3 comments about Profiles of Power and Success: Fourteen Geniuses Who Broke the Rules.

1. Author hand picked the profiles in order to validate his own feelings regarding what makes a person great. Most very powerful figures do not fit into the mold cast by Landrum.
   Although there are some interesting quotes and stories, Landrum rambles and goes off topic frequently. I would not recommend this book.



2. This is another in a series of "Profiles of...." volumes in each of which Landrum focuses on exceptional men and women who have achieved great success after having overcome all manner of barriers, obstacles, and adversities. I was especially interested in this book because of the diversity of the 14 subjects examined: Napoleon Bonaparte, Walt Disney, Isadora Duncan, Amelia Earhart, Adolph Hitler, Howard Hughes, Maria Montessori, Rupert Murdoch, Edith Piaf, Pablo Picasso, Helena Rubenstein, Marquis de Sade, Nikola Tesla (more about him in a moment), and Frank Lloyd Wright. Let's pretend. What if you were asked to compile a list of those to be invited to a private dinner and you came up with these 14. Let's assume that there would be no language barriers and each was in her or his prime. What a lively evening that would be! Hopefully all of the guests would survive it.
   
   With regard to Tesla (1856-1943), frankly I knew nothing about him until reading this book. According to Landrum, Tesla was "arguably the greatest inventive genius who ever lived. Some called him mad, others a genius, but everyone agreed that he was an enigmatic superman." His achievements include AC induction motors, first wireless (radio) transmission, fluorescent lights, solar engine, Tesla coil, VTOL, and concepts which led to the electron microscope, cosmic rays, guided missiles, and radar. He also predicted (in 1915) the inevitability of television and space satellites, with one of countless benefits being television reception via satellite. Given Tesla's obsessive-compulsive and megalomaniac behavior, he was presumably not always a pleasant fellow to be associated with but none can deny his importance in so many fields of scientific inquiry.
   
   This is a thoroughly entertaining as well as an immensely informative book. Landrum devotes a separate chapter to each of "the fourteen geniuses who broke the rules." I especially appreciate his inclusion of 25 "Figures" which range from "Manic Achievers and Power Brokers" to "Twelve Principles of Instilling Creativity in Children." Great stuff.
   
   Those who share my high regard for this book are urged to check out Landrum's Profiles of Genius, Profiles of Female Genius, and Entrepreneurial Genius as well as Howard Gardner's Leading Minds: An Anatomy Of Leadership and Creating Minds: An Anatomy of Creativity Seen Through the Lives of Freud, Einstein, Picasso, Stravinsky, Eliot, Graham, and Gandhi.



3. Good read but not necessarily accurate. Nikola Tesla was ripped off by Edison after Tesla created the AC system of power distribution. This contradicts the title and purpose of the book. Better titled "Profiles of Brilliance". Overall though a facinating book with insight into some very smart people.

4 comments about Never the Last Journey.

1. For many years my mother's family was presumed completely obliterated by the Holocaust until I found Dr. Zandman and his book. I was finally able to put fates with the faces of the people I knew only through aging photographs.
   
   This is a book of horrors and of triumph over adversity. That Dr. Zandman was able to survive what he did and still go on to become the fine international businessman that he did is nothing short of miraculous. Where others would have just ceased to go on he found the courage and the strength to live his life to it's fullest.
   
   The personal stories that he tells of his Great Aunt Sonya and his Grandfather Nochum are absolutely heartwrenching and leave you wondering simply how so many people could hate so much.



2. An ageless and inspiring story of determination, survival, and ultimately triumph. Zandman's story brings home minute details about being Jewish during this horrific period of time--right down to the mindset of most Jewish families in Poland. This book clearly illustrates how subtle, calculating, and conniving Hitler was as he, not all at once, but gradually moved the Jews from their homes, to the ghetto and finally the death camps.
   After I read this, the first time, I wanted nothing more than to meet Felix Zandman personally. Even the title inspired me to always push forward and to never give up.



