| Book Title |
|
| Author |
Udayan Gupta, Ed. |
| Publisher |
Harvard Business School Press |
| Year |
2000 |
| Volume |
N/A |
| Edition |
Hardbound |
| Month |
September |
| ISBN |
0875849385 |
| Book Review |
Brilliantly organized (and probably edited somewhat) by Gupta,
the 31 individual commentaries address two themes "the
sharp contrast between the practitioners of early venture capital
and those practicing today, and the coastal divide -- the difference
in venture capital and practice between the West Coast and the East
Coast." Gupta includes first-person perspectives on "the
newest incarnation of venture capital"; how several VC's got
their start and their impressions "of the industry's more recent
success and notoriety"; "contrasts [on the West Coast] between
the first forty-five years and the past five"; commentaries on
"the early days in Silicon Valley" and those circumstances
"that enhanced its entrepreneurial process"; and other commentaries
which focus on the future and "where the industry is headed in
the next fifty years." This is a terrific single source which
provides truly informative insights from those who are among the most
highly respected authorities on the subject. Readers will gain a much
better understanding of one of the most widely-discussed and least-understood
components within our nation's economic history during the past 50
years. |
| Reviewed By |
Robert Morris |
| Book Title |
|
| Author |
B. Joseph Pine et al |
| Publisher |
Harvard Business School Press |
| Year |
1999 |
| Volume |
N/A |
| Edition |
Hardbound |
| Month |
April |
| ISBN |
0875844192 |
| Book Review |
According to the authors, "Since all commerce is moral choice,
every business is a stage for glorifying something. Who or what does
your business glorify? Your answer may not help you accept what is
next, but it will certainly help guide what you do today." At
its best, live theatre can delight, amuse, excite, inform and even
inspire those who experience it. Why cannot it also be true of business
relationships? Of course it can. It is certainly true of those organizations
which prosper. Southwest Airlines is but one example. Its CEO once
observed I keep telling [those interested in Southwest Airlines]
that the intangibles are far more important than the tangibles in
the competitive world because, obviously, you can replicate the tangibles.
You can get the same airplanes. You can get the same ticket counters.
You can get the same computers. But the hardest thing for a competitor
to match is your culture and the spirit of your people and their focus
on customer service because that isn't something you can do overnight
and it isn't something you can do without a great deal of attention
every day in a thousand different ways. That is why I say that our
employees are our competitive protection. Kelleher's comments are
relevant to virtually all organizations which now struggle to succeed
in the New Economy. To understand this economy, to understand what
it requires of your own organization, it is imperative to view each
human interaction as a unique opportunity to nourish and thereby to
sustain a relationship. If you share my high regard for this book,
I urge you to read Michael Wolf's The Entertainment Economy and Bernd
Schmitt's Experiential Marketing. |
| Reviewed By |
Robert
Morris |
| Book Title |
|
| Author |
Peter Schwartz, Peter Leyden, and Joel Hyatt |
| Publisher |
Perseus |
| Year |
1999 |
| Volume |
N/A |
| Edition |
Hardbound |
| Month |
October |
| ISBN |
0738200743 |
| Book Review |
The authors offer a shared vision of what they refer to as "the
coming age of prosperity." What exactly does that mean? The answer
is suggested in the Introduction "The Long Boom is a positive
meme about a better future. A meme is a contagious idea that can quickly
spread around the world and influence what people think and do....The
idea soon takes on a life of its own, out of anybody's control, flitting
from computer host to computer host in an exponential expansion that
spreads around the world....[The book] starts with the recognition
that the world is faced with a historic opportunity. What we call
the Long Boom -- the years from 1980 to 2020 --is a period of global
transformation. No other age ever possessed the tools or the knowledge
to do what we can do today." From the authors' perspective, what
they call the Long Boom is half in the past and half in the future.
"We refer to the Long Boom in both senses throughout the book."
