Rating: 
Summary: Helpful Guide to 1990's and 2010's
Review: I bought this book because Vint Cerf says the Internet will go from 3.5M users today to 3.5B users in 10-15 years, and that means that businesses involved in Internet infrastructure--and especially multi-media multi-lingual narrowcasting--have a growth (or implosion) prospect on the order of 1000X. The book tells a helpful story about CISCO's growth in 12 years, and I for one found it both well-written and fascinating. I am especially impressed by the CISCO rules for successful acquisitions, by the CISCO distinctions between core competencies and outsourced manufacturing, and by the CISCO implementation of its enterprise information system and related web sales and service sites. As for the future, I agree with John Chambers that telephone calls will be free in the future. Arthur Clarke said this 20 years ago. Chambers' vision for a global multi-service (voice and data) offering that easily integrates wireless, fiber-optic, and other forms of transmission is inevitable, but CISCO is not necessarily pre-ordained as the dominant enterprise. Corporate and national information strategies must have four components: connectivity, content, coordination of standards and investments, and communications/computing security. CISCO, as described by the book, has a superficial interest in encryption but does not really understand the urgency of establishing "deep encryption" that is embedded in all data (including data in storage) and unencumbered by the retarded US and European policies seeking to give their spies an easy back door to use. CISCO also appears to be overlooking two major opportunities for future expansion: first, in leading a much broader coordination of standards such as transparent and stable Application Program Interfaces (API) that would permit the remote integration of applications and multi-media data; and second, in exploring all aspects of data classification, indexing, and visualization, both in terms of data access and automated filtering, and in terms of pattern analysis across the network. There are so many over-hyped books on the Internet Revolution that I found this book to be a real pleasure. Whether for entertainment or for business lessons or for insights into the future, it is a solid 5.
Rating: 
Summary: Could be alot better
Review: After seeing CISCO profiled on one of Robert Cringley's Nerds 2.0.1 documentary, I was fascinated about how one of the giants of communications was created within a dining room. I bought this book expecting to hear about the excitement and struggles of an organization as it is becoming very big, very fast. This book seemed to vaguely cover this period within Cisco's history. There is very little written about the struggle and difficulties within the management that must have existed at that time. I would not recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: Cisco Employee Take
Review: As a long time follower and beliver of Cisco and NOW an employee, this book is full of details that make Cisco Systems who they are today and will contribute to them being the first trillion dollar market cap company! This read is about as close as it gets without having dinner with founders, Sandy Lerner and Len Bosack:-) Happy Reading!
Rating: 
Summary: Just an image control piece.
Review: As a ten year veteran of cisco, I am discouraged by the misinformation presented in this book. Many omissions, factual errors, incorrect attributions are present in this book. Very few of the mistakes cisco made along the way are documented and discussed. Mistakes that lead to the formation of companies that now successfully compete against cisco like Juniper Networks. Or near misses like almost giving our source code to Microsoft. Cisco has an amazing story to tell, I am sadden to see this puff piece instead. I look fondly on most of my association with cisco, but this book does not accurately document the company and its inter-workings, it only demonstrates that cisco has one of the best image control infrastructures around.
Rating:
Summary: Tell the whole story
Review: Being a former cisco employee, it was disappointing to me to not see the real story of how the cisco culture was created long before John Chambers arrived. In particular, the early cisco sales management drove the company to listen to customer needs. Many competitors feared the day the customer said no to cisco, as that is when the selling really began....... Next book should really tell the whole story.... What if you wrote the history of IBM starting with Lou Gerstner? Would you understand IBM? The author should consider going back to the beginning, and really tell the story of "the cisco way"
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful overview
Review: Bundell manages to create a vivid and well-documented image of the networking giant. He provides a clear and detailed picture of the history of Cisco uptodate. Had I this book been publised before I started my research on the company, I probably would've switched subjects. It's an excellent guide to whoever is interested in how Cisco got to where it is and provides and excellent base for further research.
