Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
Business @ the Speed of Thought  By  cover art

Business @ the Speed of Thought

By: Bill Gates, Collins Hemingway
Narrated by: Jonathan Mayrose
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $24.95

Buy for $24.95

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

As the cofounder, chairman, and chief executive officer of Microsoft, the world's leading provider of software for personal computers, Bill Gates played a prominent role in launching the Information Age. Now this modern visionary reveals how expanding technology is propelling the business world into an exciting new economic era...how every manager can - and must - stay ahead of the curve...and how integrated information systems can help every organization achieve Business @ the Speed of Thought. This program is narrated by Roger Steffens and includes commentary by the author.
©1999 by William H. Gates, III, All Rights Reserved (P)1999 by William H. Gates, III; 16 9; 1999 Time Warner AudioBooks (Packaging Elements Only), A Division of Time Warner Trade Publishing

What listeners say about Business @ the Speed of Thought

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    84
  • 4 Stars
    52
  • 3 Stars
    62
  • 2 Stars
    29
  • 1 Stars
    24
Performance
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    42
  • 4 Stars
    26
  • 3 Stars
    17
  • 2 Stars
    8
  • 1 Stars
    5
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    36
  • 4 Stars
    29
  • 3 Stars
    21
  • 2 Stars
    9
  • 1 Stars
    5

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars

My one start vote reasoning.

This is actually a good book and I always enjoy hearing Bill G. talk. The problem is that it's all circa 199X, and he's talking about the future which in many cases has already come and gone.
In 199X I would have given this *****

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Boring

I'm really interested in the microsoft and bill gates story but this book is so slow and boring, i couldn't listen to more then 2-3 first chapters. a shame.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Banal

Not much new here, in fact it is a rehash of better read books like FutureShock and books written by Tom Peters'. The narration itself puts one in combat with the desire to nod off and the interspersed dialog from Bill himself adds little. Don't waste your time.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

if you read in 1990's that would be a great book.

this book is about many many future predictions that are already happened.


the narrator did a great job.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • SS
  • 02-10-11

Old

Must have been nice to read it when released, over 10 years ago. Outdated and boring today.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Completeness of the audio book

A lot of paragraphs and even chapters are skiped in the audio book as compared with the paper book. Reading is very good for listenning.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars

Book of case studies

Bill Gates has provided us a book full of case studies showing how information technology can improve businesses in many different ways. It gives few insights on why benefits came, nor does it give guidelines on replicating the case studies in the reader's context.

I think the book would be great for business people trying to imagine how information technology may help their organisations. I suggest that before acting people look elsewhere for more guidance on what to actually do, such as Dr. Goldratt's ideas in 'Beyond the Goal'.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great info. Narration was lacking.

I've heard my Google assistant have more influx and emotion than this narrator. The information sounds solid though and I will be applying it to my entrepreneurial journey.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Retrospect is why I decided to listen to this -

Did I gain Energy from it? YES
Good book and it did provide a retrospect "was it done list". The predictions can be divided into 3 categories (came true, came true within 20 years, came true because of the pandemic). Bill Gates sold the PC as the enabler to the future and is also where Microsoft made the most money. Another good point was how the "Internet was not important to Microsoft back in the day and for Bill Gates it was all about corporate America getting wired into MS". Either way, the book spoke about some of the same problems we have today. We still have a hard time getting people to change and use new tech. I wish Bill Gates spoke more about the internet punch to Micorsoft's Gut. Why? Today most of us would still be working in the office if it was not for the pandemic( the tech has been here for 10+ years). I would also like to understand more about the “Big Risks pay Big Rewards” mentioned by the CEO of Boeing and how I could I apply these principles to AI, Satellite 5G, google in the brain and Drug advancements.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Loved it.

Great book. Very informative and a fun look back at the history of technology. Well worth it.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!