In the forward-thinking Afterword, the authors reaffirm their faith
in the almost unlimited potentialities of the Long Boom IF the human
race can somehow avoid committing planetary suicide. They are emphatically
NOT misty-eyed visionaries; on the contrary, they seem most comfortable
when addressing harsh realities such as territorial "politics"
which, if permitted, can result in the Long Whimper. Among their objectives
is to provide "a starting point for an ongoing global conversation
about how everyone can take advantage of the great potential of our
era and create a better world." The observations shared are anchored
in the real-world; the suggestions offered are practical and do-able.
If for whatever reasons the human race is unwilling and/or unable
to fulfill the promise of the Long Boom, who to blame? According to
Pogo, "We have met the enemy and he is us." Schwartz, Leyden
& Hyatt would perhaps reply, "OK but so what? There's still
time. There's still hope. We have everything we need. Let's work together
on a global basis. It won't be easy but we can do it. We really can."
How? This brilliant book answers that question. Better yet, it explains
why. |
| Reviewed By |
Robert
Morris |
| Book Title |
Radicals & Revolutionaries
|
| Author |
Thadeus Wawro |
| Publisher |
Entrepreneur Media |
| Year |
2000 |
| Volume |
N/A |
| Edition |
Hardbound |
| Month |
May |
| ISBN |
1891984136 |
| Book Review |
This book is great fun to read...as well as informative. Wawro
provides mini-biographies of 70 entrepreneurs who have helped to revolutionize
the 20th century. Most share some insightful comments and occasionally
a little-known fact or two. Many of the selections are predictable
Michael Dell, Henry Ford, Bill Gates, William Hewlett & David
Packard, Ray Kroc, Steve Jobs, Akio Morita, Ted Turner, Sam Walton,
and Thomas Watson, Jr. What surprised and pleased me is that Wawro
also discusses several other "radicals & visionaries"
which I did not expect to be included Desi Arnaz & Lucille
Ball, Clarence Birdseye, Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel, Berry
Gordy, Jr., Hugh Hefner, Jim Henson, John Johnson, George Lucas, David
Ogilvy, Ron Popeil, and Martha Stewart. Obviously, there is wide and
deep diversity among those included. The same can be said of their
respective experiences in the vineyards of free enterprise. |
| Reviewed By |
Robert
Morris |
| Book Title |
|
| Author |
Jac Fitz-enz |
| Publisher |
AMACOM |
| Year |
2000 |
| Volume |
N/A |
| Edition |
Hardbound |
| Month |
June |
| ISBN |
0814405746 |
| Book Review |
Most organizations are quite correct when claiming that their "most
valuable assets walk out the door at the end of each business day."
In the Preface, Fitz-enz suggests that (in business terms) human capital
be described as a combination of factors such as the traits one brings
to the job intelligence, energy, a generally positive attitude,
reliability, commitment; one's ability to learn aptitude, imagination,
creativity, and what is often called street smarts", savvy (for
how to get things done); one's motivation to share information and
knowledge team spirit and goal orientation. Fitz-enz then explains
the first steps toward a methodology for measuring the return on investment
(ROI) of human capital; the process of finding the ROI of human capital
from an unusual "starting point" rather than begin
with process improvement at the lower organizational levels, focus
at the highest possible levels on "the goals of the enterprise";
the "bridge" between the enterprise and the human capital
management levels; "the drivers of all enterprise success"
(people.); the three levels (enterprise, process or function, and
people); and five of the most common human resources and human capital
initiatives. In the final chapter, Fitz-enz brilliantly sums up the
basic measurement system. Note in particular Figure 11-1 ("Composite
human capital scoreboard") which provides an excellent model
to guide and inform the efforts of any organization, regardless of
its size or nature. |
| Reviewed By |
Robert Morris |
| Book Title |
The Mind of the C.E.O. |
| Author |
Jeffrey E. Garten |
| Publisher |
Perseus |
| Year |
2001 |
| Volume |
N/A |
| Edition |
Hardbound |
| Month |
January |
| ISBN |
046502615-X |
| Book Review |
Decades ago, Andrew Carnegie hired Napoleon Hill to interview more
than 500 American businessmen inorder to determine whether or not
there was a common "formula" for their success. More than
22 years later, Hill wrote Think and Grow Rich which remains a bestseller.
