libraries and archives nationwide. There's even a chapter about my town, Birmingha, Michigan, where Ballmer went to high school.

A winner
Bad Boy Ballmer showed me, a non-techie, how both Microsoft and Ballmer made their many billions on the back of inferior products. I give the book out as presents. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great introduction to telecom policy issues and history
This was the first book I read about information and telecommunications policy, and it made me feel like I was not alone, lost in the confusing jungle of telecommunications: the historical baggage this field carries with it makes it difficult for any author to approach. However, Gordian Knot does a good job: comparing the present with the past (railways) and offering a solution that would really promote competition in communications. This book was read for an intro course on telecommunications policy, and is something I would suggest all people interested in the debates surrounding the development of infrastructure and competition in telecommunications should read. To supplement, I would suggest: Technologies of Freedom - Pool, and Brock's 'Telecom Policy for the Information Age'. ... Read more