3. As a stock analyst, I've seen many CEO's and heard many success stories. This is a heartwarming story of dedication and triumph unlike that of any other business executive. Despite spending his youth in hiding from Nazis, Dr. Zandman manages to get a PhD., move to America and found a small engineering company that ends up being one of the world's largest suppliers of electronics components.



4. Zandman's historical part of this book is great. It gives you a great perspective of his life during the Holocust. More background would have been great. Got the feeling that his business associates have been less than desirable chaps.

5 comments about Contractor Combatants: Tales of an Imbedded Capitalist.

1. This book is told from the first person perspective of a true American hero. It is action packed with gun battles on the streets of Iraq, in-fighting amongst the locals, and the struggle to run a profitable business while staying alive in the most dangerous place on Earth.
   
   Once I started reading, I could not put the book down. Andress provides incredible insight into the challenges that Americans and Iraqis face in the struggle for a free and democratic Iraq. It describes how Americans and Iraqis are risking their lives together in an effort to rebuild a free and safe Iraq.
   
   After reading this book, I have much clearer insight into the Iraq situation. This book should be mandatory reading for all military officers, politicians, and critics, and supporters of the Iraq war.



2. I have just finished this great book written by a very courageous man that is the very epitome of what Americans used to be; big-hearted can-do men of adventure that seize the day and change the world for the better. It is a gripping account of this former US Army Ranger officer's experience running a logistics and security company in Iraq helping with the building and supply of bases for US and Iraqi forces, and the rebuilding of the Iraqi infrastructure. (He was an officer with the Army Rangers.) He lived outside the "Green Zone" with an ad hoc bunch of special forces guys from US Special Forces to Gurkas and Russian Spetnaz with a supporting cast of Iraqis willing to risk their lives and be real heros while most of the other contractors were hiding behind the US military. I just finished it and I have to say I'm most impressed.
   
   This is a first-hand account of what it is really like over there and not a bunch of second-hand stories from someone hiding in a hotel in the Green Zone, like the other books about Iraq. It is truly a must read for anyone who wants to know what is really going on over there, and the story of the brave men who are building a democratic future for Iraq. See his video on youtube by searching for his name.



3. The liberal press has attempted to submarine progress in Iraq, just like it did in Vietnam. The Carter Andress book tells it like it is. Contractor's play a vital role in the security of the key players in fostering Iraqi democracy, and Andress see's the big picture in this book. This is a great read, but not for those lacking the determination to see this thing through.



4. First, I agree with that said by the first Reviewer, especially about Andress' perspective differing from the "2-3 day visits to Iraq" making those people experts! Andress has lived the Iraqi experience. His work and that of his company puts them in a unique position to KNOW how the majority of Iraquis fell about the US. His efforts make it possible for us to make the progress needed to make the Iraqui people self-sufficient.
   Only then should we think of leaving this country!
   
   Contrary to the media portrait being painted of Contractors in Iraq, i.e. Blackwater, these men are enabling our "experts" to accomplish their tasks without being killed! Obviously the insurgents will try to kill them at every opportunity! Kill the Guards and the Bad Guys will have their way with the people....and our troops!
   
   For a first-hand look at how Iraquis and Americans are working together read this book!



5. Fired UP! If you ever get the chance to meet Carter Andress he will undoubtedly end his conversation with this phrase. Simply put, the man is "fired up" about life. Contractor Combatant tells the story of his real life account of living and working in the RED ZONE along side his Iraqi brothers (Sunni, Shiite, and Kurds alike) and reflects not only his passion for these people, but his deep desire to help them gain their freedom. Trying to start and run a successful business is challenging enough in a peaceful environment. Doing in the midst of the chaos and confusion that is Iraq presents a unique set of challenges that is not for everyone. It takes leadership, courage and lots of tenacity and determination. His company's success could not have been achieved without a willingness to open his heart and trust to the local people. If you are tired listening to the perspective of people that come into this country, spend two or three days in the Green Zone and return home as a subject matter experts, this book offers an entirely new and refreshing perspective that just might change the way you think about war. Get the story from someone who lived it on the front lines. From exposing fraud in the contracting system to feeding the Iraqi Army during the second battle for Falluja, Carter tells his story with passion, grit and honesty. The book is fast paced, entertaining, and well written. It also offers, in the last chapter, an interesting academic perspective on Iraq and US involvement. After reading it you might just feel "Fired UP" too.