Garten seems to have a similar objective as he interviewed 40 prominent
CEOs worldwide. They include C. Michael Armstrong, Michael Bloomberg,
Richard Branson, Stephen M. Case, Roger A, Enrico, Andrew S. Grove,
Rupert Murdoch, Hiroshi Okuda, Jurgen E. Schrempp, George Soros, and
John F. Welch, Jr. What Garten shares with his reader is what the
business leaders were willing to share with him. "I tried to
come to grips with what I thought of the environment CEOs faced, how
they were dealing with it, and what more, if anything, they ought
to be doing." This is a very revealing statement because it suggests
that "the mind of Jeffrey E. Garten is as much involved in this
book as the minds of those CEOs he interviewed. Indeed, Garten shares
several judgments of his own. For example, that global CEOs are not
nearly as powerful as many people think as they struggle with three
kinds of challenges amidst the third industrial revolution
"First, they have their hands full with the central strategic
problems of how to take advantage of the Internet and the global economy.
Second, they face certain everyday dilemmas of leading and managing
corporate Goliaths.. And third, they have roles to play on the world
political, economic, and social stage." These and other issues
are on the minds of the 40 CEOs as they interact with Garten. What
they have to say and what Garten thinks of what they say will be of
both interest and value to anyone else who now struggles to meet the
same challenges. |
| Reviewed By |
Robert Morris |
| Book Title |
|
| Author |
Al Ehrbar |
| Publisher |
John Wiley & Sons |
| Year |
1998 |
| Volume |
N/A |
| Edition |
Hardbound |
| Month |
November |
| ISBN |
0471298603 |
| Book Review |
In its author’s words, EVA offers“a superior measure
of corporate performance, one that is tied more directly to share
than any other performance measure, by charging profit for the cost
of all the capital a company employs, including equity.” Major
corporations such as Coca-Cola, Eli Lilly, and Siemens AG have achieved
spectacular results by applying EVA principles. These same principles
can also be of substantial benefit to small-to-midsize, privately
held companies. In essence, EVA principles require literally everyone
within any organization (regardless of size or nature) to think quite
differently about economics. Indeed, the concept re-defines "ownership"
so as to include literally everyone involved in a given enterprise.
Ehrbar asserts that "wealth creation" is not dependent on
record sales and profits but, rather, is the result of rigorous and
prudent management of capital. He explains how to • Use
EVA principles to maximum MVA (market value added) which equals market
value minus total capital; that is, a company's market value is the
present value of future profits discounted to today at the company's
cost of capital. • Align the financial interests of employees
with that of the shareholders, improve motivation and morale, and
create an atmosphere in which managers constantly strive to create
more wealth. • Eliminate distortions which plague traditional
accounting inorder to measure accurately net operating profits after
taxes, or NOPAT for short. • Increase MVA with prudent growth.
Ehrbar suggests, "To implement EVA properly, keep it simple and
keep it accountable. To make it simple, EVA must become the focal
point of the business. To make it accountable, use EVA as the basis
of compensation...so that the wealth created by the company can be
shared with all of the people who have helped to bring that wealth
about." For those committed to creating wealth both for their
companies and for their employees, EVA is "must reading."
|
| Reviewed By |
Robert Morris |
| Book Title |
|
| Author |
Clayton M. Christensen |
| Publisher |
Harvard Business School Press |
| Year |
2000 |
| Volume |
N/A |
| Edition |
Hardbound |
| Month |
May |
| ISBN |
006620694 |
| Book Review |
Christensen makes his objective crystal clear "This
book is about the failure of companies to stay atop their industries
when they confront certain types of market and technological change....the
good companies -- the kinds that many managers have admired for years
and tried to emulate, the companies known for their abilities to innovate
and execute....It is about well-managed companies that have their
competitive antennae up, listen astutely to their customers....invest
aggressively in new technologies, and yet they still lose market dominance."
