5 comments about Cable Cowboy: John Malone and the Rise of the Modern Cable Business.

1. I liked the way it was written. It gives you a broad idea of how the cable industry developed over the years. Goes in to details of specific deals that gives you a better feeling of how the industry dealt with growth, changes in technology, competition, content suppliers, etc.



2. A great inside look at one of the most powerful players in media. Cable Cowboy tells the great story of how Malone built his emprier and -- for better or worse -- how he used that power. A great read.



3. What this book is really about is how during the last 1/4 of the 20th Century, our governments allowed a few rough and tough businessmen to carve out the new American technologies, with little or no regards to any public interest. First of all, the entire satelitte technology came out of Naval communications and had been paid for already by Federal taxpayers. Then the cable cowboys were able to string their lines along the regulated telephone lines and telephone poles, which had already been paid for also by everyone in their phone bills. There is nothing in the book about this reality, and only a little on what happened to those who tried to question these things and were slammed along the way. Yet, Mr. Malone seems to despise Al Gore and the Federal Government and wonders why anyone has the right to question his motives or actions.
   
   
   Why is there no real competition? Even with satelitte tv, cable still represents at least 3 separage monopolies. Try to guess why the politicians gave away the monopolies and anyone who questioned this became the target of personal and viscous attacks, if not more. Where were the regulators? There is no other comparable monopoly in America, with the average citizen's 4th or 5th largest expenditure each month going to cable tv and/or cable hi-speed internet.
   
   Who makes the decisions as to what channels are broadcast? Only in America would we turn over these kinds of decision to nameless businessmen, hiding behind huge corporations and limited partnerships. In my own community, on the "local government channel", the elected and appointed politicians from one political party appear almost daily. Those persons from the other major party do not appear at all. The perfect alliance: local government, a faceless corporation or limited partnership and monopoly rates.
   
   This is the real scenario of a big part of cable tv and there is really nothing on the book on these kinds of things. One should read the Stephen Keating book, "Cutthroat: High Stakes and Killer Moves on the Electronic Frontier" to get better insight as to the reality of cable-tv development.



4. An engaging and accessible account of one of America's great business leaders and a complicated industry. Whether your interest is the cable industry, general business, leadership or free enterprise, this is the book for you!



5. Fun, interesting, and insightful read. Provides clear explanation of the financial transactions utilized to help Malone build his cable empire.

5 comments about Chrysler: The Life and Times of an Automotive Genius (Automotive History and Personalities).

1. If you are an automotive historian, you like what you read in this book. WPC was an integral part of the formation of the auto industry and the reader will recognize many figures mentioned in the book. A must read for Mopar and Chrysler historical fans. WPC was an amazing well rounded engineer, marketer, and industry leader...not many had all the qualities he had to build a car company...



2. 
   This biography of Walter Chrysler is proof that sometimes less might be better. As Curcio says of his subject, "His progress took time, and was nothing if not methodical." The book indeed is methodical, and at times overweight with superfluous information. Scenes, especially during his early years, seem embellished and overdrawn - sometimes making for interesting anecdotes, but making this reader wonder when the main story would continue. Also for entire chapters Curcio seems to be using Chrysler's autobiography, LIFE OF AN AMERICAN WORKMAN, as his main (only?) source.
   
   Some judicious editing and trimming also would have been beneficial: included is a 50-page chapter on the early history of the automobile, for example, that goes on way too long to little effect. There are also some doubtful assumptions made, such as in this opening sentence of the chapter on the Chrysler Building in NYC: "Everyone knows that the Chrysler Building contains seventy-seven stories that rise to the height of 1,046 feet, 4.75 inches." Really? (And I thought it was 4.85 inches.) That chapter, by the way, after that dubious first sentence, happens to be, I think, the best in the book, and finds Curcio writing at his best.
   