5 comments about Car That Could:, The: The Inside Story of GM's Revolutionary Electric Vehicle.

1. The dream of the electrical vehicle was first inspired by the success of the sunraycer, a vehicle capable of 41 mph and able to traverse the US on five gallons of gas. EV technology faced two signicant barriers: the DC to AC inverter and the 100,000 mile battery life. AC motors were lighter and but the electricity had to be chopped or inverted. Alan Cocconi had built a inverter for his SunRaycer and also designed and built regenerative braking. At Aerovironment, Brooks used the Sunraycer power design and built an EV with a more power inverter and AC motors and battery pack. Cocconi built two inverters which each powered a 50 kilowatt motor.
   
   The GM impact prototype solved both of these problems. Alec Brooks was assigned to study Paul MacCready in the offices of AeroVironment and his efficient motors. MacCready had built an Electric Vehicle prototype for GM - with its streaming lines; the initial idea was too make the rear wheel base shorter than the front creating a tapering effect. The car was to be built from aluminum rather than steel. The Impact had a fiber glass body.
   
   It was Baker's job to bring the EV car to market. Baker reluctantly took the task, a task he dreaded because of early failure with the electrovette.
   
   Lead Acid batteries were a problem, but they were cheap and they worked. Lead acid batteries needed water replenishment; engineers tried to devise methods and these batteries could not be 100% discharged and recharged for a 1,000 cycles. Heat and cold affect the electrical output of the battery. The batteries weighted about 900 pounds. Nickle Metal Hydrid was proven but not used immediately; Baker didn't want any delays; Baker needed to get the EV quality to production status: heater, air conditioner, radio, and suspension system.
   
   The impact could accelerate from 0-60 seconds in 7.9 seconds reaching a speed of 75 mph; it could travel 124 miles at 55 mph and in city reach 300 mile range.



2. This is a great book. The author follows the tangled story of how GM developed the first production electric car... but he went to press just a year or two before GM sent it to the crusher. See the documentary Who Killed the Electric Car? for the sad end to this story.
   
   For contrast, google for the on-line copy of "The Prius That Shook the World". While Schnayerson was following GM he was totally unaware of the development of the Toyota Prius. Like Shnayerson's book, the Prius book takes the development of a new car from a clean sheet of paper to production. From reading both, Toyota seems to have much longer term plans and much less in-fighting. GM changed it's mind with every new CEO.
   
   By coincidence, neither book has a single photo in it (aside from the cover) and lots of personalities. But from 2007 looking back the Prius story has a much happier ending.



3. The book "The Car That Could" tells the story of GM's EV1 much better than the film "Who Killed the Electric Car?". The book tells the story of the EV1's birth. That is of course a more hopeful story than the EV1's death, which the film covers. And that fact alone makes a big difference in the impact of the story that is told.
   
   But there is another difference. "The Car That Could" tells the inside story of how the EV1 came to be. People within GM make a huge effort to give birth to the car. This was no sham attempt to live up to the California Air Resources Board mandate to put electric cars on the road. GM clearly had its technical and marketing people do their best work. And they did build a great little car, a car that could.
   
   As we know now, though, GM's EV1 did not live very long. The passion of those who put their money down to lease the cars could not make up for the fact that they were few in number. When the California Air Resources Board's mandate went away, that spelled doom for the EV1.
   
   No new EV1s were made. Those that had been made were crushed. A sad end for the car that could.
   
   But though the film "Who Killed the Electric Car" implies that GM killed the EV1, the reasons for its death were more complex than that. And the real story of its death has not, I think, been told. Certainly not as well, and with so much insight, as the story of its birth.
   
