5 comments about The Sugar King of Havana: The Rise and Fall of Julio Lobo, Cuba's Last Tycoon.

1. Before Castro and communism, Cuba was a hot-spot for celebrities and wealthy Americans who went to enjoy the tropical ambiance and the booze during prohibition. Political instability and official corruption might have been the norm, but Cuba also led the world in sugar production - and Julio Lobo was the King of Sugar. John Paul Rathbone weaves the stories of pre-revolutionary Cuba with that of Lobo and his own mother's family, whose bourgeois background put them in the same circles as Lobo. He also writes of his own efforts to reconnect with his Cuban heritage from the stories his mother told of her youth and his later travels to the island.
   
   Interesting at times but never really compelling, I struggled with this book. Lobo is the center of the narrative, but isn't always the focus with different stories competing for attention. He was a highly intelligent businessman who twice cornered the world markets for sugar and survived a gangland-style shooting, and also seemed genuinely concerned about the welfare of his employees, yet I had difficulty feeling that it was a story that needed to be told. A multitude of characters pass through the book, and it was confusing trying to keep them straight. The history of Cuba between the 1898 revolution led by America and Castro's military coup in 1960 was vaguely enlightening, but still not enough that I ever felt truly engaged in what I had imagined would be a fascinating topic. It's disappointing to see that others enjoyed it so much more than I did, but I finished the book without any enthusiasm for it.



2. In "The Sugar King of Havana: The Rise and Fall of Julio Lobo, Cuba's Last Tycoon", author John Paul Rathbone writes about Julio Lobo, a nearly-forgotten player in the story of the modern history of Cuba. A capitalist who made his fortune in sugar, Lobo would lose his entire fortune when he left the island in 1960, the day after a fateful meeting with Che Guevara, who gave him one choice - either play with us (the emerging communist society) or get the hell out. Lobo opted to get out, and he left Cuba the very next day, never to return.
   
   "There she is in one faded polychrome, seventeen years old, beaming, dressed casually, sitting cross-legged on a wall, her loafers tucked under her shins." The writing is extraordinarily beautiful and elegant. Some history books are a dreadful bore; this is not so with The Sugar King of Havana. I truly enjoyed reading this book.



3. Without sugar, there is no country.
   
   This book is part biography, part memoirs, and part commentary; it is wholly a national portrait. By fusing the fascinating story of Julio Lobo, the great capitalist of pre-Castro Cuba, with his mother's tale of estrangement from her homeland, the author paints a vivid picture of a beautiful and yet tumultuous country.
   
   It is primarily a social and political commentary, and any scholar of those fields will enjoy this captivating book. Though anyone who loves Cuban culture--the music, the food, the tropical atmosphere--will also love this book. As Rathbone implies, the culture is wrapped up in the politics anyway. To know the Cuban people at all is to know the social and political climate, which has been with the people since its inception. And this is why Lobo's story is so fitting. The social and political climate of Cuba has always revolved around sugar, and so, in a way, the Sugar King's story is Cuba's story.
   
   Rathbone includes countless nuggets of information and anecdotes that make this story an excellent resource for all things Cuban. His knowledge and affinity for the country are well represented on every page--How is Cuba different from other island nations? What were Che and the revolution like? What is Cuba's place in the great ideological battle of the day between capitalism and socialism? This book is loaded with insights into this fascinating place.
   
   The only grouse I would mention would be that the book can be rather schizophrenic at times. Since the author attempts to provide so much information, he often interrupts one narrative to include other perspectives, which may not fit well. This provides a more panoramic view of the country, certainly, but the potential reader might find this style jarring. In general, it is an idiosyncrasy that can be easily overlooked to enjoy the sparkle of an absolutely fascinating story.



4. "The Sugar King of Havana - The Rise And Fall of Julio Lobo, Cuba's Last Tycoon" is an atmospheric exploration of Cuban politics and society in the turbulent years from 1898, when the island gained independence from Spain, through the early days of the Castro revolution and on to the current twilight of that fading system. Author John Paul Rathbone, whose mother was a friend of Lobo's daughters, interweaves family memories of a privileged life in Old Havana with the dramatic biography of his larger-than-life subject to create a story that is both sweeping and intimately personal.
   
   Julio Lobo's father was a self-made millionaire who re-located his family to Cuba in 1990 after being forced to leave Venezuela by a revolutionary leader named Cipriano Castro (no relation to Fidel). Sugar trading was rapidly becoming the cornerstone of Cuba's economy. Young Julio determined to master every aspect of it and master it he did. After managing to survive "The Dance of the Millions", a bubble market that will have the ring of familiarity for many readers, Lobo began building his empire. In 1934, in a masterpiece of market manipulation, he cornered the New York sugar market, a stunning feat that vaulted him into a position of dominance he held until his assets, along with those of his competitors, were nationalized after the revolution.
   
   It's a credit to Rathbone's skill that he's able to recount Lobo's business dealings in a way that's not only lucid but exciting. Nevertheless, he also makes clear that Lobo was complex and cultured, with interests ranging far beyond the mere accumulation of wealth. At one point he owned the largest collection of Napoleonica outside France. He also courted numerous women, including Bette Davis and Joan Fontaine. He was said to have filled one of his swimming pools with perfume when Esther Williams came to visit. At one point, sentenced to death by a pre-Castro government, he was pardoned minutes before facing the firing squad. Later, he survived multiple gunshot wounds from a gangland assassination attempt. Colorful as his life was, Lobo is also portrayed as a modest man, a devoted father, and a generous, progressive-thinking employer. In fact, Che Guevara had such respect for Lobo's methods that he asked him to serve as the Minister of Sugar in the Castro government. Instead Lobo went into exile, first in New York then in Spain, where he died in 1983.
   