Why? For Christensen, the answer is revealed in what he calls "the
innovator's dilemma" the logical, competent decisions of
management which are critical to the success of their companies are
also the reasons why they lose their positions of leadership. He identifies
four "laws or principles" of disruptive technology
#1 Companies depend on customers and investors for resources
(Chapter 5) #2 Small markets don't solve the growth needs of
large companies (Chapter 6) #3 Markets that don't exist can't
be analyzed (Chapter 7) #4 Technology supply may not equal market
demand (Chapter 8) Actually, these four could also be viewed as guidelines
(as well as check-points by which to detect early-warning danger signs)
unless and until it becomes obvious that a given technology will create
sustaining rather than only temporary disruption. Christensen offers
dozens of examples of "some very capable executives in some extraordinarily
successful companies, using the best managerial techniques, who have
led their firms toward failure." Managers in any organization
(regardless of its size or nature) must resolve "the innovator's
dilemma." Christensen's book provides invaluable assistance to
completing that immensely difficult process. |
| Reviewed By |
Robert Morris |
| Book Title |
The Leadership Engine |
| Author |
Noel M. Tichy with Eli B. Cohen |
| Publisher |
HarperBusiness |
| Year |
1997 |
| Volume |
N/A |
| Edition |
Hardbound |
| Month |
November |
| ISBN |
0887307930 |
| Book Review |
According to Tichy, there are certain "fundamentals"
common to winning organizations "First, leaders with a
proven track record of success take direct responsibility for the
development of other leaders. Second, leaders who develop other leaders
have teachable points of view in the specific areas of ideas, values,
and something I call E-cubed -- emotional energy and edge....Third,
leaders embody their teachable points of view in living stories....Finally,
because winning leaders invest considerable time developing other
leaders, they have well-defined methodologies and coaching and teaching
techniques." Together, these "fundamentals" create
the central metaphor in Tichy's book a machine. Viewed as a
"machine", an organization consists of separate but interdependent
parts; requires lubrication and fuel as well as constant maintenance;
and functions best when utilized to serve the specific purposes for
which it has been designed. Tiichy's single most important point is
that, in any winning organization (be it corporate, political, athletic,
military, or whatever), leadership must be developed at ALL levels.
Almost half of the book consists of a "Handbook for Leaders Developing
Leaders." In it, Tichy provides a cohesive and comprehensive
answer to the question "How to Create a Leadership Engine?"
One useful approach to the "Handbook" is to think of it
as a "super" hardware store and you have an empty toolbox.
Examine everything available. Select only what is most appropriate
for your own organization. Then work with others to assemble the "machine"
your organization needs. In doing so, you and they are providing leadership.
And your shared obligation is to involve as many others as possible,
helping them to become leaders also. If help is needed along the way,
it will be reassuring to know that Tichy has created the equivalent
of an operator's manual to help ensure maximum performance of your
organization's "leadership engine." |
| Reviewed By |
Robert Morris |
| Book Title |
|
| Author |
Geoffrey A. Moore |
| Publisher |
HarperBusiness |
| Year |
2000 |
| Volume |
N/A |
| Edition |
Hardbound |
| Month |
May |
| ISBN |
0887308880 |
| Book Review |
In the Introduction, Moore explains that his book is "about
managing for shareholder value, a discipline that has been widely
endorsed but rather poorly described. Specifically, it is intended
to answer one question that is haunting numerous management teams
at the turn of the century [italics] What should a company that
rose to prominence prior to the Internet know and do about its stock
price now that the Internet is upon us?" There are related questions
1. What are the fundamental changes that collectively represent the
transitions to the new economy? 2. If a stock price directly equates
to sustainable competitive advantage, what must a management team
do to convert that stock price into an appropriate management information
system? 3. What are the most effective strategies for recognizing,
catching, and then riding the next technology "wave"? 4.