   But the story of the electric car has not ended. And there may be some hope for a happy ending. Recently GM's CEO Rick Wagoner has said that he regrets the decision to kill the EV1. And GM promises to come out soon with a new series hybrid electric car. That may put GM back into competition with Toyota and Honda, and their parallel hybrid cars. If so, maybe we will see another, more successful version of a GM car that could.
   
   Michael Shnayerson did a great job researching and writing about the birth of the EV1. Many of the insights written into the book will help those thinking about electric cars today.
   
   So in my mind, "The Car That Could" should be required reading for anyone who wants to participate in the electric vehicle industry. Copies are hard to find now. But if you are interested in electric cars, find a copy and read it. "The Car That Could" makes the must-read list; "Who Killed the Electric Car?" does not.



4. This is a fascinating inside story about the development of electric cars in the early '90s.
   
   GM unveiled a prototype electric car in 1990 and conveyed the message to California (and other states) that they could develop such a vehicle for consumer use. California shortly thereafter adopted standards requiring the top 7 car manufacturers to sell emission free vehicles totalling 2% of sales in 1998, increasing to 5% in 2001, then 10% in 2003.
   
   GM proceeded to lose enormous sums of money in the early 1990s. But they still worked to develop the electric car for two reasons. One was to be able to meet the California standards. The other was hoping they would be ahead of the curve and make money on the new technology.
   
   But many technical issues needed to be resolved to bring the car to market, the biggest being batteries. Developing batteries capable of providing adequate storage capacity for a reasonable amount of driving was (and remains) a monumental problem.
   
   At the same time GM was developing a marketable electric car, they (along with Ford, Chrysler, and Big Oil) lobbied hard to eliminate the emission free mandates, claiming the technology and consumer demand wasn't there. What did GM want to happen? It seems that they didn't really know, in part because they were bleeding money.
   
   California blinked in the 4th quarter of 1995 and eliminated the mandate. Then, in January 1996 GM unveiled the EV1, a 2 seat electric sports car.
   
   For a follow-up on the "success" of the EV1 and other EVs, I recommend the movie "Who killed the Electric Car?". Disturbing.



5. Shnayerson tells the story up to when the GM Impact was introduced. The film "Who Killed the Electric Car?" got me interested in electric cars. The GM Impact (EV1) was the most successful modern electric car, but it disappeared into the crushers shortly after its introduction.
   
   His story is that of a dedicated crew inside GM working against budget cuts and management changes to make the car. It is a good read.
   
   A shortcoming is that there are so many major characters-- A new one on each page in some chapters. One is Ken Baker, who runs through the whole narrative, as do Roger Smith (yes, that Roger) and Robert Stempel, one a former GM Chairman.
   
   Another major character doesn't appear until chapter 20: Stan Ovshinsky. The 12 pages describe his career and the Ovonic 12-volt NiMH battery, and the test on the track at Mesa, Arizona, where his batteries powered the test Impact EV 201 miles on a single charge.
   
   All of these 100+ GM execs and engineers were heart-and-soul dedicated to making the EV succeed. One cannot read this book and feel that GM was against the electric car. Shnayerson is an outsider, and was in no way a mouthpiece for GM or an industry apologist. When he tells of GM execs moving their families to Lansing or to Troy so they can work more on the Impact, you get a strong feeling that GM wanted this car to happen. GM sunk a few billion dollars in it.
   
   I could have done with fewer pages of office drama and a new character on every other page, all of whom "exuded midwestern charm," and less about whether so-and-so was "on the fast track to a senior vice-presidency."
   
   I would have preferred line drawings of new assemblies, for example, regenerative brakes-- a first by GM. I wanted more technical details! Cut a couple dozen pages of drama and give us line drawings! For example, in one of the few technical discussions; Setting a standard for EV chargers, page 223, after 3 years and $10 million, GM accepted Hughes's inductive 220 volt charger. Ford stayed with the basic prong-and-socket conductive charger. I wanted a line drawing of each, a photo of each, a short description of each.
   