   Also quite interesting and informative was the chapter on Chrysler's difficulties with streamlining and his famous airflow car. Curcio, who is described on the book's back cover as being a "long-time car enthusiast," is at his happiest writing about the technical intricacies of automotive engineering, and anyone sharing that interest will be delighted with much of this book. But for someone interested in a well-rounded, focused biography of the man who transformed the Willys-Overland and Maxwell-Chambers motor companies into the automotive empire known as the Chrysler Corporation, might feel a bit overwhelmed by the mountains of information, some not very relevant, needed to wade through before reaching the end of this book.



3. A great book! The author is big on automotive history, so you will know more about the industry and the people that formed it. Walter Chrysler just seems to be the man he tells the story around. I have found interest in other people from this time frame to read about too from this book.



4. Having read extensively in the past about both Ford Motor Company and General Motors, I was very interested in getting to know the other member of the "Big Three" (sadly, today we can only talk about the remaining two after Chrysler's incompetent Bob Eaton surrendered the company to Daimler Benz).

   Although the book is centered in Walter P. Chrysler the author finds it hard not to get carried away by much more imposing personalities in the early automotive business, mainly Henry Ford and William C. Durant (founder of GM). They are mentioned 52 and 53 times respectively.

   Both Ford and Durant are much more interesting personalities than Chrysler himself and if not for anything else, the book is worth the read just to get to know Mr. Durant. The reason he is much less known today than his other two competitors is that he resisted the temptation to change General Motors name to Durant Motors (he could have done it but decided the GM trademark was too valuable), later in his life he did found a company called Durant Motors but it didn't survive long. If there is an epic to be told about the automotive industry in the USA it is Durant's: he founded General Motors, was ousted from the company, founded Chevrolet, bought his way back to GM control, was ousted again, founded Durant Motors, lost everything after the crash of 1929 and if not for the monetary help his friends (including Walter Chrysler) gave him at the end of his life he would have lived his last days in abject poverty.

   Walter Chrysler actually made his reputation and original fortune working for William Durant at General Motors' Buick division and after he quit the corporation eventually assembled the Chrysler Corporation (mainly from Maxwell Motors and the Dodge Brothers enterprises). It was a great accomplishment in itself as he started very late (too late thought many) to matter much, and yet he climbed to the third place in sales and eventually to the second place (outranking Ford Motor from 1936 to 1951). Sure, GM (through Alfred Sloan leadership) outclassed both of them and by such a wide margin that (until very recent times) there was absolutely no comparison between the leader and the other two.

   An interesting fact mentioned in the book is that the Chrysler Building at New York was NOT built by the Chrysler Corporation, but by Walter Chrysler himself so he could give it to his children. At the time it was completed, it was the tallest building in the world.

   The scope of Curcio's book is very wide and you end learning many things from the first years of automotive history. In other words, it is much more than Walter Chrysler's biography. I fully recommend it.




5. Chrysler : The Life and Times of an Automotive Genius is an entertaining, engaging biography of a man and his times. So much more than a dry biography of one of the major figures of the automotive industry, this book by Vincent Curcio provides fascinating insight into American industrial life in the late 19th and early 20th century.

   Walter Chrysler was the quintessential "working man," a railroad (and later automobile industry) mechanic by trade who first mastered himself, then proceeded to lead others in the burgeoning automobile industry. His early years in the railroad industry and his transition from mechanic to leader are nicely chronicled along with the development of American transportation history. Mr. Curcio lucidly explains the evolution of modern manufacturing and the integral parts played by seemingly (taken on their own) inconsequential methods and practices.

   While not as well known as a man (although the car and skyscraper are certainly famous), Chrysler embodied the American entrepreneurial spirit as deeply as any other leader of the auto industry. He was willing to take unusual risks, some resulting in relative failure (the Airflow), but all transforming the nature of the industry. He was not an early pioneer, first joining Buick in 1912. However, he completely understood design, engineering and manufacturing techniques. Perhaps more importantly, his ego was of a different mold. He was not afraid to accept the ideas or contributions of his employees. Chrysler made decisions perceived as unusual. For example, he built the graceful, elegant art-deco Chrysler Building, headquartering the company in New York at a time, its silhouette dominating the skyline of yesteryear. He experimented with unconventional auto designs, unafraid to introduce concepts into full production. Yet for all of this, Chrysler remained an enigma, certainly less famous than Ford or GM's myriad of leaders.

