-
Idea Man
- A Memoir by the Cofounder of Microsoft
- Narrated by: Sean Runnette
- Length: 12 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Biographies & Memoirs, Professionals & Academics
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy for $31.50
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
iWoz
- How I Invented the Personal Computer and Had Fun Along the Way
- By: Steve Wozniak, Gina Smith
- Narrated by: Patrick Lawlor
- Length: 9 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Before cell phones that fit in the palm of your hand and slim laptops that fit snugly into briefcases, computers were like strange, alien vending machines. They had cryptic switches, punch cards, and pages of encoded output. But in 1975, a young engineering wizard named Steve Wozniak had an idea: What if you combined computer circuitry with a regular typewriter keyboard and a video screen?
-
-
Not Another Apple History!
- By Daniel Dennis on 04-08-08
By: Steve Wozniak, and others
-
Shoe Dog
- A Memoir by the Creator of Nike
- By: Phil Knight
- Narrated by: Norbert Leo Butz, Phil Knight - introduction
- Length: 13 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this candid and riveting memoir, for the first time ever, Nike founder and CEO Phil Knight shares the inside story of the company's early days as an intrepid start-up and its evolution into one of the world's most iconic, game-changing, and profitable brands.
-
-
A must listen to book- It's the perfect biz memoir
- By Brock on 06-02-16
By: Phil Knight
-
Tim Cook
- The Genius Who Took Apple to the Next Level
- By: Leander Kahney
- Narrated by: Jonathan Cowley
- Length: 8 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The death of Steve Jobs left a gaping void at one of the most innovative companies of all time. Jobs wasn't merely Apple's iconic founder and CEO; he was the living embodiment of a global megabrand. It was hard to imagine that anyone could fill his shoes - especially not Tim Cook, the intensely private executive who many thought of as Apple's "operations drone". But seven years later, as journalist Leander Kahney reveals in this definitive audiobook, things at Apple couldn't be better.
-
-
Could not get past the narration
- By Mark on 04-20-19
By: Leander Kahney
-
Sid Meier's Memoir!
- A Life in Computer Games
- By: Sid Meier, Jennifer Lee Noonan - contributor
- Narrated by: Charles Constant
- Length: 8 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Over his four-decade career, Sid Meier has produced some of the world's most popular video games, including Sid Meier's Civilization, which has sold more than 51 million units worldwide and accumulated more than one billion hours of play. Sid Meier's Memoir! is the story of an obsessive young computer enthusiast who helped launch a multibillion-dollar industry.
-
-
Great!
- By Dylan Kelly on 03-30-21
By: Sid Meier, and others
-
Hit Refresh
- The Quest to Rediscover Microsoft's Soul and Imagine a Better Future for Everyone
- By: Satya Nadella, Greg Shaw, Bill Gates - foreword
- Narrated by: Shridhar Solanki, Satya Nadella
- Length: 7 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Microsoft's CEO tells the inside story of the company's continuing transformation, tracing his own personal journey from a childhood in India to leading some of the most significant technological changes in the digital era. As much a humanist as engineer and executive, Nadella concludes with his vision for the coming wave of intelligent technologies and a distinct call to action for leaders everywhere.
-
-
Great read for those into tech
- By Spider-Man on 10-14-17
By: Satya Nadella, and others
-
Becoming Steve Jobs
- The Evolution of a Reckless Upstart into a Visionary Leader
- By: Brent Schlender, Rick Tetzeli
- Narrated by: George Newbern
- Length: 16 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There have been many books - on a large and small scale - about Steve Jobs, one of the most famous CEOs in history. But this book is different from all the others. Becoming Steve Jobs takes on and breaks down the existing myth and stereotypes about Steve Jobs. The conventional, one-dimensional view of Jobs is that he was half genius, half jerk from youth, an irascible and selfish leader who slighted friends and family alike.
-
-
Contextual, Insightful, Inspiring
- By Douglas Vincent on 03-30-15
By: Brent Schlender, and others
-
iWoz
- How I Invented the Personal Computer and Had Fun Along the Way
- By: Steve Wozniak, Gina Smith
- Narrated by: Patrick Lawlor
- Length: 9 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Before cell phones that fit in the palm of your hand and slim laptops that fit snugly into briefcases, computers were like strange, alien vending machines. They had cryptic switches, punch cards, and pages of encoded output. But in 1975, a young engineering wizard named Steve Wozniak had an idea: What if you combined computer circuitry with a regular typewriter keyboard and a video screen?
