Hit Refresh

Last updated
Hit Refresh
Hit-refresh-book-cover.jpg
Author Satya Nadella
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
GenreNonfiction
Publisher HarperCollins
Publication date
2017
Media typePrint (hardback and ebook)
ISBN 978-0062652508 (hardback)

Hit Refresh: The Quest to Rediscover Microsoft's Soul and Imagine a Better Future for Everyone is a nonfiction book by Satya Nadella and co-authors Jill Tracie Nichols and Greg Shaw, with a foreword by Bill Gates, published in 2017. Nadella announced that the profits from the book would go to Microsoft Philanthropies and through that to nonprofit organizations. [1]

Contents

Hit Refresh entered the New York Times Bestseller List in the nonfiction category at #5 [2] and reached #4. [3] A special annotated version of the book was given to each Microsoft employee. [4]

Summary

In Hit Refresh, Nadella interweaves his story of growing up in India and moving to the United States, his experiences at Microsoft before becoming CEO, and his ideas for changing the corporate culture. He often illustrates his statements with anecdotes about cricket and the challenges he has personally faced with his son's medical problems. Nadella includes three areas of future interest for Microsoft: artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing, and mixed reality.

Reception

Forbes said "Hit Refresh is optimistic about ways that tech will augment humans, grow the number of mid-tech jobs, and lead to social surplus." [5] The Register described the book as "a sanitised rather than revelatory account of change at Microsoft". [6] The reviewer at the Star Tribune notes "He is cautious in his storytelling but does delve into some of the decisionmaking, including buying Minecraft and repairing the company’s relationship with Samsung." [7] The Washington Post characterizes it as "Part memoir, part leadership guide, part futurist vision of technology". [8] Publishers Weekly says "Unpretentious and stirring, this well-written book provides surprising and welcome insights into a corporate giant." [9] Kirkus Reviews says Hit Refresh is a "valuable blueprint for techies and others in a culture-change state of mind". [10]

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References

  1. "Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella is writing a book called Hit Refresh". The Verge. 29 June 2016. Archived from the original on 25 April 2017. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  2. Cowles, Gregory (2017-10-06). "Microsoft's Chief Wants You to Know He's a Different Kind of Leader". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2019-10-08.
  3. "Best Sellers - Oct. 15, 2017 - The New York Times". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2019-09-30.
  4. Sharwood, Simon (28 Sep 2017). "Microsoft gives all staff a marked-up 'Employee Edition' of Satya Nadella's new book". www.theregister.co.uk. Retrieved 2019-10-08.
  5. Ark, Tom Vander. "Hit Refresh: How A Growth Mindset Culture Tripled Microsoft's Value". Forbes. Retrieved 2019-10-08.
  6. Anderson, Time (3 Oct 2017). "Ignite: Microsoft drops veil on Honolulu, releases SQL Server on Linux into the wild". www.theregister.co.uk. Retrieved 2019-10-08.
  7. "Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella gives some glimpses behind the curtain in 'Hit Refresh'". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2019-10-08.
  8. McGregor, Jena. "19 minutes with Microsoft's CEO: A new book, a new culture and a 'complete nonsense answer'". Washington Post. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
  9. "Hit Refresh: The Quest to Rediscover Microsoft's Soul and Imagine a Better Future for Everyone". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 2019-10-08.
  10. "HIT REFRESH by Satya Nadella, Greg Shaw, Jill Tracie Nichols". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved 8 Oct 2019.