From print media and journals to business and general interest publications, the authors have searched for the best business accounts from the past year, providing vignettes and accounts primarily nonfiction in content, but telling of business goals, individuals, and strategies. A diverse, well-represented collection.

Great anthology from a wide variety of sources (the usual financial journals plus some interesting exotic publications (Mother Jones?)). Not a clunker in the lot. Buy this one and its 2001 predecessor and you will be fascinated. Hope this series continues for many years...

What a simple, yet compelling, concept. Scour all of the business magazines (mostly major ones, though), and pick the best 27 articles of the prior year, independent of field of interest. Then lay them out with no extra fluff, letting the original work be the star attraction. Such is the concept behind this book, which was both a quick read and difficult to put down.

With stories ranging from the rise, fall and re-rise of fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger to a joyous piece on Ron Popeil of quirky gadget-maker (and those accompanying infomercials) Ronco fame to an amazing tome on emerging "digital paper" technology that has to be read to be fully appreciated, this book covered a myriad of topics that I probably would not have gone out of my way to track down, but having read about them in this book, my appetite to read on has only been whetted.

If you are looking to expand your horizons beyond the two or three topics that currently represent your comfort zone, this book is an easy and enjoyable way to dip your toes in the water.

Strongly recommended.

This is a terrific book. Every article in it is well-written and interesting, unusual for an anthology as they almost always contain at least one or two flawed pieces. Not here. And what a range...from the usual suspects of Fortune, Wall Street Journal, etc. to the Detroit Free Press and even Mother Jones. The next volume for 2002 is also great.

Auletta provides a thorough and sensitive study of the underclass in one of the most depressed neighborhoods of New York City. The book focuses on personal accounts of a job-training program participates, with nationally significant statistics to reinforce the message. The discussion of attitudes and politics driving the country's perception of the poor is enlightening and will provide material for heated discussion for those who agonize over the problems faces by inner city neighborhoods. This book is a solid piece of research and well worth the read for anyone interested in urban issues, racism, welfare, and the idea of a perpetual and permanent class that can not assimilate to mainstream society.

Whenever there's president election, candidates don't talk about welfare policy much because simply it's not people's popular issue. Ken Auletta described the reality of underclass, more definted term for low class, and shows the reality through real examples. When there aren't that many books on welfare system, this one's good one to really find out about the reality. Reading's not difficult and very informative.

An intriguing book for anyone interested in the volatile business of network television. Auletta clearly had inside access to the major players at the big three networks when all of them were changing hands during the mid 1980s. Auletta's account does a fine job of examining each network's unique culture, which could clearly be traced to the men in charge. The book details the inner workings of each network's news and entertainment divisions, and the uphill battle for viewers in a new era of competition. The first chapter includes an interesting story, followed by a keen analysis. The rest of the book continues that pattern.

Having worked a good portion of my life in 'local' television, it was most interesting to read about the so-called big boys of the networks. Anyone who has spent hours watching the 'tube' should get a real kick out of this. With all the egos involved, its amazing that there were no more bodies being loaded outside their headquarters daily. Ken Auletta had some marvelous sources to get so many things to write about. Somehow I know television will continue to survive despite some of the dim-wits who run things. I kept reading the book looking for solid broadcasters----there are many, but I was amazed at how little some of the bigger names failed to measure up. I am planning to read the book for a second time. Surely some of the big guys didn't say and do some of the things reported by Auletta. Now lets just make sure Peter Jennings tie looks nice, his head cocked just right and his million dollar smile continues to remind of his four marriages and his need for a personal pacifier. Right on Ken Auletta.

If you are at interested in TV or the entertainment business, this is the first book to read. It is an extraordinary read. It is a bit dated now, but don't let that deter you. Auletta is an excellent writer and shows it here. It is long, but is as engrossing as any novel. With apologies to Bill Carter whose Late Shift is awesome, this is the 1 book to read if you want to learn about TV.

There are no press releases in this book, no spin by the local media and no facades maintained for the public. Ken Auletta exposes this case for what it is, even if he gets some of the details wrong in the process. There are no heroes and no villains, though there is a distinct slant against Microsoft and its top brass (Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer). Even so, Auletta doesn't paint a rosy picture of the other parties involved either. Overall, I would have to say it's about as impartial as one could be.

