THE SECRET DIARY OF BILL GATES: A Parody

by Bill G. ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 1, 1998

A pseudonymous auteur in cyberspace attempts a parody of the Internet diary by the Microsoft mogul. This text doesn't emanate from newspaper columns, TV, or movies, but rather is cobbled together from a hot site on the World Wide Web. And if it were a real book instead of a parody of a book it might be an ominous portent for authorship. Certainly, the Richest Guy in the World is the proper subject for satire, but surely he deserves something funnier than this, the Web version of rancid popcorn. There are constant put-downs of competitors by a supposedly silly Gates. Running gags about his manliness, his family, his house, his search for new books about himself and his postulated delight in the Spice Girls are not particularly funny. The likely premise of Gates being at once egotistical, naive, and ruthless beyond measure goes nowhere at all. ""The coolest!"", ""way cool!"" and ""so cool!"" are the diary's sole expressions of approbation, and that approbation is confined solely to Gates himself, of course. On the other hand, disapproval is expressed with ""Way cool, not!"" This extended vocabulary is used for all Microsoft competition. Comedic fun is tagged with an ever useful ""Ha, ha, ha!"" The syntax sounds suspiciously like that of a sophomore computer geek, though some industry buzz and Microsoft gossip make the author sound like an insider. A sizable audience of computer buffs, chat room nerds, and Windows resisters may be found, but unless you like to spend all your time surfing the Net for hackers' detritus, forget it. Better to spend your time perusing a screen saver. Way cooool, not!

Pub Date: May 1, 1998

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 288

Publisher: Andrews McMeel

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1998

Categories: NONFICTION