   Mr. Curcio writes in a unique style, reminiscent of biographies penned in the early 20th century. His prose is fluid, yet the use of oft-archaic language transports the reader into a different era. The book is a real pleasure and there are a number of photographs inspersed throughout the text. HOWEVER, the primary problem with the book is the lack of proper editing and documentation of research in the later chapters. For example, there are numerous typographical errors and poorly constructed sentences. The last few chapters detract from an otherwise fine narrative. One glaring inconsistency is a mention of Chrysler's conversation with Wilbur Wright in Dayton Ohio when he was developing the Chrysler Airflow. That conversation must have been "via seance" as Wilbur Wright died in 1912.

   Even with the above, I'd recommend the book from the standpoint of biography as well as overall automotive history (as well as industrial history in general).

5 comments about Truman Capote.

1. Anyone who has read In Cold Blood by Truman Capote knows that it was his best writing. He created a new genre of reporting and fiction combined by immersing himself in the subject of his book. He spent months living in Kansas where the Clutter family was murdered and many hours with the two young men who did the killing. After the blockbuster book came out, Capote was catapaulted into celebrity and high society. This book is so interesting because it follows Capote's life from childhood through his rise and fall from grace. His friends and acquaintances tell the story as if you were sitting there listening to them discuss Capote, the good and the bad. Truman was an elfin sprite, full of stories, not all true but extremely entertaining. But at the end of his life he was using drugs and alcohol to deaden the frustration of being unable to top his masterpiece book and finding nothing better to write about, turned on his high society friends, writing a tell all book about them using thinly disguised characters. Because of this, the people who made him, dropped him out of their lives completely, leaving him bewildered. He had wrongly assumed that they would understand and forgive him. After that he simply drifted and declined physically, drinking until his body gave out. He died in the arms of his best friend Joanne Carson, exwife of Johnny Carson. He knew he was going and begged her not to call for help, as he was worn out and finished. I think I would like to read In Cold Blood again, this time with a different understanding of Truman Capote.



2. As a fan of Plimpton's witty style, I picked up the Capote biography, only to realize that Plimpton didn't write it. Instead, he interviewed dozens of people and let them tell Capote's life story. At first, I was mildly disappointed but soon understood the irony: Capote was infamous for his gossipping, and now these acquaintances are gossipping about him. In the same way that Capote created a "nonfiction novel" with In Cold Blood, Plimpton compiled a "subjective biography" that focuses on Capote's public persona more than his private life. (Perhaps because much of his private life was public.) The interviews are colored by the subjects' relationships with Capote, and many of them have an agenda in talking about him, so I would not recommend the book to someone who wants to read a factual chronicle. However, it is entertaining and gives a portrait of the New York high society--in which authors had a place, unlike today (I think)--probably better than a standard biography could provide.



3. Full of salacious detail and struck through with the the vagaries of human nature, this oral history highlights, in an immensely readable way, the arc of ambition that propels the talented Tuman Capote to reach beyond the world into which he was born. The journey takes us on a wonderful romp through post WWII New York society and careens toward a place where our subject falls to his own singular sirens. It was a great Nantucket beach read.



4. I really liked this book. I am a Truman Capote fan, and the book was wonderful. A must read for Capote fans especially!



