The Master Switch: The Rise and Fall of Information Empire
Tim Wu
(Atlantic Books, Rs. 599)
“Masterful media history…”, “…highly readable”, “…a great book,” “…well written…” They are but just a few of the reviews that Wu's work has fetched him from readers all over the world. What the Columbia professor has done here is place before readers global communication giants (film, radio, television and telephone) in all their glory — their rise over competition, partnerships to achieve monopoly status, their general strategy and tactics.
The book begins with Theodore Newton Vail's visionary coast-to-coast communication system while he helmed AT&T and moves on to others such as “enfant terrible” Ted Turner who founded CNN “his greatest claim to immortal fame,” and the bond between Apple and Google.
Part industrial expose, part examination of the freedom of expression, ‘The Master Switch' is a crucial drama full of exciting and indelible characters, as it is played out over decades in the shadows of global communication.
Gadget Nation: A Journey Through the Eccentric World of Invention
Steve Greenberg
(Sterling, Rs.650)
Gadget geeks, design buffs, hobbyists, and anyone interested in how things work: this one is for you! The pages are filled with information on more than 100 quirky innovations — from shower tans and cookie stackers to hold-a-phone pouch and head-warmer pillowcase.
For every gadget, one gets a little bit of a history followed by its description and use. The gadgets were brought to life by amateur creators inside their homes. The fruits of their imagination range from the useful (a ‘Finger Shield' for when you're chopping food) to the offbeat (a slanket which is a blanket with sleeves, and a diaper for your pet bird!).There are items for people on the go, to help them look your best, and make life easier at home. It's infotainment all the way!
Who Says Elephants Can't Dance?
Louis V. Gerstner
(Harper Collins, Rs. 299)
The book's dedication to “the IBMers who never gave up their company, their colleagues and themselves…” sets the pace for the rest of this incredible story.
What did Louis V. Gerstner, Jr., the once chairman and CEO of IBM, do to bring IBM back from the brink of insolvency and become a leader of the computer business once again? That historic achievement fills the pages of this first person account.
Offering a unique case study drawn from decades of experience at some of America's top companies — McKinsey, American Express, RJR Nabisco — Gerstner's insights into management and leadership are applicable to any business, at any level even today. Ranging from strategy to public relations, from finance to organisation, Gerstner reveals the lessons of a lifetime running highly successful companies.
The Nature of Technology: What It Is and How It Evolves
W. Brian Arthur
(Penguin, Rs. 450)
The author, who is a groundbreaking economist, explores the extraordinary way in which technology surrounds our lives and how it is continually changing to suit the modern world that we inhabit. Using fascinating examples such as laser printers and power plants, Arthur discusses how man's problem-solving skills and creative vision can also evolve along side technological improvements, and how this can in fact help us understand ourselves.
The book is an outcome of two lectures that Arthur delivered — ‘Digitisation and The Economy' and ‘High technology and the Economy.'
