5 comments about The Trumps: Three Generations That Built an Empire.

1. This is one of the best biographies I have ever read. It led me to appreciate and admire Donald Trump and his family.
   
   Gwenda Blair spins a fascinating account of Trump's grandfather's exploits in the Gold Rush days, then details Trump's dad's rise to mogul status in New York real estate. Trump then builds on that heritage with grand achievements of his own.
   
   It's a remarkable story because the progeny of so many prominent families fail to match, and sometimes even disgrace, their forebears (Paris Hilton, for example). Donald could easily have chosen the life of a spoiled playboy, but that wasn't about to happen when you are a Trump. You see that in Trump's kids. As I recall the oldest ones, like his dad, graduated from the Wharton School of Business. You don't get into that school because your daddy is Donald Trump. You have to have the scholastic credentials.
   
   A lasting image is Fred Trump's Sunday visits to construction sites, with his boy Donald in tow, picking up discarded nails as they walk the project. Then there was Donald's dutiful attendance at a military academy. It was tough going at first, but he had a family obligation to fulfill. He later became a BMOC. Some sons have the spirit knocked out of them by Type A dads, but Fred Trump managed to instill even more drive and ambition in his son.
   
   The book recounts several of Trump's battles to get his projects off the ground. He faced obstacles that would have made quitters out of less persistent entrepreneurs. But The Donald kept plugging away. It wasn't just in pursuit of riches, but to realize his vision.
   
   The author openly lauds The Donald as one of the most positive people on the planet. Yes, Donald was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, but we can all learn from his story. You have to hang in there, roll with the punches, and keep fighting.
   
   A biographer has a responsibility to paint a complete picture. Blair doesn't shrink from that. She details, but doesn't dwell on, Trump's womanizing and other scandalous exploits. Overall, the book is an inspiring tribute to the Trumps.



2. At first glance, you might say that "The Trumps" is another well-written biography of the highly successful Trump patriachs. And while
   some of the content is fair and accurate, it is quite obvious that for the most part, the book was written by a third-rate novelist with a
   first-rate agenda. The negative tone she sets of the Trumps, sometimes blaring, others not; and particularly of Donald, is proof that she
   can only envy the great success each has had. She takes every oppurtunity to spin that, without government subsidies, none of these
   would have ever achieved greatness. The book was indeed, an interesting read, but if you can't stand the envious musings of a not-so well
   known author who lives to bash those who have accomplished anything, steer clear. I was able to handle it because I enjoy controversy.
   Throughout the tome, the writer provides misrepresentations of various documented facts, including even mistitling well-known
   executives! Clearly, a segment of the American public does not like "The Donald"; typically because they are phonies who hate all
   successful people. However, unlike this book, Trump's three titles were all #1 bestsellers. There's a reason -- they're better written and
   more exciting! It's time that people like the author of this book realize that Donald Trump is nothing more than a savvy businessman
   playing to the interests of his special niche; the ultra wealthy, just as this book plays to its author's class -- those repulsed by anyone who
   could achieve success independently.



3. The first generation you will read about was never allowed to reach its conclusion, due to an unfortunate early death. The second and third generations of this grandfather, father, and son trio are much longer. The second generation too has recently come to a close after a very long and successful life, in excess of 93 years, and the verdict on the third is still evolving. There is no question where the business acumen was at its greatest, the talent rested with Mr. Fred Trump, the second of the three men, and his story is the one of substance. The grandfather never had a chance to play out what likely would have been a very successful life, but during the time he was a businessman he was creative, bold, and gutsy as any pioneer.

   Donald Trump is certainly the most well known, for marketing himself is a large part of whom he is and what he does. He is a man who can only speak in superlatives about anything he is involved in, even if some grand and prominent project bears his name and little else. The name on a building has very little to do with who owns it, who paid for it, or who made it happen. Donald Trump's primary business is Donald Trump. His flair for promotion and obsession with how he is perceived has become his career. There is no question he has had his successful projects, but the question of would they ever have happened without his father is a legitimate one. And he probably would have had much more success and a much larger fortune had he stuck to the business he knew, developing real estate. He got sidetracked with buying an airline, paying absurd prices for casinos that still are far from trophy properties, and while he may have benefited, the holders of stock and various bond issues have not.

   Fred Trump is the man you would have given your money to and slept soundly at night. He was an astute man of business, he was self-made, and he spent no time promoting who he was. In this manner he was like many other long time major developers in the NYC area that developed massive amounts of real estate and fortunes to match without having any interest in the world knowing what they were worth.

   Forbes Magazine often documents the calls they receive from Donald Trump complaining about where he is listed on their richest people list. This is not something his father or grandfather ever would have contemplated, nor would they brag to anyone listening how they increased their net worth by failing to honor financial commitments. In the end his charismatic style allowed him to get financial institutions so grossly over invested in his view of the world that he could never be allowed to go bankrupt, as the lenders could not afford it.

   His predecessors in the family rate much higher on substance, and the newest Mr. Trump rates highly on style. But for all of the perceived satisfaction he would have the public believes he enjoys, in the end the author portrays a man that craves publicity to the detriment of his personal life. Squiring around beautiful women makes for nice pictures, but he and it and getting a bit old.




4. At first glance, you might say that "The Trumps" is another well-written biography of the highly successful Trump patriachs. And while some of the content is fair and accurate, it is quite obvious that for the most part, the book was written by a third-rate novelist with a first-rate agenda. The negative tone she sets of the Trumps, sometimes blaring, others not; and particularly of Donald, is proof that she can only envy the great success each has had. She takes every oppurtunity to spin that, without government subsidies, none of these would have ever achieved greatness. The book was indeed, an interesting read, but if you can't stand the envious musings of a not-so well known author who lives to bash those who have accomplished anything, steer clear. I was able to handle it because I enjoy controversy. Throughout the tome, the writer provides misrepresentations of various documented facts, including even mistitling well-known executives! Clearly, a segment of the American public does not like "The Donald"; typically because they are phonies who hate all successful people. However, unlike this book, Trump's three titles were all #1 bestsellers. There's a reason -- they're better written and more exciting! It's time that people like the author of this book realize that Donald Trump is nothing more than a savvy businessman playing to the interests of his special niche; the ultra wealthy, just as this book plays to its author's class -- those repulsed by anyone who could achieve success independently.



