Showing posts with label idea man. Show all posts
Showing posts with label idea man. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Idea Man A Memoir by the Cofounder of Microsoft by Paul Allen
Idea Man A Memoir by the Cofounder of Microsoft by Paul Allen
Paul Allen founded Microsoft with Bill Gates. They went to the same high school together and were close friends. They also were part of the early history of personal computers. Microsoft was founded on the program BASIC. One of the reasons it grew to prominence was also because it designed the disk operating system for IBM.
Paul Allen does an excellent job describing the relentless drive behind people like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs. I liked his descriptions of how Bill Gates pulled all nighters programming fueled by caffeine and coffee. It describes the extremely competitive, constantly demanding, will to succeed of many people in the computer industry. However, this book is more than just a book about success in business.
Paul Allen originally wanted to be an astronaut but could not be because he wore glasses as a teenager. He read lots of science fiction and constantly was thinking up new things. In this book, Paul Allen innovates; he creates new computer products, starts new businesses, and does not stop trying new things.
The second part of the book is about what happens when he leaves Microsoft after getting cancer. He starts living his ideals: founding a Jimi Hendrix museum, buying two sports teams, the Seattle Seahawks and the Portland Trail Blazers, helps fund Spaceship One the X-Prize winner, starts a brain research institute, and becomes a serial entrepreneur. I found this quite inspirational.
I especially liked his descriptions of being a serial entrepreneur. He describes his failures as well as his successes in starting various businesses. This is a story of failing a lot, but succeeding a lot as well. I also liked his descriptions of traveling all over the world. It would be some peoples dream to live this life.
This book is about business, ideas, innovating, and living your dreams. It talks about how to take risks and succeed. It is also about overcoming the adversity of cancer and trying new things. The book says a lot about not giving up and paying attention to opportunities.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Daily Thoughts 6/9/2011 (Idea Man, Book Sale)
Daily Thoughts 6/11/2011
This morning I finished reading Idea Man by Paul Allen. The book reads very much like someone who has repeatedly fulfilled his wishes including owning two sports teams in Seattle, starting a Jimi Hendrix museum, funding Spaceship One, owning an ocean going yacht, and traveling all over the world. At the same time it has a hard driven edge to it focused on working at computers and having repeated bouts of cancer.
Today, I did some more minor things. Checking the displays and Twitter account, putting in some finishing touches for some flyers and policies and writing a description of the Friends of the Library book sale.
The Friends of the Library are downstairs setting up the book sale right now for tomorrow and Saturday, June 10 and June 11 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. I had to a chance to look over what was there. There is a very nice selection of fiction, especially African American fiction as well as nonfiction.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Daily Thoughts 6/8/2011
Daily Thoughts 6/8/2011
I read a bit more of Idea Man by Paul Allen. It gives some really excellent descriptions of how driven people can be. I really like the descriptions of Bill Gates drinking endless cups of coffee and coca cola and programming all night long. The raw drive is pretty incredible to read about.
Today has been another quiet day. I checked the Twitter account in the morning, checked the displays, and discussed the ereader policy today. I also wrote a few handouts and set up a program for an author talk.
Tomorrow, the Friends of the Library will be setting up the community room for the book sale.
I took some time to read through Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, and the latest New York Times Book Review. There are two books that I will probably read that are coming out soon. The first is Ekaterina Sedia, Heart of Iron and the other is Gail Carriger, Heartless. Both of these are steampunk novels by women writers with very unique styles.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Daily Thoughts 6/7/2011 (board meeting, idea man)
Daily Thoughts 6/7/2011
Last night I finished reading Founding Gardeners on the train. I liked the statement about trees being necessary for good air and health by many of the founding fathers. I also started reading Paul Allen Idea Man. There are a lot of books about Bill Gates, this is the first one that I have seen about Paul Allen. So far, it reads like a history of the creation of the home computer. The first computer program which Microsoft worked on was Basic. It describes Bill Gates and Paul Allen working together in small offices all night creating computer programs.
Last night I was at the special board meeting. We had the Girl Scouts put in new landscaping outside the building which makes things look a lot nicer. We may be getting further help from the girl scouts as well. There was also some discussion on the upcoming book sale which is going to be this weekend. I always like the book sales, they bring a lot of good will. This time we are planning to take photographs of the book sale which should be quite nice.
The board also announced that our budget and our board of trustees will be voted on in June of 2012. This is a big step to announce.
Web Bits
Browne Warns Society Will Pay For Library Closures
http://www.thebookseller.com/news/browne-warns-society-will-pay-library-closures.html
Monday, June 6, 2011
Daily Thoughts 6/6/2011
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vitoria_-_Graffiti_%26_Murals_0392.JPG
Daily Thoughts 6/6/2011
This morning, I read some more of Founding Gardeners. There is an ideal being expressed that comes from the Greek republics that a good citizen is a farmer, more so than a merchant or tradesman. The founding fathers idealized the small holder with a plot of land and a garden.
Today has been another quiet, steady day. I updated the Twitter account, entered a new survey, and checked the displays.
This morning the truck came from Better World Books to pick up our boxes. They are on the way.
Another book came in for me to read, Paul Allen Idea Man A Memoir by the Cofounder of Microsoft.
Tonight we have a special meeting of the Board of Directors at 6:30 p.m. I plan on going. Also, this week we are reopening on Saturdays. This week we are having the Friends of the Library Book Sale on June 10 and June 11 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
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