Ruling the Waves: Cycles of Discovery, Chaos, and Wealth from the Compass to the Internet

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Harcourt, 2001 - Business & Economics - 403 pages
The high-tech bubble seems to have burst-or has it? Knowing where you are in the business cycle is crucial. Historical perspective helps, and so does keen analysis. Ruling the Waves offers both.

Debora Spar begins the historical context with pirate tales. Jean Lafitte's domination of the seas and Rupert Murdoch's domination of the British airwaves with BskyB have much in common. Tales of the telegraph and radio help you understand the natural evolution of Microsoft, the trials of the codemakers who fought the U.S. government to protect Internet privacy, and the revolutionary rap stars who challenged the record industry. Great stories of quirky pioneers and their roller-coaster ridesmake this the one book that you need to become an expert on the path of future innovations and the natural development from idea to market in a changing world.

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Contents

PROLOGUE
1
CHAPTER I
23
CHAPTER 2
60
Copyright

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About the author (2001)

Debora L. Spar is a professor at the Harvard Business School and is the youngest woman in the school's history ever to receive tenure. A political scientist by training, she teaches the politics of international relations there. She lives in Boston with her architect husband and two small sons.