5. Did you ever wonder how Donald Trump could have been so knowledgable and astute at so young an age. How did he do it? Who taught him? Family that's who. Unbelievably true. Ms Blair's research spans three generations. Friedrich who eventually earned a fortune in Alaska; his son Fred Jr. who made millions from U.S. government housing programs and his grandson, "the Donald" real estate developer and promoter. The book gives us an up close view of Donald Trump's ego, his wives and their role, his survival after near-bankruptcy, his eagerness for publicity and his "midas" touch. The man can close a deal. Well written and fascinating. Once upon a time there was the Rothchilds and the Rockefellers. This era it seems belongs to the Trump Dynasty.

2 comments about Ruger & His Guns: A History of the Man, the Company and Their Firearms.

1. BOOK IS ALL I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE! WELL-WRITTEN, COMPLETE HISTORY OF THE MAN AND HIS COMPANY, HIS DREAMS AND IDEAS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS. IT'S INTRIGUING TO READ THE BACKGROUND OF A PERSON WHO HAS CREATED SO MUCH AND BEEN A PIONEER IN THE AMERICAN FIREARMS INDUSTRY AND, JUST AS INTERESTING, TO UNDERSTAND THE MINDSET AND DETERMINATION AND SACRIFICE IT TOOK TO REACH HIS PLACE IN HISTORY. AND, THE DESCRIPTIONS OF THE TECHNOLOGY AND ART OF STURM RUGER FIREARMS IS FASCINATING. REALLY GLAD I BOUGHT THE BOOK.



2. In 1949, just after World War II, all of the gun manufacturing companies faced a problem of selling guns in the commercial market. The Government had extensive stocks of guns like Endfields, Springfields, Colt .45's and of course any number of foreign guns and were beginning to sell these guns on the commercial market. It was obviously a stupid time to go into the gun manufacturing business.
   
   In 1949 Bill Ruger entered the gun business with one gun being manufactured by a very small company. The gun was the Ruger.22 Standard Pistol which was an instant hit and is still in production as the Mark III. Every few years since then there has been a new gun from the folk at Ruger, each of which has pioneered new design principles that has made nearly all of the guns a success.
   
   In this book, R.L. Wilson has produced a masterpiece of a book that describes all of the guns produced by the company as well as a history of the company and the man. It's an excellent addition to any gun lovers library.

5 comments about Against the Odds: An Autobiography.

1. Being interested in innovation and entrepreneurship I was looking forward to reading this book, and I was not disappointed at all. It is well written, holds the attention, and paints the picture well of James Dyson's life and what it took for him to become a successful inventor, designer and businessman. It is full of very useful information and insights of what worked and the many things and actions that didn't work for him in his early business ventures. A very good role model for any inventor or entrepreneur looking to know what it takes to be successful.



2. His tenacity in getting the cleaner to market is a lesson for us. Many of his observation such as - Engineering is a state of mind, only by remaining as close as possible to pure function of the object that beauty can be achieved, creativity does not arise by staring at an empty board etc etc is of much food for thought. Loved it.



3. A good book for anyone who enjoys biographies by entrepreneurs. Not too long and not too much back patting. Some invaluable advice was shared. I came away with a good appreciation of the struggle to survive and then succeed.



4. I've read many books on business, having started and now running a successful business for 12 years, this book describes EXACTLY what it is like to start/run your own business. There are a host of books out there on the theoretical aspects of business, i.e. business plan, financing (blah blah), however they don't touch on the essence of this completely nerve racking, friendship killing, desperate struggle of a process. Starting a business, is not a journey it's an odyssey. Reading Dysons book takes you along for the ride. I can't say this book is for everyone, simply because so few people choose this direction to follow and succeed, but if you do, this book should be read many times. It will also give hope to the person of average intelligence, as I believe, Dyson conveys he is not a genious, he simply doesn't give up, ever.



5. I work for Dyson US and this book is something we give to every new employee. When I got my copy I read it in about 8 hours- I couldn't put it down! It's a great "story" and although he speaks mostly about the "invention" process and the obstacles he faced, you still get a great feeling for who James is as a person. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

5 comments about Charlie D.: The Story of the Legendary Bond Trader.

1. If you want to buy the book, go ahead, just be careful of superbookdeals, they take your money but don't deliver and don't answer emails. Caveat Emptor.



2. I've had this book, for over five years. I pick it up, and read it again... every year. It's one of my favorite books.
   
   The only "meat" for traders, is chapter six... "Charlie's lecture," and it's good.
   
   But the book is much more than that, it's how to live well, and be good to people... with whatever "wealth" you have! Be nice to everyone, that's what Charlie is saying to me in this book! How cool.
   
   The book has some boring spots, but still, I enjoy reading it; every year or so.



3. The meat is in Charlie D's lecture, a little foreplay before, nothing later on. The rest of the book looks like it is written for the Sports Illustrated book of the month club.

   "The principles of trading are the same if you're trading 10,20,50 or 100 contracts at a time, or if you're simply trading one. But it takes less time to make more money when you're a larger trader."

   When Charlie figured out trading calendar spreads was the most consistent way to make money he mastered the concept and started trading 50-lots at a time instead of always living in fear of losing money trading 1-lots.

   He took little blips out (of the market) with enormous size.

   Everybody's trading price relationships, you have to have a position on to earn a living. The bigger the position the less time it takes and the more you earn. Always challenge yourself to do it bigger and better and with more size.

