The Road Ahead
Encyclopedia
The Road Ahead, a book written by Bill Gates
, Nathan Myhrvold
and Peter Rinearson
and published in November 1995, summarized the implications of the personal computing revolution and described a future profoundly changed by the arrival of a global information superhighway
.
Gates received a $2.5 million advance for his book and money from subsidiary rights sales; all his proceeds were donated to "encourage the use of technology in education administered through the National Foundation for the Improvement of Education," a foundation created by the National Education Association
.
saw the Internet
as one of the "important precursors of the information highway...suggestive of [its] future" (p. 89); he noted that the "popularity of the Internet is the most important single development in the world of computing since the IBM PC
was introduced in 1981" (p. 91) but "today's Internet is not the information highway I imagine, although you can think of it as the beginning of the highway", the information highway he envisioned would be as different from the Internet as the Oregon Trail
was to Interstate 84
. (p. 95)
After the book was written, but before it hit bookstores, Gates recognized that the Internet was gaining critical mass
, and on December 7, 1995 — just weeks after the release of the book — he redirected Microsoft to become an Internet-focused company. Then he and coauthor Rinearson spent several months revising the book, making it 20,000 words longer and focused on the Internet. The revised edition was published in October 1996 as a trade paperback.
Both editions came with a CD-ROM that contained the text of the book and supplemental information. The hardback was published by Viking, and the paperback by Penguin, an affiliate of Viking. Numerous publishers around the world produced translated versions of the book, which was particularly popular among university students in China.
, an intellectual property company. The other co-author, Peter Rinearson, was a Pulitzer Prize winner and entrepreneur who would later found and sell an Internet company and become a Microsoft vice president.
also released at the time. The first excerpts from the book were published by on November 19th The Sunday Times
in the United Kingdom
(only a few months after Microsoft, in a Windows 95
promotion, "paid for an entire daily press run of The Times and gave it away to readers") and in the November 27th, edition of Newsweek
. Accompanying the publicity was a "one day lay down", a "very expensive marketing technique" where a book is placed on sale in multiple countries on the same day (November 24th, in this case), giving the book "an almost sure shot at the No. 1 spot on best-seller lists." The Road Ahead got a first printing of 850,000 books in North America and several hundred thousand overseas.
It was early enough in the history of the World Wide Web
that The New York Times thought it newsworthy to report that Gates was going to "conduct on-line forums to promote the book" and Penguin had created a "Bill Gates web site on the Internet (http://www.penguin.com/roadahead), which will feature information and an audio clip about the book, printed excerpts and quotes from reviews, as well as information about the CD-ROM."
Gates publicized the book's release during a five-day tour of Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Washington, London and Paris, which included appearances on Nightline, Talking with David Frost, The Today Show, the Late Show with David Letterman
, MTV
, Fresh Air
, and The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer
A reviewer at The Seattle Times
(and coauthor of Gates: How Microsoft's Mogul Reinvented an Industry and Made Himself the Richest Man in America, a 1993 biography of Gates), called Gates' coverage of the Internet "weakest of all" the topics Gates covered, saying the "World Wide Web
receives just four index citations and is treated as a functional appendage of the Internet (rather than its driving force), and both come off as a subset of the Information Highway, a term Gates uses with abandon despite its disfavor among digerati
."
The New York Times review called the book "bland and tepid" and reading "as if it had been vetted by a committee of Microsoft executives"; it is "little more than a positioning document, sold in book form with accompanying CD-ROM and designed mainly to advance the interests of the Microsoft Corporation." It also said that Gates "has been caught flat-footed by [the Internet's] sudden emergence" and saying the book is "part of Mr. Gates's extensive effort to force his way back into the game before it's too late."
Time
magazine, in a December 1995 article about Gates in general rather than his book, said:
Bill Gates
William Henry "Bill" Gates III is an American business magnate, investor, philanthropist, and author. Gates is the former CEO and current chairman of Microsoft, the software company he founded with Paul Allen...