-
-
Not Another Apple History!
- By Daniel Dennis on 04-08-08
By: Steve Wozniak, and others
-
Shoe Dog
- A Memoir by the Creator of Nike
- By: Phil Knight
- Narrated by: Norbert Leo Butz, Phil Knight - introduction
- Length: 13 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this candid and riveting memoir, for the first time ever, Nike founder and CEO Phil Knight shares the inside story of the company's early days as an intrepid start-up and its evolution into one of the world's most iconic, game-changing, and profitable brands.
-
-
A must listen to book- It's the perfect biz memoir
- By Brock on 06-02-16
By: Phil Knight
-
Tim Cook
- The Genius Who Took Apple to the Next Level
- By: Leander Kahney
- Narrated by: Jonathan Cowley
- Length: 8 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The death of Steve Jobs left a gaping void at one of the most innovative companies of all time. Jobs wasn't merely Apple's iconic founder and CEO; he was the living embodiment of a global megabrand. It was hard to imagine that anyone could fill his shoes - especially not Tim Cook, the intensely private executive who many thought of as Apple's "operations drone". But seven years later, as journalist Leander Kahney reveals in this definitive audiobook, things at Apple couldn't be better.
-
-
Could not get past the narration
- By Mark on 04-20-19
By: Leander Kahney
-
Sid Meier's Memoir!
- A Life in Computer Games
- By: Sid Meier, Jennifer Lee Noonan - contributor
- Narrated by: Charles Constant
- Length: 8 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Over his four-decade career, Sid Meier has produced some of the world's most popular video games, including Sid Meier's Civilization, which has sold more than 51 million units worldwide and accumulated more than one billion hours of play. Sid Meier's Memoir! is the story of an obsessive young computer enthusiast who helped launch a multibillion-dollar industry.
-
-
Great!
- By Dylan Kelly on 03-30-21
By: Sid Meier, and others
-
Hit Refresh
- The Quest to Rediscover Microsoft's Soul and Imagine a Better Future for Everyone
- By: Satya Nadella, Greg Shaw, Bill Gates - foreword
- Narrated by: Shridhar Solanki, Satya Nadella
- Length: 7 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Microsoft's CEO tells the inside story of the company's continuing transformation, tracing his own personal journey from a childhood in India to leading some of the most significant technological changes in the digital era. As much a humanist as engineer and executive, Nadella concludes with his vision for the coming wave of intelligent technologies and a distinct call to action for leaders everywhere.
-
-
Great read for those into tech
- By Spider-Man on 10-14-17
By: Satya Nadella, and others
-
Becoming Steve Jobs
- The Evolution of a Reckless Upstart into a Visionary Leader
- By: Brent Schlender, Rick Tetzeli
- Narrated by: George Newbern
- Length: 16 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There have been many books - on a large and small scale - about Steve Jobs, one of the most famous CEOs in history. But this book is different from all the others. Becoming Steve Jobs takes on and breaks down the existing myth and stereotypes about Steve Jobs. The conventional, one-dimensional view of Jobs is that he was half genius, half jerk from youth, an irascible and selfish leader who slighted friends and family alike.
-
-
Contextual, Insightful, Inspiring
- By Douglas Vincent on 03-30-15
By: Brent Schlender, and others
-
Steve Jobs
- By: Walter Isaacson
- Narrated by: Dylan Baker
- Length: 25 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Based on more than 40 interviews with Jobs conducted over two years—as well as interviews with more than a hundred family members, friends, adversaries, competitors, and colleagues—Walter Isaacson has written a riveting story of the roller-coaster life and searingly intense personality of a creative entrepreneur whose passion for perfection and ferocious drive revolutionized six industries: personal computers, animated movies, music, phones, tablet computing, and digital publishing.
