3 comments about So Far, So Good: The First 94 Years.

1. This is a quick read and is strewn with practical investment advice from someone who obviously knows what he is talking about_____ Roy Neuberger is probably the only man alive who witnessed BOTH crashes (1929 & 1987) on Wall Street ! This book is full of profitable insights and like all masters , Neuberger wastes no words : he is crisp & to the point . Simplicity after all is the essence of true mastery (not to be confused with the simple-minded) and Mr.Neuberger has boiled the wisdom of a lifetime on the Street into these pages .



2. Roy Neuberger has had an amazing life during an even more amazing time. This lightweight exposition offers little insight into either. I got more out of his interview on CBS Sunday Morning. More could have been gleaned from a short magazine article. Certainly not worth the price.



3. The Connable's have put together a very informative book. I found it an excellent read, interspersed with valuable insights into investing on Wall Street and in the world of the Arts.

No comments about Andy Grove: The Life and Times of an American Business Icon.

5 comments about Crosley: Two Brothers and a Business Empire That Transformed the Nation.

1. If you are one of those insecure individuals who feel intimidated by the accomplishments of others, don't read this book. For everyone else, you are truly in for a treat. This book not only tells the remarkable life stories of Ohio brothers, Powell and Lewis Crosley, but also takes the reader for a fascinating trip through history. From Crosley's dominance in radio, ownership of the Cincinnati Reds and winning a World Series, appliances, aviation, automobiles and even helping to win World War ll- the list goes on and on. The monumental accomplishments of these two brothers literally "transformed a nation" and greatly impacted the lives of millions of Americans.
   
   Kudos to the authors for their meticulous research and a beautifully written biography. I certainly will have a higher degree of pride driving my '49 Crosley Hot Shot having learned the fascinating history behind the Crosley name.



2. I did not know anything about the Crosleys until I read this book and was amazed at all the products Powel Crosley dreamt up and created. It is a very thorough book about their lives and successes, and failures, but I give it 4 stars only because the writing sometimes detracted me from the story. (How many Exit, Stage lefts/rights can you put in a book and who even writes that way?) plus too much info about minor or unimportant things (Lewis' dog?) but still a good read, and entertaining and informative.



3. Great read for a radio fan or anyone interested in early 20th century business moguls.



4. I bought this book for my brother who owned a Crosley years ago, but I read it before I gave it to him. Great book! One of the best I have read in a long time.
   
   It was a great history lesson and you do not have to be a Crosley buff to enjoy it.
   
   Would highly recommend.
   
   Richard Flory



5. The person for whom I purchased the book absolutely loves it!! It's the story, the pictures and presentation that just makes reading it so enjoyable. I'm very glad that I made this purchase.

No comments about Dark Genius: The Influential Career of Legendary Political Operative and Fox News Founder Roger Ailes.

5 comments about Be My Guest.

1. Okay, well, I claimed this book was an emetic in the book title, but actually it is so much more than that: a somnolence aid, and the ultimate in posthumous self-aggrandizing ego stroking. Better yet, if you want to lower your libido and numb your soul, read this book!
   
   
   P.S. The Hilton San Francisco suuuuuuucks!!!!!!



2. This is your basic biography about one of the best known hotel men. This is a rags to riches story of the man who start the Hilton Hotel Chian. He explains his upbringing in the midwest to his first dealings with the lodging industry. He actually owned small hotels before opening the chain of hotels. He expalins how difficult it was during the depression owning these little hotels and how his family helped him on the way, especially his mother. This is a true test of family values. He also explains the roll of his faith in the mix because he feal this is important. He quotes times of distress would find him in church (sometimes everyday). This is something you don't see much of from many corporate executives, but they could use.
   
   Hilton's success came from his parrents and his willingness to try anything. He was a salesman for his father's store be fore he died. He sold rooms to travelng salesman in Texas.
   
   He did everything possible in the business world which made him a success with his hotel chain.
   
   His life is fastinating and worth looking into by all individuals.



3. So he married Zsa Zsa Gabor. What are we supposed to think about that?? Give us a break about his 'faith and virtue', thanks! Then he leaves all his money to the Catholic nuns but his son Barron sues them. Nice respectful children he raised, I'm sure! We can only imagine what is NOT in his book.



4. Like many others who have come by this book Be My Guest was something I found at my bedside while staying at a Hilton Hotel. Like many others who have read the book before me I found the autobiography to be surprisingly well-written and entertaining.
   Be My Guest is the story of Conrad 'Connie' Hilton, the founder of the Hilton chain of hotels, of Socorro, New Mexico and how he grew a lone and insignificant hotel into a world-wide chain.
   The story begins with Conrad's father and weaves through the family, New Mexico, Texas, California and beyond retelling the tribulations of the hard-working man.
   While the bulk of the story is one of family and business, Hilton takes time to espouse his belief in prayer and Christianity, Capitalism and disdain for Communism. Off-putting as that may be the obviously ghost-written rags to riches tale is a thrilling and interesting time-piece in the eyes of an enthusiastic and devout man. Be My Guest is an instructional and fun read.