   "The longer time you serve ... with a position on, the more you know about yourself and the more you know about trading."

   "One of the most important things you learn with positions on is how to get out of a trade. You have to take losses today so that you can come back tomorrow."

   "The time you know you've become a good trader is that first day you were able to win by holding and adding to a winning position."

   ---0o0----




4. Charlie D is a wonderful biography that I could not stop reading. It helps put things into perspective. Investing and making money is one thing, but you have to live life as well otherwise you won't be able to appreciate your work and money. This book will give some motivation and help your psychological frame of mind, but will not directly help your stock picking and trading like the other books.



5. Charlie D is a wonderful biography that I could not stop reading. It helps put things into perspective. Investing and making money is one thing, but you have to live life as well otherwise you won't be able to appreciate your work and money. This book will give some motivation and help your psychological frame of mind, but will not directly help your stock picking and trading like the other books.

5 comments about A View from the Roof: Lessons for Life & Business.

1. Dr. Mackie is the true embodiment of the American Dream. His book provides an effective roadmap not only for yourself, but for those whose lives you touch. As an educator, I see many young people who have become discouraged about their own future and the possibilities they face. Dr. Mackie provides hope, methodology, humor and wit. Every young person should read this book.



2. "A view from the roof" has come along and provided a rare road map to seeking your full potential! Thank you for providing the blueprint for success in a simple format that encourages. You've allowed me to dream again!!



3. I've known Dr. Mackie for over 7 years and everytime he has something to say I have paid close attention. He has always had a way with bringing out the best in individuals. Dr. Mackie's energy, spirit, and attitude is contagious.
   
   This book is an accurate example of how true, raw talent and simplified understandings of life, where some people find life awfully complicated, can give birth to a new person from within.
   
   I highly recommend this book to any person from all walks of life; from the jobless to the high ranked executive, from the single to the married. We all should find the best 'view' we can find from the roof of the tallest building or from the ground beneath our feet.



4. In ten easily readable lessons, Dr. Calvin Mackie inspires his readers to achieve more than they dreamed possible. "A View from the Roof" provides as its subtitle promises, "Lessons for Life and Business". Through a series of powerful personal vignettes, Mackie tells how his father transformed what could have been a bleak childhood into a character developing adventure. Mackie reveals how to instill discipline and orchestrate personal and professional success. He clearly shows, how as his father "worked hard just to give you [Mackie] boys the chance to do whatever it was you wanted, and you shouldn't take that lightly."
   
   Straightforward prose clearly demonstrates the messages Mackie illumines. A quick enjoyable journey, the ten self contained chapters brim with wisdom from a variety of sources. Willie's View provides yet another perspective. Parents can profit from what he presents. A must read for educators and anyone who works in unlocking human potential.



5. As a mentor to young, disadvantaged, and often impoverished inner-city African-American males, I am always on the watch for new ways to reach the hearts and minds of my "kids." I was very excited when I learned that Dr. Mackie, a wonderfully dynamic motivational speaker, had finally put onto paper his inspirational and hope-filled message. The author's growth from Calvin the grandson of a sharecropper and son of a hard-working but un-educated roofer to Dr. Mackie Phi Beta Kappa, tenured professor, and business entrepreneur is a veritable roadmap of success (especially for young black men). "A View from the Roof" provides its readers with the skills to accelerate their spiritual, educational, physical, and emotional growth. Dr. Mackie uses humorous and poignant anecdotes to drive his messages home. Every chapter ends with clearly enumerated steps to achieve any of a number of objectives from conquering fear, to accepting and inviting criticism, to becoming a master of your "craft." Although Dr. Mackie has a PhD in mechanical engineering, the text does not read like an academic treatise. Instead, the reader flows from page-to-page effortlessly. I plan to purchase copies of "A View from the Roof" for all the young men I work with. I highly recommend this book for anyone with a desire to succeed or help others to achieve their goals.

5 comments about Shameless Exploitation in Pursuit of the Common Good: The Madcap Business Adventure by the Truly Oddest Couple.

1. John D. Rockefeller, Sr. struck gold in oil in the 1870s and, if memory serves, gave $524,890,792.07 to charity during his lifetime. More recently, Paul Newman struck gold in salad dressing and, similarly, has given over $200 million to such causes. This book, among other things, tells us how he was able to do it.
   
   But that isn't the reason I read this book. I didn't read it to learn about the grocery business or about how Newman became a successful entrepreneur. I certainly had no desire to learn how to make salad dressing, and, despite the book's rather glib title, I didn't read it to be entertained. I had simply heard so much, and yet so little, for so long about "Newman's Own" salad dressing, his charitable contributions, and his "Hole in the Wall Gang" camp that I wanted to know more about him and about them. And this book did not disappoint.
   
   For, along with gaining a much broader insight into the grocery business and a much better understanding of how to make salad dressing, I also got to see just how far honesty, integrity, persistence, and a little flamboyance can get you - especially if you have a prominent name and an outstanding product, and your heart is in the right place. And Newman's heart, and that of his partner, A. E. Hotchner, certainly were in the right place, especially when Paul finally relented and agreed to be pictured on every bottle of salad dressing - but only if all profits made from their sale went to charity. From then on, the business which they had started as a lark took on a life of its own and carried them along in its wake.
   
   It is hard to summarize this book since the achievements which it outlines are simply too great. In keeping with its title, it is written in a jocular vein and, for the most part, is written in such a way as to downplay the contributions of the authors. But the good works which they have done, especially with their "Hole in the Wall Gang" camp for desperately ill children and the similar camps which their efforts have inspired, and which they have supported, around the world, speak for themselves. They must be justly proud. They are definitely men for all seasonings. Now go out and buy a bottle or two of "Newman's Own." I did.



