No comments about The New Missionaries: Memoirs of a Foreign Adviser in Less-Developed Countries (Harvard Studies in International Development).

2 comments about Skyscraper Dreams: The Great Real Estate Dynasties of New York.

1. Skyscraper Dreams
   
   The book Skyscraper Dreams; The Great Real Estate Dynasties of New York by Tom Shachtman covers the dreams and despair of the visionary real estate moguls that built and traded the skyscrapers of New York like Monopoly properties in the board game.
   
   The book visits most big name real estate operators starting with the nineteenth century's John Jacob Astor and the Roosevelts, Beekmans and Rockefellers to the Tishmans, Rudins and Roses who came to this country penniless. Then it moves into the flamboyant developer "Big Bill" Zeckendorph, who they say was the model for Donald Trump. Then there is the master of the real estate universe Harry Helmsley and the Kennedys, Tisches, LeFreks and many others dynasties that made and sometimes lost fortunes in the violent cycles of the New York real estate market.
   
   The concept that hit me the hardest and stayed with me was how Harry Helmsley danced through the decades while building an empire, counting on inflation to make his fortune. He would scoop up properties in tough recessionary markets and count on a turn around that he knew would inevitably come to lift prices and build fortunes. While many of the empire builders in this group stretched and overextended by taking on more projects than could be carried during a slowdown, Harry was slow and steady, over the course of several decades, constantly accumulating income producing properties and running a tight ship, always chipping away at expenses. Many of the names above ran into financial squeezes, even bankruptcy during a real estate slump, often to reinvent themselves, and make remarkable comebacks.
   
   The book gives you a refreshing insight into not only the actions of many real estate icons but the thoughts behind those actions. Sometimes cut thought competitiveness played in pushing architectural limits to add another 100 feet on a building so it's taller than a competitor; other times great compassion played in setting the tone for modern day philanthropy.
   
   It's always a boost to read about an immigrant who came to America on borrowed boat fare and rose through this countries capitalistic society to own some of New Yorks most prized possessions.
   
   I loved the book, it's about doers, people that made it happen!
   
   By Kevin Kingston author of, "A 20,000% Gain in Real Estate"
   
   (...)



2. Never buy a building. That's the rule which allowed penniless refugee families to create the New York skyline over two centuries. People with more money than sense should read Schactman's excellent history of making and keeping family wealth. The obvious message is that land currently not in its "highest and best use" is the fundamental investment vehicle. REIT's are vivid proof that the Wall Street mentality does not comprehend the difference between real and financial assets. We will see a switch from absurd PE's to neglected urban locations . Re-print this important book!

1 comments about Autobiography Of Mother Jones.

1. I was assigned this book for class, and I wasn't too fond of it. It's not that I think Mother Jones' efforts were unimportant. From what I read, she seems to have been a very brave and passionate woman, totally selfless in her cause. We could use more people like her today.
   
   But the book itself was awfully repetative. If you weren't alive during the time that the events happened, which of course you weren't, and if you don't know much about the subject, the events seem to repeat themselves over and over. Mother Jones goes to an overworked, underpaid coal mining town, leads the workers in a strike, the company owners do all they can to supress their efforts, until at last one side wins. Wash, rinse, repeat.
   
   I think that Mother Jones and the Labor Movement are excellent things to read about, but I think it would be best to read a book with more historical explanation. I would prefer one that gave information about the individual towns and people she helped, and those involved in the cause, so that they would not all blend together.

No comments about The Story Of My Life.

No comments about Piero Sraffa: His Life, Thought and Cultural Heritage (Routledge Studies in the History Ofeconomics).

No comments about Opportunity Dubai: How I Made a Fortune in the Middle East.

1 comments about Building a Global Success: The Story of Samih Darwazah and the Rise of Hikma.

1. Written by the founder and chairman of Hikma Group, a billion-dollar multinational pharmaceutical company, Building A Global Success is the true story of how one man combined centuries of Middle Eastern wisdom with American values and know-how to build a successful business - one that put people first, respected employees, emphasized research and invention, encouraged education, and invested in America. Building A Global Success is about the power and enlightened self-interest of positive values rather than the greed, ruthlessness, hypocrisy, and poor quality that have spelled out financial as well as moral ruin of so many other businesses. Offering valuable lessons to businesses and corporations of all sizes, Building A Global Success is a positive-minded, true testimony of how business practices and ethics can be combined for greater success on all levels.

4 comments about Henry Ford: A Hearthside Perspective.

1. Donn Werling writes about little-known aspects of Ford's life, especially his home life, so for "Fordophiles" the book is interesting. But it assumes a lot of knowledge about Ford, and often does not explain rather obscure references. The writing is inconsistent, sometimes rambling. If you are looking for a basic history of Ford's life, this is not the book for you. If you are an enthusiast who wants to know more interesting factoids, and are willing to wade through to find them, then get this book.