   Shnayerson gives an objective account of politics, noting the reelection of California Governor Pete Wilson in 1994, and Republicans unseating Democrat governors, and Republicans making huge gains in Congress in Nov 1994-- as a factor in reducing the auto industry's motivation to push the EV. That political revolution is missing in explaining the death of the EV in California in "Who Killed the Electric Car?" where the government villians are made out to be Bush, Cheney, and Rice. Shnayerson suggests that a Republican sweep in 1994 may have been the bigger factor, with a repudiation of 25 years of environmental legislation.
   
   We humans may be incapable of analyzing economic factors, but we always emphasize political factors. This mental shortcoming has to do with the Availability Bias, from cognitive psychology: We overestimate factors easy to imagine or remember (like political figures we don't like) and ignore factors difficult to imagine or remember (like anything to do with economics). So when GM cuts funding in 1992 for the Impact, everyone, like director Chris Paine of "Who Killed the Electric Car?" screams out that there is a giant conspiracy by bad guys in Oil, but few recognize that when a company has a loss of a billion dollars, they need to cut back somewhere.
   
   Shnayerson spends only a few pages on Japanese electric cars: All four major Japanese carmakers had cars to show at the Anaheim California December 1994-- EV Symposium 12. Mazda had an EV Miata. In France, residents were paying for the privilege of test driving 50 Peugeot-Citroen ZX and 105 model prototypes. If Big Oil, Autos, and the U.S. Gov killed the GM EV, who killed the French and Japanese EVs? Which brings up the Big Red Cars in Southern California.
   
   Did Standard Oil and GM and B. F. Goodrich destroy Henry Huntington's Pacific Electric, the world's best electric car system, with its more than 1000 miles of standard gauge track? Or rather than a giant conspiracy, is the fault in the hands of my mother and father and thousands like them who destroyed the Pacific Electric-- they purchased a shiny new 1949 Nash, instead of spending that money on tickets to ride the Red Cars. We blame the "greedy" oil companies, but we don't think about tens of thousands of Southern Californians ready to buy that status symbol, their own auto, after years of rationing during and after World War II.

5 comments about Two Lucky People: Memoirs.

1. Milton Friedman needs no introduction, so let me just talk about the book. In this book, you almost get a comprehensive account of the life of Milton and Rose. But this book is about so many other things. I cannot possibly cover everything that this book covers, so let me tell you about one part of the book that has helped me--it's the part where Milton talks about learning and teaching economics. I'm an undergraduate planning to major in economics and political science. (Milton Friedman actually got me interested in economics & politics through his book Free to Choose.) But when I first started taking economics courses, it was... a little bit dull, if I may say so. I didn't know how all these supply and demand curves were supposed to help me understand the world. But I've checked out this Memoirs from the library, and Milton is talking about his years as a student. He talks about the courses that he took at the University of Chicago, and especially "Economics 301: Price and Distribution Theory," which he took with Rose (that's when they first met), and which he taught at Chicago. When he took the course, he understood that "economic theory was a coherent set of tools, to be used with care and the utmost attention to logical rigor, but to be judged primarily by its usefulness in understanding and interpreting important economic events" (35). Just by reading this quote, I'm starting to understand what economics is about. So Milton Friedman got me into economics, made me passionate about it, and helped me make sense of it. Milton Friedman was so many things, but what a brilliant teacher he was.



2. This is a great book for anyone who is interested in Milton Friedman, economics, The University of Chicago, twentieth-century intellectual history, university politics, or rags-to-riches stories. Both authors have led very interesting lives and the tone throughout the book is upbeat and positive. This is one of the best and most-influential books I have ever read. Milton Friedman is one of the most clear-thinking, intelligent people of the twentieth-century and our country would be better off if more of his ideas on economics, education, and freedom were put into practice.



3. Milton Friedman is one the of tough guy who always support the free market idea.He is the first guy who builds the monetary school and also a good story teller.He does do a great job and I guess that is not just luck.



