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. In Softwar, journalist Matthew Symonds gives readers 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. With unlimited insider access granted by Ellison himself, Symonds captures the intensity and, some would say, the recklessness that have made Ellison a legend. With a new and expanded epilogue for the paperback edition that tells the story behind Oracle's epic struggle to win control of PeopleSoft, Softwar is the most complete portrait undertaken of the man and his empire - a unique and gripping account of both the way the computing industry really works and an extraordinary life.
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Alan Goldstein "The Dallas Morning News" Thank goodness for Larry Ellison. The chairman and chief executive of Oracle Corporation always keeps things interesting.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
About the Author
Matthew Symonds is currently political editor of The Economist, but before that was the magazine's technology and communications editor for nearly four years. He has also been a founding editorial director of The Independent and strategy director of BBC Worldwide Television. Symonds lives in London with his wife and three children.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
By Rolf Dobelli
TOP 500 REVIEWER
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.
By london33
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
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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