2. Donn Werling's book presents a different view of Henry Ford. This book presumes a working knowledge of Henry Ford and all of what he was about. It is a "thinking man's" perspective approach. Mr. Werling is the director of the Henry Ford Estate and takes his approach to Henry Ford as not just a job, but as a truly interested person. It is well worth the investment of your money in buying the book and of your time in reading it.
   Rich Jonas-Schererville, IN



3. Wirling masterfully writes of a historic man whose life affected each of ours. Utilizing one of Ford's favorite places, the hearth, Wirling spins this industrialist's story around song and story recreating history in a simple, yet profound way.

   Ford is ever the energetic industrialist, yet his agriarian roots constantly play out. Wirling's style of writing this book fits so well this orientation of Mr. Ford. Delightful read which displays the many interests of this man who was so prominent in many disciplines besides the auto sector that so prominently bears his influence. Delightful work.




4. I have just read a facinating book on Henry Ford. What makes this book unique is it's unusual social context, interpretative history, and experiential presentation. As Americans we have a picture of Henry Ford, his industrial accomplishments and short comings; however we have never been taught his social commitment to working people, his fellow workers, and communities.

   This book allows you to visualize a camping trip with Henry Ford, an ardent conservation and preservationist, John Burroughs, America's esteemed naturalist, Harvey Firestone, a rubber industry magnate, and Thomas Alva Edison, America's true genius inventor. A social time-line technique is used which allows the reader the opportunity to easily follow such events as Ford's committment to education from industrial trade schools to Tuskegee Institute.

   A unique facination of this work for this author-publisher was the perfect placement of text and corresponding photos. This layout allows for maximum visualization of the content. A family can read this work together and then choose to experience the working powerhouse on site at the Henry Ford Estate---Fair Lane, or visit the Upper Peninsula site of the Pequaming Mill and school on the shores of Lake Superior, or enjoy the Grand Ole Opry that Henry Ford helped establish.

   This is experiential learning at its best. A blueprint to interpretive history of many unknown facts and stories and musical verse about Henry Ford. Once you read this work, you will want to share your experience with many others. Awards and recognition for creative style and historical context will be forth coming!

   Karl W. Grube, Ph.D., Author-Publisher of gamesbygrube.com - Ann Arbor, Michigan

No comments about Icons of Business [Two Volumes]: An Encyclopedia of Mavericks, Movers, and Shakers (Greenwood Icons).

5 comments about Executive Blues.

1. I first read Mr. Meyer's book in the early 90s and was touched and amused by it. As the decade progressed, so did the number of layoffs I also encountered, and I never went through a layoff without thinking of his story. I can't tell you how many people I have referred to this book, and that's why I'm on this web site today - to send a link to yet another middle-aged worker who is feeling "Down and Out in Corporate America."
   
   It's a must-read for anyone who has been laid off and anyone who works in Human Resources. It stands the test of time!



2. The corporate life is much like a chicken coop: the few chickens on the top of pecking order have friends and a full access to the feeder. Once a chicken slides down the pecking order, it is unlikely to regain its spot. At least, not at the age of 50 and not without strong connections.
   Jerry Meyer, an ex-senior executive at MacDonnell-Douglas, wrote a painfully frank story of a corporate chicken, who made it to the top of pecking order without connections or old money, and fell back to the bottom.
   It is a must-read for every executive wannabe. Maybe, the reader will think of Meyer's message and reconsider the career strategy: it is safer to be paid for what you DO than for what you ARE. A title is no substitute for skill, creativity and, most important, sense of self-worth.



3. I so enjoyed this book I devoured it in one sitting -- which surprised even me. I have not a thing in common with the author: I am not male, I'm nowhere near 50, I have never been a senior executive and I've never been fired. In fact, I'm a stay-at-home mother. But Meyer writes well. And if you've ever had to look for a job under any circumstances, you'll identify. Don't believe the reviewers who call Meyer bitter -- he's not, he's just very, very specific about the details of his humiliation. His book does raise real questions about employers today, but more to the point, it's a good read.



4. Even if you are securely employed or living off a comfortable trust fund, this book is a superb read, painfully funny, sharp-witted, well written. Though I had never much sympathy for six- figure executives, Meyer's take on that world still engaged me to read the book in one sitting



5. G. J. (Jerry) Meyer writes an outstanding memoir reagarding his experience seeking work in the modern America of right-sizing and layoffs. Mr. Meyer writes honest and straight-forward prose about corporate life and the tough job market faced by the increasing numbers of people as production gets more efficient and automated. I read this book right after reading Jeremy Rifken's 'The End of Work' (which discusses WHY so many people are un- or under-employed), there should be a Surgeon General's warning about doing this, the experience is nearly too intense. One can only hope that Mr. Meyer gets screwed in some other manner, so that he'll be motivated to write more. Truly an excellent book by a very skilled and compelling writer