THE HP WAY

This low-key account of the life and times of Hewlett Packard is written more like a yearbook covering five-plus decades of school life, rather than the history of a major corporation. Packard seems determined to acknowledge countless employees, suppliers and other contacts, justifying their presence through numerous vignettes that end as abruptly as a dead-end street. Although interesting as presented, the sketches are broad-brushed strokes, leaving readers wanting so much more. Nelson Runger's narration is slow, deliberate, clear and crisp but leaves listeners feeling that he expected more, too. T.J.M. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB 97]