Computer Wars remains the single best book for understanding the computer industry, both software and hardware. When people outside the industry ask why both Netscape and Microsoft have decided to lose a barrel of money by developing WWW browsers and giving them away, give them a copy of this book.

This is a book book, if you like the subject. The first 1/3 tells the story of the collapse of IBM, and the rest of the book goes into the buissness aspects of what went wrong and what to do in the future. Great if you like either buissness or computers in general.

This book was in interesting book that went into the details. It clearly explaines the details of how IBM lost the war with the best technology in the world.

Read the jacket copy of most any tell-all business book and you'll see the publisher claim that the author pulls no punches. Charles Ferguson is the real deal. You've probably never read a book that so plainly lays out the author's opinions, feelings, failures, and triumphs while recounting a company's history.

Ferguson founded Vermeer Technologies, which developed the FrontPage Web authoring / editing environment in 1994 and 1995 and was acquired by Microsoft early in 1996. Microsoft FrontPage is now used by 3 million people around the world.

The eight chapters in which Ferguson describes the 22 months of Vermeer's independent existence are riveting reading for anyone who lived through the birth of the commercial Internet. Ferguson gives his startlingly frank opinions on everyone involved: Vermeer's venture capitalists, the near-disaster of a CEO they hired, the Netscape and Microsoft players with whom Ferguson negotiated for Vermeer's purchase. He's a hard grader and as tough on himself as on others. I think that none of the things he says quite rises to the level of the libelous; but some of them will make you wonder.

Everyone with an Internet business plan should read this first-time entrepreneur's look back, especially for its eye-opening account of his dealings with venture capitalists. Read it before you get your money. The book will probably depress you; but Ferguson's hard-won lessons might just possibly save your bacon.

I found the early part of the book somewhat confusing because Ferguson talks about the business and venture-capital climate in Silicon Valley. Vermeer was founded in Cambridge, Massachusetts and its first investors were easterners. I assume the publisher chose to downplay this geographical undesirability in order to bask in the magic glow of the words ''Silicon Valley.'' And of course by the time Vermeer went seeking a second round of VC funding, many of the players involved were in the west. (I'll also give the author the benefit of the doubt and assume it was the publisher's choice to replace an ''a'' on the cover with an ''@'' -- lest the reader fail to apprehend that this is an Internet book.)

Ferguson, in concert with his early employees, saw very clearly the way the Internet and the competitive environment would grow. Of course he could be padding with hindsight the nature of his early strategic insight; but he ended up convincing me otherwise. For this reason I plowed through the book's final three chapters, in which he imparts his views the self-immolation of Netscape, the Microsoft problem, and the (in his opinion) vastly more worrisome problem of the incumbent telecomm companies. In my mind he had earned the right to have his opinions attended to.

I asked a former colleague who was close to the events at Vermeer to comment on the accuracy of the historical picture Ferguson paints. The reply:

''He accurately conveys what it was like to go through the Vermeer experience. I don't agree with everything he says, but I know he believes everything he says, and says everything he believes. He doesn't pull any punches.''

Charles H. Ferguson has written an astonishing book, which operates on many levels. As Bob Metcalf, Ethernet inventor and founder of 3COM noted in his book jacket blurb, ".... Every would-be Silicon Valley entrepreneur should read this book." Amen.

With interest it is noted that Metcalf appears to be the only individual "brave enough" to contribute a book jacket blurb to this superb book. Hats off to Metcalf, and Ferguson, of course.

Mr. Ferguson exposes the dirty dancing that takes place between many Venture Capital firms and their prey - unsophisticated Entrepreneurs with good ideas. If you're writing a Business Plan ... or about to ... if you're intrigued by the New Economy ... if you want to understand what really happened to Netscape ... if you want to stand back in awe and understand how Microsoft does it ... BUY THIS BOOK, and read it before you do anything else.

Beyond merely brilliant, penetrating and scholarly analysis, Ferguson bravely exposes his deeper and darker nature, and by doing so allows the reader to believe ... certainly want to believe ... in the validity of the shocking material regarding sharp business practice. Ferguson is un-relenting in self-criticism. Beyond his self-reported arrogance, and without crocodile tears he strongly implies to the reader that his passion, arrogance, tenacity, whatever one wants to call it, is required for an Entrepreneur to succeed against sophisticated players. Yet, this reader became convinced that he cares deeply about people and society at large.

Finally, his PhD in Political Science from MIT, and obvious continuing deep interest and research in all matters relating to telecommunications comes through powerfully in the final chapter. He goes directly to the heart of a systemic US and International problem as no one has done before in print. Ferguson clearly and carefully documents the fact that the local telecommunications companies - telephone and cable -- are not only denying all of us the power of high bandwidth in the digital age, but, in so doing are literally damaging the overall economy.

Here again Mr. Ferguson names names, and shocking as it may be in terms of recent political events, Presidential candidate John McCain is shown to be a water carrier and clear beneficiary of the extraordinary, if not unprecedented Cartel that blocks all of us from having high bandwidth. Buy the book for this chapter alone - if you want your bandwidth.

Arguably, the only thing missing from Mr. Ferguson's extremely well written book is a copy of the Business Plan he wrote to raise the original VC funding for Vermeer Technologies. On the other hand, if you allow Charles to invest in your startup, he'll probably share that work. "Six Stars"

Ken Kappel ken@webglobal.com

This is a thoughtful, comprehensive, and brutally frank treatise on everything to do with the Internet industry and the coming Internet economy. I have been involved with these subjects myself for more than 10 years, yet I learned something new with almost every page I read.

From his backgrounder on the origins and evolution of the Internet itself, to the process of founding, funding, nurturing, and finally selling a software company, everything that Mr. Ferguson writes rings true. He brings a wealth of specific knowledge to his subject, and places it the broader context of Microsoft's monopoly control of the software industry today, Justice Department investigations, and the other major players in this game.

I gained a personal appreciation of the strengths and weaknesses of both Netscape Communications and Microsoft during the reading of the book. I have to admit it changed my impressions of both companies.

In the final chapters of the book, Mr. Ferguson summarizes some of the important issues that will continue to require attention as the Internet hype of today turns into the Internet economy of tomorrow.

Obviously an experienced writer and analyst, Mr. Ferguson has also allowed his own, often volatile personality to emerge throughout this book. I think that is important, as it breathes life and adds fire to what otherwise might be a fairly dry subject.

In summary, this is a MUST READ for anyone interested in the Technology industry, and in today's world that should be everyone.