THERE MUST BE A PONY IN HERE SOMEWHERE The AOL Time Warner Debacle and the Quest for the Digital Future

Time Warner's Gerald Levine thought he had to merge with smaller but more 'Net-savvy AOL to keep from having to eat AOL's dust in the battle for media customers. In this tightly written documentary about the creation and cataclysmic failure of the resulting merger, a WALL STREET JOURNAL columnist uses her considerable knowledge of both companies to create a fascinating portrait of what happened and why. The stories of Steve Case and others involved in the deal are textured with personal information that puts their decisions in human perspective. It's essential history on the growth of the Internet, enlightening and entertaining to hear--whether or not you were clobbered financially when the value of the joint venture tanked. T.W.
(c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/MAY 04]