Rating:
Summary: A Modern Saga Still in Progress
Review: Bunnell provides a brilliant analysis of Cisco Systems, one of the most successful corporations in history. He organizes the material within nine chapters: The Truth Behind the Cisco Legend (1984-1987), The Morgridge Years (1988-1995), The Inner Chambers (1977-1995), The Benevolent Predator (1996), A Day in the Life, Routing the Industry (1997-1998), The Virtual Corporation (1997-Present), The New Battle (1996-1998), and Giving Cisco a Voice (1998-Present). Note the digressions from the traditional chronological narrative. The reasons for each digression become obvious as Bunnell carefully guides his reader through a wealth of information. Periodically, Bunnell pauses to share his own opinion of a given situation or circumstance. He tells a compelling "story" of the creation and subsequent development of Cisco Systems. There is no shortage of key "characters", notably Sandra Lerner and Leonard Bosack (co-founders), Bill Yeager, Kirk Lougheed, Don Valentine, John Morgridge, John Chambers, Ed Kozel, and Don Listwin. They and others have played a key role but Morgridge and (especially) Chambers receive most of Bunnell's attention because their contributions have proven to be most important to the corporation's success. Chambers remains CEO. Much as I was impressed by the flow of the narrative, I especially enjoyed Bunnell's own comments. Here four brief examples: "Chambers has the characteristics of a Mafia don (at least as popularized by Marlon Brando. He makes no distinction between personal values and corporate ones. He has a team of fantastically loyal people. He recognizes the significance of minor actions as an expression of larger motivations. Although he encourages team play, dissent, and discussion, he is the ultimate decision maker." "For Chambers, there are five keys to selecting the right acquisitions: Share a common vision, be culturally compatible, provide a quick win for shareholders, provide a long-term strategic win for all four constituencies, and be geographically desirable." "Teamwork is paramount in an organization whose size and growth demand it. The more decentralized Cisco's organization becomes, the more any semblance of management depends on empowered individuals working together under the benevolent command if Cisco's corporate leaders." "The world Cisco faces at the turn of the millennium parallels the one that first propelled Cisco to success. It's a world of incompatible protocols, preventing people from communicating. This time, people want their phones, televisions, and computers to talk to each other. Cisco has moved to provide the consumer product equivalent of its original multiprotocol router -- the media gateway, which can connect phone networks of various types to the various data networks." Bunnell has told the Cisco "story" until now...and he has told it well. What we learn about Cisco Systems is almost exactly what we learn about the global marketplace in which this corporation competes. To a significant extent, Cisco Systems has defined that marketplace and, in all probability, will continue to do so. But don't tell John Chambers that. He is well aware that another "small, innovative company could come along -- unburdened by hype. huge product lines, and an organization of thousands -- to become the next [italics] company of the future." It's happened before...and will probably happen again.
Rating: 
Summary: A Glowing Perception of Cisco's Rise to Internet Power
Review: Cisco has undoubtedly been the business success story of the 90's, and David Bunnell's book chronicles the company's rise from the halls of Stanford to the role of an international juggernaut very well. The authors explain the leadership techniques of the key members of Cisco's management, and they also make a good attempt to explain how Cisco has managed to stay on top of the Internet infrastructure industry. I purchased this book for its analysis of Cisco's leadership, and it didn't disappoint me. Unfortunately, the authors spend too much time praising John Chambers & Co. and not enough discussing what they did wrong, and why they might have done it. "Making the Cisco Connection" is a well-written, informative book, but I personally would have liked to have seen more in-depth analysis of the few mistakes the company has made.
Rating:
Summary: A quick, well-written history
Review: Cisco is doing better than ever and there's no wonder why after reading this concise and extremely interesting history of the company. It's a good read with important lessons for investors as well as business leaders.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: Cisco lite - a thin book with not much content. Heavy on PR; light on insight. I expected more from Bunnell.
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