   His biographer suggests that Cuba's ultimate salvation may life int he emergence of now, modern-day Lobos. But readers of this vivid, evocative history may come away convinced that there will never again be a true Sugar King Of Havana. -David Nichols



5. A technical note on the machine gun
   
   Rathbone, John Paul 2010 The Sugar King of Havana.
   The Rise and Fall of Julio Lobo Cuba's Last Tycoon.
   Penguin Press, London. eISBN 97811010458914
   
   To a certain extent all governments try to "put their best foot forward;" however the present Cuban government is give to this a great deal more than most. Thus I applaud the John Paul Rathbone for his careful attention to reality when discussion discussing the alleged or real killings at the Senado Sugar Mill in 1933 (pages 90-100).
   
   First I do know that many killings occurred at that time and that unlike the well known incidents at Hotel Nacional and Atares, are not generally know. For instance on my family's land at Guama in the northern foothills of the Sierra Maestra (there are other Guamas in Cuba and in many places in Latin America) a few unreported killings did occur (see as yet unpublished "Love and War in Cuba).
   
   Second the real nature of the events in El Senado as the author points out is as unformed as those in Macondo. Thus, I (and others) examined the photographic evidence presented on page 97.
   
   The machine gun in question is an 1895 Colt-Browning "potato digger" a weapon design already 38 years old at the time of these events and quite obsolete (the Rough Riders in Cuba had two which used 7 mm ammunition and were tripod mounted see Al Summrall, A. [accessed 8-16-10]. The Colt model 1985 Automatic Machine Gun. Spanish American War Website, [...]). The Cuban government had many improved machine guns at that time, augmented even more by the capture of the extremely well equipped Gibara expedition in 1931.
   
   If one goes to site Modern Firearms site http://world.guns.ru/machine/mg93-e.htm, and compares images it seems for it used an smooth, rather than finned, barrel that this weapon is not the commercial model, but the earliest limited number run.
   
   Thus this image--given the hats--is a Rural Guard photo, and thus could have been taken during the 1906, 1912 or 1917 rebellions.
   
   Therefore, this photograph does not prove the point made in this book, and the author is commended for his ambiguity about the matter.

5 comments about The Millionaire Next Door.

1. I'd recommend this book to someone who needs some motivation to be more frugal and less materialistic.



2. 
   250 pages of spend less than you earn and you will become rich.
   Every single concept in this book was obvious. If you are mentally capable of buying this book, then you already know all the ideas inside it.
   
   I was hoping for real interviews with people who had become successful in life.
   The author seemed to have access to so many people and yet basically asked do you spend less than you earn.
   
   This book was a total waste of time.



3. A great read for anyone who wants to be independent in thought, attitude, and finances. It is book that teaches action and self awareness as well making you define your idea of "wealthy". This book shows hows so many Americans are hell bent in keeping up with the "Jones'" only to find out the "Jones'" are fools and you've just wasted your life in the pursuit of trivial possessions.



4. Although written in the late nineties, I recently reread this little gem and found many of its insights still relevant. Among them, that affluent people are more likely to drive your everyday sedan than an exotic sports car. That accumulating wealth is more likely the result of frugality, planning, and discipline than the result of a high income stream or prestigious occupation. That the wealthy are just as protective and foolish over their children as the rest of us. And, that being the child of wealthy parents is more likely to harm your ability to accumulate wealth than is being the child of immigrants.
   
   Of the insights above, the importance of frugality and planning is the most persuasive and enduring to this reader's mind. Less persuasive are the many tables of figures so clumsily put together and coupled with pedestrian predictions like "the SUV is becoming increasingly favored by wealthy Americans." No doubt over a decade of hindsight has made some of these predictions seem trite. The larger narrative, though, is still fresh, compelling, and worthy of application. Doing so may not make you a millionaire, but it will place you on a more solid financial footing.



5. This book is must read for those who want to be a millionaire. I am 21 years old in college. I know this is a book generally for people who are over 30. But seriously if you're looking to read books to expand your financial literacy and get a better understanding how millionaires become millionaires. This is it. In the beginning it gets really slow because of all the research data they did.. But in the middle of the book, i laughed out loud reading this because this book was saying true stuff and i learned some of the important things of what it takes to become a millionaire.. Not only it talks about money.. It talks about the discipline, desire and what it takes to become a millionaire.. I give it a 4.

5 comments about Confessions of an Economic Hit Man.

1. This is an excellent book about how the US corporate/government/banking complex plunders underdeveloped countries without firing a shot. Although some of the reviews challenge the author's lack of evidence, the details of the method is more than corroborated by many other books. Plus, his firsthand involvement is more than enough proof.
   
   Perkins not only details specific projects he worked on but also describes how the indigenous people felt about what they knew he was doing. It's incredible that these so-called uneducated savages know more about how the world operates than we do.
   
   The author seems intent on showing that this is not a conspiracy, since it happens under both Democrat and Republican administrations. That just seems to prove how insidious this conspiracy really is. It is a dream come true for the "one world order."
   
   This book should be required reading for any person going into politics or Foreign Service.



