Glenn Ogura
Författare till Startup
Verk av Glenn Ogura
Taggad
Allmänna fakta
- Utbildning
- Queen's University at Kingston
- Yrken
- executive
- Kort biografi
- Glenn Ogura earned a degree in electrical engineering from Queen's University in Canada. He is currently is the executive vice-president for a NH-based laser micromachining company. He lives with his wife in California. He loves watching football. He is an avid New England Patriots fan. Asides from his love of writing, talking technology and the study of business ethics, he plays tennis. "Startup" is his first novel.
Kirkus Reviews says, "A solid business thriller. Ogura crafts a novel reminiscent of John Grisham's "The Firm"". He can be reached at www.glennogura.com
Medlemmar
Recensioner
Startup av Glenn Ogura
Glenn Oguras first novel is a definite page turner, and is bound to be an epic thriller. It's hard to put the book down once you get into the unexpected twists and suspenseful scenes. The characters are captivating and very well developed.
STARTUP tells us the story of Zack Perry and what happens when he decides to start up his own company, Imagination. Along the way, he loses friends, makes enemies and becomes a little wiser to the world, only to find himself back where he began.
When I first read the description for this story, I thought it would be something in the way of John Grisham. However, I felt none of the adrenalin and morbid curiosity which kept me constantly reading THE FIRM. Instead, after having an interesting opening with the prologue, which captures the imagination and starts the reader to thinking, things rise and fall as you read the story. At times I found myself wanting to read more, while at others I just wanted it to be over and done with as I skimmed along.
Although the writing mechanics are meticulous, I felt little for most of the main characters in the story. To me, the main players in the story were Zack, Mary Anne and Allen, who was the most believable. Both Zack and Mary Anne, work for Allen in his cutthroat business DisplayTechnik. Each are near the top of their divisions in this company and Allen is not a man to promote people without talents, even if they are his own family. In my opinion, both Zack and Mary Anne were way too naive to be where they were at that point in their lives. It was as if, in an attempt to make the point that there still remain a few people with morality and ethics in the business sector, it was overdone to the point that it was unbelievable.
Perhaps the most well developed character of the book was Allen, although I did like his wife Charlotte also. Even though Allen is clearly the villain in the story, you can't help but have a little respect for his brilliance of mind and that go get em attitude, while hating his immorality and selfishness. Allen is a man with dreams and goes after them. First he starts his own company and makes it a roaring success, then he hires only the best for the business and does whatever he has to to protect that business. It is this character which makes the saddest and most memorable statement in the story when he educates Julie in no certain terms, “I'm saying that there's no loyalty in America. None. People don't work for me because they believe in me. Hell, they couldn't care less about me. They work for me because it helps them get what they want. Money. Money for a bigger house, more cable channels, vacations from their pathetic lives. Today, people don't have any respect for their employers.” Of course this works both ways, as employers no longer have respect for their employees either. This statement had me thinking that more and more we have respect for no one or nothing but ourselves and what we want. We're becoming so isolated with our technologies, that all we see is me.… (mer)
When I first read the description for this story, I thought it would be something in the way of John Grisham. However, I felt none of the adrenalin and morbid curiosity which kept me constantly reading THE FIRM. Instead, after having an interesting opening with the prologue, which captures the imagination and starts the reader to thinking, things rise and fall as you read the story. At times I found myself wanting to read more, while at others I just wanted it to be over and done with as I skimmed along.
Although the writing mechanics are meticulous, I felt little for most of the main characters in the story. To me, the main players in the story were Zack, Mary Anne and Allen, who was the most believable. Both Zack and Mary Anne, work for Allen in his cutthroat business DisplayTechnik. Each are near the top of their divisions in this company and Allen is not a man to promote people without talents, even if they are his own family. In my opinion, both Zack and Mary Anne were way too naive to be where they were at that point in their lives. It was as if, in an attempt to make the point that there still remain a few people with morality and ethics in the business sector, it was overdone to the point that it was unbelievable.
