- Paperback: 420 pages
- Publisher: Harper Business; Reprint edition (Oct 30 2003)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0060008768
- ISBN-13: 978-0060008765
- Product Dimensions: 20.3 x 13.7 x 2.6 cm
- Shipping Weight: 363 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
#247,498 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #60 in Books > Computers & Internet > Business & Culture > Biographies
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Amazon
It seems like all of the biggest names in the computer industry are getting the celebrity bio treatment these days. But no corporate CEO deserves it more than Larry Ellison, the charismatic head of Oracle Corp. This isn't your standard, dry, "learn-from-his-example" type of life. It's not that Ellison's life doesn't offer the same lessons in hard-won business success as some of his colleague's, because it certainly does. It's just vastly more entertaining.
In The Difference Between God and Larry Ellison, author Mike Wilson delivers a fascinating and genuinely interesting portrayal of Silicon Valley's most notorious bad boy, constructed from hundreds of interviews with friends, colleagues, and those unfortunate enough to stand in Ellison's way. There are plenty of behind-the-scenes stories of the growth and worldwide success of Oracle, which Ellison founded in 1977. Plus, there's plenty of the good stuff: tales of Ellison's truly fast-lane lifestyle, filled with big boats, beautiful women, and celebrity friends. While this book probably won't transform you into a fan of Ellison's, you will be grateful for a chance to observe him--from a safe distance.
The punchline is "God doesn't think he's Larry Ellison," of course. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Kirkus Reviews
An authorized biography of Oracle's founder and brash billionaire leader. Ellison, the adopted son of a Jewish couple from Chicago, seems to specialize in reinventing himself. By all accounts, he grew up on middle-class South Shore Drive, but he has told reporters that he lived in the South Side ghetto. He was an uninspired student who never received a college degree but would maintain something of an obsession with the University of Chicago and imply he had an advanced degree in physics. Ellison is also an indifferent student of language but has arranged his home with all the trappings of a Japanese lord, and a few boats and helicopters to boot. These grand inconsistencies--delightful to some, horribly irritating to others, including many former employees--go a long way to explaining Ellison's unbelievable success at marketing his Oracle database software, used by thousands of companies. One employee, a devout Mormon named Rick Bennett, even considered his ubiquitous software akin to ``an instrument of God'' and believed Ellison pivotal to modern-day Mormonism. Wilson, an investigative reporter for the St. Petersburg Times, wisely focuses much of the attention on Ellison's one-sided feud with Bill Gates (who views Ellison as something of a gadfly but doesn't mention his name at all in his book, The Road Ahead) and documents his obsession nicely. He also does a fair job of explaining Ellison's vision for the NC, an inexpensive computer that provides quick access to the Internet and stores all of its software on a network server, rather than on a hard drive. While some in the computer business see the NC as the future computer for schools, many others see it as a $500 empty box and a poor attempt to topple Microsoft. While the title is the funniest line of the book, this is an engaging, humanizing look at a Silicon Valley megalomaniac. (8 pages b&w photos) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
First Sentence
LARRY ELLISON WALKED DOWN THE LONG HALLWAY, HIS SNEAKERS chirping quietly as he approached the living room. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
LARRY ELLISON WALKED DOWN THE LONG HALLWAY, HIS SNEAKERS chirping quietly as he approached the living room. Read the first page
Explore More
Concordance
Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
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Most helpful customer reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
Anyone can become rich as long as thats all he cares about,
By Diego Banducci (San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Diff Between God & Larry Ellison (Paperback)
That observation, made by a friend many years ago, kept running through my mind as I read this well-researched and written, yet tedious, biography of Larry Ellison. An egotistical liar who thinks nothing of stabbing his most loyal followers (he has no friends) in the back, Mr. Ellison incessantly whines about how lonely and misunderstood he is. Poor baby. As the famous Chinese curse goes, "May all your wishes come true."Although Mike Wilson apparently likes and admires Larry, he fails to make his case. The man has no redeeming virtue. The book suffers as a result, the reader being left emotionally drained and disgusted. As Sophocles observed 2500 years ago, "I would rather fail honorably than win by cheating." Larry would rather win by cheating. Since Larry is a member of the Vietnam Generation (he turned 21 in 1965), I had hoped that the author would include some discussion of his attitude towards the military, particularly in light of the fact that Larry recently purchased a jet fighter in which he stages mock dogfights over the Pacific Ocean. If he's so macho, why did he take a pass on the real thing?
4.0 out of 5 stars
Insightful view,
By "cannington4" (Ocean Springs, MS USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Difference Between God And Larry Ellison: *God Doesn't Think He's Larry Ellison (Paperback)
The book flows well, is interesting to read, and gives good insight into Larry Ellison himself as well as Oracle. There is considerable background material that all seems relevant as the book progresses. Ellison was interviewed 4 times for this book, and while the book reflects overall a favorable opinion of him, it also seems very truthful and frank. I gained a better insight of the software and database industry from reading the book. Was also helpful in analyzing Ellison and his leadership strategies.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good read,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Difference Between God and Larry Ellison: Inside Oracle Corporation (Hardcover)
Very good read, I couldn't put this book down until I was finished, larry is the man.
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