4. The memoirs extend from the Friedmans' early years to 1997. The earliest times are recounted in separate voices by Rose and Milton, each telling her or his own story seriatim. For the later years, their narrative voices are presented sometimes jointly and sometimes in tandem. This method adds a great deal to the readability and interest of their story. It allows the reader to get different impressions of the same people and places and brings out the (rare) disagreements between the two authors. It provides more information and presents a more vivid picture than is typically the case in memoirs by a single author....

   To read "Two Lucky People" is to get on intimate terms with a wholly delightful and wholly admirable couple. Here is a book to savor. Instructive and endlessly entertaining, it brings to life a whole era from the Great Depression to the present day.




5. More of a travelog than an interesting business book. I could not even finish it, which is very unusual for me.

5 comments about How to Sell Anything to Anybody.

1. I heard about this book years ago, but I never took time to read it. Actually, I thought the book was too old to be relevent. I saw the book in Charlotte recently and was suprised when I thumbed through it. First of all, the comments on the cover got my attention: "World's Greatest Salesman" and "The Guiness Book of Records." If that wasn't enough, his writing captured my interest immediately. Joe Girard is straight up and honest. I love his style. I have to admit, some of it is a little bitter to swallow because he tells the truth and hold no punches. He hits the soft spots of procrastination and fear of rejecton, however, most of his teaching goes down easily, tickling my funny bone in the process.
   
   Joe Girard knows what the everyday salesperson goes through and his teaching style easily reflects it. When he is in "teaching mode," I can easily imagine him standing in an auditorium, possibly pacing the floor with his wireless microphone on how to become a better salesperson. When he is in his "storytelling mode," I can picture him sitting beside me telling one of his great stories about what he went though on his way to the top. For example, he mentioned his very first car sale. He didn't remember his customer's name or even the name of the car he sold, but what he remembers was that the customer worked for Cocoa-Cola. He associated Cocoa-Cola with groceries because he had to make that sale so he could feed his kids! He was "hungry" for that sale in more ways than one. Every time I opened the book, his words would grab my attention, and every time I closed the book, his teaching points would stick with me. One of the most important parts of the book was the story about his dad. While Joe was young, Joe's father would beat and berate him constantly, telling Joe that he would never amount to anything. At the end of the story, he writes: "you're probably wondering what this has to do with how to sell. Well it has everything to do with how attitudes get planted in your head." That is deep.
   
   I am faced with many people how have a problem with getting over self-esteem issues and fear of failure. Selling is fun, especially with a product that you are passionate about. However, it has its stuggles too. Sometimes we are surrounded by those who have lost their own dream in life. It has been a struggle of my own, living in the South, seeing those who do not see beyong their own struggles in life, day to day, year to year. The point about his dad and overcoming those self-defeating attitutes was so deep I had to close the book and "digest that nugget for awhile." It is hard to see people with the potential to achieve greatness to give up on their dreams and quit. No, selling is not always easy, in is the process of working hard, treating people right, and working with integrity, we are in fact, achieving greatness, even if those riches have not yet manifested. That is one of the great keys in this book. I am a bit ashamed that I have not read it earlier. Kudos, Joe Girard. You knocked this one out the ballpark, and thus, I recommend this book to every salesperson.



2. If you are looking for a big on tips, tricks and tactics for improving your sales then this may not be the best for you.
   
   If on the other hand you believe that some basic fundamentals, executed continuously and well is the road to success, then read on.
   
   Joe Girard is in the Guiness Book of Worlds Records as the worlds greatest salesman. Working at a Detroit area Chevy dealership he has sold more cars than anyone, and it is really based on fundamentals.
   
   Focus on the customer, ask for the referral, word of mouth, and making a memorable impression. That may sound simplistic and there is much more to the book than these few things.
   
   Girard treats being a salesman as a calling and profession not just a job and his results speak for themselves.
   
   Read Girard, put it down for a time, then read it again and let it sink in, and the wisdom of his experience will come to light for you.
   
   Cheers!



