The Business of Changing Lives: How One Company Took the Information Superhighway to the Inner City [Hardcover]

Allan Weis (Author), Valerie Andrews (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2009

Can a company achieve profitable growth, work toward the betterment of society, and offer educational opportunities that bridge the socioeconomic divide? Absolutely. And Advanced Network and Services (ANS) CEO Allan Weis explains how in this unique, inspirational story. An Internet pioneer, Weis describes the unusual business model that enabled ANS to create the backbone of the Internet--the same business model he and similar visionaries have used to help low-income youth find high-tech jobs and give inner-city achievers powerful opportunities.

The Business of Changing Lives will help you balance your socially conscious desire to make a lasting impact on society with smart corporate management. By applying engineering acumen and social consciousness, Weis was able to lead his company to

• design and operate in record time the largest and fastest part of the Internet;
• sponsor an educational Olympics on the World Wide Web to introduce a new generation to the magic of computers, online learning, and the collaborative power of networking;
• close the digital divide between the technologically privileged and the technologically destitute.

With compelling, insightful, and inspirational stories, this book offers inspiration and guidance to help you make the world a better place and your business a stronger organization.

Praise for The Business of Changing Lives:
''The ANS story is a remarkable one: first, the mice outrunning the elephants in driving the explosive early growth of the Internet; then a radical drive to infuse the technology into K 12 education worldwide; then a hand-off of progress made; and finally a graceful exit. In twenty years, the sun shined three different days, and on each, ANS made hay.''
--Jim McGroddy, retired IBM senior vice president of research, and ANS board member

''Allan Weis is one of the unsung pioneers in the development of the Internet. Not surprisingly, he was also a pioneer in thinking about how the first generation of digital natives (our children) could become online users and creators of content. He launched ThinkQuest, innovative in its use of technology and student teamwork and international in scope. The ThinkQuest students produced wonderful content that has been shared all over the world.''
--Linda G. Roberts, director, Office of Educational Technology, Clinton Administration, 1993 2001

''While many individuals played important roles in the formation of ANS, Al Weis deserves special mention for his efforts in leading ANS, and in making it such an essential element in moving the Internet to wider adoption.''
--Robert E. Kahn, chairman, CEO, and president, Corporation for National Research Initiatives

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Greenleaf Book Group Press (September 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1608320111
• ISBN-13: 978-1608320110
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,317,697 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Four Stories (Technology, Philanthropy, Education, and Business) Weaved Into One, August 27, 2009

By 

Marc Bush (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Business of Changing Lives: How One Company Took the Information Superhighway to the Inner City (Hardcover)

In The Business of Changing Lives Allan Weis explains his and Advanced Network and Services' (ANS - his company's) role using technology, philanthropy, and innovative business practices to lay the foundation of the Internet, build a large-scale technology learning platform, and seed and mentor high-impact charities.

In the book, Weis weaves together four distinct, yet interconnected stories. The first is a technology narrative, about the rise of the world wide web and ANS' contributions to building the Internet. The second is an educational story, largely about the development of ThinkQuest - an online learning platform that has led to the creation of interactive educational resources for the Internet, and has trained tens of thousands of young students in web site development, teamwork, and management skills. The third story is of philanthropy, where Weis tells about ANS and its board's role in funding, mentoring, and providing strategic and technical guidance to a select group of charities and social entrepreneurs. The last story - which is woven through the entire book - is about business; Weis writes about the innovative practices employed by ANS and the ventures he describes to create lasting technological and charitable impacts.

All four of these threads are effective, and - while each could make for a book of their own - Weis boils them down to a fun, engaging book which mixes hard facts and numbers with anecdotal stories from ANS and the charitable programs. He is at his best, and his most passionate, telling the story of ThinkQuest, which combines all four narratives into an inspiring tale about an ambitious, far-reaching, and fun new platform in education and technology. (Perhaps in the second edition, the publisher could include an index with the URLs of many of the projects described in this section.)

The fourth story in The Business of Changing Lives - that of building a new business paradigm - occassionally leaves you wanting more. Weis tells of a number of new practices and philosophies that led to innovation among and cooperation between non-profit, academic, government, and private partners. There are lessons to be learned, but in contrast to the other sections, these stories are more often told than shown.

(Additionally, Weis makes clear that the philanthropic leanings and tendencies of ANS' leadership - their proclivities to "give back" - drove the business and charitable actions of the company, and that the business was the enabler of these activities but not the driver. This is an important distinction - and while admirable, poses an obstacle for replicating this type of large-scale and high-impact charitable activity.)

Altogether, The Business of Changing Lives is inspirational, engaging, and thought-provoking. It's a quick, fun read that opens your eyes to some important educational and technological stories and about the big impact that a relatively small institution could have.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring and timely, August 15, 2009

By 

M. Roberts (Maryland, US) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Business of Changing Lives: How One Company Took the Information Superhighway to the Inner City (Hardcover)

Amidst the daily barrage of selfishness in the news, reading this book was a breath of fresh air and inspiring actions by Allan Weis and his colleagues and the many, many young participants worldwide. Weis provides an inside look at the fascinating evolution of the internet both on a technical level and a sociological or business level. His many specific examples and illustrative sidebars give substance to the story. Weis' company took the unusual approach of trying to use all its money to do good with the objective of having no money but a meaningful legacy at the end. I found this both an easy and compelling read.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspirational Story, August 31, 2009

By 

Barbe - El Paso - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Business of Changing Lives: How One Company Took the Information Superhighway to the Inner City (Hardcover)

This is a fascinating book about the early days of the Internet, education and giving what you have before you leave this world. I like the little stories that make the book a quick read and fun. The part about the Internet was understandable even for a novice like me, and I took away a few tips on how to make my donations count.