2. An interesting read - Conservatives who are sure that it is nothing but lies should open their eyes a bit to the reality of America's perceived role in the world, but Liberals who think that every word is true should put down the bong and apply some critical reasoning.
   
   
   His basic thesis is that America deliberately ruins developing countries by convincing them to sign up for massive loans for infrastructure projects that have no chance of improving the economy enough to pay for themselves, thereby putting those countries into America's debt and ultimately, under America's control. As a self-described "Economic Hit Man", his job was to write the economic projections that deluded the poor "natives."
   
   
   The book is a weird mixture of probably-true but boring stuff about travelling around the world and writing economic predictions for proposed projects, and a James-Bond-meets-Woodward-and-Bernstein collection of shadowy characters who recruit him then train him to...what?
   
   
   After all the superspy stuff about an NSA uncle, a hot babe agent who "instructs" him during long sessions in her apartment and apparently breaks up his marriage, and a mysterious contact who gets him a job as an economic analyst at one of the many beltway-bandit companies that specialize in analyzing developing economies, all he does is travel around and write economic projections. How exciting. He admits that he fraudulently inflated his projections so that his company's client would get a big consulting contract.
   
   
   Oh - but his work was part of a massive business/government conspiracy to create an all-powerful global American empire, which only a sinister clique of insiders are aware of. Supposedly he would be killed if he revealed it or even tried to leave it. But his only proof is his own stories, which require significant suspension of disbelief.
   
   
   Or maybe he just liked his job, his high standard of living, and his first-class perks when traveling on company business. Given his early Peace Corp service and his fairly-obvious political leanings, it would seem that writing this book was more of a cathartic apology for playing the game so long and so well. And he hasn't been killed yet.
   
   
   As he himself explains, his publisher first suggested that he turn it into a novel rather than publish it as a non-fiction expose. In other words, it needed spicing up. My guess - the James Bond stuff was added after this initial rejection. As he mentions, some of the characters are "composites." He made them up.
   
   
   And in the end, I find it hard to believe that the James Bond stuff is factual, nor do I believe in a vast American conspiracy as he describes. It just doesn't make sense, nor does it match historical reality. Which third-world country now dances to the American tune because they owe us some money? Where have we reaped a vast economic windfall because of some papers stored in a bank vault somewhere? Instead they repudiate their debt and/or inflate their currencies which is about the same thing, and they nationalize our companies' subsidiaries and abrogate the contracts they've signed. And maybe they should - that is for others to decide. Either way, our "debt leash" is pretty weak.
   
   
   But, there is something here for all to consider, including Conservatives who've probably cheered my review so far. America does sometimes do more harm than good by "helping" developing countries. We do let our major corporations go out there and convince national leaders that if only they'd sign on the dotted line, everything would get better. And we do let "Economic Hit Men" offer projections about how great it is all going to be, but if it isn't, the poor countries are supposed to pay up anyway.
   
   
   It isn't just America - most "first world" countries have their people out there trying to do the same thing in the "third world." France. England. Russia. Japan. Even China. It isn't necessarily bad, it's just good business. As long as it works as promised.
   
   
   But then again, look at the incredible improvements in the standard of living of people in most of the world over the last 50 years. India. China. Latin America. Eastern Europe. The world-wide rise of the middle class, a truly new thing in the history of the world. A lot of it is due to dams, and power plants, and electrical grids, and water supplies, and ports, and airports - all the stuff the "hit men" push.
   
   
   Yes, we should regulate our international companies and our global development agencies, making sure that they are not shoving dubious projects down the throats of nations that can't afford them in the end. But let's not imagine that they are evil monsters who've done nothing but bad. They are economic entities organized to make a profit for their shareholders, and most of the time that is done by creating and servicing a market. This improves us all, as long as coercive shortcuts aren't permitted.
   
   
   One more thing that smells wrong about the book - a major problem in the developing world has always been corruption. Leaders steal. A huge fraction of the money loaned to needy nations winds up in their filthy fingers and in their overseas accounts. It is almost a cultural thing - why become a leader if you can't make yourself, your family, and your friends wealthy? The book acts as though every leader of every developing nation - especially those of socialistic leaning - was a virtual saint who only cared about his people until an evil America corrupted him or replaced him with a more-pliant stooge.
   
   Sorry, but power has always attracted the people who love power and would enrich themselves given a chance. America didn't invent it. In fact, one of the reasons for our world economic leadership is that we've managed to reduce our own corruption to levels lower than ever seen in human history. I only wish that we could better export this precious commodity. We don't. That, I think, is the true tragedy of globalization.
   
   



3. FOUR AND A HALF STARS. Okay, this book is not perfect. Perkins is not a professional writer, and his repetitive assessment of the immorality of his past professional work gets pretty mundane. Then again, he did entitle the book "Confessions." And the value of this book is quite significant. I am a U.S. citizen, and if you are also then you should be aware that our nation is basically enslaving the rest of the world through economic trickery. Perkins explains that, and explains it well. At the governmental level it is mentioned quite openly: Economic Hit Men are referred to as EHMs, and our government trains them to advance the domination of the United States over other nations. There was the Greek Empire, the Roman Empire, Hitler had his shot, the Soviets had theirs, and now we are carrying the torch. Perkins concludes our style and our empire are the most powerful in history, and it would be difficult to argue with him. READ THIS BOOK, PEOPLE! READ IT!



