Hard Drive spins a fascinating yarn". — San Francisco Chronicle

"A stupendous success story...the most informative book yet on Bill Gates and Microsoft". — The Washington Post

"An engaging, almost classic tale of a boy who finds power in gadgets and then won't let go". — The Los Angeles Times

He's the wealthiest man in the world. He's happily married and a father. His company looms large over the corporate landscape. And he's ruthlessly eliminated every obstacle that has ever crossed his path. So why is Bill Gates scared?

The once infallible Gates simply missed the boat on the Internet. The young upstarts at Netscape had stolen the largest new computing opportunity in decades right out from under his nose, and suddenly Gates found himself in the unfamiliar situation of playing catch-up.

In one of the most dramatic corporate retoolings in history, Gates threw the full resources of Microsoft behind his crusade to overtake Netscape and to dominate the Internet in the same way he had dominated everything else. It won't be easy, given all of the enemies he's made over the years. Whether he'll once again wipe out the competition remains to be seen.

James Wallace's bestselling book Hard Drive chronicled the transformation of Bill Gates from a geeky wunderkind into a ruthless business titan. In Overdrive, Wallace brings readers up to date on the Gates saga over the last five years and reveals the inside story of the struggle to keep Microsoft on top in the new World Wide Web game.

Since Hard Drive, Gates's net worth has doubled, he's turned forty and he's moved into that legendary cyber-castle. He's become anavid golfer and a frequent bridge competitor with fellow billionaire Warren Buffett. At Microsoft, he's seen a favorable decision in the anti-trust suit by the U.S. Justice Department and the successful launch of Windows 95. But the success or failure of the company's efforts to become a major Internet player will define its future.

Based on myriad interviews with friends, colleagues, competitors, and both current and former Microsoft employees, Overdrive offers a rare inside view as one of the world's most visionary business minds and enigmatic personalities faces the biggest challenge of his career.