2. The first half of this book is excellent!! The authors may not have intended it, but the first half offers great business advice as it details the amazing story of how Paul Newman was able to get his homemade salad dressing bottled and sold in stores. It's also very funny. Just an amazing story of taking risks, not accepting "no" for an answer and following your vision. The only reason I didn't give this little book five stars is because the second half loses steam. The first half offers all the details of how Newman and Hotchner worked to sell their idea, but once the book shifts to pasta sause and the charity works, it's more an overview but they are not as involved. It's great that they helped that many charities and established the great summer camps for children, but those stories are told factually and not with the humor and insights of the creation of the salad dressing. It's still a very good book and I learned a lot from it. I will also be glad to buy his products because they taste good and they help a lot of people.



3. Everything I ever needed to know about successful entrepreneurship I learned from SHAMELESS EXPLOITATION. 1) It begins with a creative product, not in the search for a way to make money (sorry, Mr. Sinatra). 2) It begins with a product that fills a hole in a market (in this case, salad dressing made with fresh ingredients, no additives, conspicuously absent from mainstream grocery store shelves back in 1980). 3) Time-honored production and marketing methods can also be time-ragged and not right for your product. 4) Ask questions of everyone you know. 5) Put out a little venture capital and don't overreach (these guys put out $40,000 and lived within those means). 6) Don't compromise the integrity of your product, find ways to accommodate it. 7) There are other ways to publicize the product other than expensive advertising. 8) A movie star's name means nothing; it's all in the product and the hard work that goes into it (sorry, Frank). 9) You have to love and believe in your product. 10) You have to love the process of getting the product out there. 11) If you build it, they will come.
   
   Everything I ever needed to know about pursuing the common good I learned from SHAMELESS EXPLOITATION: 1) Just do it. 2) Invite everyone to participate. 3) Miracles can happen.
   
   Everything you ever needed to know about this book: 1) It's a fast read. 2) It's an honest read. 3) It's an insightful read. 4) It's an inspiring read. 5) The part about the charities served by Newman's own will blow your socks off. 6) The authors are highly entertaining tour guides of their adventure. 7) There are a few recipes to boot. 8) It is refreshingly free of those simplistic aphorisms that plague most business world books.



4. This book is a fun light read, about a foray into business by the seat of their pants. This is certainly a sucess story that flies in the face of Strategic Planning.
   
   Newman and Hotchner had great and expensive advise from the traditional gurus of business, and for their own reasons they went the exact opposite way, and it came through in spades.
   
   This is realy refreshing in the business world, a smalltime producer of an innovative and all natural product subverting the traditional modes of business. Years before words like "all natural" and "organic" were in regular use at grocery stores, Paul Newman, of all people, was sneaking in under the radar and getting shelfspace and loyal customers.
   
   Not only is their product good & fun, but in another 'accidental twist' they give one hundred percent of their profits ot charities. 100%! This fact alone was enough to make me read the book, and so many redeeming qualities made it hard to put down.
   
   The book is light and not layden with industry jargon, has a bunch of entertaining anecdotes, cartoon strips, personal letters from customers and children, and a visually pleasing layout. The two are never self congratulatory, in fact they are more apt to poke fun of themselves and be modest..a pleasant aftertaste.
   
   The second half of the book centers around the Hole in the Wall Gang Camps the pair set up for seriously ill children. These camps not only made a huge difference in the life of these campers but set off a series of these camps around the world.
   
   The distance of our reach is far beyond what we ever dreamed.
   
   This book will not disappoint, is fun, and a refreshing tale of business and life on your own terms.
   
   Also recommended for ethical business books:
   Ben Cohen & Jerry Greenfield [Ben & Jerry], Gary Erickson [Clif Bar], Anita Roddick [Body Shop]



5. 'Shameless Exploitation' is actually two books in one - you get the tale of how the 'Newman's Own' started as a germ of an idea in Paul Newman's garage. Newman was legendary back then for commandeering the kitchen of restaurants he would frequent and whipping together his own salad dressings. He and co-founder Hotchner make light of their lack of business knowledge, but it's worth noting that much of their success is based on their innate sense of what is right, for example their unwillingness to compromise on the freshness of their product.

   The latter third of the book details the duo's efforts in starting up the 'Hole in the Wall Gang' camps for sick children. The authors are passionate about this endeavour, as well they should be. It's outstanding work they're doing. Newman personally drives these projects, sometimes through the force and magnetism of his personality.

   In fact, that's the thing that stands out in the book - this is no 'slap the celebrity name on the bottle' exercise. These two gentlemen are intimately involved in all aspects of the business. There's a comparison in the book to other celebrity food bits good bad - Frank Sinatra's tomato sauce venture is one example. It ran aground in less then two years, an unmitigated disaster. The difference? Sinatra simply loaned out his name and looked to scoop up the profits. By contrast, Newman and Hotchner are in this thing heart and soul. Plus, the product is superlative. That's the only way to get repeat buyers.

   As of the book's printing, Newman's Own has donated over $137 million to charity. When they write Paul Newman's epitaph, that first paragraph is going to be a real stemwinder to capture the essence of the man.

5 comments about The Rothschilds (Kodansha Globe Series).

1. A lot of fluff here, a lot of celebrity worship, and a few tidbits of fascinating historical information. It is written like a much expanded version of People magazine.
   I wanted more about these people--more of their dirt, really. Everybody has dirt. Rich folks especially. But, while you get a couple grains of sand in this volume, mostly you come away from reading it feeling as though somehow these people are not only gifted and shrewd, but also angelic, and that is the stuff of a People magazine.



2. This book takes me back to a magical time, when sovereign finance held potentates at bay, and when bankers were literally masters of the universe. In the absence of universal taxation by governments, raising funds for war and peace is the sole, nearly impenetrable domain of the sovereign banker. To say that the historiography of finance capital, or more appropriately, 'haute banque' is much, much better than Lord of the Rings and Rowling's tomes would be an unforgivable travesty.