4. This book illustrates many processes of economic and political globalization. Written from an insider's perspective, reader's learn a lot about what goes on behind closed doors in the corporate and political world. It is well written and easy to get through, very interesting.



5. Please read this book. It lends more understanding to the way things work at the highest levels. How the big corporations interact with the government.

5 comments about The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook A Tale of Sex, Money, Genius and Betrayal.

1. This book has all the elements of entertainment: sex, drugs, money, betrayal, etc., but truth was simply not necessary, or even desirable, because the more controversy, sensation and excitement the book creates, the more entertaining it will seem. Unfortunately, however, this book purports to be about real people, so while it may be a good story (good enough to make a movie out of, even), it veers so far from reality that it ends up sounding ridiculously stupid. David Kirkpatrick's book The Facebook Effect: The Inside Story of the Company That Is Connecting the World paints a more accurate picture of Facebook's beginnings and makes clear how much Ben Mezrich's book relies on distorted and self-serving accounts by obviously jealous, resentful, inept and greedy people. But, like I said, that's entertainment!



2. Great book. could not put it down.If you ever want to know how being a computer geek can make you rich; this is the book for you. Must read.



3. It's hard to believe a lot of what an author writes when he didn't get any information from the people of Facebook. Like other reviewers pointed out all he talks is about chicks, and honestly I'm glad I rented this from local library instead of spending one penny on it. Yuck? Let's talk about having negative stars.



4. 
   Accidental Billionaires (soon to be a movie) is about the founding of Facebook. It is an 'dramatized' account based on interviews done by the author. Most of the book reads pretty easy (except for the beginning) and its worth reading if you are interested in Facebook.
   
   The story told is of Mark Zuckerberg and Eduardo Saverin, students at Harverd, both geeks who lack much of a social life. Eduardo is more interested in social activities than Mark and tries to join the Phoenix Harvard club. Mark, out of frustration, creates Facemash -- a site for rating girls -- which nearly gets him kicked out of Harvard. Months after that, perhaps based on inspiration from what became the connectyou site, he created a first version of TheFacebook. At first, this site was exclusive for colleges and it grew very fast. Mark moved to California and got additional funding to build TheFacebook to what it is now, Facebook. During that period, Mark got into several conflicts with Eduardo and the founders of ConnectYou.
   
   I felt the beginning of the book difficult to read. At the chapter starts, the author used way to much words to describe scenes and scenarios which weren't of much importance, making it rather boring to read. As the book progressed, this got better. The book is easy to read, though the focus on scandalous situations rather than technological situations was somewhat annoying. While reading, I got the impression that the author actually doesn't know very much about building a site or developing software in general. It would have been nicer if it dived a little deeper in these parts rather than the current popularized writing. But, ah well, this got the author a movie :P
   
   All in all, worth reading if you are interested in the founding of Facebook, but it is not a definitive must read. All in all, the book was pretty much what I expected when I picked it up. Good but not exciting.



5. Lame tabloid title, and poor tabloid writing style. Revolting read. Got a sample on my kindle, but couldn't finish it.

5 comments about When I Stop Talking, You'll Know I'm Dead: Useful Stories from a Persuasive Man.

1. Good, entertaining read. Suspend disbelief for much of it and you'll have a great time. Keep in mind that he is, after all...as he very ably describes himself...a slick salesman. There's much to be learned from him in that respect...as long as you aren't too attached to your scruples. After awhile though, reading about all the stars he worked with, I realized that he never once mentions anything he ever did in the way of personally reaching out to help any of the ones with major problems, i.e. Elvis and the drugs. He talks about their various predicaments with almost complete detachment, like a distant observer..and yet, supposedly, was involved very closely in their lives. And then he sets himself up to be this hugely charitable guy giving money to orphanages, etc. Odd. As for his ability to pick movie winners...he says no-one knows. Well..that might be because they seem to spend all their time vaguely looking for "ideas" to come floating by...when all they need to do is visit a library. There are millions of great books waiting to be made into movies. Hollywood doesn't seem to know what libraries are. And as for why a movie titled "September 30th, 1955" wouldn't be a hit...that's no mystery. Nobody likes fusty, dusty old dates. Even the ones who know what the dates are. The movie should have been called "The Day James Dean Died".



2. It's a great book. Period. It explains basically how the top 0,1% of productive people get there. He called Elvis' manager every day for a year to have the opportunity to bring Elvis on tour. Do you know anyone who would do such a thing? I know people who would have called maybe every week for a few months but every day for a year... really... wow. That put him on the map. It got him Sinatra later. The first show in Miami where he had to get the Chief of police to get prisoners to unscrew 5000 seats for the first show and put them back for the later show on the same day because Elvis wouldn't sing to empty seats. Again, wow. Stories after stories of success, anecdotes, friendships with Presidents, famous people, the rich and the powerful. To rate this book anything less than 5 stars, you've got to be kidding...



3. A unique recollection of memories about the backstage of showbusiness. A lot of good stories about Elvis, Frank Sinatra, John Denver and many more. And a lot of business lessons from one of the great movie moguls of our time.



4. Couldn't put this down. From Sinatra and Elvis to George Clooney, this guy has seen it all. Not sure just how "useful" the stories are, but boy are they fun to read.



5. What a life this guy had. I had never heard of him before I read this book. It's always fun for me to see how other people overcome problems. Jerry is a master manipulator. A deal maker with the gift of gab. This book was a history lesson in what went on behind the scenes in the entertainment industry for the past decades. I was sad when the book ended. I wanted more! Perfect beach book.

