{"product_id":"the-accidental-zillionaire-isbn-9780471234913","title":"The Accidental Zillionaire","description":"\u003cb\u003eThe first in-depth look at one of the world's richest-and most secretive-businessmen\u003c\/b\u003e  \u003cp\u003eThough his wealth is certainly no secret, the world's fourth richest man remains an enigma. Paul Allen made his fortune as Bill Gates's partner in Microsoft, supplemented it with questionable, though often profitable, venture capital schemes, and has since invested his wealth in a widely divergent list of interests. He owns the NBA's Portland Trailblazers and the NFL's Seattle Seahawks. Among hundreds of smaller ventures, he is a primary stakeholder in the film production company DreamWorks SKG and formerly held a large piece of the widely despised Ticketmaster monopoly. Dubbed the \"Accidental Zillionaire\" by Wired magazine, Allen has often appeared to be a bumbler who succeeded primarily through luck and by coopting the visionary ideas of others. In The Accidental Zillionaire, Laura Rich, one of the foremost chroniclers of the Internet economy, unravels the secret Paul Allen, his inner motivations, his vision, and his personality. She tells Allen's story from his days as a fledgling computer geek in suburban Washington state, to his role in founding the world's largest software company, to his battle with cancer, to his sycophantic flirtation with Hollywood and its brightest stars. Paul Allen is a man of various interests and passions, but few if any know him well. The Accidental Zillionaire for the first time reveals the inner workings of a towering figure in the worlds of technology, business, sports, and entertainment.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eLaura Rich\u003c\/b\u003e (Los Angeles, CA) is a former writer for \u003ci\u003eThe Industry Standard\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eAdweek\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eInside Media\u003c\/i\u003e. She currently covers the world of digital entertainment for \u003ci\u003eEntertainment Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eFortune\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eThe Hollywood Reporter\u003c\/i\u003e. She penned The Standard's popular \"Rich List\" report and has reported on Paul Allen for years.\u003c\/p\u003e  Introduction.  \u003cp\u003eGet Experienced.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eMaking Microsoft.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eYin and Yang.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFacing Mortality.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eOn His Own.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePaul Allen, Venture Capitalist.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe AOL Experience.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eHollywood, Here He Comes!\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\"Allentown\".\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Other Wired World.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eCable Guy.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eEpilogue.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSource Notes.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIndex.\u003c\/p\u003e  \"a cutting new biography\" (\u003ci\u003eNewsweek\u003c\/i\u003e, February 3, 2003)  \u003cp\u003e“…for the first time reveals the inner workings of a towering figure in the worlds of technology, sports, and entertainment…”(Computer Consultant, April\/May 2003)\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e“…questions Allen’s patchy business track record since leaving Microsoft – and details his billionaire lifestyle…”(Business Eye (Northern Ireland), April 2003)\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e“…Rich has finally presented a balanced view of Allen’s achievements…” (M2 Best Books, 3 February 2003)\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cb\u003eLAURA RICH\u003c\/b\u003e is a former writer for the \u003ci\u003eIndustry Standard\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eAdweek\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eInside Media\u003c\/i\u003e. She currently covers the world of digital entertainment for various publications, including \u003ci\u003eEntertainment Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e and the \u003ci\u003eHollywood Reporter\u003c\/i\u003e. She penned the Standard's popular \"Rich List\" column and has written about Paul Allen for several years.  From humble beginnings as the son of a working-class family in suburban Washington state to one of the world's richest men, Paul Allen's life story reads like the American dream come true. But if Allen's story is as familiar to us as any rags-to-riches tale, Allen himself has remained a curious enigma.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e As cofounder of Microsoft, Allen banked billions while still a young man. Since then, he's invested in a massive array of both high-tech and more traditional interests-he owns the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers and the NFL's Seattle Seahawks and is a primary stakeholder in the film production company DreamWorks SKG, among other investments. Dubbed the \"Accidental Zillionaire\" by Wired magazine, he's often seen as a quixotic figure who succeeds primarily through luck and by investing in the visionary ideas of others. But even his harshest critics would find it hard to bet against him. Today, Allen's money-if not his personality-casts a long shadow over the intertwined worlds of technology, business, sports, and entertainment.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e In The Accidental Zillionaire, Laura Rich, one of the foremost chroniclers of the Internet economy, unravels the secret Paul Allen, his inner motivations, his vision, and his personality. She follows Allen from his days as a teen computer geek, to his role in founding the world's largest software company, to his battle with Hodgkin's disease, to his odd flirtation with Hollywood. Paul Allen is a man of varied interests and passions, but few, if any, know him well. This book, for the first time, reveals the inner workings of a figure whose significance is often overlooked.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e The collaboration between Gates and Allen has been well documented. But for all of Microsoft's success-and as big a part as Allen played in that success-his contribution to the software behemoth has often been downplayed. Allen remains a shadowy figure while Gates hogs the limelight. Though their relationship has been examined in detail, Allen himself has received scant attention.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Cutting through the mythological tenor of much of what passes for the history of Microsoft and its founders, The Accidental Zillionaire reveals Allen as more than merely \"Bill Gates's partner,\" but as a man whose brilliance and subterranean influence has had a profound and far-reaching impact on modern America.  \u003cb\u003ePraise for THE ACCIDENTAL ZILLIONAIRE\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Why is this the first book to be written about Paul Allen, the enigmatic tech wunderkind who has spent much of his adult life high atop the World's Richest Men list? Rich digs deep into Allen's past to offer us a quick-paced, entertaining, and illuminating glimpse into the life of a man who plainly has so much to prove despite his untold riches.\"\u003cbr\u003e —\u003cb\u003eGary Rivlin\u003c\/b\u003e, Author, \u003ci\u003eThe Plot to Get Bill Gates\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"A disquieting look into high-tech's enigma, Paul Allen. Once Laura Rich's tale begins to unfold we are treated to a roller-coaster inventory of odd and interesting facts, from Allen's love affair with Monica Seles to his makeover by David Geffen. Her depiction at first brings to mind The Great Gatsby but quickly and disturbingly evolves into a dark portrait of a lost soul. A must-read.\"\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e—John C. Dvorak\u003c\/b\u003e, Columnist, \u003ci\u003ePC Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e","brand":"Wiley","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47990151708901,"sku":"NP9780471234913","price":50.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780471234913.jpg?v=1761786699","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/the-accidental-zillionaire-isbn-9780471234913","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}