Product guide

DEC Is Dead, Long Live DEC: The Lasting Legacy of Digital Equipment Corporation

Lasting: DEC Is Dead, Long Live DEC is a history of Digital Equipment Corporation’s rise and fall, with a focus on how company culture shaped its ability to adapt. The book draws on Edgar Schein’s consulting experience with DEC and examines the legacy of the company’s organizational culture.

At a glance

Covers DEC’s rise, decline, and sale to Compaq, as presented in the listing.
Focuses on the way founder Ken Olsen’s organizational culture first helped DEC and later hindered adaptation.
Uses the company’s history as a case study in organizational culture and business change.
The listing describes Edgar Schein as a longtime consultant to DEC with an insider perspective.

Price

$2.99Save 85%

Reference price: ~~$19.99~~

Price checked: Nov 12, 2026

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Pros and cons

Pros

Connects a major computer-industry company’s history with a focused analysis of organizational culture.
The listing describes the book as a detailed case study of why an organization may struggle to adapt despite recognizing changing circumstances.
A substantial listed length of 337 pages supports a more developed treatment than a brief overview.

Technical specifications

11 specifications

Publication
Publisher	Berrett-Koehler Publishers
Publication date	August 15, 2004
Language	English
Print length	337 pages
ISBN-13	978-1605093024

Kindle edition details
File size	5.0 MB
Screen Reader	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	Enabled
X-Ray	Enabled
Word Wise	Enabled
Page Flip	Enabled

What to know before buying

The description makes broad historical and innovation claims about DEC. Treat these as the book’s framing, not as independently verified conclusions.

Who is it for?

A good fit for

Readers interested in Digital Equipment Corporation and the history of the computer industry.
Business and organizational readers studying corporate culture, adaptation, and company decline.
Readers seeking a company-history case study that connects organizational behavior with business outcomes.

Less suited to

Readers looking primarily for a technical manual or a contemporary guide to computer hardware.

Customer reviews on Amazon

4.4 / 5 · 82 ratings

5 stars59%59%
4 stars22%22%
3 stars17%17%
2 stars2%2%
1 star0%0%

Aggregate customer ratings lean positive overall, but include a notable middle-rated portion as well as high ratings. This offers a limited signal of reception, not a clear account of what readers praised or criticized. Consider whether the book’s historical and organizational-culture focus matches your interests.

Frequently asked questions

What is this book about?

It follows Digital Equipment Corporation’s rise and fall and examines how its organizational culture shaped both its early advantages and later difficulty adapting.

Does the book focus on computer technology or business culture?

The description emphasizes DEC’s business history and organizational culture, while also placing the company among the computer industry’s early innovators.

Who is described as contributing an insider perspective?

The listing says Edgar Schein consulted with DEC throughout its history and had access to key people and events.

What Kindle features are listed?

The listing marks Screen Reader, Enhanced typesetting, X-Ray, Word Wise, and Page Flip as supported or enabled.