3. Buried in this detailed narrative are colorful and interesting phrases like "In one day, he reduced the bank's gold reserves by almost 100,000 pounds." This deals with an enraged Nathan Rothschild almost sinking the Bank of England by cashing hundreds of small notes, because the bank would not cash his notes which would be, uh checks. Ok, confused? The whole book is like this. Dramatic stories covering Mayer Rothschild from a German Jewish ghetto creating success and amazing good fortune. Sons and strong family power continue the legacy-financing princes during war, to controlling Brazil. Accounts describing Napoleon to Hitler.
   Counting houses and branches in England, Germany and throughout Europe. You want to read these stories but the script is flawed OR at the extreme height of high intellect. I think the former. I am employed in finance and banking-and I cannot follow the threads!
   And yet there are descripive, powerful passages that keep you turning the pages. The fact that the House of Rothschild is credited to Mayer having sons, as Morton starts off, is a telling statment but he buries you in all these individual accounts as decades roll by and the dynasty becomes mythic. The pictorial section is wonderful and perhaps paints a clearer picture than the text of a book, whose paperback cover claims to be a "Number One Best Seller."



4. I enjoy some of the conspiracy theories involving the Rothschilds. Of course I stop well short of anti-Semitism. Just fun coffee shop conspiracy talk give me a break. I bought this book for a buck at a used book store hoping to find a little more dirt on the famous family. There was some dirt but it is glossed over with phrases like "but he was the black sheep of the family" and "a ruthless but brilliant business maneuver" etc. etc.
   I am usually reading more challenging material so I was surprised how fast a read it was. There is important history here but it is so steeped in blatant flattery and celebrity worship that I felt a little ashamed for having read it - kind of like how one feels after watching Entertainment Tonight. Well that is an exaggeration. There has to be a better history of the Rothschild's out there but if you see this one for a dollar at a used bookstore I won't recommend against picking it up.



5. There are very few families in history that have managed to maintain a tradition of excellence over several generations -- "Shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves in three generations" is the rule. The two notable exceptions to the rule are the Medici and the Rothschilds.
   
   I purchased this book thinking that the author would provide some insight into how the Rothschilds achieved their long-standing record of success. Unfortunately, Mr. Morton is merely a sycophant, apparently incapable of providing the kind of detailed analysis the question calls for. Instead, he constantly marvels at how this family of rag merchants from Jew Street in Frankfurt ended up hobnobbing with the crowned heads of Europe. That is certainly an accomplishment of sorts, but absent any kind of descriptive analysis, it is little more than fodder for People magazine. Indeed, one can argue that the recent decline in the family's fortunes is due to their emulation of European aristocracy.
   
   A far better book on the same topic is the two-volume set, "The House of Rothschild: Volume 1: Money's Prophets: 1798-1848 and The House of Rothschild: Volume 2: The World's Banker: 1849-1999. After reading Mr. Morton, it is both refreshing and illuminating.

5 comments about Hetty: The Genius and Madness of America's First Female Tycoon.

1. Hetty Green was known ,during her lifetime,as "the witch of Wall Street"and with good reason..She was among the most wealthy people of her time,and her cheapness made Ebeneezer Scrooge look like a spendthrift..At the least,Scrooge is redeemed at the end of"A Christmas Carol"while Green remained an incredible miser until the very moment that she died...
   Hetty Green came from wealth,but wealth contaminated by 19th century Quaker austerity,a fatal comination in the case of this woman,inasmuchas her religion made a virtue out of being tight with a penny,and Ms.Green seemed unable,or unwilling to temper her miserliness with charity or even commonsense..Her cheapness cost her son his leg,amputated rather than saved because Hetty Green was too cheap to seek the sort of medical service her millions could afford,and instead opted for a charity hospital...Green would live in cheap boarding houses,eat day old bread and quibble over a penny while at the same time loaning millions to suchlike as the government of the city of New York,and always at rates that were just short of usery..
   This book is sort of a celebration of Hetty Green as"America's first female tycoon"but feminists who wish to embrace Green as such will find little to look up to,unless of course thier other role model is Gordon Geeko,notorious for the 1980's slogan"Greed is Good",from the film"Wall Street"..But this is the way Charles Slack sees Ms.Green,as a sort of 19th century feminist icon..Yes,he does detail Hetty's miserliness,but at the same time he attempts to excuse it or,worse,to put a happy face on it by comparing it to the miserliness of the era's other MALE tycoons...At the least,however,Rockefeller,Drew,and the others she is compared with were responsible enough to know that it was necessary to part with some of the sheckels when one's child had a leg injury that was going gangerous...Not Hetty...Indeed,Mr Slack attempts to downplay most of Hetty's bad habits,bad judgements,unnecessary cheapness,and other personality shortcomings while making a big deal out of her single-minded efforts to aquire more and more and more money..Wanting to become rich is,of course,no crime(although given the way most of the rich become rich,and the way most of them behave afterwards,perhaps it should be!),but,at the least,some of the very wealthy make some effort at appearing to be interested in something other than the getting of money for its own sake...Not Hetty Green..No sir!Until the day that she died,Hetty Green's obsession was MORE !



2. This book is about Hetty Green who became the wealthiest woman in America at the time of her death in 1916. Hetty is in the Guinness Book of World Records as the greatest miser who ever lived. Even though she possessed vast sums of money in the form of Real Estate and Stocks and Bonds she lived life like someone who didn't know where her next dollar was going to come from.
   
   Her life as one the world's greatest investors unfolds from her childhood in the mid 1800's until the time of her death. There is some insight into how she invested her money and how she learned to invest as a child reading the financial news out loud to her father and grandfather whose eye sight was failing.
   
