Barbarians at the Gate: The Fall of RJR Nabisco
By Bryan Burrough and John Helyar
Widely considered one of the best business books ever written. Potentially sobering for Mr. Ballmer, given how poorly this worked out. It’s especially appropriate because it was an example of culture clash and an ambitious CEO, and two well-known brands.
Mergers: Leadership, Performance and Corporate Health
By David Fubini, Colin Price and Maurizio Zollo
This book by two McKinsey consultants and an INSEAD professor outlines the five key factors to a successful merger. They argue that if you can only do one thing right, set the leadership early. That will be a telling thing for Microsoft to do, especially since the leadership of its Online Services business unit seem to be in flux, as noted in this Mary Jo Foley post on All About Microsoft. Plus, the first chapter is free online here.
Backfire: Carly Fiorina’s high-stakes battle for the soul of Hewlett-Packard, by Peter Burrows
Perfect Enough: Carly Fiorina and the Reinvention of Hewlett-Packard, By George Anders
Even friendly high-tech deals aren’t necessarily fun. Especially when your own shareholders feel hostile. of course, Microsoft’s shareholders haven’t gone into rebellion over this deal, at least not yet. But if they do, and it’s because they just can’t get their minds around Microsoft looking beyond software, Ballmer might get some pointers from one of these.
Five Frogs on a Log: a CEO’s field guide to accelerating the transition in mergers, acquisitions, and gut wrenching change
By Mark L. Feldman and Michael Frederick Spratt
A book by two PriceWaterhouseCoopers consultants on how to merge. They wrote it in the wake of the merger between PriceWaterhouse and Coopers & Lybrand, and their main focus is on making decisions fast. One reviewer called it folksy and ruthless, a combination that might be useful for Ballmer.
Inside Cisco: the real story of sustained M & A growth
By Ed Paulson
Cisco is the undisputed master of high-tech M&A. There might be some useful tips here for Ballmer on how it’s made the most of its acquisitions.
By Rand Araskog
The CEO who had to deal with the aftermath of numerous hostile deals tells all.
BNet has a few pointers worth his time, too.
Culture: The Biggest Single Impediment to the Yahoo-Microsoft Deal
Why Yahoo Should Just Say No to Microsoft
Outside BNet, he might enjoy perusing the M&A Law Prof Blog, with its copious links to other M&A sources.
Plus, a book for Jerry Yang:
