John Chambers and the Cisco Way: Navigating Through ... (ISBN 0471008338)

How the Computer Industry Was Born:
This book is interesting, packed with facinating facts and I love the way it explains in "real people" language just how the whole computer industry got started. It also offers insight into the character and effective management practices of John Chambers, without being a flattery piece. The book communicates the fast-paced life in Silicon Valley and extends beyond the Cisco experience to in-depth explanations of how the computer industry giants grow, compete and sometimes die. A wealth of knowledge with an insightful look at a manager who has worthwhile practices to share with any of today's managers.

Some Useful Information but not much business insight:
This book covers some of Cisco's corporate and Chambers' personal history. However the book does not present any detailed analysis of either. Instead it relies on press-release and newspaper excerpts to document parts of the Cisco and Chambers story. It does not appear that the author had much direct access to John Chambers. In places, the book presents analysis which is either naive or false. For example, the book claims that Cisco viewed Sycamore as a "big-eight" competitor at one point. I am sure Cisco viewed Sycamore as a competitor, but it could not have viewed it as an imminent threat - Sycamore was a tiny startup born in the late 90s around the same time as Juniper. Sycamore was always a much smaller threat than Juniper was and both companies were (probably) 1/100th the size of Cisco (or smaller) in terms of revenue. All in all, this book is suitable for somebody who wants to get a broad view of cisco's evolution. It is not suitable for somebody looking for precise facts or for deep business analysis.

Surprisingly readable:
I was given this book as a present. I warmly thanked the giver for her thoughtfullness, but secretly, I dreaded reading the book. These unauthorized bios are generally either full of senseless/salacious details, or they're dry as an annual report. Most of them are suitable as torture devices. Why do I bother you ask? Knowledge is power, and I invest in stocks. Well, big surprise. This book reads with an almost perfect balance of translated tech talk and personal detail about Chambers. This is no simple feat for the author, as Cisco's core business is anything but easy to explain, but you will be amazed at how much you painlessly learn about the innards of the net and how / where Cisco fits. I could go on, but your time is better spent buying and reading this book. I hope Waters has another of these in the hopper.

Medium read, good strategy on acquisitions:
Chambers is no doubt a superb leader, excellent speaker, widely respected business man and a hero for all of Cisco. The acquisition strategy is indeed very true, and this book explains how Cisco has managed to grow to its current size by the multitudes of acquisitions and the unique blending of the incoming cultures into its own. It has built a mosaic well worth being proud of and continues to grow in this manner. I think it's a good book if Cisco and acquisition strategy is of interest to you.