My Road to Microsoft: One Woman's Success Story [Paperback]

Soraya Bittencourt (Author), Paula Martinac (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 2003

My road to Microsoft is a chronicle of a young woman rise as an engineer in the male-dominated field of technology and how her concept became Microsoft Expedia, the first successful Internet travel site.

Woven throughout this memoir is her personal story of coming out as a lesbian and sharing her life for 20 years with her partner.

The book starts in Brazil covering the struggle of becoming an engineer despite society’s limited ideas about what girls could achieve. Hitting the glass ceiling at age 23, she immigrates to America, works as a cleaning woman to survive until obtaining papers to work as an engineer.

Eventually her idea became the nucleus of Expedia when her disillusion with Microsoft makes her leave in 1998, as a millionaire.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

This memoir, is written in the fast-paced style of a novel, and will appeal to many different readers: those interested in Microsoft and other major technology companies; anyone interested in software development and Internet technology; women and girls wanting to learn about succeeding in the traditionally male field of computers; immigrants who want to succeed in America; and gays and lesbians looking for role models.

About the Author

Soraya Bittencourt has more than 20 years of leadership in the software field. Soraya is a former Microsoft executive and original creator of Microsoft Expedia.

Prior to Microsoft, Soraya worked at Lotus Development where she was responsible for the multimedia CD-ROM versions of 1-2-3, Notes, AmiPro, FreeLance, and the development of ScreenCAM.

Soraya was responsible for launching the first telecommunications satellite in Latin America and has won multiple awards for her expertise in user interface design, including Comdex's 1999 MVP AWARD for WebEx.

Her expertise is in software development, especially on Internet and hand-held product development. She holds a number of patents in this area.

Product Details

• Paperback: 220 pages
• Publisher: Xlibris Corp (June 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1413401066
• ISBN-13: 978-1413401066
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #697,856 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An enthralling memoir that I didn't want to end!, August 23, 2003

By 

"noellet" (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: My Road to Microsoft: One Woman's Success Story (Paperback)

___________________*****_____________________

I couldn't put book this down and as a rersult I read it until the wee hours. This wonderful book made me laugh and cry and left me longing for more.

Soraya overcame the imposed limitations of growing up in Brazil's male dominated society . She launched the first satellite in Brazil and became a famous Engineer. She came to America where she started all over by washing dishes. Soraya went to create and orchestrate one of the most successful websites for Microsoft.

Soraya is a brilliant visionary with a pioneers sense of adventure.
I wish there were more books of this caliber. I hope that Soraya continues to write more books.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a message of hope and perseverance!, August 11, 2003

By 

Ana Paula Cuba (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: My Road to Microsoft: One Woman's Success Story (Paperback)

I read a lot and it is rare that I find a book like this one. The story is engaging, easy to read, and really encouraging! It made me think on the many things I did not do for lack of courage and now I fell like I need to focus on those goals and just do them. If you are looking for a good read, read this one. It shows how is important to fight for what you beleive in!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars PERSEVERANCE, September 20, 2003

By 

Michelle Norris (Columbia, MD USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: My Road to Microsoft: One Woman's Success Story (Paperback)

This book touched my heart as soon as I read the first chapter.
It's easy to read with excellent continuity. Being in the IT field, I loved how it chronicled the technology. I also loved how it told the truth about the difficulty breaking the glass ceiling even when you're the smartest kid on the block.
This book is honest, moving, and triumphant. I can relate to all of Soraya's emotions - our circumstances may have been different, but the emotions are very much the same. I'm recommending it to all my friends.