, Nathan Myhrvold
Nathan Myhrvold
Nathan Paul Myhrvold , formerly Chief Technology Officer at Microsoft, is co-founder of Intellectual Ventures. Myhrvold, usually with coinventors, holds 17 U.S. patents assigned to Microsoft and has applied for more than 500 patents. In addition, Myhrvold and coinventors hold 115 U.S...
and Peter Rinearson
Peter Rinearson
Peter Mark Rinearson is an American Pulitzer Prize-winning and New York Times best-selling journalist, author and businessman.-Journalism career:...
and published in November 1995, summarized the implications of the personal computing revolution and described a future profoundly changed by the arrival of a global information superhighway
Information superhighway
The information superhighway or infobahnwas a popular term used through the 1990s to refer to digital communication systems and the Internet telecommunications network. It is associated with United States Senator and later Vice-President Al Gore....
.
Gates received a $2.5 million advance for his book and money from subsidiary rights sales; all his proceeds were donated to "encourage the use of technology in education administered through the National Foundation for the Improvement of Education," a foundation created by the National Education Association
National Education Association
The National Education Association is the largest professional organization and largest labor union in the United States, representing public school teachers and other support personnel, faculty and staffers at colleges and universities, retired educators, and college students preparing to become...
.
Content differences between hardback and trade editions
The hardback editionHardcover
A hardcover, hardback or hardbound is a book bound with rigid protective covers...
saw the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
as one of the "important precursors of the information highway...suggestive of [its] future" (p. 89); he noted that the "popularity of the Internet is the most important single development in the world of computing since the IBM PC
IBM PC
The IBM Personal Computer, commonly known as the IBM PC, is the original version and progenitor of the IBM PC compatible hardware platform. It is IBM model number 5150, and was introduced on August 12, 1981...
was introduced in 1981" (p. 91) but "today's Internet is not the information highway I imagine, although you can think of it as the beginning of the highway", the information highway he envisioned would be as different from the Internet as the Oregon Trail
Oregon Trail
The Oregon Trail is a historic east-west wagon route that connected the Missouri River to valleys in Oregon and locations in between.After 1840 steam-powered riverboats and steamboats traversing up and down the Ohio, Mississippi and Missouri rivers sped settlement and development in the flat...
was to Interstate 84
Interstate 84 (west)
Interstate 84 is an Interstate Highway in the Western United States that runs from Portland, Oregon, to a junction with Interstate 80 near Echo, Utah. The highway originally served as a fork of I-80 to serve the Pacific Northwest, and was originally numbered Interstate 80N.The highway serves and...
. (p. 95)
After the book was written, but before it hit bookstores, Gates recognized that the Internet was gaining critical mass
Critical mass (sociodynamics)
Critical mass is a sociodynamic term to describe the existence of sufficient momentum in a social system such that the momentum becomes self-sustaining and creates further growth....
, and on December 7, 1995 — just weeks after the release of the book — he redirected Microsoft to become an Internet-focused company. Then he and coauthor Rinearson spent several months revising the book, making it 20,000 words longer and focused on the Internet. The revised edition was published in October 1996 as a trade paperback.
Both editions came with a CD-ROM that contained the text of the book and supplemental information. The hardback was published by Viking, and the paperback by Penguin, an affiliate of Viking. Numerous publishers around the world produced translated versions of the book, which was particularly popular among university students in China.
Collaborators
One of Gates' coauthors, Nathan Myhrvold, was a computer scientist and Microsoft vice president who for a time oversaw Microsoft's research efforts and later co-founded Intellectual VenturesIntellectual Ventures
Intellectual Ventures is a private company notable for being one of the top-five owners of U.S. patents, as of 2011. Its business model has a focus on developing a large patent portfolio and licensing these patents to companies. Publicly, it states that a major goal is to assist small inventors...
, an intellectual property company. The other co-author, Peter Rinearson, was a Pulitzer Prize winner and entrepreneur who would later found and sell an Internet company and become a Microsoft vice president.
Quotes
- "Anyone expecting an autobiography or a treatise on what it's like to have been as lucky as I have been will be disappointed." (p. xiii)
- "The obvious mathematical breakthrough would be development of an easy way to factor large prime numbers." (p. 265)
- "Computers are great because when you're working with them you get immediate results that let you know if your program works. It's feedback you don't get from many other things." (p. 2)
Publicity
The publisher's $1 million promotional budget was one of its largest ever, rivaling that given to My American Journey, an autobiography of Gen. Colin PowellColin Powell
Colin Luther Powell is an American statesman and a retired four-star general in the United States Army. He was the 65th United States Secretary of State, serving under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2005. He was the first African American to serve in that position. During his military...
also released at the time. The first excerpts from the book were published by on November 19th The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
(only a few months after Microsoft, in a Windows 95
Windows 95
Windows 95 is a consumer-oriented graphical user interface-based operating system. It was released on August 24, 1995 by Microsoft, and was a significant progression from the company's previous Windows products...
promotion, "paid for an entire daily press run of The Times and gave it away to readers") and in the November 27th, edition of Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
. Accompanying the publicity was a "one day lay down", a "very expensive marketing technique" where a book is placed on sale in multiple countries on the same day (November 24th, in this case), giving the book "an almost sure shot at the No. 1 spot on best-seller lists." The Road Ahead got a first printing of 850,000 books in North America and several hundred thousand overseas.