5 comments about The First Tycoon.

1. Picked this up in airport for flight to Europe. Do you think that an account of an effort to short-sell a railroad stock would be riveting? I did not, but it was! As was the overthrow of that American president of Nicaragua? What's that? Read it to find out. This account of Vanderbilt's varied adventures is a welcome tonic to a century of 'robber baron' rubbish.



2. For most of us, 19th century American history starts and ends with the Civil War, our nation's bloodiest conflict which claimed an estimated 620,000 lives or almost 2% of the nation's then population. The overriding focus on this singular horrific conflict is understandable but also unfortunate, because that century is what links the ancient era of our Founding Fathers, with the 20th century America that most of us can somehow relate to.
   
   Many of the big issues in today's news, from risky Wall Street speculation to the questionable behavior of large corporations, from the interplay of government and the private sector to the effects of globalization on us all, were developing in the years preceding and following the Civil War. While Lincoln is rightfully the political giant on which the history of the 19th century focuses, the remarkable impact of "Commodore" Vanderbilt's empire-building in the middle years of that century is a little-told tale that T. J. Stiles illuminates well with this National Book Award winner. Indeed, The First Tycoon, is far more than inspired biography; it is a superbly-researched history that also provides interpretive background for a deeper understanding of this formative century.
   
   By 1817, already ferrying passengers and cargo between his home on Staten Island and Manhattan, a headstrong and self-confident 23 year old, Cornelius Vanderbilt, took a job as the captain of a small, steam-powered vessel owned by a recently resettled rice planter from South Carolina. Becoming, in effect, the right hand man of wealthy Thomas Gibbons, and getting in early on the technological jump from wind-power to steam, Vanderbilt found himself well-placed to develop a shipping business in and out of the nation's most important seaport, New York City, upon Gibbon's death in 1826.
   
   The 1830's and 1840's were a time of intense competition on passenger routes between New York and Boston, Albany, and Philadelphia. The quickest mode of transportation was the steamship, although capital requirements were high and competition was cutthroat. With the discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill in 1849, the California gold rush was on, and Vanderbilt, always looking for new markets, became a major player in the complicated transportation link to the U.S. West Coast through Central America. Indeed, he became the first of many Americans to intervene in Central American politics, when he orchestrated the overthrow of a Nicaraguan junta led by an American soldier of fortune. By then, however, he was already phasing out of sidewheel steamships in favor of the railroad industry, America's first truly massive capital-intensive industry.
   
   The Civil War proved only a small hiccup, and Vanderbilt's role in the conflict was relatively minor. He contributed to the Union effort, but post-war, he was a strong supporter of reconciliation with the South, and his namesake university, Vanderbilt, was purposely established in Nashville, a confederate town.
   
   By the time he died in 1877, Vanderbilt had a controlling interest in the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad one of four trunk lines providing rail service to Chicago. Having worked to create a dynasty that would outlive him, his son and anointed successor, William, proved unequal to the task. Family members disputed the Commodore's will and sold off controlling interest almost immediately.
   
   The Vanderbilt empire had been proportionally a much larger factor in the U.S. economy than Microsoft has been in our own era, but The First Tycoon is more than the story of one man and his life. It is the story of New York City's ascendance as the business and financial capital of the country. It is the story of large public stock corporations gradually supplanting small merchants and family-owned businesses. It describes a bygone era when the upper class summered at Saratoga and public concern about unfair monopoly power had not yet crystallized. The Sherman Anti-Trust Act and Teddy Roosevelt's battle with John D. Rockefeller were still decades away. Stiles has done a magnificent job of tying the strands together in a well-researched and thoroughly readable account of an important counterpart to the U.S. Civil War.



3. This biography of 19th Century entrepreneur, stock market pioneer and businessman Cornelius Vanderbilt is a great read for anyone interested in American and Universal history. Its treatment of the subject is exhaustive and generally offers both sides to an argument, specially considering the disdain for the so-called "robber barons" to whom the USA owes so much. The nearly 600 pages cover his life since he was a sailor running short trips in the Hudson river to his death of course as one of the richest men in US history. The author's treatment is of true admiration and he gives you reasons why intellectuals like Mark Twain and papers like The New York Times may have been suspicious of people like "Mr V.".
   
   Only advice is to buy the hardcover instead of the paperback edition. The pages of mine fell apart after toting it in the month or so it took me to read this book.



4. I went into this book knowing next-to-nothing about Vanderbilt. Glad I read it. It was a very comprehensive, well-researched bio. Excellent book. Sorry to get to the end.



5. What a well researched biography of an man who took chances and made great gains. I would have liked to have a family tree included. The powerful son-in-laws were hard to place with the correct daughter.

5 comments about Banker To The Poor: Micro-Lending and the Battle Against World Poverty.

1. It is quite sad that Yunis discovered that extreme poverty in Bangladesh can be helped for as few as twenty seven dollars American and his work within Bangladesh should serve as a beacon of hope to others seeking to fight back against the poverty monster. I enjoyed this read very much but couldn't give it the full five stars because I didn't feel like there where enough personal success stories that illustrated the viability of micro lending to the poor. Instead Yunis explains we lent x amount of money to y person and there able to do z now. Personal testimonials would've made for a powerful statement of the Grameen Bank programs rather than just explaining from Yunis.
   