As I read this book, I found myself flip-flopping back and forth between who I thought was right and who was wrong. In the end it was apparent to me that Microsoft was most likely guilty of some unfair business practices, namely denying computer manufacturers (OEMs) the right to put competitive software on computers with Windows software. But the case mutated away from that point to whether or not Microsoft has the right to add functionality to its operating system. Where this whole saga will end (if ever) is anyone's guess.

All in all, this is a good book to get an overview of the case and the people involved.

Just when we were waiting for Microsoft to meekly split itself based on the outcome of the first landmark court decision, it looks like the software giant is racking up the points in what may be the most exciting appeals case in US history.

World War 3.0 couldn't have come at a better time. This book goes into background about Internet browsers, the internet itself and computer operating systems, a key point in the anti-trust lawsuit. And it does an equally thorough job of informing the reader about US anti-trust law. These details are essential to understanding the case against Microsoft, and they are presented here in a way that is detailed yet completely comprehensible.

This would be dry reading indeed if there were not also vivid descriptions of the players; Bill Gates, brilliant, visionary,self-absorbed and completely ill-equipped to play the high-stakes game of personality; the prosecutor, who has gotten himself the case of a lifetime and Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson, traditional and sober judge. What is surprising is how much Judge Jackson reveals in this book, as judges are notoriously close-mouthed.

The appeals process is now underway and it ain't over till it's over. If you want to be informed on a case that will literally affect the future of technology, it's well worth reading World War 3.0.

I purchased this title on a whim. Although I followed "the trial" as it was being reported in the media I did not find the proceedings, as they were described in the press, to be that interesting. I also knew that whatever happened, this case would be appealed and last for several more years. Consequently, I did not have high expectations for this book. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that this book was much more interesting and insightful that I had imagined. Auletta does an excellent job of describing the background, tactics, technical issues, personalities, and legal issues that surrounded this trial. Unlike other reports on the trial, he did not just encapsulate the events that took place in the courtroom. Instead, he spent considerable effort to research, then explain, events that went on behind the scenes - before, during, and after the trial.

The spin that was often portrayed in the media was that Microsoft was being victimized or punished just for being successful. The Microsoft media machine did an excellent job of promoting this view either through tactics such as full-page ads in newspapers or Gate's (and others) frequent appearances on television. While I have never been a big fan of Microsoft, part of me started to believe them. After reading this book however, any sympathy that I had for Microsoft, as it relates to the trial, has been erased. Auletta's recounting of the trial makes it clear that they used their monopolistic power to attempt to control or quash any company that threatened the market dominance of any of their core products. In short, they were unwilling to "play fair" and let the best products win in the marketplace.

Some members of the media portrayed Judge Jackson as someone that may have had a grudge against Microsoft. The facts imply that he started out with the fairly impartial attitude. It was Microsoft's frequent and blatant deception, and their inability to any admit guilt even when such guilt was proven, that frustrated the judge. This frustration was evident in some of the language that he used when he wrote his final opinions and findings.

If you have an interest in technology, business, or just like a good courtroom drama, then I think that you will enjoy this selection. It is insightful and written in style that holds your attention.

This book was relatively boring compared to many other business books. To much detail was given to mundane topics. Not a mentally stimulating book by any means.

Auletta chronicles the activity at Lehman Brothers during the months between July 1983 and April 1984, immediately preceding the firm's takeover by Shearson/American Express. During that brief period, Auletta reveals, Wall Street's oldest investment banking partnership was simultaneously buffetted by the ambition and greed of one faction and by the complacency and misplaced self-assurance of another group of partners. Details shared after the fact with Auletta by many of the participants make clear, often with self-serving insight, that blame for the takeover could well be shared by more than just the two principal players. This tension born of petty human motives is all the more striking when set against the sophisticated investment banking environment. Most business collections will want this title.

reads like a greek tragedy; rich treatment of the people involved in one of the most important, and most interesting, financial events of the 80s. ranks as one of the most finely crafted books of its type in business; it gives the reader a deep look inside a complicated world and shows us the role of interpersonal relationships in business decision making.