5. Honestly, Capote would have loved this book, he loved the subject above all others. Ths late Plimpton does a fine job getting many of Capote's friends and admirors, as well as detractors, to give an insightful look at this singular man. Capote was complex and manipulative, but people were drawn to him, he was the ultimate self promoter. I really think even those who hated him, missed him when he died. He could be heartless and cruel, but he had a certain quality, I guess it's called star power, that made him a very powerful friend to have, he rode the success of In Cold Blood and Breakfast at Tiffanys to the apex of society. He was painfully insecure and it's sad that he felt people were only his friend because of his ability to write great books, it's tragic that late in life he felt the need to make up the fact that he was writing this masterpiece, I think he was terrified of writing the book that would follow In Cold Blood, that I believe is what lead him to write the ill advised Unaswered Prayers. You will really want to avert your eyes when the vail is pulled away on Capote.

5 comments about The Cat Who Killed Lilian Jackson Braun: A Parody.

1. Britney Spears Gets Breasts Stuck In Cement Outside Graumann's Chinese Theater.
   
   That is a newspaper headline, drawn to James Q's attention by one of his beloved Siamese cats choosing it as a target for urination, and thus drawing it to his attention as a clue in a murder mystery. This is a parody, right? The second paragraph of the book goes thus: "The veteran children's book writer with worldwide experience pulled a robe over his 6'2" fiftyish, heavy-set, graying-haired, mournful-eyed, and luxuriantly-mustached frame." Remind you of anything? The `Q' in this case stands for `Qafka', not `Quilleran'.
   
   Incidentally, the title of the book appears to be a pun, at least that's what I think it's supposed to be.
   
   When I started reading this book, I thought it was very funny. The copyright is 2003, but somehow the thought of Britney Spears getting her breasts stuck in cement outside of Graumann's Chinese Theater still seemed very up-to-date. However, the book is rather rasty, in general, and after about 20 pages, I stopped reading it. Then, late one night, when I had run out of everything else to read, I picked it up again, and I managed to plow my way to the end. It does actually have some interesting plot devices, and in parts, it really is almost a `page-turner'. The author manages to weave the `Maltese Falcon', and `The Honeymooners' into his plot, in a fairly clever way. However, he does seem to have a real addiction to bodily function jokes, possibly to excess.
   
   Overall, the author seems to use a kind of shotgun approach. If one gross joke is good, then more is better. Perhaps if he wrote `Subtlety' on a Post-It, and stuck it on his computer monitor, we might all benefit.
   
   To those who would hazard this book, I say: you may feel slightly soiled when you finish, but there are a few gems amongst the offal.



2. before reading this book (or at least trying to read it). Like another reviewer, I too thought it would be a fun parody, but I put this book down before finishing and will not be picking it up again. I'm not sure who the intended audience of this book is, but as a fan of Ms. Braun's cozy mysteries, I did not like the content or language in this book.



3. I couldn't get through the first chapter of this stupid book. What a waste of $$$!



4. This is a breathlessly funny and inventive novel. It takes all the conventions of mystery series books, with their beloved characters and their narrative caution, and it throws them into the wood chipper. It is a fearless comedy, willing to take on Philip Roth and The New York Times and Dashiel Hammett and send them into a whirlwind of musical comedy and raucous, sometimes explicit, sexual farce. The novel IS a farce, and either you've got a taste for that kind of anarchy or you don't. It's the literary equivalent of one of the Farrelly brothers movies. Or maybe the Smith brothers. Or maybe the Karamazov brothers. At any rate, it's a delight if you don't mind seeing literary icons reduced to slapstick cartoons!



5. The Cat Who.... Series have been my favorites. I was excited to read this parody. What a disappointment. The writing was very pedestrian and very unappealing. Using the "gutter language of the times" makes me think of a young person who is using words to shock his/her parents. I don't use that kind of language and really don't want to read it. My suggestion would be for the writer to invest in a good dictionary and find words that are acceptable to most people who read good or even great books. Just because it is a parody there is no need for base language. Cleverness is in the idea not the use of poor language.

5 comments about Brandy, Our Man in Acapulco: The Life and Times of Colonel Frank M. Brandstetter.

1. A great read about a remarkable man. I knew Brandy personally and this book doesn't give him true justice but does tell the story of his amazing life. A must read for those in the hotel industry or those that have ever stayed at Las Brisas. The book covers his military days thru to his retirement ,as a spy and hotelier extrodinaire ,in the hills above Acapulco. Buy it and you won't have a regret only perhaps your life could have been as fullfilling and adventurous.