   A second thought is if these programs have met for so much success how come they haven't been exported in mass throughout the world ? Much of the book focuses on poorer rural areas like Bangladesh, Pakistan, Philippines, even several counties in the state of Arkansas in the United States. Are these programs ineffective in urban areas because of socio-economic factors? I currently live in a city of a 150,000 thousand people that may benefit from programs that Yunis is talking about, but yet there is scant evidence of implementation within inner cities. With economies crashing throughout the world, the impoverished cannot just be assumed to live in rural areas anymore. If we are to take Yunis ideas for battling world poverty seriously, these ideas have to be increasingly applied in inner cities.



2. My book club chose this book, and I anticipated it would be dry, academic and not particularly interesting. To my surprise and delight, it was a wonderful, exciting story of a dream fulfilled and people of no means given a chance for real success. I loved it.



3. Mohammad Yunus wasn't satisfied with the type of charity so common in today's world: throw money at the problem, feel good about ourselves, and move along quickly so we don't have to see the fact that our actions may have only made the problem worse.
   
   Yunus's microcredit approach is about empowerment, not dependency. Small loans to the extremely poor enabled recipients to purchase weaving looms, material to make baskets, or carts to sell food. His greatest revelation was that the extremely poor were not incapable societal parasites. Rather, with a small amount of capital to get on their feet, these individuals created innovative businesses that ultimately supported themselves, their families, and education for their children.
   
   The most interesting discovery is that the payback rate for the loans was higher than 98%--much better than the credit-worthy borrowers that normally attract the attention of the banks.
   
   Yunus's ideas were inspiring. With his economics background, he emphasized that measurable results were more important than good intentions.



4. The author defies all the commonsense reasoning of the affluent western world. He totally trusted the poorest of the poor to keep their word and pay their bills on time and to the amazement of the entire world they did.



5. The story of the Grameen Bank is absolutely one of the best I have ever heard. Here is an actual solution to end poverty everywhere in the world that has worked already. I could not have been more excited after reading this book that we finally have the means to end poverty once and for all! I would recommend it to anyone who wants to actually get out there and do something!

5 comments about Steinbrenner: The Last Lion of Baseball.

1. I contacted the seller "The Book Shack" after my book purchase (ASIN:0061690317 Steinbrenner: The Last Lion of Baseball) to see if I would receive it by 9/8/10. The seller contacted me immediately the same night to advise that it was not likely that I would receive the book by this date. Since the item is a birthday gift I cancelled the order. I was impressed with the quick response to my request and I will definitely shop with them again.



2. I puzzled over this fascinating portrait of an unforgettable man.
   
   Why did a man with all the money, breeding and business sense to succeed, fail to recognize that his biggest barrier to steady success was himself?
   
   Madden and the people interviewed here make much of his father's cold relationship to him - that George Steinbrenner, no matter what he accomplished, was constantly put down and belittled by his father. That may be part of it. Much of his life can be reduced to episodes of the tough-Prussian side of him, his father's side, stomping over others, followed by periods where George the unloved child feels remorse and the pain suffered by those he's treated like his father treated him.
   
   But it's still baffling. Steinbrenner had a slew of talented baseball men working under him over his years with the Yankees. Gabe Paul, Lou Piniella, Billy Martin, Gene Michael, Al Rosen, many others. All he would have had to do to be even more successful - the Yankees won 7 World Series but there was a long drought in which his management of the team went from bad to worse - would have been to do what he did, but less of it, and more quietly. That's it.
   
   He had good men under him. He could have let them do their jobs. Their baseball instincts were right again and again. Yankee pinstripes made it easy to attract the best. And if it was just his style to be the the hands-on, top-down, ulcer-creating type of boss, he could have kept doing that. On average these guys could put up with Steinbrenner's constant orders, even his many reversals and devious dealings, but often the straws breaking the camel's back were his public criticisms of them.
   
   I was a reporter. I know that reporters constantly stir the pot and sometimes the people they write about have to make public statements about things they'd have preferred to keep out of the press. I also know reporters need something to stir the pot with. Constantly speaking up, as Steinbrenner went out of his way to do, gives them that. If you shut up, work hard and do good, your work speaks for itself and the circus dies down.
   
   Steinbrenner was born to money, the fifth generation of a family to own a major Cleveland shipping company. He had one of those rigorous you-won't-be-spoiled upbringings featuring a military boarding school that rich peopole often give their kids. He went to work in his family's company and had to make real business decisions. He was no dilletante. He was one of a young coterie of powerful business leaders in Cleveland, intent on breathing some life into a moribund industrial town. He was also a good athlete, a talented musician, a patron of the arts, a philanthropist.
   
   His sports background made him dangerous as an owner. He'd hurdled in college, been an assistant college football coach, and before buying the Yankees had owned a minor league basketball team and and made a play for the Indians that nearly succeeded.
   
   Steinbrenner was an sportsman, but not a baseball guy. Real baseball guys didn't need Steinbrenner second-guessing them. Time on college football fields in the 1950s didn't necessarily translate to a baseball field in the 70s, 80s and 90s. Steinbrenner's instincts and sports business sense, though, were often correct, and his baseball guys weren't infallible.
   
   There was a real contradiction in Steinbrenner. He had old-fashioned senses of dignity, honor and patriotism, expressed far more often than was common by the 1980s, but he blatantly contradicted them regularly. I'm not so innocent that I think one can run a business empire while being Mr. Nice Guy every day. You will invariably find yourself at some point saying, "We need to get rid of this person even if we reassured him two months ago" or "Can you get me some dirt on this guy?" or "I know he's a great guy, but his best years are behind him, get rid of him." You will stab people in the back sometimes, you will spy on people, you will bend the rules, sometimes until they break.
   