Perhaps the most well developed character of the book was Allen, although I did like his wife Charlotte also. Even though Allen is clearly the villain in the story, you can't help but have a little respect for his brilliance of mind and that go get em attitude, while hating his immorality and selfishness. Allen is a man with dreams and goes after them. First he starts his own company and makes it a roaring success, then he hires only the best for the business and does whatever he has to to protect that business. It is this character which makes the saddest and most memorable statement in the story when he educates Julie in no certain terms, “I'm saying that there's no loyalty in America. None. People don't work for me because they believe in me. Hell, they couldn't care less about me. They work for me because it helps them get what they want. Money. Money for a bigger house, more cable channels, vacations from their pathetic lives. Today, people don't have any respect for their employers.” Of course this works both ways, as employers no longer have respect for their employees either. This statement had me thinking that more and more we have respect for no one or nothing but ourselves and what we want. We're becoming so isolated with our technologies, that all we see is me.… (mer)
This review is from: Startup (Kindle Edition)
A classic tale of good versus evil with a high-tech twist, STARTUP is well-written, perfectly paced and a very enjoyable read.
Allen Henley, corporate mega-mogul supreme, is bad to the bone and one of the most soulless characters I've ever encountered. Although I wouldn't want to meet up with him on the opposite side of a boardroom table (or a dark alley for that matter), I found his actions believable. And even though it's obvious his cruelty to his peers and the employees of his company has no bounds, I also found other's willingness to follow him and believe that deep-down he's a good guy, convincing. Those who achieve vast sums of money and power often mystify and beguile people, like the misguided Julie, director of his company's human resources department. Maybe it's the cynic in me, mentally nodding my head at all his antics. The times we live in are harsh and we're bombarded daily by news stories exposing the selfishness and greed of our fellow man. Sadly, the celebrity-spotlight stories are just as prevalent, extolling the virtues--and pitfalls--of having fame and fortune at any cost. The author taps into our collective disillusionment and infuses enough high-powered ego and arrogance into Allen Henley to make us feel vindicated in our distrust and dislike.
Yet "hope springs eternal," as the saying goes, and I, for one, am an optimist by nature. I think most of us are. I saw in Zack Penny the perfect foil for Allen Henley. Mentally tough but innately tender, loyal and protective of those he cares for, this larger-than-life hero comes wrapped in an unassuming package of T-shirt, jeans and naivete but with enough mental brilliance and scruples to restore my faith in the notion that the human race is redeemable. Even his surname is well-chosen: Penny. What is a penny? It can be shiny and new, lucky and has monetary worth. Yet it's easy to overlook among the quarters, dimes and nickels. Yet a penny is vital when you need it, isn't it? When you don't want to walk around with ninety-nine cents worth of heavy coins sagging your pocket.
The supporting cast of characters adds to the magic of this setup: The engineers caught in the midst of the Allen-Zack rivalry and their all-too-human reactions; the flawed wife and shark-like maneuverings of lawyers and investors; the disenchanted daughter who desperately wants to believe in her father. As Allen tightens the vice around Zack's neck, all these characters come into play, heightening the stakes and the drama.
Yet in the end it's the plot that carries this book along and keeps it from being a cliché. Set in the Silicon Valley, the story centers around a unique polymer formula guaranteed to revolutionize people's lives and vastly enrich the fortunes and reputations of its developers. The author clearly has a knowledge of the technology sector of business that the average reader lacks. But I never felt lectured to, bored or in any way encumbered by the weighty nature of their business. In fact, the premise of the story is simple: a few dreamers trying to achieve the fairytale. I suspect it wasn't easy to incorporate the technological aspects into a fast-paced, exciting thriller and I applaud Mr. Ogura's efforts. He succeeded beautifully, in my opinion; I look forward to reading his next book.
I was given a copy of STARTUP in exchange for my honest review.
Nov 19, 2013… (mer)
A classic tale of good versus evil with a high-tech twist, STARTUP is well-written, perfectly paced and a very enjoyable read.