It was early enough in the history of the World Wide Web
History of the World Wide Web
The World Wide Web is a global information medium which users can read and write via computers connected to the Internet. The term is often mistakenly used as a synonym for the Internet itself, but the Web is a service that operates over the Internet, as e-mail does...
that The New York Times thought it newsworthy to report that Gates was going to "conduct on-line forums to promote the book" and Penguin had created a "Bill Gates web site on the Internet (http://www.penguin.com/roadahead), which will feature information and an audio clip about the book, printed excerpts and quotes from reviews, as well as information about the CD-ROM."
Gates publicized the book's release during a five-day tour of Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Washington, London and Paris, which included appearances on Nightline, Talking with David Frost, The Today Show, the Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman is a U.S. late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and is produced by Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated. The show's music director and band-leader of the house band, the CBS Orchestra, is...
, MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
, Fresh Air
Fresh Air
Fresh Air is an American radio talk show broadcast on National Public Radio stations across the United States. The show is produced by WHYY-FM in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Its longtime host is Terry Gross. , the show was syndicated to 450 stations and claimed 4.5 million listeners. The show...
, and The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer
The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer
PBS NewsHour is an evening television news program broadcast weeknights on the Public Broadcasting Service in the United States. The show is produced by MacNeil/Lehrer Productions, a company co-owned by former anchors Jim Lehrer and Robert MacNeil, and Liberty Media, which owns a 65% stake in the...
Reception
The Road Ahead occupied the top spot on The New York Times bestseller list for over seven weeks in late 1995 and early 1996, and sold 2.5 million copies.A reviewer at The Seattle Times
The Seattle Times
The Seattle Times is a newspaper serving Seattle, Washington, US. It is the largest daily newspaper in the state of Washington. It has been, since the demise in 2009 of the printed version of the rival Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Seattle's only major daily print newspaper.-History:The Seattle Times...
(and coauthor of Gates: How Microsoft's Mogul Reinvented an Industry and Made Himself the Richest Man in America, a 1993 biography of Gates), called Gates' coverage of the Internet "weakest of all" the topics Gates covered, saying the "World Wide Web
World Wide Web
The World Wide Web is a system of interlinked hypertext documents accessed via the Internet...
receives just four index citations and is treated as a functional appendage of the Internet (rather than its driving force), and both come off as a subset of the Information Highway, a term Gates uses with abandon despite its disfavor among digerati
Digerati
The digerati are the elite of the computer industry and online communities. The word is a portmanteau, derived from "digital" and "literati", and reminiscent of the earlier coinage glitterati...
."
The New York Times review called the book "bland and tepid" and reading "as if it had been vetted by a committee of Microsoft executives"; it is "little more than a positioning document, sold in book form with accompanying CD-ROM and designed mainly to advance the interests of the Microsoft Corporation." It also said that Gates "has been caught flat-footed by [the Internet's] sudden emergence" and saying the book is "part of Mr. Gates's extensive effort to force his way back into the game before it's too late."
Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine, in a December 1995 article about Gates in general rather than his book, said:
Gates is as fearful as he is feared, and these days he worries most about the Internet, UsenetUsenetUsenet is a worldwide distributed Internet discussion system. It developed from the general purpose UUCP architecture of the same name.Duke University graduate students Tom Truscott and Jim Ellis conceived the idea in 1979 and it was established in 1980...
and the World Wide Web, which threaten his software monopoly by shifting the nexus of control from stand-alone computers to the network that connects them. The Internet, by design, has no central operating systemOperating systemAn operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
that Microsoft or anybody else can patent and license. And its libertarian culture is devoted to open—that is to say, nonproprietary—standards, none of which were set by Microsoft. Gates moved quickly this year to embrace the Net, although it sometimes seemed he was trying to wrap Microsoft's long arms around it.