   But basic to others' honor and dignity is holding your tongue publicly. Steinbrenner managed this sometimes. He is quoted often saying the right thing publicly despite what we see he really felt and said behind the scenes. But he didn't manage it enough. Too often, his need to be the tough guy and be seen as one - not just by his subordinates, but by the public - outweighed his good sense.
   Ironically no one questioned his right to be the tough guy and the boss. He really did sign the checks. He really did change baseball and build strong Yankees teams by opening his checkbook to intiate the free agent wars, signing the best available even if that meant supplanting last year's stars, and recognizing before others that last year's stars were beginning to wane.
   
   But effective tough guys wield their power more judiciously. Effective tough guys don't have all the Yankees' best men scheming to leave- Winfield, Gossage, Mattingly, Piniella, Paul, Rosen - just to get some peace and quiet far away from him.
   
   Steinbrenner's inner turmoil was reflected by his tantrums and impulsivity - firing someone on the spot, blasting them in the press - tempered by remorse he subsequently felt, where he'd quietly reinstate them or make other amends. The Billy Martin affair was the best known of these. The book, however, is essentially one nonstop recital of this pattern, involving practically everyone on the Yankees. This is how Steinbrenner shot himself in the foot, leading to the Yankees' long years on the skids.
   
   The book also left me wondering one other thing. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, when Steinbrenner's health had not yet failed, he gave enough room to Joe Torre and Brian Cashman to bluild and run a great team - interfering, but not excessively, and letting these talented guys do their jobs. What caused him to mellow? Was there any realization? Was it the sobering effect of his two-year suspension following the Dave Winfield affair? Was it aging? Or had he just matured? This is the biggest unanswered question in this very fine book.



3. I rarely read books, normally getting bored pretty quickly. But this book kept my attention the entire time, full of stories on how nuts Steinbrenner really was. If you like baseball, you'll enjoy hearing some of the inside stories from historical moments in the game.



4. I recommend this book to all Yankee fans, but especially to the older readers who remember when "George" originally purchased the Yankees from CBS in 1973. This book will give you the behind the scenes view of what was going on that didn't make it into the newspapers.
   
   There were two great things about this book, first was the story itself, all 400+ pages of it; and second was the way Bill Madden (author) came across - I could not put the book down!



5. Another great read from Madden. Love him or hate him, George Steinbrenner changed baseball. Took a 8.5 million investment and turned it into 1.5 billion.
   
   The players in all of baseball owe THE BOSS their gratitude.

5 comments about Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman.

1. This book is pretty fantastic. This guy really seems to have it all figured out. It's basically part autobiography, part treatise on the environment. Yvon Chouinard tells the story of how he got started, launched Patagonia, and turned his company into an environmentally responsible organization. I honestly believe if all business owners read this book, their employees would be much happier people and the world would generally be a better place. This book is inspiring, and I highly recommend it. Buy this for your boss, and beg him to read it.



2. 'Let my people go surfing' is one of the most insincere books i have ever read. The story told in that book is most of the time uninteresting and dull. My advice is to save your money and time and to have a little look at the website of 'Patagonia'. It will give you similar idea to what you could get from the book itself.
   
   Exception can be made for others who are interested in green business management and for the ones who adore Patagonia and Chouinard Equipment. You may purchase one copy if you do not have any better option.



3. Interesting story of an interesting man. I would have enjoyed more depth, but the book makes for a fast and fun read.



4. This book is great, but it will make you want to leave your job and work for Patagonia. This is a tale of ingenuity, sustainability and a general respect for the environment that most corporations miss the mark on.
   Once you pick up this book, you won't want to put it down, unless you're running to look for open positions on the Patagonia website!



5. As a business major and activist, this book was insightful to the successes and hurdles of a business. I always despised the mindset and attitudes of your average businessmen, but still wanted to open up a business. I think Chouinard created a great guide/blue print for business-minded people who want to be the freshest, sustainable, quality-driven, eco-friendly, plus all the things that a common business is not composed of. He opens up a door to innovation, not just for the business, but within the business as well.
   
   He brings up a good subject that we should all be aware of. Every and all human activity leaves some kind of waste or foot print that is irreversible and harmful to the Earth. Chouinard wanted to become a part of the solution and from the very beginning made strides to lessen, and if possible reverse, the carbon foot print that Patagonia made.
   
   My only criticism is the content deep in the book are extremely detailed, repetitious, and interconnected. Then, the book lagged and became a little boring. Still insightful, informative, and with purpose, but it dragged on.
   
   I would highly recommend this book to anyone trying to start a business, business major students, Patagonia consumers.. - really this book can be related to many different people.

5 comments about The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York.

1. What more can be said about this book? For over 1,100 pages, it captured my attention. I cannot recall one moment when I wasn't excited to pick the book up and dive into the story.
   
   Caro paints the whole picture. He begins before Moses was even born. You'll learn about Moses' family -- his henpecked father (even Moses later thinks this) and his headstrong and brilliant mother. You then get to see Moses as a student at Yale where he's a poetic virtuoso and admirer of Samuel Johnson. Indeed, later in the story when Moses is in nearly the full swing of his power, he quotes Johnson during a speech to compliment (but really insult) a certain politician -- as Caro tells it, it's one of my favorite parts of the book.
   