Allen Henley, corporate mega-mogul supreme, is bad to the bone and one of the most soulless characters I've ever encountered. Although I wouldn't want to meet up with him on the opposite side of a boardroom table (or a dark alley for that matter), I found his actions believable. And even though it's obvious his cruelty to his peers and the employees of his company has no bounds, I also found other's willingness to follow him and believe that deep-down he's a good guy, convincing. Those who achieve vast sums of money and power often mystify and beguile people, like the misguided Julie, director of his company's human resources department. Maybe it's the cynic in me, mentally nodding my head at all his antics. The times we live in are harsh and we're bombarded daily by news stories exposing the selfishness and greed of our fellow man. Sadly, the celebrity-spotlight stories are just as prevalent, extolling the virtues--and pitfalls--of having fame and fortune at any cost. The author taps into our collective disillusionment and infuses enough high-powered ego and arrogance into Allen Henley to make us feel vindicated in our distrust and dislike.
Yet "hope springs eternal," as the saying goes, and I, for one, am an optimist by nature. I think most of us are. I saw in Zack Penny the perfect foil for Allen Henley. Mentally tough but innately tender, loyal and protective of those he cares for, this larger-than-life hero comes wrapped in an unassuming package of T-shirt, jeans and naivete but with enough mental brilliance and scruples to restore my faith in the notion that the human race is redeemable. Even his surname is well-chosen: Penny. What is a penny? It can be shiny and new, lucky and has monetary worth. Yet it's easy to overlook among the quarters, dimes and nickels. Yet a penny is vital when you need it, isn't it? When you don't want to walk around with ninety-nine cents worth of heavy coins sagging your pocket.
The supporting cast of characters adds to the magic of this setup: The engineers caught in the midst of the Allen-Zack rivalry and their all-too-human reactions; the flawed wife and shark-like maneuverings of lawyers and investors; the disenchanted daughter who desperately wants to believe in her father. As Allen tightens the vice around Zack's neck, all these characters come into play, heightening the stakes and the drama.
Yet in the end it's the plot that carries this book along and keeps it from being a cliché. Set in the Silicon Valley, the story centers around a unique polymer formula guaranteed to revolutionize people's lives and vastly enrich the fortunes and reputations of its developers. The author clearly has a knowledge of the technology sector of business that the average reader lacks. But I never felt lectured to, bored or in any way encumbered by the weighty nature of their business. In fact, the premise of the story is simple: a few dreamers trying to achieve the fairytale. I suspect it wasn't easy to incorporate the technological aspects into a fast-paced, exciting thriller and I applaud Mr. Ogura's efforts. He succeeded beautifully, in my opinion; I look forward to reading his next book.
I was given a copy of STARTUP in exchange for my honest review.
Nov 19, 2013… (mer)
This novel has all the ingredients of an epic thriller. I ended up turning the pages much quicker than expected, and thoroughly enjoyed the escape from some of life's distractions.
Most of the characters are well developed and intriguing, particularly the evil CEO Allen Henley of Display Technik who will stop at nothing to destroy his former prized disciple Zack Penny and his talented team that dared to leave the security of a giant company to make it on their own in the same industry.
The book flows nicely from one scene to the next right up to the tantalizing ending full of suspense and a few surprises.
It's hard to believe that Ogura could craft such a fabulous story his first time out. Besides a few minor flaws in character development of the protagonist Zach, I would rank Ogura up there with some of the greats of this genre include Grisham, Chrichton, and perhaps one of my favorites, Robin Cook.
If this is indicative of his work, I truly hope there is another novel coming out soon.… (mer)
Most of the characters are well developed and intriguing, particularly the evil CEO Allen Henley of Display Technik who will stop at nothing to destroy his former prized disciple Zack Penny and his talented team that dared to leave the security of a giant company to make it on their own in the same industry.
The book flows nicely from one scene to the next right up to the tantalizing ending full of suspense and a few surprises.
It's hard to believe that Ogura could craft such a fabulous story his first time out. Besides a few minor flaws in character development of the protagonist Zach, I would rank Ogura up there with some of the greats of this genre include Grisham, Chrichton, and perhaps one of my favorites, Robin Cook.
If this is indicative of his work, I truly hope there is another novel coming out soon.… (mer)
Priser
Statistik
- Verk
- 2
- Medlemmar
- 22
- Popularitet
- #553,378
- Betyg
- 4.4
- Recensioner
- 9
- ISBN
- 3
- Favoritmärkt
- 1
