At the dawn of the twenty-first century, the corporate marriage frenzy had reached fever pitch: the spectacular announcement of the AOL-TimeWarner merger was only the latest in a series of high-profile deals -- from Daimler-Chrysler to Citicorp-Travelers -- with a total value exceeding two trillion dollars. This phenomenon is not a flash in the pan; today's business environment requires that companies go outside their boundaries to gain access to...