Issue date: May 05, 1999
By BARBARA WOOD
Just in time for this year's Woodside Elementary School Auction, the journalist whose attempt to attend last year's auction caused such a flap is about to come out with his book -- including a full description of the 1998 auction.
Newsweek senior writer David A. Kaplan's book, "The Silicon Boys," published by William Morrow and Co., will be available in early June. While Mr. Kaplan is still somewhat coy about whether or not he was at the auction, the book's prologue -- titled "Woodside 94062" -- certainly makes it sound as if he was there.
The chapter includes details of the auction setting, the menu, costumes worn by various guests, the names of people there, a description of a number of auction items, what was paid for them and by whom, how much money was raised, and even snippets of dinner table conversations.
It includes a play-by-play description of the bidding war that brought $125,000 for a week on Larry Ellison's luxury yacht, the Sakura, which the book says was purchased by J. Taylor Crandall.
When Mr. Kaplan tried to buy a ticket to last year's auction his check was returned. Security guards hired by the Woodside School Foundation were given his description and asked to have him arrested if he showed up, even though under state law any event held on a public school grounds must be open to the public.
The auction isn't the only local color in the book. The list of local "boys" featured in "The Silicon Boys" includes: Larry Ellison, Scott Cook, John Doerr, Brook Byers, Jamis MacNiven, Richard Draeger, Nolan Bushnell (former resident), Roger Bamford, the Bass family, J. Taylor Crandall, Neil Young, T.J. Rodgers, Charles Schwab, Bob Metcalfe (former resident), Rich Green, Ed Oates, Randy Komisar, Rick Herns, Vinod Khosla, Scott McNealy, Al Alcorn, Bill Hewlett, Mike Markkula, Larry Mohr, Joe Montana, Kirk Raab, Tom Siebel, Roger Sippl, Larry Sonsini, Bill Walsh and Jim Warren. Shirley Temple Black, Barbara Ellison and Koko the gorilla are among the few local "girls" who receive a mention.
The prologue is all about Woodside, ranging from local history such as Mike Markkula's fight to build an 18,000-square-foot home in scale with the redwoods on his property, to the scene at one of Barbara Ellison's famous biennial parties, to a description of T.J. Rodgers' well-organized sock drawer.
Featured on the book's cover are local boys Jim Clark, Larry Ellison, Steve Jobs and John Doerr along with Jerry Yang and Marc Andreessen.
"The book isn't just about Woodside," Mr. Kaplan says.
There's also Oracle, Netscape, Yahoo and Kleiner Perkins and even something about the strange effect that Bill Gates has on almost everybody in the Valley.
Mr. Kaplan says he interviewed close to 100 people for the book and took 13 months off from his job at Newsweek, where he returned early this year.
And will he dare step foot in Woodside after the book comes out?
"There is a book tour some time during the summer and I'll be spending a lot of time in the Bay Area," Mr. Kaplan said. "If Woodside would like to have me for a book signing, I'd like to come, but there will be no freebies for the charity auction."
Those who just can't wait until June can order the book now over the Internet at amazon.com or barnesandnoble.com.
Or they can read it in Newsweek, which has purchased first serial rights to the book and will run excerpts in late May or early June.
© 1999 The Almanac. All Rights Reserved.