Microsoft Rising: ...and other tales of Silicon Valley (Perspectives) [Paperback]

Ted G. Lewis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 10, 2000 | ISBN-10: 0769502008 | ISBN-13: 978-0769502007 | Edition: 1

Ted Lewis delivers a first-hand account of the changing computer industry, a story of Microsoft and the Silicon Valley. Lewis maps the history of computing from 1990 to 2000, a tale of greed and emotion in the fastest growing, mainline industry of the world. In this compilation of columns from Computer, IEEE Internet Computing, and Scientific American, Lewis tries to predict and explain the chaos of Silicon Valley.

This book reports the author's personal history through the early 1990's to the end of the decade. These stories often try to predict or explain the chaos of Silicon Valley. Lewis analyzes the high-technology industry and its constant change amid turmoil and upheaval. He also examines the art of software development and deals with innovation and the emergence of a techno-society. The book does not promise any answers, but rather concludes this short journey into the recent past with a number of provoking ideas about the future of hi-tech.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

This is the story of Microsoft® and how it rose to become the first monopoly of the information Age. The text is assembled from Ted Lewis's columns published in IEEE Computer (1994-1998), IEEE Internet Computing, and Scientific American. Microsoft Rising is a tale of great, emotion, and techno-marketing hype in one of the fastest growing, mainline industries of the world. It is an eye witness account to the changing computer industry and the story of Silicon Valley and how it works, a revisionist history of computing, circa 1990-2000. Microsoft Rising is ultimately about Microsoft's domination of the computer industry.

This book reports the author's personal history through the early 1990's to the end of the decade. These stories often try to predict or explain the chaos of Silicon Valley. Lewis analyzes the industry and shows how high-technology industry is constantly changing in turmoil and upheaval. He also examines the art of software development and deals with innovation and the emergence of techno-society. The book does not promise any answers, but rather concludes this short journey into the recent past with a number of provoking ideas about the future of hi-tech.

About the Author

Ted Lewis is CEO, and President of Daimler Chrysler Research & Technology Center, North America, in Palo Alto, CA. Before that he was Professor of Computer Science at the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA. Prior to 1993, he was a Professor of Computer Science at Oregon State University and Director of OACIS--a University-Industry Research Center created to transfer technology from research into products.
Lewis holds advanced degrees in Mathematics (BS), and Computer Science (MS, Ph.D.), and has over 30 years of experience with computers, starting with vacuum tube machines. More recently, he has designed e-commerce systems, web-zines, web-enabled databases, re-engineered large-scale enterprise systems, implemented video, teleconferencing systems for distance learning, defined software products for information appliances, performed technology and marketing assessments of network appliances, and advised clients on product definitions for World Wide Web Products.
He has extensive experience in the technical publishing industry, having served as the Editor-in-Chief of IEEE Software magazine 1987-1990, Computer magazine 1993-1994, Editorial Board member of IEEE Spectrum magazine 1990-1998, and was elected to the Governing Board of the Computer Society, twice. Widely read in the computer industry, Lewis writes the Binary Critic column for IEEE Computer magazine, and has written the Wired Wired World column for IEEE Internet Computing. He is also an occasional contributor to Scientific American, Upside, and other trade periodicals. He has been a guest of PBS Tech Nation, Ann On-line, Business Commerce Daily, Entrepreneur Magazine, Fast Company, and a number of Silicon Valley TV and radio stations.

Product Details

• Paperback: 340 pages
• Publisher: Wiley-IEEE Computer Society Pr; 1 edition (February 10, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0769502008
• ISBN-13: 978-0769502007
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,487,098 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Tales of Silicon Valley, July 27, 2001

By 

"fduranm" (Miami, FL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Microsoft Rising: ...and other tales of Silicon Valley (Perspectives) (Paperback)

If you are looking for a real history of Microsoft or the rising of Silicon Valley (this was my case), then this is not the book you are looking for. Instead, this book contains some articles of Ted Lewis (written between 1993-1998) that shows the evolution of the hi-tech industry.

Each article looks beyond the possibilities (in the time it was written) and the possible effects (let's say predictions) that in most of the cases were right and leaded to the actual present we are living. It was a very interesting reading although it was not the kind of tales that I was looking for.