A Truck Full of Money

Description

Tracy Kidder tells the story of Paul English, a kinetic and unconventional inventor and entrepreneur, who as a boy rebelled against authority. Growing up in working-class Boston, English discovers a medium for his talents the first time he sees a computer. As a young man, despite suffering from what would eventually be diagnosed as bipolar disorder, he begins his pilgrim's journey through the ups and downs in the brave new world of computers. Relating to the Internet as if it's an extension of his own mind, he discovers that he has a talent for conceiving innovative enterprises and building teams that can develop them, becoming 'a Pied Piper' of geeks. His innovative management style, success, and innate sense of fair play inspire intense loyalty. Early on, one colleague observes: 'Someday this boy's going to get hit by a truck full of money, and I'm going to be standing beside him.' Yet when English does indeed make a fortune, when the travel website Kayak is sold for almost two billion dollars--the first thing he thinks about is how to give the money away: 'What else would you do with it?' The second thing he thinks is, 'What's next?