UK: The rise of a computer whizz-kid.

Hard Drive: Bill Gates and the Making of the Microsoft Empire. By James Wallace and Jim Erickson. Wiley; 426pp; £14.95. Review by Malcolm Wheatley.

This book is likely to sell like hot cakes irrespective of how it is reviewed. The target readership is clearly defined, consisting of those who, while quite possibly indifferent to computers or software, care very much about the fact that it is possible to become the richest person in the US at the age of 36.

They are presented with a reassuring picture. Sure, it helps to be smart - Gates scored a perfect 800 in his pre-entry Harvard maths test - but what really counts is honest hard work, American-style.