What are the most effective strategies for coping with the "destabilizing
effects" on markets caused by shifts in underlying technologies?
5. As markets evolve through a series of four distinct stages which
comprise the "the technology adoption life cycle", how and
where (and especially WHY) can a new technology cause so many corporations
to fail? 6. Which cultural models should be considered if the objective
is to sustain "long-term vibrant success"? With uncommon
skill, Moore addresses these and other key questions. Although it
may seem that this book was written only for decision-makers in large,
publicly traded companies, I suggest that almost all of the information
and suggestions provided are also relevant to privately held companies
as well as to non-profits. Moore's ultimate objective is to explain
HOW to maximize value of any organization in the Age of the Internet.
He suggests that an organization conduct a series of workshops for
its senior managers, each workshop based on one of the chapters in
this book. That is an excellent suggestion. The material could also
be the substance of an off-site "retreat", with its Table
of Contents serving as the agenda. |
| Reviewed By |
Robert Morris |
| Book Title |
|
| Author |
Timothy J. Galpin and Mark Herndon |
| Publisher |
Jossey-Bass |
| Year |
1999 |
| Volume |
N/A |
| Edition |
Hardbound |
| Month |
October |
| ISBN |
0787947865 |
| Book Review |
The authors devote 14 chapters to virtually all aspects of M&A.
In process, with clarity and eloquence, they explain the "Watson
Wyatt Deal Flow Model" which, after appropriate modifications,
can be applied to almost any organization involved in M&A negotiations,
either as a buyer or as a seller. The final chapter, all by itself,
is well worth the cost of the book. In it, the authors suggest various
"keys" to M&A success. They then provide Resource
A Sample Task Force Charter Resource B Integration Planning
Template Resource C Executive Summary of Watson Wyatt Worldwide's
1998-1999 Mergers and Acquisitions Survey What we have here is a single-volume
in which two experts on the subject of M&A seem to share everything
they know about the subject. Even if your company is not currently
a buyer or seller, its senior-level executives should read this book.
Why? Because you just never know. Perhaps sooner than now anticipated,
your company will be courted by another...or it will be attracted
to another company as a prospective acquisition. In either situation,
this book (and the "Watson Wyatt Deal Flow Model" it discusses)
will be invaluable. |
| Reviewed By |
Robert Morris |
| Book Title |
|
| Author |
Miles Spencer and Cliff Enrico |
| Publisher |
HarperBusiness |
| Year |
1999 |
| Volume |
N/A |
| Edition |
Hardbound |
| Month |
October |
| ISBN |
0066619955 |
| Book Review |
The authors provide "27 New Rules for Creating and Growing
a Breakaway Business." How "new" these rules are is
subject to honest disagreement but all are sound and can be of great
value to anyone who is either preparing to launch a new company or
who has launched one which is now experiencing serious problems. Either
way, I rate this book highly. It is well-written. The material is
anchored in a wealth of real-world experience. For each reader, some
rules are probably more relevant than are others...at least today.
However, having had extensive recent experience with several start-ups,
I can attest that each of the 27 will become relevant at one time
or another. I also think this book can be of substantial value to
senior-level executives of so-called "mature" companies.
Why? Because every company needs what I call a semi-annual or quarterly
(if not monthly) "gut check" -- or "reality check"
-- which challenges all basic assumptions and premises concerning
its vision, mission, priorities, allocation of resources, positioning,
core competencies, customer relationships, competition, etc. The authors
devote a separate chapter to each of the "Rules", with the
27 chapters organized within these seven Parts
Part One Do You Have What It Takes?
Part Two The Right Idea at the Right Time
Part Three Markets and Competition
Part Four People
Part Five Show Me the Money!
Part Six The Legal Side of Business
Part Seven Getting Out -- and Moving On
The book concludes with five Appendices The MoneyHunt Story,
Business Plan Template, Online Audition for MoneyHunt, Legal Dos and
Don'ts of Raising Capital, and Demystifying the Business Organization.