5. This is an interesting book about the life of Conrad Hilton. It talks a little bit about the early days of the hotel chain starting and extols hard work and virtue. Overall I would have liked to have known more about the hotel challenges especially in the post world war 2 era. He does an excellent job of talking about how he built his chain during the depression in rural southwest America. His early invention of the motel was crucial and although he switched to higher end operations I think he had a glimpse of the future. Overall the book was interesting but just did not cover what I had hoped.

No comments about 1,000 Dollars and an Idea: Entrepreneur to Billionaire.

5 comments about Mary Kay: You Can Have It All: Lifetime Wisdom from America's Foremost Woman Entrepreneur.

1. With the right priorities (God, Family, Business) you can have it all. Read how a successful business woman broke out of the accepted mold, built her own business and gives you the tools to build your own. I find it amazing that Mary Kay put forth this model over 45 years ago and some corporations are still looking for it. The advice and wisdom in this book will help you reach your goals, whether as an Independent Beauty Consultant or just starting your own business.



2. This book is all about how great Mary Kay thinks Mary Kay is. Though I was interested in learning more about the company (I even was a Mary Kay consultant for a little while), the self-proclamation factor proved too frustrating. I could not even finish the book!



3. What a great book, a great lady, who had a great business philosophy. A must read for anyone who wants to do their own thing.



4. I AM A MARY KAY CONSULTANT.I WAS A DEVOTED CUSTOMER FIRST.ONCE I WAS ON HER CUTTING EDGE COSMETICS, I DECIDED TO OFFER THE OPPORTUNITY TO MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY MEMBERS. THIS BOOK GIVES YOU ALL OF THE TOOLS YOU NEED TO MAKE IT IN ANY BUSINESS. SHE GIVES YOU INSPIRATION AND MINDSET YOU NEED TO MAKE ALL OF YOUR DREAMS A REALITY. IF YOU BELIEVE IT, YOU CAN ACHIEVE IT. I AM DOING THAT RIGHT NOW.REDUCING MY DEBT, INCREASING MY SELF ESTEEM AND SELF WORTH.DEFINATELY A MUST READ



5. Mary Kay Ash is truly an inspiration to all women. Not only does she succeed she lets you know that there will be obstacles to overcome, but you can and will succeed if you keep your priorities in order GOD,Family, and career and work hard. Nothing comes in life easy and through perservence and a dream and goal setting there is nothing you can't do. I LOVED IT!!!

5 comments about Leadership is an Art.

1. As CEO Coach, Poet and author of a leadership book that helps leaders learn how to unleash the genius of teams and corporations, I feel this book is a must read. Max is not talking about theories, he is sharing his real experiences from his successful leadership of an excellent company. If you want to learn how to be a leader, this book is core to your collection. I have learned much from this insightful book. Paul David Walker Unleashing Genius: Leading Yourself, Teams and Corporations



2. This book was purchased as a birthday (May) gift for a family member who has subordinates reporting to her. Shipment was prompt and book arrived timely and in excellent condition. I have seen others review of this book, saying it is a "must read" for anyone having people reporting to them. Since the birthday isn't until May, I won't know her reaction till after then.



3. I enjoyed the book. It was an easy read and the concept was one I believe all of Corporate America should embrace.



4. Not everything that is old is wise. But this book, written 20 years ago, is jam-packed with wisdom. Max DePree wrote in 1987 that the management team's job "is to provide an environment that allows momentum to gather."
   
   DePree's simple, but profound leadership primer has never been equaled. Read it and you'll marvel at the insights--like in his five-page chapter, "Pink Ice in the Urinal." Few CEOs before him and hardly anyone after him have so eloquently discussed the tendency of organizations to deteriorate like in the pink ice chapter. Even DePree's chapter titles are memorable: Theory Fastball, Tribal Storytelling, Some Thoughts for CEOs Who Build Buildings, and Why Should I Weep?
   
   DePree wrote that a financial analyst once asked him, "What is one of the most difficult things that you personally need to work on?" DePree's answer: "The interception of entropy."
   
   "One of the important things leaders need to learn is to recognize the signals of impending deterioration." He kept a list and observed that leaders, especially in large organizations, fail to see the signs of entropy, including: 1) a tendency toward superficiality; 2) no longer having time for celebration and ritual; 3) a growing feeling that rewards and goals are the same thing; 4) when people stop telling tribal stories or cannot understand them; and 5) when problem-makers outnumber problem-solvers. His list was longer--but you get the idea.
   
