The Unauthorized Guide to Doing Business the Bill Gates Way: 10 Secrets of the World's Richest Business Leader Book

Bill Gates, as Des Dearlove reminds us no less than seven times between the covers of this slender volume, is the world's richest man. As such, there is no shortage of information about him, offline and on. Dearlove, who is a journalist and the author of a book on Richard Branson in the BigShots series, tries to condense dozens of management studies and interviews into "pocket science" for managers, a book which could be read in a couple of commuter journeys. In this, he succeeds admirably. The book draws heavily on previously published material on Gates. Dearlove distils 10 "secrets" of Gates's success. These gems range from the less than helpful "Be in the Right Place at the Right Time" to the simply sensible "Hire Very Smart People". Along the way, we learn that Gates is a "rare bird" whom fortune has carried "to an altitude where his special talents could flourish". There's enough here to allow the reader to hold a half-decent dinner party conversation about Gates, but probably not enough to impress an IT Director. Having said that, if you want a quickfire introduction to Billionaire Bill, and you don't want to be distracted by too much dirty detail, Dearlove's version won't strain your wrist on the Tube. --Nigel ShardlowRead More