Idea Man: A Memoir by the Cofounder of Microsoft

 In 2007 and 2008, Time named Paul Allen, the cofounder of Microsoft, one of the hundred 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 long-awaited 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.