Book Review: Hit Refresh

Refresh the Future: Reimagining Business and Transformation under the AI+HI Intelligent Revolution
HIT REFRESH: The Quest to Rediscover Microsoft's Soul and Imagine a Better Future for Everyone
Author: Satya Nadella
Original Author: Satya Nadella
Translator: Xie Yifei
Publisher: Global Views Publishing
Publication Date: 2018/01/03
Language: Traditional Chinese
ISBN: 9789863983095

Book Recommendation URL: http://moo.im/a/6ilwLW

Preface:

This series of books was actually bought during the "Double Eleven: Duomo Three Books 25% Off" sale. (The otaku's Double Eleven is just that ~ plain and boring) But this book is really interesting, so I finished reading it in the past few days. Plus, there's a sentence in it that caught my attention: "In the summer, at 25, I joined Microsoft, I was a Windows NT technology evangelist."

It was because of this sentence that I seriously finished reading this book. For me, the writing style of this book is like explaining the CEO's views on the company and the future prospects through the tone of Developer Relations.

Content Summary:

With the rapid popularization of AI, what is the unique value of humans that cannot be replaced?
After the cloud, what is the next key technology? What kind of companies will dominate the future? How to lead change?

Technology accelerates disruption, success will not last, and there is no blueprint for the future.
The biggest challenge is not the unknown, but whether we can be more open-minded, continuously refresh, and then restart and develop the future!

The content summary is from "Duomo": http://moo.im/a/6ilwLW

The beginning of the book goes through the process of being selected as the new CEO of Microsoft, leading to the author's growth history from India and the difficulties Microsoft has faced in recent years. It's like the beginning of a biographical film, making people want to read it seriously. Then, the scene slowly returns to the time when the author first joined Microsoft, the meetings with Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer, and the spirit learned, which helped the author face different challenges in the more than twenty years of his Microsoft career.

The following story also describes many of the author's experiences at Microsoft, like a small history of Microsoft. It started with the most popular Windows NT and customer-related departments, and then moved to a new product business unit, which is Microsoft's cloud business department (later known to everyone as Azure). Through cautious attempts in the new department, the right path was chosen to grow performance, and finally, he was promoted to the new CEO of Microsoft.

Also because of the author's work experience, he has a very positive way of thinking. Clear judgment has also allowed Microsoft to be reborn in recent years, striving to combine many former competitors, allowing Microsoft's platform to shine everywhere. It also embraces open source to make Microsoft's cloud business not only based on the Windows system architecture cloud, but also a cloud service system focused on artificial intelligence and customer orientation.

The final stage is the author's sharing of his views on several technology trends in recent years. He shares many personal opinions on aspects ranging from technology trust to artificial intelligence and liberalized trade.

Thoughts:

The writing style of this book, as I mentioned at the beginning, is written through the method of Developer Relations. In other words, this book can be used to promote to the outside world that Microsoft has been reborn and is moving towards the future. It can also be given to Microsoft employees as a book to strengthen their confidence and continue to work hard to create the future.

In terms of content explanation, I personally highly recommend that those who want to understand how to do a corporate technology brand reconstruction should read it carefully. Also, because the article's layout is actually very carefully arranged through a similar film storyboard method, it attracts readers and makes them want to finish reading it. However, it also details the growth process of many stages in Microsoft's history, and many students and technology industry practitioners can use this book as a history book of Microsoft's growth in recent years.

If you don't know Microsoft's new CEO - Satya Nadella, this book is highly recommended for you to read.