There are no second opinions on the profound impact the internet revolution has had in people’s lives. It has changed the way people work, and it is predicted to drastically change the future. It is safe to say that the internet can be analogized to an organism, growing, evolving, and affecting the environment around it.

How is the internet going to change the future? What will these changes be? Will these changes make the ignorant obsolete? The book answers such questions and much more. It invites its readers on a journey to the future of the internet, referred to as the “Information Highway”.

It touches upon important topics such as Some things computers can do for us, Education in the Future, and Changes in Information Systems. Bill Gates invites readers to witness and understand the internet revolution that is taking place. He attempts to remove any misguided notions that almost always accompany any changes.

The book has been written in collaboration with journalist Peter Rinearson and Microsoft executive Nathan Myhrvold. Its hardback edition was published in November 1995 amidst a growing mass appeal of the Internet. Following this trend, Gates and Rinearson published a revised trade paperback edition in October 1996, which was longer and more internet-focused.

The Road Ahead, with a promotional budget of 1 million US Dollars, topped the bestsellers list of The New York Times. It sold over 2.5 million copies, while occupying the bestsellers’ top spot for over seven weeks.