   There are 16 chapters in this short book of only 226 pages. A lot of the book is spent on her relationships with relatives and her family. She had two children from a marriage that could be described as odd. Her son grew up and became a good businessman himself although he did not live his life as a miser. Neither one of her children had children of their own and the vast fortune that Hetty had accumulated and held onto so dear was eventually given away by her daughter through her Will upon her death.
   
   It is an interesting story but at times it can be hard to read, the reason for only 3 stars. Her life in a way I would say was sad although if Hetty was asked about the way she lived she probably wouldn't have changed a thing.



3. Hetty Green lived in an era where the character of the American tycoon was emulated in the enormous mansions lining New York's Fifth Avenue. Hetty broke this mold in every way imaginable. Most importantly, by being the richest woman in America, she operated daily in an atmosphere dominated by men. Author Charles Slack provides a proper tribute to a woman mostly forgotten amongst the Vanderbilts, Morgans and Carnegies that came into prominence during her lifetime. Slack's treatment of Hetty's life is both fair and entertaining. At the time she was mostly known as miserly and mean-hearted but Slack offers a full-sided view of a complex woman who lived a very simple and unusual life for someone of her means.
   
   Unlike most women of the time, Hetty Green learned the economic ropes by reading the financial papers to her father and grandfather, both in the whaling business. She later uses her inherited fortunes to make her mark on Wall Street. Slack's ability to focus on her character and not on the specifics of her business dealings makes this a highly pleasurable and manageable read. She was often unpredictable and spent most of her life living in small tenements as opposed to mansions. Her penny-pinching philosophy led to many a great Hetty story, most of which Slack dutifully collects and includes in his novel. Her death, portrayed in later chapters, leaves the impression that our world is missing one of the true great aristocrats of its time.



4. Slack has given us the first cut of a remarkable life.
   
   How many biographies exist for John Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, Jay Gould and the others? This book opens up a whole new unexplored territory. Stack provides a platform for future biographers and their field is fertile.
   
   Why was Hettie forgotten? Was it lack of self-memorialization in libraries and museums? Wrong gender? No progeny to carry the name/flame? No Newport mansion for tourists to visit?
   
   What made her tick? The distant father? The need to succeed/prove? Protestant ethic? Loneliness?
   
   What of Mr. Green, a man so adventurous in early life? How did he FEEL when his wife so publically demonstrated her financial independance (in Victorian America)? What did he do in the years following this.. and how did he relate to his children?
   
   What of the son who honors his mother in public, leaves Texas to assist her, but marries Mable "Harlot" so soon after his mother's death.
   
   Why has this not been a DocumDrama already?



5. Hetty Green was heir to a fortune but what she did with that inheritance is a significant example of capitalism run amok during the late 19th, early 20th centuries. She turned that modest inheritance into hundreds of millions of dollars. Had she been a man, in my opinion, she would have come to us--through the decades--as powerful a name as Morgan, Carnegie or Rockefeller. Instead, she is remembered, if she is remembered at all, as an eccentric old lady, at best, and a ruthless miser, at worst.
   
   Thankfully, Charles Slack's HETTY, The Genius and Madness of America's First Female Tycoon offers us a look at the woman beneath the austere black dresses. At times ruthless, at times vindictive, Hetty Green could also be compassionate and sentimental. While she was not exactly an ideal wife or mother, her husband and children never villified her; in fact her children, in public at least, only said kind words for her (even though her son could have legitimately accused her of costing him his leg).
   
   What ultimately comes across though is a strong, looming sense of loneliness. To me, she seemed isolated as a child, isolated as a young adult, and in later years, as isolated as her Aunt Sylvia. In the end, money couldn't buy her love. It couldn't even pay for a friend. Charles Slack, however, doesn't want you to think of this as some sort of penance. She was surrounded by what little family was left, and by his account, left this world peacefully. Mr. Slack actually makes it seem she preferred it that way. And I believe he's right. This was a fascinating biography of a woman who deserved one.

5 comments about Commodore: The Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt.

1. My recommendation on this book is very nuanced. This book is very good in that it is an excellent collection of facts on "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt. More specifically, this is one of the few, greatly detailed books on the Commodore in existence. In this biography, you will read about Vanderbilt's ingenuity as a steamship captain, his defiant stance and eventual victory against the state-enforced steamboat monopoly of Robert Fulton and Robert Livingston, his prodigious success as a railroad magnate and his spirited offer to personally help, as a steamship captain, the Union army hunt down the USS Merrimack, an ironclad steam-propelled Confederate warship. The adventures of Cornelius Vanderbilt often reads better than fiction!
   
   Unfortunately, this book is often unpleasant to read because the author seems to relish bashing Cornelius Vanderbilt for many of his colorful but reprehensible personal attributes. Renehan really seems to go out of his way to gleefully remind the readers how Cornelius Vanderbilt was illiterate, how he displayed little command of the English language and how he seemed to ridicule and despise individuals who valued intellectual pursuits. To me, it almost seemed as if the author wanted to persuade the readers that despite Vanderbilt's immense business achievements, he cannot really be that great because he cannot spell properly.
   
   This schadenfreude towards Vanderbilt is further exemplified in how the author really seems to take great pleasure in reporting Vanderbilt getting swindled by Jay Gould during his struggle for control of the Erie Railroad. The author unsympathetically describes Vanderbilt as having to "lick his wounds" as if he is a pathetic, scalded dog who got what he deserved and not a great businessmen who was sold fraudulent stock certificates (as implies the allegation against Jay Gould).
   
   Not to leave any personal vice unexplored, this book also delves into Vanderbilt's unadmirable relationships with the many women in his life. In this book, you will learn about Vanderbilt's habitual womanizing with the most uncouth of women, his being cajoled by his girlfriends to bankroll the mass production of Marxist literature, his (eventually fatal) contraction of STDs and in the grand finale of all odious personal acts, his (presumably unjust) institutionalization of his wife allegedly to allow him to continue his illicit affairs. If the last part is even remotely true, then Vanderbilt has truly led a disgusting personal life.
   