-
-
Interesting man
- By Jeanne on 11-13-11
By: Walter Isaacson
-
Call Me Ted
- By: Ted Turner, Bill Burke
- Narrated by: Ted Turner
- Length: 14 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
An innovative entrepreneur, outspoken nonconformist, and groundbreaking philanthropist, Ted Turner is truly a living legend, and now, for the first time, he reveals his personal story. From his difficult childhood to the successful launch of his media empire to the catastrophic AOL/Time Warner deal, Turner spares no details or feelings and takes the reader along on a wild and sometimes bumpy ride.
-
-
Under-hyped
- By loix on 12-21-08
By: Ted Turner, and others
-
Elon Musk
- Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future
- By: Ashlee Vance
- Narrated by: Fred Sanders
- Length: 13 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the spirit of Steve Jobs and Moneyball, Elon Musk is both an illuminating and authorized look at the extraordinary life of one of Silicon Valley's most exciting, unpredictable, and ambitious entrepreneurs - a real-life Tony Stark - and a fascinating exploration of the renewal of American invention and its new makers.
-
-
The best of competence porn
- By Tristan on 08-20-16
By: Ashlee Vance
-
In the Plex
- How Google Thinks, Works, and Shapes Our Lives
- By: Steven Levy
- Narrated by: L. J. Ganser
- Length: 19 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Few companies in history have ever been as successful and as admired as Google, the company that has transformed the Internet and become an indispensable part of our lives. How has Google done it? Veteran technology reporter Steven Levy was granted unprecedented access to the company, and in this revelatory book he takes listeners inside Google headquarters - the Googleplex - to explain how Google works.
-
-
Just ok for me
- By Everyday Mom on 04-23-11
By: Steven Levy
-
Steve Jobs: The Man Who Thought Different
- By: Karen Blumenthal
- Narrated by: Sean Runnette
- Length: 5 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the start, his path was never predictable. Steve Jobs was given up for adoption at birth, dropped out of college after one semester, and at the age of 20, created Apple in his parents' garage with his friend Steve Wozniack. Then came the core and hallmark of his genius - his exacting insistence on perfection, his counterculture life approach, and his level of taste and style that pushed all boundaries.
-
-
Gaming Week
- By giovanna schiano on 09-02-19
By: Karen Blumenthal
-
Play Nice but Win
- A CEO's Journey from Founder to Leader
- By: Michael Dell, James Kaplan
- Narrated by: Michael Dell
- Length: 10 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1984, soon-to-be college dropout Michael Dell hid signs of his fledgling PC business in the bathroom of his University of Texas dorm room. Almost 30 years later, at the pinnacle of his success as founder and leader of Dell Technologies, he found himself embroiled in a battle for his company’s survival. What he’d do next could ensure its legacy — or destroy it completely.
-
-
Not perfect, but worth a listen
- By James S. on 11-09-21
By: Michael Dell, and others
-
Alibaba
- The House That Jack Ma Built
- By: Duncan Clark
- Narrated by: Jim Meskimen
- Length: 9 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In just a decade and a half, Jack Ma, a man from modest beginnings who started out as an English teacher, founded Alibaba and built it into one of the world's largest companies, an e-commerce empire on which hundreds of millions of Chinese consumers depend. Alibaba's $25 billion IPO in 2014 was the largest global IPO ever. A Rockefeller of his age who is courted by CEOs and presidents around the world, Jack is an icon for China's booming private sector.
-
-
Strange: Best part of story happens "off-screen"
- By Tristan on 09-02-16
By: Duncan Clark
-
The Snowball
- Warren Buffett and the Business of Life
- By: Alice Schroeder
- Narrated by: Kirsten Potter
- Length: 36 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Here is THE book recounting the life and times of one of the most respected men in the world, Warren Buffett. The legendary Omaha investor has never written a memoir, but now he has allowed one writer, Alice Schroeder, unprecedented access to explore directly with him and with those closest to him his work, opinions, struggles, triumphs, follies, and wisdom. The result is the personally revealing and complete biography of the man known everywhere as "The Oracle of Omaha."
-
-
I’m sick of all the fake 5 star reviews on audible
- By Amazon Customer on 07-20-19
By: Alice Schroeder
-
Fire in the Valley
- The Birth and Death of the Personal Computer
- By: Michael Swaine, Paul Freiberger
- Narrated by: Don Azevedo
- Length: 15 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the 1970s, while their contemporaries were protesting the computer as a tool of dehumanization and oppression, a motley collection of college dropouts, hippies, and electronics fanatics were engaged in something much more subversive. Obsessed with the idea of getting computer power into their own hands, they launched from their garages a hobbyist movement that grew into an industry, and ultimately a social and technological revolution.
