| Book by Category | |  | E-Commerce | Home » » » Business @ the Speed of Thought: Succeeding in the Digital Economy | | | | | | | Description: | | Argues that the capabilities of computers, software, and networks are only beginning to be harnessed, and that companies must start building a modern, digital nervous system now in order to compete quickly and intuitively in the new millennium. Explains how to turn hardware and software into an evolving network of information. Softcover. | | | Features: | |
• ISBN13: 9780446675963
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
•
| | | Product Details: | | | Author:
| Bill H. Gates | | Paperback:
| 470 pages | | Publisher:
| Business Plus | | Publication Date:
| May 15, 2000 | | Language:
| English | | ISBN:
| 0446675962 | | Package Length:
| 8.7 inches | | Package Width:
| 5.5 inches | | Package Height:
| 1.2 inches | | Package Weight:
| 1.5 pounds | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 150 reviews |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
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 I enjoyed this; so might you.Nov 03, 2009
This book has been out for quite a while, so I was not expecting to hear any new developments in technology or commerce. I was expecting to hear Bill Gates' perspectives on business, so I got exactly what I was looking for. If I was looking for insights into the purely technological; then the Woz or Paul Allen would be my "go-to-guys". Bill Gates is just not the computer wizard that the Microsoft PR machine would have everybody believe. I've always believed that he is an extremely intelligent businessman, but far from being one of the greatest programmers. His strong suits are business and philanthropy; I appreciate all he has done in those areas.
If you're expecting any earth-shattering or even informative new developments, then you probably won't like this book. If you're interested in an overview of the basics or how companies have solved past problems, then I think this book is worth a look. I liked how examples ranging from McDonalds to Coca-Cola and from Boeing to Jiffy Lube were used to demonstrate how the same concepts can be applied to every kind of business. Some have wondered whether or not Chairman Bill used ghostwriters. It's possible because he did have people help with research, so it would not be surprising if people also helped him with writing. Either way, I enjoyed this book and definitely recommend it.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 A big disappointmentDec 28, 2008
I expected a lot from this book. It is after all by a person considered a thought leader by many. Unfortunately it seems more like a book written to take advantage of Bill Gates' big draw name, with nothing new or insightful in it.
I would be quite embarrassed to put my name on this book. It basically tries to put forward a fancy framework for corporate and global networks. In other words, the internet, something Microsoft famously completely missed the boat on and is still to this day trying to catch up on. Don't waste your time or your money, other than as a lesson in how corporates often completely miss the forest for the trees, especially when they own a very lucrative monopoly on a small piece of a much bigger picture.
There's nothing new or insightful here. Here's the short version to save you a whole lot of time trying to decipher the "insight": "Networks are good for business." Profound isn't it?
0 of 1 found the following review helpful:
PHB FodderJun 01, 2008
Do you remember that 90's Dilbert strip where the boss is listening to tapes on management-speak? In the strip, the boss repeats phrases and sentences as if it were a foreign language, and becomes gradually more confident with verbose, quasi-technical jargon. This was the first thing I thought of while listening to this book.
If you are looking to study management-speak as a foreign language, _Business @ The Speed of Thought_ is likely to be the next best thing to a Berlitz course. Otherwise, it's a completely unremarkable business book that has a bit of future prophecy. The observations and predictions do date this book; 1999 predictions about knowledge-workers and about using the internet for education seem uninspired at best.
Interesting BookNov 18, 2007
"Business @ the Speed of Thought" is an interesting book written by Bill Gates, a very well-known person of Microsoft fame. A lot has changed since 1999 across the business and technology sectors, but many of the lessons laid out in this book still apply as well today as they did in the late 1990s.
One of the key themes/lessons stressed by this book, that of "networking" in the context of teams and relationships, has become more visible, important and relevant since the book's publication, in my opinion.
A number of the approaches espoused by this book, including "digitizing internal processes," "digitizing relationships with business partners" and "build and utilize the power of networks," among others, are touted today by a number of companies as keys to their success.
Whatever one's opinion might be of Microsoft, "Business @ the Speed of Thought" provides an interesting perspective on business and technology from the point of view of one of technology's most successful operators.
 Information velocitySep 15, 2007
In fifteen months we will reach Bill Gates' proposed milestone (10 years) of an era where information velocity, and our ability to deal with it at 'The speed of thought' will make or break any business. The tech-bubble crash has certainly dampened the progress, but the book is nonetheless undeniably relevant - arguably even more so in today's fast-paced world. Companies such as Wal-Mart, Mark & Spencer, FedEx and many others are prime examples of lessons well learned. Don't be left in the dust, build your own digital nervous system before it is too late.
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