Although all of the material provided is solid and well-presented,
I was especially interested in Appendix A which explains the origin
and development of a television program on which entrepreneurs (hunting
for money, of course) appear. The hunt for money never ends because
the need for money never ends. Unless you have everything required
to achieve your specific objectives, read and then re-read the book.
If and when circumstances tempt you to think that you can relax a
bit, read it again. |
| Reviewed By |
Robert Morris |
| Book Title |
|
| Author |
Edward Chancellor |
| Publisher |
Farrar Straus & Giroux |
| Year |
1999 |
| Volume |
N/A |
| Edition |
Hardbound |
| Month |
May |
| ISBN |
0374138583 |
| Book Review |
In the the initial chapter ("The Bubble World"), Chancellor
explains the origins of financial speculation and then shifts his
attention to a series of famous (sometimes infamous) situations throughout
three centuries. As Chancellor explains, "I concentrate on occurrences
of speculation in the leading economic powers of the day, from the
Dutch Republic in the seventeenth century to Japan in the 1980s, interspersed
with the occasional look at speculation in the present day. I believe
that speculation can only be understood within a social context and
that a history of speculation cannot simply be a description of economic
affairs but must also be something of a social history." Joel
Mokyr has a similar objective in The Lever of Riches in which he correlates
the interdependence of technological creativity and economic progress
since classical antiquity. Both he and Chancellor feel obliged to
provide information and analysis within what could be called an "historical
infrastructure." They succeed admirably. In Chapter 7, as Chancellor
concludes his examination of "The Gilded Age", he quotes
the American economist H.C. Emory who wrote that "whereas gambling
consists in placing money on artificially created risks of some fortuitous
event, speculation consists in assuming the inevitable risks of changes
in value." For Chancellor, speculation in the late-nineteenth
century "brought more harm than good and transferred property
from the hands of the many into the pockets of the few." This
is also a useful perspective on the subsequent "Crash" of
1929 and thereafter, a volatile period which Chancellor also analyzes
with eloquence as well as insight. It is an even more useful perspective
on the economy of a country such as Russia in the early-21st century.
As Chancellor correctly points out in the Epilogue, "The issue
of speculation in emerging markets and the unfettered trade in foreign
currencies is the most immediate and vexing problem faced by policymakers."
For me, Chancellor provides an absolutely indispensable guide to more
than three centuries of stock market speculation as he focuses on
a broad range of speculators (eg Del Defoe, Benjamin Disraeli, Jay
Gould, Ivan Boesky, Michael Milken, and Hilary Rodham Clinton); in
process, he suggests that the primary motives which drive speculators
are far more complicated than many of us may now assume...and, as
often as not, reflect "the national character" of the countries
in which they succeed or fail. |
| Reviewed By |
Robert Morris |
| Book Title |
|
| Author |
terri Morrison et al |
| Publisher |
Prentice Hall |
| Year |
2000 |
| Volume |
N/A |
| Edition |
Hardbound (Revised) |
| Month |
December |
| ISBN |
0735201080 |
| Book Review |
The authors discuss in remarkable depth 40 different countries
(in alphabetical order, from Argentina to Venezuela), then provide
five invaluable appendices Contracts and Websites, Documents
Used in International Trade, Abbreviations of International Organizations,
Corruption & Bribery Index, and Conversion Factors. I am now convinced
that almost every company throughout the world will eventually become
involved, directly or indirectly, with e-business. Here is a comprehensive
guide which contains invaluable information and hard-headed recommendations
based on real-world experience. Other volumes are now available which
provide more information about a single county (eg Stuttard's superb
The New Silk Road whose subject is China) but none, to my knowledge,
which is comparable in terms of global coverage. |
| Reviewed By |
Robert Morris |
| Book Title |
|
| Author |
Dennis N.T. Perkins et al |
| Publisher |
AMACOM |
| Year |
2000 |
| Volume |
N/A |
| Edition |
Hardbound |
| Month |
May |
| ISBN |
0814405436 |
| Book Review |
This is one of the most exciting books I have read in recent years.