3. This book is called "How to Sell Anything to Anybody," but it should be called, "How to Sell Cars." All the examples and all the author's experience is related to selling cars. I know there are a lot of similarities between selling cars and selling other things, but this book centered on a lot of things that are only relevent to the auto industry. The title is definitely deceiving!



4. My husband works in car sales. Several of his co-workers spoke highly of this book, and said it was a "must" read. Amazon offered it at the very best price. It has received rave reviews from my husband who states it is very well written, and has had a positive impact on his profession.



5. There are some good tips for selling in this book, and people who are in the car-sales business would probably enjoy it and benefit from it. Aside from that audience, however, this book is likely to disappoint. First of all, the information and the way its presented are extremely out of date. The book was originally written in the late seventies, and if it's been updated, it's hardly evident. There is a very sexist tone to the book -- not a malicious one, but just a product of its times. Nevertheless, it is pretty offputting. Secondly, a major portion of this book is dedicated to author Joe Girard working out his abusive childhood. This may have been therapeutic for Mr. Girard to write, and may be interesting for some to read, but if you're looking for sales tips, this whole portion of the book is going to be quite frustrating. And thirdly, although some of the sales tips can be applied to any type of selling, for the most part, this is a book for car salesmen -- period. Mr. Girard seems like a nice guy and one heck of a salesman, but this book did not even begin to live up to my expectations.

5 comments about THE GO-GETTER: A Story That Tells You How to Be One.

1. Short, to the point, and teaches a lesson. This is the book that termed the phrase go-getter and really shows what it is to be one. The themes and story translate very well to todays era, every high school student should read this book or have it read during graduation.



2. If your intent of reading self help books is to discover a resounding message that will resonate in your life, I can certainly recommend The Go Getter. Its directness of message is only matched by its brevity. There is merely a lone principal to be uncovered within this book, but the message is timeless and profound.
   
   This book garnered 4 stars from me because although the message is found among many other self help books, I can only think of a handful that display its portrayal and influence as well as The Go Getter.



3. The message of the book is lived out in the execution of the purchase. Simple fast and efficient, being a Go-Getter is performing above expectations - - that is what occurred. Well done.



4. This book was honestly the worst book I have ever tried to read. HORRIBLE!



5. This is a good story that has great application for a wide variety of people. We read this as a staff to help us remain motivated to work hard, to go beyond the average worker and really apply diligence to every obstacle we may find before us. The Go Getter is a story that many should read and implement into their lives. Good example of someone who overcame personal handicaps and difficulties to see that he did a honest day's work for his employer. The second story in this volume was not good and I don't recommend it, but the book is worth buying for the titled piece.

5 comments about Andrew Carnegie and the Rise of Big Business (2nd Edition).

1. I too had to read this horrible waste of a tree for my history class - i thought it was and intresting story the whole rags to riches thing but i never finished a single chapter because i didnt have the will power to push through the dryness of this book, most often i even fell asleep. livesay may have acuratley described the rise of andrew carnegie but this book is crap - only a true history nut would find any enjoyment in the book, and thats pushing it



2. "Andrew Carnegie: and the Rise of Big Business" was the worst book I have ever read. I went into reading it with an open mind, and after the first chapter I wanted to pull my hair out it was so boring.
   First off, the book took place in a time period where I wasn't even born. My parents weren't even born yet. It has to do with a subject that I don't even know about.
   Second, the author dragged on and on about numbers and business partners and business investments. He was using words that were not in my vocabulary.
   Finally, the plot and main ideas of the book were so slow. They jumped around and I didn't know what business we were talking about, or which business partner was involved. They talked about money and finances.



3. Andrew Carnegie was such a boring book, especially if you hate history. I couldn't get interested in it. It went too much in depth with numbers and statistics. Those things took away from what,I think, the author was trying to get the readers to understand.
   Every time I read it I would lose interest right away!! One paragraph and I was gone. I would even fall asleep when reading it!!! I had to re-read sections multiple times because I couldn't even tell you what I was reading. It went in one ear and out the other. I had to make sure I understood it though because I had to write a 5 page paper on it for my history class.



