Bill Gates

Even the staunchest of critics will usually concede Microsoft and its leader have demonstrated a remarkable flair for business over the years–whether or not, as a federal court has ruled, they boosted their efforts through improper means. Bill Gates, an entry in the Business Masterminds series from Dorling Kindersley, accessibly presents this management side for a general business audience. Robert Heller, founding editor of Management Today magazine and author of several books in the series, opens by acknowledging his subject’s talent for “combining widely known technology with practical application of extraordinarily powerful business ideas.” After a biographical sketch and brief mention of the antitrust case, Heller looks into the way the computer industry and its biggest player have reshaped the way we live and work. He then analyzes how Gates built his company (hired the super smart, managed knowledge effectively), developed the world’s leading software products (invested in research, recognized opportunities), and turned “vision into value” (took big risks, hedged his bets). As with other books in this series, periodic Masterclasses are included that break the relevant business practices down into easily understandable and eminently practical bulleted points. –Howard Rothman