In collaboration with others, Perkins briefly reviews the key details
of the "Shackleton Saga" before shifting his attention (in
Part One) to ten leadership strategies which, he correctly suggests,
have direct, indeed compelling relevance to the contemporary business
world. In Part Two, Perkins provides four case studies based on Business
Communication Systems (AT&T/Lucent Technologies), Rice Health
Systems, Weyerhaeuser Company, and Malden Mills. The material in Part
Three suggests how to "lead at the edge" and then, in an
Epilogue, Perkins provides his "perspective" on success
and failure. Part Four consists of various resources Critical
Leadership Skills Survey, Your Leadership Expedition A Personal
Development Plan, Your Leadership Expedition Map, Further Readings
from The Edge, and a wealth of notes on the text. From the time that
Ernest Shackleton set sail (December 5, 1914) on the Endurance with
his crew of 26 seamen and scientists until he and his crew finally
reached South Georgia (May 10.1916), he steadfastly followed each
of these ten strategies. The challenges encountered along the way
("at the edge") are almost beyond comprehension. All of
these challenges are discussed in chilling detail in Caroline Alexander's
brilliant study, The Endurance Shackleton's Legendary Anarctic
Expedition (New York Alfred A. Knopf, 1999). If you have a taste
for great adventure and/or an interest in great leadership, I highly
recommend Perkins' book, preferably read in combination with Alexander's.
|
| Reviewed By |
Robert Morris |
Book Description
Over the past fifteen years, there has been a tremendous boom in the
private equity industry. Despite this growth, many questions about private
equity remain unanswered, and many of its features continue to be mysterious.
This volume, divided into four modules, explores these exciting and important
questions. The first module examines how private equity funds are raised
and structured; the second considers the interactions between private
equity investors and the entrepreneurs that they finance; the third examines
the process through which private equity investors exit their investments;
and the last reviews many of the key ideas developed in the volume.
|
by
Charles H. Ferguson
|
High Stakes,
No Prisoners is a sharp, brilliant insider's account of the way Silicon
Valley really works: the sharks, powerful incumbents, and old-boy
networks who play hardball all the time and the geniuses who make
the products that have changed the world.
Charles Ferguson started Vermeer Technologies and turned his very
cool, very big idea into FrontPage, the first software product for
creating and managing a website. A mere twenty months after starting
the company, he sold it to Microsoft for $133 million, making a fortune
for himself and his associates. FrontPage now has millions of users
and is bundled with Microsoft Office. But getting there wasn't always
fun.
High Stakes, No Prisoners is the book about the Valley and reflects
Ferguson's unique experience not only as a successful entrepreneur
but also as a policy analyst, computer industry consultant, and academic.
|
|
by
Gerald A. Benjamin, Joel Margulis List
|
The
book provides a road map to the valuable, yet little known, angel
financing. Explains the structure of the direct private capital market.
Covers everything from the valuation process to writing an investor-oriented
business plan. Gerald A. Benjamin (Sausalito, CA) is a Senior Managing
Partner of International Capital Resources (ICR), an investment banking,
corporate finance, and capital sourcing firm. He is also publisher
of the California Investment Review. Joel Margulis (Mill Valley, CA)
is a freelance writer who has published books and articles on a range
of business and finance topics.
