- Paperback: 252 pages
- Publisher: Vintage; New edition edition (1 Jun 2000)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0099289075
- ISBN-13: 978-0099289074
- Product Dimensions: 19.4 x 12.8 x 2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 944,380 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
By car and by plane, masses of people are heading west to Silicon Valley to make their fortunes. No-one wants to go to Hollywood anymore. Silicon Valley is the only place on earth where you can make mind-boggling sums of money for having talent, ability and just a great idea.
Until now, the world-famous valley has been shrouded in mystery, but in his highly entertaining new book, The Nudist on the Late Shift, Wired journalist Po Bronson reveals the true stories about the real people who are making it happen in the virtual world. Meet the co-founder of Yahoo!, David Filo, worth more than $500 million, who still sleeps under his desk one night a week and thinks nothing of wearing a T-shirt advertising rival search engine Excite. Find out how Sabeer Bhatia dreamt up the idea of a free e-mail service called Hotmail and read how Microsoft's Bill Gates pursued him with unimaginable amounts of money. Meet the programmers who like to split their computer screens in two so they can deal in their own shares and program at the same time; and finally meet the nudist who works the late shift. It's true. There is a programmer who strips off after normal office hours. He does it to assert his freedom.
Po Bronson has spent most of the decade searching for the best true Silicon Valley stories. Before you head west to try to make your fortune, be certain you read this book or at least remember to take it with you. --Justin Hunt
Book Description
Bestselling author Po Bronson tells the true story of the greatest legal creation of wealth in the history of the world, and the people in the Silicon Valley who are making it happen
--This text refers to an alternate
Paperback
edition.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
One's instant response to Bronson's tale of the highs and lows of silicon valley's cycle of creativity and production is that it perfectly defines, as well as captures, the "Zeitgeist". Within the body of this book is the evidence of the rapidity of change which characterises this industry of driven men, women and ideas. Entrepreneurs who were not fast, clever or well-connected enough to read the last passing wave are chasing deals too small to interest the venture capitalists who had moved from investing $5 million to $50 million, leaving those with a small idea bereft of the means of realisation. The style of writing is intense and forensic - character assessments are the equivalent of the 25 word pitch, and just as effective. The chapters deal with generic groupings - "The Programmers", "The Entrepeneurs", "The Salespeople" - Bronson kept my interest by moving from the often superficial personages adorning the pages of "The Newcomers" to "The IPO" - a riveting inside view of the public floatation of Actuate which is a platform for a description of the evolution of CEO Nico Nierenberg from internally effective, to publicly impressive cyber-industry magnate. It is this privileged access to the guts and personalities of software product development and commercialisation which maintains the readers' interest. If that sounds dry - just take a risk and read it. Bronson's description of the Java programmers who have become the essential generators of companies' web products fascinates. Kevin, Max and Jason are rebels, live for the moment, fly by the seats of their pants (sometimes literally in Max's case) and articulate their dominance by the elegance and robustness of of their code. Of course, these be-earringed non-conformists might have been surfers or musicians in another age. Now they are just too talented and too highly paid to be mired in the world of the truly alternative. When Max goes squirrel hunting shortly before a crucial demonstration deadline, the freedom of the late 20th Century pieceworker earns its ultimate expression.
This was written a year ago - with hindsight it is truly a classic.
Format:Paperback
I bought this book thinking it would be of interesting tales about the information technology culture in what must be one of the most dynamic computing environments on earth. Instead I was regaled with a narration of depressing "J.Crew" losers seeking to strike into a million or twenty. I'm not interested in following those pursuing greed as a means to an end, but rather individuals who have offered some striking thoughts and initiatives into the industry. Mr. Bronson doesn't seem to have left the investment bank - his former employer. Pity. Real characters evolve out of strange places, and Silicon Valley sounds strange enough indeed. Too bad this tale is relegated to the size of their overdraft limits.
Format:Paperback
I discovered Po Bronson when reading "Bombardiers", his Michael Lewis like account of the trading floor but far more hilarious and with more attention being paid to the characters and inner self of the main protagonists. Mr Bronson repeats this anthropologist in a "study" of Silicon Valley. He observes the City species - Valley immigrants, intra-Valley migrants, Vallgroupies and Valley affiliates (NY banks, unwitting investors). In a series of portraits, I felt the Valley was as mad as I could have imagined it. But as this book tells you, you can't imagine the Valley - you "do" the Valley.
Bronson introduces us to the kid-programmers intent on making their code triumph (never mind profitability?), the aspiring French entrepreneur getting funding on the edge of starvation and stranding, the CEO's Calvary during the flotation process, Yahoo!'s Filo bumped out of his below-desk sleeping place (he did pay the rent but can't file his in-tray any longer), the shallow salesman and, Gilder, the idealistic futurist in search of any validation at all of his visions. Of each figure, Bronson brings us the hope, misery, undying belief in self, fatalism in rejection and above all the urge to be there, to try to "make IT". Thoroughly enjoyable, this book is a great read and gives some practical insights into the travails of setting up one's internet business.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Entertaining insight into Silicon Valley
I really enjoyed this book, lots of little 'fly on the wall' anecdotes about recent events.
I'm now a customer of the Company that featured in the section on the IPO, and it was... Read more
Published on 5 Dec 2003 by Keith Appleyard
What an insight into the mad Silicon Valley gold rush!
If you want a fascinating insight into the lives of the venture capitalists, geeks and entrepreneurs of Silicon Valley, this is it. Read more
Published on 30 Nov 2000
Amusing & interesting snapshots of Silicon Valley culture
In full agreement with the reviews so far... This book offers an entertaining and insightful snapshot of life, cultures and sub-cultures in the birthplace of the eBusiness... Read more
Published on 15 Aug 2000 by bcons@scient.com
Great reading!
I've just read it and rushed out and ordered "The First $20 million..." and "Bombardiers", the 2 other books by Po Bronson. Read more
Published on 19 Jun 2000
A mind-changer
Although nominally out-of-date this is an essential handbook for anyone structuring themselves, or their company, to compete in the digital economy. Read more
Published on 15 Jun 2000 by richard.hammond@ndirect.co.uk
One of the best New Technology accounts of the past 2 years
Although Po Bronson is well known for slipping into pseudo-economic technobabble in his regular Wired magazine features, this book manages to cobble together many of the best... Read more
Published on 28 Feb 2000
just love it...
I agree with everything that is said already, the book is funny, gripping, and i have bought it again and again for anyone with even a passing interest in what is happening in the... Read more
Published on 26 Jan 2000 by Mrs. Sarah Robinson
One in seven people in Silicon Valley are Millionaires.....
This book details the trials and tribulations of a number of peoples lives in silicon valley. The style, prose and content of Po Bronson goes virtaully without question. Read more
Published on 25 Nov 1999
Brilliant
Some years ago, Wired magazine released a book which purported to be a guide to writing English in the digital revolution, The Wired Style Guide. It was largely nonsense. Read more
Published on 12 Nov 1999
Read this then move.
Po Bronson takes a trip to the valley to find out what make it and the people who work there tick. He suceeds, find out why people are willing to give up everything just to try... Read more
Published on 31 Oct 1999 by amcq@bigfoot.com
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