-
-
Covers history that most others do not
- By R. Stearns on 01-13-19
By: Michael Swaine, and others
-
To Pixar and Beyond
- My Unlikely Journey with Steve Jobs to Make Entertainment History
- By: Lawrence Levy
- Narrated by: Bronson Pinchot
- Length: 7 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After Steve Jobs was unceremoniously dismissed from Apple, he turned his attention to a little-known graphics art company that he owned called Pixar. One day, out of the blue, Jobs called Lawrence Levy, a Harvard-trained lawyer and Silicon Valley executive to whom he had never spoken before, in the hope of persuading Levy to help him get Pixar on the right track. What Levy found in Pixar was a company on the verge of failure. To Pixar and Beyond is the extraordinary story of what happened next.
-
-
Sweet and Lovely
- By Emielke on 04-22-17
By: Lawrence Levy
-
Masters of Doom
- How Two Guys Created an Empire and Transformed Pop Culture
- By: David Kushner
- Narrated by: Wil Wheaton
- Length: 12 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Masters of Doom is the amazing true story of the Lennon and McCartney of video games: John Carmack and John Romero. Together, they ruled big business. They transformed popular culture. And they provoked a national controversy. More than anything, they lived a unique and rollicking American Dream, escaping the broken homes of their youth to produce the most notoriously successful game franchises in history - Doom and Quake - until the games they made tore them apart. This is a story of friendship and betrayal, commerce and artistry.
-
-
How it was
- By Ryan on 08-27-13
By: David Kushner
-
Invention
- A Life
- By: James Dyson
- Narrated by: James Dyson
- Length: 11 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Famously, over a four-year period, James Dyson made 5,127 prototypes of the cyclonic vacuum cleaner that would transform the way houses are cleaned around the world. In devoting all his resources to iteratively developing the technology, he risked it all, but out of many failures and setbacks came hard-fought success. In Invention: A Life, Dyson reveals how he came to set up his own company and led it to become one of the most inventive technology companies in the world. It is a compelling and dramatic tale, with many obstacles overcome.
-
-
Inspiring
- By Shogun on 09-25-21
By: James Dyson
Publisher's Summary
By his early 30s, Paul Allen was a world-famous billionaire - and that was just the beginning.
In 2007 and 2008, Time named Paul Allen, the cofounder of Microsoft, one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Since he made his fortune, his impact has been felt in science, technology, business, medicine, sports, music, and philanthropy. His passion, curiosity, and intellectual rigor - combined with the resources to launch and support new initiatives - have literally changed the world.
In 2009 Allen discovered that he had lymphoma, lending urgency to his desire to share his story for the first time. In this classic memoir, Allen explains how he has solved problems, what he's learned from his many endeavors - both the triumphs and the failures - and his compelling vision for the future. He reflects candidly on an extraordinary life.
The book also features previously untold stories about everything from the true origins of Microsoft to Allen's role in the dawn of private space travel (with SpaceShipOne) and in discoveries at the frontiers of brain science. With honesty, humor, and insight, Allen tells the story of a life of ideas made real.
More from the same
Narrator
What listeners say about Idea Man
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Alt8451
- 11-20-19
jesus h christ...
can't believe it took me this long to finally read this. worth every minute.
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- steve
- 05-15-20
Excellent book
Don’t pay attention to the negative reviews. This book was open and great to listen to. I admire Mr Allen.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Lynn
- 05-25-16
Best autobiography
There is far more to Paul Allen's story then "just" co-founder of Microsoft. His multi-faceted interests span life. Told in a compelling, yet intimate voice, this is the most interesting autobiography I have ever read.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Andy
- 12-03-11
an interesting journey
Two part book. First, an inside look at the journey of a curious kid from his days mixing household chemicals in the basement through his co-founding and eventual departure from Microsoft. Second, a primer on how not to go shopping after hitting the jackpot.
