The Difference Between God and Larry Ellison: *God Doesn't Think He's Larry Ellison (Paperback)

by Mike Wilson (Author) "LARRY ELLISON WALKED DOWN THE LONG HALLWAY, HIS SNEAKERS chirping quietly as he approached the living room..." (more)
Key Phrases: corporate information managers, incriminating message, relational technology, Larry Ellison, Bob Miner, Gary Kennedy (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
It seems like all of the biggest names in the computer industry are getting the celebrity bio treatment these days. But no corporate CEO deserves it more than Larry Ellison, the charismatic head of Oracle Corp. This isn't your standard, dry, "learn-from-his-example" type of life. It's not that Ellison's life doesn't offer the same lessons in hard-won business success as some of his colleague's, because it certainly does. It's just vastly more entertaining.

In The Difference Between God and Larry Ellison, author Mike Wilson delivers a fascinating and genuinely interesting portrayal of Silicon Valley's most notorious bad boy, constructed from hundreds of interviews with friends, colleagues, and those unfortunate enough to stand in Ellison's way. There are plenty of behind-the-scenes stories of the growth and worldwide success of Oracle, which Ellison founded in 1977. Plus, there's plenty of the good stuff: tales of Ellison's truly fast-lane lifestyle, filled with big boats, beautiful women, and celebrity friends. While this book probably won't transform you into a fan of Ellison's, you will be grateful for a chance to observe him--from a safe distance.

The punchline is "God doesn't think he's Larry Ellison," of course. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Kirkus Reviews
An authorized biography of Oracle's founder and brash billionaire leader. Ellison, the adopted son of a Jewish couple from Chicago, seems to specialize in reinventing himself. By all accounts, he grew up on middle-class South Shore Drive, but he has told reporters that he lived in the South Side ghetto. He was an uninspired student who never received a college degree but would maintain something of an obsession with the University of Chicago and imply he had an advanced degree in physics. Ellison is also an indifferent student of language but has arranged his home with all the trappings of a Japanese lord, and a few boats and helicopters to boot. These grand inconsistencies--delightful to some, horribly irritating to others, including many former employees--go a long way to explaining Ellison's unbelievable success at marketing his Oracle database software, used by thousands of companies. One employee, a devout Mormon named Rick Bennett, even considered his ubiquitous software akin to ``an instrument of God'' and believed Ellison pivotal to modern-day Mormonism. Wilson, an investigative reporter for the St. Petersburg Times, wisely focuses much of the attention on Ellison's one-sided feud with Bill Gates (who views Ellison as something of a gadfly but doesn't mention his name at all in his book, The Road Ahead) and documents his obsession nicely. He also does a fair job of explaining Ellison's vision for the NC, an inexpensive computer that provides quick access to the Internet and stores all of its software on a network server, rather than on a hard drive. While some in the computer business see the NC as the future computer for schools, many others see it as a $500 empty box and a poor attempt to topple Microsoft. While the title is the funniest line of the book, this is an engaging, humanizing look at a Silicon Valley megalomaniac. (8 pages b&w photos) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 420 pages
• Publisher: Harper Paperbacks (November 11, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060008768
• ISBN-13: 978-0060008765
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (42 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #317,239 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Larry is a piece of work., August 26, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Difference Between God And Larry Ellison*, The *god Doesn't Think He's Larry E: *god Doesn't Think He's Larry Ellison / Inside Oracle Corporation (Paperback)

Having worked for Oracle as a technical support rep, back when there were only five of us in the US and seven worldwide (we kept our support database on paper because the database was too slow and prone to corruption!), I too recommend book.

"The Difference Between God and Larry Ellison" is a 'must-read' for anyone considering buying a relational database management system, working in the industry, or for anyone who is simply wants to mercilessly crush their competition with mediocre products and high pressure sales tactics. Larry Ellison makes Machievelli look like Saint Francis. However, like Ghengis Khan, you have to admire his accomplishments.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Insightful view, May 4, 2004

By	"cannington4" (Ocean Springs, MS USA) - See all my reviews

The book flows well, is interesting to read, and gives good insight into Larry Ellison himself as well as Oracle. There is considerable background material that all seems relevant as the book progresses. Ellison was interviewed 4 times for this book, and while the book reflects overall a favorable opinion of him, it also seems very truthful and frank. I gained a better insight of the software and database industry from reading the book. Was also helpful in analyzing Ellison and his leadership strategies.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Textbook case of Attention Deficit Disorder?, December 1, 2000

By	nonamespecified - See all my reviews

This review is from: Difference Between God And Larry Ellison*, The *god Doesn't Think He's Larry E: *god Doesn't Think He's Larry Ellison / Inside Oracle Corporation (Paperback)

A fascinating read, but I was quite surprised to find no discussion of Attention Deficit Disorder in this book. Much of Mr. Ellison's behavior is quite 'understandable' assuming he 'suffers from' / 'is blessed with' ADD. Read 'Driven to Distraction' along with this book and see if you agree.