The Maverick and His Machine - by Kevin Maney (Paperback)

About the Book

The first complete look at one of America's legendary business leaders, this groundbreaking biography offers fresh insight and new information on one of the twentieth century's greatest business figures--Thomas J. Watson.

Book Synopsis

Dies ist die erste umfassende und maßgebliche Biographie von Thomas J. Watson, dem sogenannten 'Vater der technologischen Revolution' und Gründer von IBM.

"The Maverick and His Machine" enthüllt einzigartige neue Erkenntnisse und gewährt tiefe Einblicke in Watsons Leben und Schaffen.

Dieses aussergewöhnliche Buch entstand in enger Zusammenarbeit mit Watsons Familie.

Sie gewährte Autor Kevin Maney exklusiven Zugang zu IBM Archiven und zu 340 Kartons mit Watsons ganz persönlichen Aufzeichnungen, die bislang unveröffentliche Informationen über Watson enthielten (darunter auch zu seiner kontroversen Beziehung zu Adolf Hitler).

Kevin Maney ist ein anerkannter und einflussreicher Technologie Kolumnist der USA Today, der vielfach für seine journalistische Arbeit ausgezeichnet wurde. Er verfügt über erstklassige Kontakte zu Spitzenvertretern der Technologiebranche, wie z.B. zu Andy Grove und Scott McNealy.

Mit einem Vorwort von Jim Collins, Bestsellerautor von "Built to Last" und "Good to Great".

Mit bislang unveröffentlichtem Fotomaterial.

"The Maverick and His Machine" - Die einzige maßgebliche, umfassende und aktuelle Biographie zu Thomas J. Watson. Sie enthüllt ganz neue Elemente von Watsons Charakter und zeichnet ein ganzheitliches Bild dieses legendären Unternehmers.

From the Back Cover

"A timely and authoritative biography. Without lapsing into hero worship, [Maney] presents a great, if flawed, man in all his humanity."
-BusinessWeek

"A . . . lively and nuanced picture of the senior Watson. [It] brings this complex man to life and provides a clearer sense of how the IBM culture took shape around one man's quirks, preferences, and iron whims."
-The New York Times

"The author's delightful anecdotes showcase the quirky, human side of what became a major knowledge-based company."
-Harvard Business Review

"Should be recommended reading for anyone who seriously wants to be a business mogul."
-The Economist

"Formidable in its research, vivid, insightful, and often hilarious."
-Management Today

"Should hold great appeal not only for avid business readers but also for devotees of the vicissitudes of financial dynasties."
-Publishers Weekly

"The gripping story of sky-high ambition, iron willpower, huge bet-the-company gambles, humiliating failure, and unparalleled success-one of the best books ever written about the technology industry, about one of the most fascinating people in twentieth-century America."
-Marc Andreessen, Cofounder of Opsware, Inc. and Netscape

Review Quotes

..."a rich and thorough portrait that goes right back to turn-of-the-century America..." ("Business Voice, March 2003)

"Maney's book should hold great appeal not only for avid business readers but also for devotees of the vicissitudes of financial dynasties." ("Publishers Weekly, March 17, 2003)

..."Maney has written a timely and authoritative biography. Without lapsing into hero worship, he presents a great, if flawed, man in all his humanity." ("Business Week, May 12, 2003)

"A much more lively and nuanced picture of the senior Watson can be found in Kevin Maney's excellent new biography, "The Maverick and His Machine: Thomas Watson Sr. and the Making of I.B.M." ("The New York Times, May 12, 2003)

..."the author's delightful anecdotes showcase the quirky, human side of what became a major knowledge-based company." ("Harvard Business Review, May 2003)

..."excellent use of transcripts... should be recommended reading for anyone who seriously wants to be a business mogul..." ("Economist, 10 May 2003)

..."formidable in its research, vivid, insightful and often hilarious..." ("Management Today, June 2003)

..."an intriguing study of the man who made IBM, Thomas Watson..." ("New Scientist, 7 June 2003)

..."Maney has done a splendid job of getting inside his subject and bringing the enigmatic Watson and his contributions richly to life." ("Library Journal, June 15, 2003)

" ... it's the definitive work to date... " (Focus, July 2003)

" ... a compelling account of one of the twentieth century's most important business leaders... " (Information Age, June 2003)

About the Author

KEVIN MANEY is a nationally syndicated, award-winning USA Today technology columnist. He was voted best technology columnist by the business journalism publication TJFR. Marketing Computers magazine has, four times, named him one of the most influential technology columnists. He is also the author of the BusinessWeek bestseller Megamedia Shakeout, from Wiley. Maney lives in Clifton, Virginia, with his wife and two children.