   To be clear, I certainly do not think that the author should deny that Cornelius Vanderbilt did not live an admirable personal life. However, the only reason why Cornelius Vanderbilt is in history books is because of his achievements as a great industrialist. The relentless descriptions of Vanderbilt's illiteracy, his philandering, his boorishness and his other negative attributes is at best overemphasized, if not downright annoying and immature. I did not get this book because I wanted to read about what a horrible personal Cornelius Vanderbilt was; I read this book because I wanted to get a better understanding of his remarkable achievements as an industrialist.
   
   In summary, a good book on Cornelius Vanderbilt today is a scarce reason indeed. For this reason, I definitely recommend this book until something better comes along as it is a very good source of information on Vanderbilt's accomplishments as a businessman. However, be warned of the constant bashing of Vanderbilt for his hideous personal character contained within, as it really is irritating.



2. At his death in 1877, Cornelius Vanderbilt, the "Commodore", had amassed more money than any American. Edward J. Renahan's book is a brief examination of his personal and professional life. Vanderbilt was born on Staten Island, New York, to a poor family that had to sail if they were to escape from their relative isolation. From his earliest days, Vanderbilt provided reliable transpoprtation of people and freight for the lowest fees. Gradually, he acquired larger and more modern craft and expanded his activities around the Northeast, and then the Western hemisphere. He acquired his first railroad as a short connector between docks, but eventually came to control or own stock in many rail companies. What made Vanderbilt different from most people was his drive to keep expanding. Not only did he increase water routes, but he branched into steamships, then to railroads and finally to backroom stock manipulation. Most people would have curtailed their radical growth and been content to do one thing well, but Vanderbilt was comfortable with the constant thrill of new routes, better machines and continual competition. The competition was cutthroat and many big lines would have gladly smothered the hard-working Vanderbilt had he not moved into less developed, more profitable arenas. And, he had no compunctions about strangling his rivals whenever he could.
   
   Renehan's portrait of the Commodore is generally unfavorable. He was a wiley businessman and had practices that are now illegal. He treated his family badly- eg. had his wife committed when she refused to move to a new home. He also was intent on keeping his fortune together and left scraps to most of his children. (Only one son, Billy, won his approval as the mogul who would take his place.) The Commodore had a weakness for lower class harlots and paid for his wenching by dying miserably of syphilis. Perhaps most damning, is the fact that Vanderbilt gave away very little of his fortune. (Vanderbilt University somehow coaxed about $1 million from him, but noblesse oblige was not in his world view.
   
   Despite this, there are admirable traits that shine through. Vanderbilt had no family connections or inherited wealth to draw from. He was virtually illiterate and required secretaries to read and write his business transactions. He lacked polish and the drawing room manners so essential for acceptance in New York society. But, the Commodore didn't pretend to be what he was not. He did not waste his money fawning over European arts and pleasures; racing steeds and racy strumpets seem to have been his only extravagances. There seems to be a solid historical record of Vanderbilt's business dealings, but this biography lacks the family tales and back-room, old boy yarns that would give this book more human interest. (I don't know that this is the author's fault- maybe the Commodore was silent or humorless.) Nevertheless, this is an enjoyable study of one of the 19th century's most important men.



3. Cornelius Vanderbilt's life makes for anything but a dull story. It is a classic 19th century rags to riches story in which a farmer's cunning and pugnacious son forges a powerful shipping empire through any means at his disposal. The Commodore goes so far as to orchestrate a coup against an American puppet government in Nicaragua to push up the value of his stock. Renehan spins a fine yarn, but also dwells in tedious detail on the antitrust and state vs. federal government dynamic - i.e. his sections on Ogden and Gibbons - which are unnecessary and less relevant in a brief book about Vanderbilt.
   
   Overall, the book is informative and colored with choice anecdotes. During his slow syphilis induced demise, a septuagenarian Vanderbilt takes a pair of young sisters - one only in her twenties - as mistresses which he believes to have magnetic healing powers. Ultimately the two women go on to start the first female owned brokerage - relying on inside information provided by Vanderbilt's son in an effort to keep them away from his married father - the Commodore.



4. Tycoon "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt is an important figure in the history of American business. Author Edward J. Renehan Jr. set out to "put a face" on Vanderbilt's ambition, enterprise and mania for wealth, and he succeeded. You will get a solid understanding of the vast, rapid changes the U.S. experienced during Vanderbilt's life and his significant role in that change. His descendants, including his granddaughter, designer Gloria Vanderbilt, and her son, CNN anchor Anderson Cooper, continue to be prominent. Though this interesting, reportorial biography could have focused more on the historic context and economic impact of this financial giant, and a bit less on his all-too-human failings, getAbstract finds that it deserves to be read by anyone who is interested in American history.



5. The Author has previously done marvelous work with the Jay Gould biography. In this case, while the book makes a good read, there is too much coverage of irrelevant material, such as the shipping wars in New York and New Jersey, at the time the Commodore was a mere employee, or the Vanderbilt Bronze, a statue now towering over Grand Central. I hope that in future editions, the author correct these imbalances, and puts more emphasis on Vanderbilt's incredible transition from Shipping to Railroading, which I am sure the author's considerable talent will allow. Despite these shortcomings, I STRONGLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK to anyone interested in business, or business history. Nitsan Ben-Horin, New York

5 comments about The Toughest Show on Earth: My Rise and Reign at the Metropolitan Opera.

1. The book disclose many backstages tales of opera. I enjoyed it pretty much.



2. Opera is dramatic and bigger than life on stage and back stage. Now we learn about all the drama that also goes on in managing the Metropolitan Opera, the largest opera company in the world and an arts organization that puts on more opera performances each year than any other company on earth. Its budget is more than $200 million for something like 240 performances per year. I was quite surprised to read how the monies to fund this huge budget are raised. No, it isn't the government, corporate, or even the richest donors that provide the bulk of the money as I had suspected.
   