   You see Moses the idealist -- starry eyed and seemingly a proponent of all things good -- swept under the wings of Al Smith and Belle Moskowitz, some of the most fascinating personalities in the book. At this point, the story takes off. Moses gets the press on his side and never really looses them for 40 years. Still, one gets the sense that the poet within Moses never really left him, despite his gruffness and outward toughness. He's labeled the "best bill drafter in Albany" -- one of the major reasons he was able to accumulate so much power -- because he had a poet's way with words. Amazingly, we learn that Moses wrote at least one novel under a pen name. Later on, Moses comes full circle by writing literary criticism for a Newsday.
   
   Moses was inspiring, infuriating, likable, not likable, and endlessly fascinating. Caro's writing is wonderful, with an almost conversational quality. His research for this book -- which he details (parts of, at least) in the back of the book -- is nothing short of awe-inspiring. Caro left no stone unturned. I watched an interview of Caro not too long ago, and he mentioned that he was on the fence about doing the book's most famous chapter, "One Mile". Torn between the money-tight realities of life, and artistic desire, Caro decided to plunge ahead (with his wife's support) and embark on the six months' worth of research the chapter would need. The reader is thankful Caro make that choice.



2. The best book I have ever read about New York and the power of one man.



3. The content doesn't seem vintage by any standards even today. With over a thousand pages, it is arranged in such a way that you can read it in short bursts of 10-20 pages. That way you can distribute your reading time, and still keep the flow seamless.
   
   It does make sense to get a real feel of New York city in order to appreciate the book a tad further. My close study of New York city while at school did help me a lot. Retrospectively, I am happy to see the Washington Square Park still alive and bustling with activity around which my school - New York University is located. If it wasn't for local community outcry, Moses would have had his way!
   
   For a book this big, I do however suggest you to read the first few chapters more intently, as the later development of the story is constantly related to its first few chapters.
   
   I strongly believe that we are lucky to have Robert Caro write about Moses, a man shrouded in mystery. It indeed might have required superhuman effort to investigate about the causes, hidden causes, and effects of Moses' decisions on the city and the people at large. One of those rarest of the rare books which fall into the category of 'classics' in modern times.



4. At this point, what more can be said about The Power Broker? That is is easily one of the best non-fiction books ever written? That it is a product of Caro's unflagging patience, intelligence and research? That it perfectly tells the story of one man's devastating impact on the great world city? That it is perhaps more fun than any great book? All of the above is applicable here, as the product perfectly matches the hype.
   
   Caro succeeds so well because of his eye for detail. Robert Moses' accomplishments are discussed in the book's prologue, and we spend the next 1,200 pages or so learning all about them in detail. We get to know Moses as a headstrong young man, coming into his intelligence more and more and using it to make everyone in his path do his bidding. He gets menial employment after college, forsaking money due to his affluent background, but sticks to his principles in a time of great change in New York City. Eventually those go out the door as Moses starts amassing his power, through overpowering Albany with his rapaciousness and brilliant alliances, and the legend grows from there until he is one of the most powerful men in the United States. We learn about major players like Alfred E. Smith, LaGuardia, and FDR in a behind-the-curtain way that makes you second guess their public images. We learn about Moses' talents in bill writing, and how he used it to get pretty much whatever he wanted out of the state and federal governments. We learn of how he was able to build the West Side Highway, Jones Beach, and the Cross-Bronx Expressway, but his downfall began over a small patch of land in Central Park. We learn about Moses' disdain for the public, and his desire to create bridges and parks to satisfy his own ego rather than anything for the public good.
   
   Any review cannot properly encapsulate Moses' achievements, their impact and how he went about making them, the tactics he employed, the people he ruined, the money he squandered, the lies he told, the decades of toil, the Herculean strength and brutishness he repressed everyone with, and in short the countless choices he and he alone made that forever changed New York City and its surrounding areas, but it is all here for you to experience. This is all written in a prose that is professional yet compulsively readable- you're going to miss this book once you've finished it. It is a testament to the wayward politics of the early twentieth century, the genius and madness of Robert Moses, as well as the incomparable talents of Mr Caro that raise this biography of reportage to art. Any knowledge whatsoever of Robert Moses isn't necessary to enjoy this book. Read it if you like biography. Read it if you like New York. Read it if you've ever heard of New York. This is a stunning achievement.



5. This book is a truly fascinating study for those interested in the urban history of New York, political power, or urban development. It clearly looks at the rise of Robert Moses who would go on to hold 12 different state, local and private positions including president of the World Fair. Through these interlocking positions Moses would command the resources to build almost all of the major roads, bridges and parkways in the five boroughs today. The story of how these roads came into being is fascinating and articulately and artfully told in this wonderful narrative. In a story so mind boggling it is almost hard to believe you see how "the civil servant that got things done" accomplishes bureaucratic wrangling to harness federal, state, local and private dollars into mammoth building projects. From Jones Beach to the Triborough Authority the master of legislative and monetary manipulation brought together the necessary engineering and political talent to achieve these projects in record time. Despite having enemies as powerful as the President of the United States Franklin Roosevelt or mayor of New York City La Guardia try to oust him he always held on. His ability to blend power from a variety of different sources and form "authorities" that were semi private with shareholders protected by legal rights he could keep his positions. The book covers so many different aspects that a review could go on for 30 pages but the bottom line is that this is a classic in political and urban history that should not be missed.Cl