Rating: 
Summary: GOOD But not very appropriate for evrybody
Review: This bokk is...ok! I mean it is good but a little bit boring. It presents a lot of studies made obviously by these two authors. However, that sounds really too much sometimes. You can skip 50percent of the book. Read the introduction, the conclusion, some begining of each paragraph and that's enough.
If you are used to very academic publication with a detailed overview of the conducted research, that is really a book for you.
For entrepreneurs, that might add some new insights about this industry but you can honeslty find other books more appropriate and more pragmatic.
Conclusion: a serious book (that sounds sometimes like bullship...sorry for the spelling..I am a foreigner), good ideas, good presentation but...too long!
Still, buy it if you have some free time.
Rating: 
Summary: A Must Read!
Review: This book is an awesome read for those who want to enter the world of Venture Capital. It explains more than what VC's do, it elaborates on the "how,when,why" of the entire process. From mathematical and data support (which is a bit complex for the average reader), its value in the book substantiates it's position on everything from timing funding, to VC experience (or lack of), and even firm or entreprenuerial behavior. Great first book in my opinion!
Rating:
Summary: A Must Read!
Review: This book is an awesome read for those who want to enter the world of Venture Capital. It explains more than what VC's do, it elaborates on the "how,when,why" of the entire process. From mathematical and data support (which is a bit complex for the average reader), its value in the book substantiates it's position on everything from timing funding, to VC experience (or lack of), and even firm or entreprenuerial behavior. Great first book in my opinion!
Rating:
Summary: Researches that answer your question
Review: Venture Capital Cycle are full of questions why and how. For example: 1. How are Venture Capital Structured? 2. How are the Venture Capitalists compensated? 3. Does the capital structure matter?On these questions, Gompers and Lerners gave you hypotheses from the experts, and in addition, they are proving those hypotheses. Which of those hypotheses are actually supported by the facts? The researches are very wide and valid. And the accomodate the hypotheses very well. When I was reading this book, I was doing a research for my master thesis. And I realize that this book explain venture capital in a very good way, and straighten up problems on Venture Capital.
Rating:
Summary: Researches that answer your question
Review: Venture Capital Cycle are full of questions why and how. For example: 1. How are Venture Capital Structured? 2. How are the Venture Capitalists compensated? 3. Does the capital structure matter? On these questions, Gompers and Lerners gave you hypotheses from the experts, and in addition, they are proving those hypotheses. Which of those hypotheses are actually supported by the facts? The researches are very wide and valid. And the accomodate the hypotheses very well. When I was reading this book, I was doing a research for my master thesis. And I realize that this book explain venture capital in a very good way, and straighten up problems on Venture Capital.
Rating:
Summary: thorough but Not Practical
Review: Very important content, but of limited use for actual VC investors or entrepreneur. It is very good with its findings, but they are all known to investors, and are of less interest to entrepreneur. that being said, I enjoyed reading the book, which shows the "proofs" to many of the things we in the industry are doing almost intuitively. The books suffers from the fact it is not sufficiently detailed to be useful in practice, while at the same time is providing good information for students learning investments. I guess it is just addressing a different audience than myself, an entrepreneru and investor.
Rating: 
Summary: Valuable and clear info for both sides of the vc process
Review: We used this book in an MBA course on Venture Capital here at the University of Michigan b-school. I think this is an excellent book. First, do NOT expect to be a book full of venture capital anecdotes. While that is always intersting, this book is a serious treatment of what the venture capital business is about: how funds are raised, how venture capitalists arrange deals to ensure adequate compensation for their risk, how investments are staged, how the investments are managed, exit strategies and methods, and more. This is a lot to cover in a book of approximately 350 pages, but it is all covered very well. The writing is quite clear and readable. Though this is not a book for the general reader, it is not difficult to read if you have some background understanding of business theory and a touch of finance. What is so helpful about reading this book is that people seeking venture capital will understand more about why things are structured they way they are. It isn't just arbitrary greed and control. It is a business deal that requires an expected positive return - you know - making money (which does concern self-interest (greed) and structure (control) - but with slightly more reasoning). While people seeking to make venture investments will immediately understand why they need something like this book and a whole lot more, I believe it is essential for people seeking investment money to also have a significant understanding of this process. Why? Because the venture capitalists understand this process completely and the people seeking investments usually don't do enough of these deals to really know what is going on. And if they are too blind they will be sheared like sheep. They need to understand all the interests involved so they can argue on their own behalf and make the deal as favorable as they can. In any case, while this isn't the only book you should read on the subject it is certainly a good one. It is of manageable length with a great deal of clear and helpful information. I find this topic fascinating.
Rating:
Summary: Valuable and clear info for both sides of the vc process
Review: We used this book in an MBA course on Venture Capital here at the University of Michigan b-school. I think this is an excellent book. First, do NOT expect to be a book full of venture capital anecdotes. While that is always intersting, this book is a serious treatment of what the venture capital business is about: how funds are raised, how venture capitalists arrange deals to ensure adequate compensation for their risk, how investments are staged, how the investments are managed, exit strategies and methods, and more. This is a lot to cover in a book of approximately 350 pages, but it is all covered very well. The writing is quite clear and readable. Though this is not a book for the general reader, it is not difficult to read if you have some background understanding of business theory and a touch of finance. What is so helpful about reading this book is that people seeking venture capital will understand more about why things are structured they way they are. It isn't just arbitrary greed and control. It is a business deal that requires an expected positive return - you know - making money (which does concern self-interest (greed) and structure (control) - but with slightly more reasoning). While people seeking to make venture investments will immediately understand why they need something like this book and a whole lot more, I believe it is essential for people seeking investment money to also have a significant understanding of this process. Why? Because the venture capitalists understand this process completely and the people seeking investments usually don't do enough of these deals to really know what is going on. And if they are too blind they will be sheared like sheep. They need to understand all the interests involved so they can argue on their own behalf and make the deal as favorable as they can. In any case, while this isn't the only book you should read on the subject it is certainly a good one. It is of manageable length with a great deal of clear and helpful information. I find this topic fascinating.
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