   The 2005-2006 budget was $221 million. The Box Office receipts were $101 million, the endowment of $300 million provided another $18 million, parking and commons revenues provided $10 million, and the support from the Federal, State, and City governments was only $375,000! Where does the other $92 million come from each year? 125,000 private donors, 2/3 of whom live outside New York City, provide donations ranging from $60 to more than $500,000 and total $80 million. The 300 members of the Metropolitan Opera Club provide another half-million, and the board members each provide substantial contributions to the met each year. I found this fascinating and quite a different mix than I had expected.
   
   The author, Joseph Volpe, has run the Met for the past 16 seasons, but has worked at the met for more than four decades. He joined as a carpenter and worked his way up from the back of the house to operations. While he showed great skill in getting the shows on stage, he was passed over more than once for the job of Managing Director because of his blue collar background. But after floundering through some poor appointments, Volpe got the job. He admits that his personal style is more, well, frank than most other arts managers and the scowl on his face on the cover photograph (and in some of those included in the book) let us know that he is all about getting the shows on stage and at the highest level rather than getting us to love him as a person.
   
   Volpe came to love opera while working at the Met. True, his grandmother had him listen to "Cavalleria Rusticana" with her when he was a child, but it was getting the magnificent sets to work and to hear the great singers, choruses, and see the dancers, costumes, and even the guests, that got him to see what grand opera is truly about and fall in love with the greatest of all art forms.
   
   The book is part his own biography, part the history of the Met, and part about the great singers he has worked with while at the Met in his various capacities. The book has dozens of interesting photos from all the eras of the Met and the stories of the singers are well chosen and very entertaining. Pavarotti, as you might expect, provides some wonderful anecdotes when he is trying to help Volpe lose weight and includes Volpe in his "yoga" lessons.
   
   The book is quite a pleasant read and I enjoyed it a great deal. It is interesting to hear about the whole of the opera company including everyone it takes to make the shows rather than just the great soloists. Coming from a blue collar background myself, I enjoyed hearing about the working guys and gals that make the show work for those fabulous artists who create the great music with their voices and hearts. The magic wouldn't be nearly as powerful without all those sets, costumes, lights, and the performers on the chorus or the dancers.
   
   Recommended!



3. Joseph Volpe's "The Toughest Show on Earth" is a remarkably comprehensive look at the recent history of the Metropolitan Opera as told through the eyes of the retiring general manager, himself. Volpe has the best "view" in the house and no wonder...he's been there for over forty years.
   
   From the start it's clear that Joe Volpe is not a man to be crossed lightly. Tough as nails (and nails were part of his business) he rises from an entry level position to the top job...and reveals much along the way. There's just enough "dirt" in this book to tickle the senses of the reader and anyone who has ever been in opera knows exactly what Volpe describes...in order to be associated with opera personalities it is sometimes required to act like one.
   
   The longest chapter in "The Toughest Show" is devoted to Volpe's firing of Kathleen Battle and one can just see the steam building in the author's ears as he amasses stories of misbehavior on the part of the "embattled" diva over a period of years. Finally, he acts, much to the delight of the cast and crew. It's a juicy chapter and one of the best in the book. While Volpe offers reflections on just about anyone with whom he has come in contact, he reserves the nicest comments for conductor James Levine and (whom he calls the "Siamese Twins") tenors Luciano Pavarotti and Placido Domingo. Without these three would there be a present-day Metropolitan Opera?
   
   There are occasional bouts of self-serving given over to by the author and often he feels a need to defend himself based on some past controversial decisions, (which I found rather astounding given the fact that he is departing the scene) but what makes "The Toughest Show" such a wonderful book is the comprehensiveness of the Met story. It's not only onstage and backstage but everywhere else, too. "The Toughest Show on Earth" is the greatest guided tour around. It's a terrific read and Volpe deserves much credit not only for this book but for a lifetime of service dedicated to one of the nation's treasures...the Metropolitan Opera.



4. Joseph Volpe was a tough as the job he took on when he grabbed the reins of the Metropolitan Opera House, having to deal with the likes of James Levine and Luciano Pavarotti.
   But as in the phrase beloved of behavorial psychologists, his was a "tough love." He started as a carpenter at the Old Met with but a passing interest in opera, but by the time he left, music infused his very blood with a passion for his work and the people who populated the space he called home.
   The autobiography details the years, the failed marriage, the battles with superstars, the triumphs and disappointments with a candor perhaps unique in this type of memoir, where the authors tend to be either diplomatic or, as with Sir Rudolph Bing, unrelentingly acerbic.
   Volpe tells his story in lean, plain-spoken language that reveals the inner workings of the gargantuan Met and makes that place of mazes and convolutions an environment the reader can understand.
   Joe Volpe (after reading the book, it's hard to think of him as Joseph) dragged The Met kicking and screaming into the 21st century without violating the traditions that surround opera, and his book is refreshing, entertaining and revelatory.
   It should be read by anyone interested in opera, politics or the big business of show.



5. I found this book absolutely fabulous. Mr. Volpe is to the point and shall we say, extremely honest, in his account of his years at the opera, including via himself. One finishes this book with a greater understanding of what goes on behind the scenes. It reads well, with enough details to keep the average reader riveted and without the unnecessary clutter found in some of those books that insist on giving us an hour by hour acount of events. I especially liked the way the book was subdivided. If it does follow a certain chronological order, each chapter focuses on a specific subject matter, for example signers... that serves as the guide thru the different events. Hence, this book is delightful and I strongly recommend it to all and especially, if not exclusively, to opera lovers. Even ones who do not know a lot about opera will love this book.
   Marie Kirouack