Sadly, no mention of the egregious "patent troll" behavior by Vulcan, especially on small and growing tech start-ups.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Renee Sullivan
- 06-29-20
Paul Allen was a great man
Living in the northwest we’ve known of Allen for years as the Trailblazers owner. Also the cofounder of Microsoft. What I didn’t know was how he used his wealth for much good. Contrast that with our billionaire president who thinks that wealth qualifies a person to high esteem just by having wealth alone. Allen had character.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amadeo
- 05-25-12
The part about Microsoft is good
Any additional comments?
Great account of Microsoft's early years. Too bad it is only a third of the book. The rest is about Allen's other activities, which are not so interesting.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Dustin
- 12-02-11
Pretty good
This biography was a mixed bag. The parts about Allen's relationship with Bill Gates before Microsoft, and about his time working at Microsoft, were great. It really makes you realize how intergel Microsoft was at the time. They were involved with so much, listening to Allen talk about it was almost like reading Fire In The Valley. It was like hearing a complete early history of personal computers. When Allen finishes talking about Microsoft he gives his take on the computer industry, and it's pretty awesome to hear his perspective on the industry today. I really enjoyed these parts of the book. With that said, the beginning, before Allen meets Gates, and the parts about owning a basketball team and the non-tech investments he made after Microsoft were incredibly boring. I couldn't take it and ended up skipping these chapters. Finally near the end he starts talking about his tech investments. This part wasn't bad, but his involvement with his tech investments are never as interesting as his involvement with Microsoft. It really makes you wonder if he was as passionate about these investments as he was about Microsoft. Overall I'd say if you're into tech like I am then reading this is a no-brainer... you'll just end up skipping the boring parts like me. The parts I mentioned that were interesting are well worth the price tag.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Dale Sarver
- 08-28-20
great story about Paul allen
this is his auto biography. it starts in his youth ang goes thru his Microsoft years in to his later life. he talks about his investments, his music, meeting celebrities, making and losing money, traveling the world, his illness and his philanthy.
I was impresses by his mind and diversity..
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- William E.
- 10-15-19
RIP Paul Allen & Thank You!
Paul Allen had an amazing life and it was fascinating to read about it in his own words. While most are familiar with Paul's contributions as the cofounder of Microsoft, I thought it was even more interesting to hear about his vast philanthropic endeavors. Their are a lot of great autobiographies / biographies, but this is near the top of my list (along with Shoe Dog).
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- michael
- 12-07-18
Paul Allen was a visionary
I live in Seattle we knew Paul Allen owned the Seahawks and Blazer and was Co-founder of Microsoft. however after listening to this book I believe Mr Allen was an extraordinary visionary. More so than Bill Gates and Steve Jobs. he just did it without the spotlight. I believe after listening to this book you will agree.
-
Overall

- Peter
- 10-21-19
A great man
Paul Allen was a great man in his field who also contributed so much in many other areas, too. This is his well-narrated story of how he rose to such great heights alongside Bill Gates at Microsoft, as well as achievements elsewhere. This is a
really nice audio book which I enjoyed. He will be greatly missed.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Anonymous User
- 08-10-19
Pessimistic at points
There were too frequent technical names of the hardware, which shadows the storyline sometimes. Too many times 'I' instead of 'we', and at some stages it felt that he wasn't happy with his fortune :/ God bless him.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Mark M
- 07-21-19
Much more than just microsoft
I came to this book anticipating most of it to be about Microsoft, the subject I got the book for. I wanted a perspective on its start from the other co - founder. This was engrossing as Mr Allen kept diaries so had great detail of the very early days programming late at night but it skimmed over fairly quickly his involvement in the company's latter days as he grew apart from Bill Gates.
The second half of the book I didn't know what to expect as I didn't know about Paul Allen's other interests and achievements. The starting chapters to this second half, post the big topic of Microsoft, about sports ownership failed to grab me much but the chapters on music, the mind (the ultimate computer has he says), space flight, the start of cable internet and exploration by yacht went together very well. These were equally engrossing and showed what Paul Allen's many other legacies were that had developed from his post Microsoft business investments.
If you just came to this book about Microsoft you will really like its start up story but please hang around for the bigger picture of a private but engaging man.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- James
- 05-12-19
i could not stop listening
Excellent, loved it, RIP Paul Allen. Software is eating the world now and many have benefited from their rise.