|
|
by
Linda Chandler
|
| Winning
strategies for Capital Formation focuses on the thought processes
involved in planning financing and obtaining capital. It considers
the determining factors in which businesses form and which sources
of financing are appropriate, as well as preparing an appropriate
business plan and financial statements, and a representation for investors
that focuses on their needs. Winning Strategies for Capital Formation
includes detailed coverage on: Mental strengthening and preparation
for "the money hunt"; Building credibility with investors; Structuring
your business to meet your needs as well as your partners'; Understanding
the options; Attacking myths that clock your path to success. |
|
by
Richard P. Shanley
|
|
by
John L. Nesheim
|
| High
Tech Startup is a practical book with lots of tips and how-to's. It
contains case studies of real Silicon Valley startups, both successes
and failures, and includes analysis of difficult situations which
startups encounter along the way. Hard-to-find stock tables show how
much founders and investors actually got in real companies. Chapters
explain the required stages in the startup process from idea to the
initial public offering. Tips and explanations highlight how to create
a winning business plan, chapter by chapter. You will learn how founders
value their company and how they calculate prices for each round of
venture capital funding. Specific tables explain how venture capitalists
and investment bankers make their money and why understanding what
motivates them makes you a better negotiator. The book also discusses
alternative funding sources. Specific chapters review how to select
a good lawyer, accounting firm and startup coach. You will learn how
a core team can avoid legal problems when leaving their employers
and how to protect intellectual property. The book describes what
venture capitalists look for in a startup and what they expect of
the core founding team. It also explains how boards of directors work
for high tech startups and how the leadership must deal with investors,
accountants, attorneys, and Wall Street, before and after the IPO.
|
|
by
David Gladstone
|
| This
book provides the investor with a detailed approach to investing in
private businesses. The book discusses the process one should go through
before investing in a private business. It is detailed and directly
to the point of what an investor should look for and what things the
investor should do. If you are thinking of investing in small private
businesses then this book is for you. |
|
by
David J. Gladstone
|
|
|
|
|
by
Art Dethomas, William B. Fredenberger (Contributor), Arthur R. Dethomas,
fredenbe, Bill Fredenberger
|
| Focusing
on the needs of active business owners, managers, and organizers,
the authors demonstrate that the best way to increase chances of business
success is by starting with a blueprint--a carefully researched business
plan. This book offers a step-by-step detailed description on exactly
how to draw up such a plan for presentation to potential partners,
investors and backers. |
|
by
Rodger Touchie
|
|
by
Joshua Lerner
|
| This
book, divided into four modules. The first module examines how private
equity funds are raised and structured; the second considers the interactions
between private equity investors and the entrepreneurs that they finance;
the third examines the process through which private equity investors
exit their investments; and the last reviews many of the key ideas
developed in the volume. |
|
by
William D. Bygrave, Jeffry A. Timmons
|
| This
book is based on comprehensive study of the evolvement of the venture
capital industry in USA. It is a must read for those who want to thouroughly
understand venture capital. |
|
by
Josh Lerner, Paul A. Gompers
|
| Paul
Gompers and Josh Lerner's extensive research on venture capital organizations
is based largely on original data sets developed through close relationships
with institutional investors in venture capital funds and investment
advisors. The Venture Capital Cycle synthesizes their path-breaking
work. After a historical overview, the book looks at the formation
of funds, the investment of the funds in operating companies, and
the liquidation of these investments. The concluding chapter provides
a road map for future research in this growing area. Paul Gompers
is an Associate Professor and Josh Lerner is a Professor of Business
Administration at the Harvard Business School. Both are Faculty Research
Fellows at the National Bureau of Economic Research. |
|
by
Harrie Cowie
|
| Book
Title
| :
Guida pratica al venture capital
|
| Author
|
:Paolo Sassetti
|
| Publisher
| :
Franco angeli
|
| Year
| :
2000
|
| Edition
| :
1 st
|
| Month
| :
February
|
| ISBN
| :
88-464-1835-2
|
| Book
Review
|
This is the first "Practical Guide to Venture Capital" ever
written in Italian. This is not an academic book but a book
written by a private equity specialist who has invested in many
countries. The Guide explains the guidelines to prepare a business
plan and how to negotiate professionally with private equity
investors.The cover and the review of the book in Italian may
be found at: http://members.theglobe.com/cybercat56/guide.html
|
| Reviewed
By
|
The Author |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