   The pink ice in the urinal? It was a team member's odd suggestion for dressing up the men's room for their VIP visitors. "Despite the good intentions behind this idea," DePree commented that the team member was signaling a clear deterioration in thinking and strategizing. The pink ice in the urinal would have little effect on the VIPs--so why bother? Focus on the strategic, not the cosmetic.



5. Max Depree has captured the essence of leadership in plain language. His clarity is unmatched in a world filled with leadership related noise. You will not enjoy the book if you are a moron. However, if thinking is something pleasurable for you, you will not be disappointed reading Leadership is an Art. I have shared this book with every person I have worked with who has leadership in their soul and a lifetime of learning in front of them.
   
   Pound for pound the best investment you will make in leadership education this or any year.

5 comments about The Monk and the Riddle : The Education of a Silicon Valley Entrepreneur.

1. You can't be happy in life, being an entrepreneur, unless you find a way to find meaning into you business. Venture Capital, post "the bust", is very hard to come by; finding meaning in your business will be a key component in providing you with the drive necessary to overcome the many obstacles inherent with owning your own business. VC's know this and want to see it when your giving your spiel before they fork over the cash. There you go; save your money. Define it and use it as your central drive in life and business. I was a little duped into buying the book. Babson College requires it for one of their entrepreneurship classes. What's with professors making you buy books that tell you what they (the professors) can tell you in just one paragraph?



2. After reading 4- hour work week by Tim Ferris, I am a big fan of NOT living the Deferred Life Plan. Tim recommends this book so I read it in a few hours. Other critics like to say negative things about what the book wasn't, but I am going to tell you about what it was.
   
   It was a little slow in the middle due to all the story telling about the his life and experiences intermingled with a few characters he was currently dealing with.
   
   It was enlightening on how the VC business works and what one goes through when deciding on who to invest in. My favorite quote in the middle was that Randy believes in the "Romance not the Finance." The bottom line has to be more about something than just making $!
   
   But most of all it hits home for so many people who are doing what they have to do now, so they can do what they want to do later. Chapter 9: The Gamble is where it gets good. I found the words he uses to describe the differences of business risks and personal risks to be exactly where I am in life (28 with a great job that I could continue to make $, but have to compromise my creativity, work with people I don't respect, working for a company who's core values are different than mine, and doing something I don't care about). Or seek out that other career that is not so certain but is my passion and I could see myself doing it for life.
   
   Thanks Tim and Randy for the words. I am a Whole Lifer Now!
   
   RC



3. Liked the author, enjoyed the insight into the world of venture capitalism but this book could have been an article in a magazine. It seemed to me like a long walk for a short pay-off. I get the point but felt like the author was purposely stringing you along for some bigger pay-off that did not happen.



4. Randy did a great job of taking the readers through a seris of conversations that first started with Randy and Lenny than later to introduce Allison. Looking beyond the business venture and the excitement of starting a company, the few imporant points that caused me to refoucus were-What really excites me enough to want to do it for the "rest of my life" and Create YOUR onw meaning of success not what someone elses meaning of success.
   
   I also like Randy's thoughts about defering life so you can chase a pot of gold IS NOT the answer. If you're going to work hard you may as well work hard doing something you love and that something should make a difference in the lives of others or IMO, it's not worth doing. That was a wake up call for me.
   
   I am all about building wealth but I had to get my priorities straight as it relates to the path I was talking to get there! I was Lenny in the flesh. Thanks Randy, I appriate the book!



5. I read this last Saturday in one fell swoop and ended up with a very 'eh' feeling about it. On one hand, it's an interesting insight into his years as a CFO and CEO of various companies and the big lessons he learned, but on the other it's wrapped around a questionably authentic story about a stereotypical sales guy trying to get VC money. It ends up feeling about as authentic as Rich Dad, Poor Dad, that is to say, not at all. The biggest take away is 'do what you're passionate about', but there, I already said it, no need to read the book. His anecdotes about the early lives of the tech startup's he's been involved with were interesting, but not really enlightening. If I'm going to start a startup, I'm not going to be spinning off of Apple or bowing down to the VC gods of Sand Hill Road, and I doubt many people who read this book will.
   
   If you're looking for something interesting on how to balance your life and work, this isn't it. The title is completely inappropriate, aside from his message about doing what you're passionate about. Go read the Four Hour Workweek by Tim Ferris instead (The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich), it has a lot more to say about creating life value.
   
   This book would have been a lot more interesting if he'd cut the 3/4's about his daily routine and the story of [...], and instead focused more on how he went about bicycling around Burma or what have you.

No comments about Legacy: Cecil Rhodes, the Rhodes Trust and Rhodes Scholarships.