4. I was required to read this book for my history class. It was probably the most boring book that I have ever read. Every time I started to read it I would fall asleep. I tried to read a chapter each day, but I ended up reading a page or two then passing out. The book goes too far into specifics and numbers in certain areas of his life which takes away from the story. This made the book almost unbearable to read. If you are having trouble sleeping at night then you should go out and buy this book, but if you are looking for a good read, think again.



5. I was required to read Andrew Carnegie and the Rise of Big Business for my history class. Not only did were we requiered to read this dry biography, but we then had to write a 5-7 page paper on what we thought the themes of the book were. However, the book is so bogged down with numbers and informatin about how he did EVERYTHING in excessive detail, that it is hard to focus on the reading yet alone find the themes within it.
   I have no doubt that Andrew Carnegie was a great man and accomplished some great feats, but who cares EXACTLY how he did it and what the exact numbers were? I think the book would have been a much better read if Harold Livesay, the author, had simlpy told the story of Carnegies life. All the statistics were overkill.
   In addition to continually beating an already dead horse, Livesay went into more depth than neccessary with the details of how Andrew did things. A simple explanation of a series of events would have been sufficiant. I think more people would be able to read and even enjoy Andrew Carnegie's life story had the author left out all the fluff.

No comments about The Templeton Touch.

3 comments about Oil Man: The Story Of Frank Phillips & The Birth Of Phillips Petroleum.

1. I've watched Michael Wallis grow as a writer and I wish he had written this book last instead of first. Now don't get me wrong, it's a rip-roarin' tale of a man with ambition and drive who built a gigantic company and fortune. But it's not the exhaustive, documented last work on Frank Phillips's life.

   This is as near to an authorized biography as you can get. Wallis was given full access to all the recorded material on Phillips as well as to a great many people who actually knew the man and worked with him. It's a rollicking story.

   Using fiction techniques of characterization Wallis shows us an eccentric, ambitious young man who evolves into a successful philanthropist -- and philanderer. Phillips gave tokens to the children of the community but overindulged and neglected his own son until he turned to alcohol. He was a man who appeared devoted to his family six months out of every year, then spent the rest of his time with his mistress in New York City.

   He wasn't such a saint in business, either. He took over smaller companies to build his empire and almost fired a Vice President "Boots" Adams because he thought Adams was too ambitious for personal gain.

   Legends about Phillips abound and Wallis has recorded them. There's a story, for example, of Phillips paying the mortgages of community churches and herein lies the weakness of this book. He doesn't say whether this generosity is documented or it's simply a tale told by sycophants, and he sure talked to plenty of them.

   Wallis weakens his authority by neglecting to support his facts. He speculates. Without documentation it's impossible for the reader to separate fiction from fact. The writing style is that of fiction and that's all the more reason the reader needs to be able to tell what is real fact and what is speculation.

   If what you want is an exciting story of the West and people who made great fortunes in the oil fields, you'll love this book. It's well written and well researched. If you want only fact, however, you'll have to write your own book.




2. Frank Phillips, "THE OIL MAN" is a little known multi millionaire who started with nothing but ambition, and made life pay off! If you like business biography, this is one of the best you'll ever read. I enjoyed totally. I am now rereading the book for the third time!



3. This book contains something for everyone. Action, adventure, power struggles, romance, money, geology, the wild west, the roaring twenties, family feuds and best of all...it's all true! Frank Phillips grew up a farm boy in Iowa, started a career as a barber and ended up an oil tycoon. This is an easy read and it is obvious that Wallis' research was very thorough. He almost leads you through a day to day account of Frank Phillips' life. And what a life it must have been. A true gambler, Frank Phillips' started with almost nothing, made a fortune then risked everything he had just to stay in the game. I can highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading. Wallis has brought together a complex man's world and gives the reader an insight rarely seen in biographical writing. He makes the stories come to life and links them all together superbly.