Hard Drive or Microsoft Office Excel 2007

Hard Drive: Bill Gates and the Making of the Microsoft Empire

Author: James Wallac

The true story behind the rise of a tyrannical genius, how he
transformed an industry, and why everyone is out to get him.

In this fascinating exposé, two investigative reporters trace the hugely successful career of Microsoft founder Bill Gates. Part entrepreneur, part enfant terrible, Gates has become the most powerful -- and feared -- player in the computer industry, and arguably the richest man in America. In Hard Drive, investigative reporters Wallace and Erickson follow Gates from his days as an unkempt thirteen-year-old computer hacker to his present-day status as a ruthless billionaire CEO. More than simply a "revenge of the nerds" story though, this is a balanced analysis of a business triumph, and a stunningly driven personality. The authors have spoken to everyone who knows anything about Bill Gates and Microsoft -- from childhood friends to employees and business rivals who reveal the heights, and limits, of his wizardry. From Gates's singular accomplishments to his equally extraordinary brattiness, arrogance, and hostility (the atmosphere is so intense at Microsoft that stressed-out programmers have been known to ease the tension of their eighty-hour workweeks by exploding homemade bombs), this is a uniquely revealing glimpse of the person who has emerged as the undisputed king of a notoriously brutal industry.

San Francisco Chronicle

"A fascinating yarn of the extremes of admiration and hatred that such singlemindedness can inspire."

San Francisco Chronicle

A fascinating yarn of the extremes of admiration and hatred that such singlemindedness can inspire.

Publishers Weekly

In a biting biography and computer-industry expose, two Seattle Post-Intelligencer journalists here relate in dramatic detail how a moody, computer-dazzled prep-school whiz kid, a Harvard dropout at age 19, formed his own company, now Microsoft Inc., with a few friends. They developed and marketed in aggressive style a series of personal-computer software applications and operating systems, the phenomenal sales of which by some accounts have made 37-year-old William H. Gates Jr. the richest person in America. Alternately cooperating and competing with industry giants Apple, Xerox and IBM, ``Chairman Bill'' worked 20-hour days in Levis and loafers and relaxed by driving his Mercedes at speeds up to 150 mph, as Microsoft set industry standards in desktop-computer languages and programs. Driven and hard-driving, Gates has engendered admiration, envy, imitation, complaints of unfairness and an FTC investigation. $60,000 ad/promo; author tour. (June)

Library Journal

Seattle Post-Intelligencer reporters Wallace and Erickson present an in-depth portrait of Gates, the 35-year-old chairman and co-founder of Microsoft, from his early years as a young computer genius to his current status of billionaire. Throughout the work, the authors include recollections of Gates's business associates, friends, and former employees. They tell Microsoft's story from its founding in 1975 through developments in early 1992. Wallace and Erickson also chronicle the Federal Trade Commission's recent investigation of Microsoft for possible antitrust violations. The authors present a history of developments in the computer and software industry and the relationships among notable companies, including IBM, Microsoft, and Apple. Daniel Ichbiah and Susan L. Knepper's The Making of Microsoft ( LJ 11/1/91) covers the same material, but Hard Drive provides a more detailed portrait of the complex Gates as well as a closer look at the organization of Microsoft. Highly recommended.-- Lucy Heckman, St. John's Univ. Lib., Jamaica, N.Y.

Booknews

The authors are journalists who have expanded their stories for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer into a full-length profile of Gates and his company. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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Microsoft Office Excel 2007: Complete Concepts and Techniques

Author: Gary B Shelly

In Microsoft Excel 2007: Comprehensive Concepts and Techniques you'll find features that are specifically designed to improve retention, and prepare readers for future success. Our trademark step-by-step, screen-by-screen approach now encourages readers to expand their understanding of the Access 2007 software through experimentation, exploration, and planning ahead.

Table of Contents:

1. Creating a Worksheet and an Embedded Chart
2. Formulas, Functions, Formatting, and Web Queries
3. What-If Analysis, Charting, and Working with Large Worksheets Web Feature: Creating Web Pages Using Excel
4. Financial Functions, Data Tables, and Amortization Schedules
5. Creating, Sorting, and Querying a Table
6. Creating Templates and Working with Multiple Worksheets and Workbooks Graphics Feature: SmartArt and Images
Appendices A: Project Planning Guidelines B: Introduction to Microsoft Office 2007 C: Microsoft Office Excel 2007 Help D: Publishing Office 2007 Web Pages to a Web Server E: Customizing Microsoft Office Excel 2007 F: Steps for the Windows XP User G: Microsoft Business Certification Program