Rama Dev Jager and Rafael Ortiz offer readers an insider's view into the history and people behind today's greatest digital successes. In a series of probing interviews, Microsoft's Bill Gates, America Online's Steve Case, Dell Computer's Michael Dell, and 13 others share their stories of how it all happened. They share their recollections of the good decisions and bad, the misfortunes and lucky breaks, but most of all, the people and attitudes that turned the ideas of these digital age giants into the most influential companies in the world of computing.

Without fear of exaggeration, Jager and Ortiz use their title to entice readers. The two have snared an impressive roster of the biggest names from the world of computers and information. They encourage the likes of Steve Jobs, Larry Ellison, Bill Gates, Bill Hewlett, Andy Grove, and 11 others to offer up personal views and comments on their products, their companies, and their competitors. While many such gatherings have focused on the effects of the information revolution or on future scenarios, Jager and Ortiz get their interviewees to discuss the entrepreneurial aspects of their companies, highlighting their successes and failures and explaining how they got started and what barriers they have encountered. One can only imagine the sparks that might have flown had these 16 participated in some sort of roundtable. In the meantime, these individual conversations can help satisfy our curiosity. David Rouse