The highway being described in this book is the information superhighway and the people being discussed are its developers. Jumping to the postscript at the very end, Auletta observes "while the Highwaymen enjoy immense power, they remain vulnerable" (p. 355). This is the paradox presented throughout the book. The regulators, entrepreneurs, and public do a dance of vulnerability in the development of the new technologies as niches are being carved out. One of the realities of corporate growth is that as they become large, they sometimes lose the freshness associated with risk and creativity. Auletta says "it becomes more difficult for them to maintain a focus, to make quick decisions, to stay creative" (p. 134).
The ancient concept of pathos is explored in 21st century corporate America. In describing how business decisions are made in Sumner Redstone's organizational culture, he quotes an associate as saying "most deals are fifty percent emotion and fifty percent ecnomics" (p. 61).
Aulette spends a little time on media content, pointing out the hypocrisy of film producer Oliver Stone, who sees his distortions (to be even more accurate fabrications) as "artistic freedom, while he demands strict accuracy from reporters covering him.
The reader is left with numerous insights that would not be attained anywhere else. This book is a worthy read.

This is an interesting series of past news features on the media business. The book chronicles some of the most fascinating media personalities from Rupert Murdoch to Herb Allen to Barry Diller to John Malone to Edgar Bronfman Jr. to Bill Gates. This is a fascinating book by a guy who was given incredible access by a large number of media executives. Highly recommended.

Ken Auletta already proved with Three Blind Mice--his book about the Big Three traditional broadcast networks--that he's a dogged reporter. Few thoughts, musings, or nuances of expression go unrecorded. "The Highwaymen" continues in that tradition. Auletta aims to offer some sense of the men (and they're almost all male) who make the decisions about what the rest of us will be seeing, listening to and seeking for entertainment and how that software will be delivered. He delivers well-wrought profiles of these people through their deeds--which often contrast with their words, and that tension is illuminating. Finally, at the end of each piece are postscripts which offer the reader a scorecard; which of the fearless mogul's bold predictions came true, which crashed a burned: everybody thought interactive/VOD TV was going to take off--so far, it's been a stalled cash-disposal scheme that sucks in capital with no discernable result. The point is that for all their visionary claims, these people are no better at predicting the future than anybody else. If you missed the original pieces as they ran in The New Yorker and have an interest in the thinking (or lack thereof) behind movies like Basic Instinct or any of Oliver Stone's noxious fantasies, buy the book

In many ways, Ken Auletta's book reads like a daily diary of Microsoft's historic anti-trust trial. While there is much to be learned from the daily courtroom posturings of both Microsoft and the government, I was a little disappointed that Auletta was not quite capable of placing this trial into it's larger context -- its implications for the future of high-tech industry and the role that government will ultimately play in policing such fast-moving targets as the Internet and the computer industry. Having said that, this was a truly engaging book, and the fact that Auletta was able to make interesting such an otherwise dry topic (as he points out in the book, anti-trust trials have little in common with the high drama of Perry Mason) speaks well of his journalistic talents.

This is a well written chronicle of the anti-trust battle waged between Microsoft and the Justice Department's Anti-trust division.

Auletta does a fine job of revealing the personalities of the major players on both sides of the aisle, especially Davied Bowies of Justice and Bill Gates. Gates, who, by common consent is seen as a brilliant is shown (also by common consent) as an emotionally immature individual who genuinely believes that what Microsoft is doing a good thing for everyone and seems to think that laws do not have the final say in matters over his company.

I came away with the feeling that if Microsoft had dealt with the allegations by co-operating with the Anti-trust division early on and with total honesty this may not have ever been a front page story. But the stubborness of Gate's personality, his inability to compromise almost guaranteed this would become a major newstory and legal case.

There's a lot to be commended here. Auletta has interviewed literally all the key players, poured through the legal record and has some keen insights that are both his own and garnered from interviews. I really enjoyed World War 3.0 and don't believe you need to be a lawyer to understand the issues at hand.