- Hardcover: 508 pages
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster (20 Jan 2004)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 074322504X
- ISBN-13: 978-0743225045
- Product Dimensions: 23.9 x 15.5 x 4.1 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 486,378 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Review
Alan Goldstein "The Dallas Morning News" Thank goodness for Larry Ellison. The chairman and chief executive of Oracle Corporation always keeps things interesting.
Product Description
In a business where great risks, huge fortunes, and even bigger egos are common, Larry Ellison stands out as one of the most outspoken, driven, and daring leaders of the software industry. The company he cofounded and runs, Oracle, is the number one business software company: perhaps even more than Microsoft's, Oracle's products are essential to today's networked world.
But Oracle is as controversial as it is influential, as feared as it is revered, thanks in large part to Larry Ellison. Though Oracle is one of the world's most valuable and profitable companies, Ellison is not afraid to suddenly change course and reinvent Oracle in the pursuit of new and ever more ambitious goals. Softwar examines the results of these shifts in strategy and the forces that drive Ellison relentlessly on.
In "Softwar," journalist Matthew Symonds gives readers an exclusive and intimate insight into both Oracle and the man who made it and runs it. As well as relating the story of Oracle's often bumpy path to industry dominance, Symonds deals with the private side of Ellison's life. From Ellison's troubled upbringing by adoptive parents and his lifelong search for emotional security to the challenges and opportunities that have come with unimaginable wealth, Softwar gets inside the skin of a fascinating and complicated human being. With unlimited insider access granted by Ellison himself, Symonds captures the intensity and, some would say, the recklessness that have made Ellison a legend.
The result of more than a hundred hours of interviews and many months spent with Ellison, Softwar is the most complete portrait undertaken of the man and his empire -- a unique and gripping account of boththe way the computing industry really works and an extraordinary life.
Despite his closeness to Ellison, Matthew Symonds is a candid and at times highly critical observer. And in perhaps the book's most unusual feature, Ellison responds to Symonds's portrayal in the form of a running footnoted commentary.
The result is one of the most fascinating business stories of all time.
Inside This Book
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First Sentence
I first met Larry Ellison in his office at Oracle's Redwood Shores headquarters on December 8, 1997. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
I first met Larry Ellison in his office at Oracle's Redwood Shores headquarters on December 8, 1997. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This book is a comprehensive, detailed collection of Larry Ellison anecdotes and quotes from people around him. Author Matthew Symonds occasionally interjects himself, but mostly lets his sources talk. Perhaps for fairness, he quotes many people who disagree with each other about important decisions at Oracle. Perhaps for journalistic objectivity, he generally refrains from judgment. This shows the reader every perspective, even if it doesn’t define context, chronology or direction. You get all of the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, though you may want a clearer box top picture. Some of the technology coverage will intrigue only tech industry buffs, but overall you will learn a great deal of interesting information about Ellison and Oracle. We also found that Ellison’s character came most into focus when the book entered the world of yacht racing, his passion. The author also includes poignant, revealing anecdotes about Ellison’s childhood and candid reports about his personal life. Larry Ellison was allowed to review the manuscript and his comments appear as counterbalancing footnotes on many pages. That guy, he always does things a new way — as you will see.
Format:Paperback
Larry Ellison is undoubtedly and impressive individual. Matt Symonds clearly admires Ellison and with good reason. However, the book feels far from objective, particularly from a journalist. Reviews outside of Amazon describe it as "overly fawning" which matches my experience with the book. In addition, the book can in places be rather repetitive, particularly when discussing the Business Suite and Ellison's belief that Oracle enterprise software would be the singular and ultimate business application suite.
I finished book thinking that with Symonds' level of access to Ellison, the book could have been so much more.
I finished book thinking that with Symonds' level of access to Ellison, the book could have been so much more.
Format:Paperback
Larry Ellison came from nothing to be worth around 20 billion.
But rather than being a boring type businessman like Bill Gates, his personality is more like that of a bad guy from a James Bond movie. Anyone should enjoy this book.
But rather than being a boring type businessman like Bill Gates, his personality is more like that of a bad guy from a James Bond movie. Anyone should enjoy this book.
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