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Title:
Silicon Gold Rush
Review:
Every now and then you come across a book that looks at
best worthy, at worst dull and irrelevant, but when you start reading you
quickly become hooked and turn the pages quickly, enjoying it and learning a
lot. Such is the case with Silicon Gold Rush. The subtitle is 'The next
generation of high-tech stars rewrites the rules of business' and it explains
how companies are changing their models and strategies to compete in the
electronic environment. Although aimed at 'executives, managers and observers
of technology' it contains valuable information for any of us involved in new
technology, be they developer or information professional.
Silicon Gold Rush covers a lot of ground - chapters cover
'leading a high-tech juggernaut', 'staking your claim: finding and keeping new
markets' and 'dance with your customer'. The text is easy to read, with eye
catching subtitles such as 'ready, fire, aim!' and 'the HP wannabe'. Southwick
uses a series of company profiles (23 in total) and case studies to illustrate
the points that she makes. Also valuable are the highlighted boxes entitled
'View from the top' and 'Expert opinion'; together with snappy quotes ("You
drag customers kicking and screaming into the next paradigm shift" Roger
Sippl, CEO, Visigenic Software).
The book provides a considerable body of evidence to
suggest that successful companies are those which are constantly evolving,
harnessing the speed of information technology and changing their viewpoints of
employees and customers alike. If you work for a large corporate this book will
give you a head start on possible change, and if you're a customer (and aren't
we all?) you'll obtain a clearer idea of how companies are changing and why they
are starting to work differently. All in all, a fascinating read - the only
criticism is that it is biased towards American companies; I'd have liked to
have seen some reference to British or European examples, but this aside if you
have an interest in emerging technology and its uses, this is the book for you.
Free Pint Reviewer:
Phil Bradley is a well known trainer and speaker on matters
related to electronic publishing and the Internet. He travels widely to speak on
different aspects of the Internet and is the author of several books and columns
which cover this area. Phil is an independent Internet Consultant who runs
in-company training courses, writes and maintains websites for a number of
clients and can assist organisations in making the most of the Internet. You can
find out more about him, and read articles written by him at his website at
http://www.philb.com
Purchase options:
Readers Comments:
The average customer rating at Amazon for this book is 4
out of 5.
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