2. I met Colonel Frank Brandstetter in Omaha beach, Normandy-France, late 70's. Fantastic personality, true humanity, a great lesson of life at a time when the Cold War was not over yet.

   I was assigned to Ste.Mere Eglise by the Commander of the 32nd Company Division, during my national service after finishing the military academy (reserved officers). Mission was to be the "ordonnance" of this VIP for the D-Day ceremonies. There were also exhausted officers just back from Vietnam. We tried our best to take care of all these great people, and shared a lot of good and intense moments during the ceremonies.

   I was early 20, he was soon 70 and Frank told me a lot about the war and the peace, about the life and death, about mission and respect, and how to be able to "carry on" day after day.

   I remember his comments about General Ridgway, about Europe and USA, about horrors of war and hate but he mostly talked, free, about peace and how to maintain the peace and build the future. It was really an experience! God, he spoke so many languages in the same time. The whole crowd around was impressed, so was I. Well, I saw him with my eyes and heard with my own ears how he had managed and practice the talents he had during WW2 and after that, in Europe.

   If one of the most important thing in life, for all of us, is to know what are the good things we leave behind us; well, i guess that Frank could teach a young man and a few other guys at an important time in their lives, how to manage and forecast the rest of their lives; and he did it well. I have not met Frank again, and I often thought about Accapulco and "Brandy" in his colourful Jeep riding in the jungle around the resort, opened to the astronauts back on earth, all of them firmly standing on the world again.

   I never forgot his fascinating character. He achieved a hell of a job as an Officer who had a tough life, as a man, and as a friend.

   Later on, my work drove me and my wife to work in the Far-East, very closed from a place where General Ridgway took over the work of an other historical icone, Doug. Mc Arthur. And I often remembered, on assigments for my media, a couple of lessons Frank Brandstetter tought to me.

   I really think the writers did an extraordinary and fascinating book, and I thank them from the bottom of my heart for that amazing encounter, now presented and shared with people. Bravo ! Joel Legendre




3. As a baby boomer, the only personal connection I had with WWII, was that my father worked as a chemist on the Manhattan Project in Washington State.

   So when a friend sent me a copy of Brandy: Our Man in Acapulco: The Life and Times of Colonel Frank M. Brandstetter, I thought what does this book have to do with my life?

   The answer is everything. The authors of this compelling historical memoir, Dominic Monetta and Rodney Carlisle, brought WWII and the Cold War to life for me.

   Colonel Brandstetter's life reads like a Hollywood screenplay. this book has everything fiction has: espionage, movie stars, strong American values, heroic rescues and escapes. It is refreshing to know, in a world where sports figures are amongst the few heroes our young people admire, that there is a living war hero who saved hundreds and hundreds of lives as a human intelligence officer - a humble man with the courage and passion to make a difference.

   I would urge teachers to request Brandy: Our Man in Acapulco as required reading in high schools around the country.




4. Colonel Frank Brandstetter obviously led a fascinating life. The words, "officer, gentleman and scholar," come to mind as he seems to embody all those qualities. He was also a visionary in the world of hotel managment--many of the practices Brandy instituted are now standard operating procedures in the hotel business.

   Brandy was obviously a risk-taker--but risk-takers also make mistakes, learn from those mistakes, and come up with better ideas. I wish the author had mentioned which ideas had failed--it would have presented a more in-depth and complex portrait of Col. Brandstetter. There was also very little personal information about Brandstetter in the book. A man is more than the sum total of his accomplisments.

   In the long-run, I think a novel based on Col. Brandstetter's life would make a fascinating read. He led a life of intrigue, daring, and heroic and accomplished endeavors and seems to have remained a gentleman throughout--the kind of hero we like to see in a novel.




5. Real life is better than fiction. Frank Brandstetter is one of those who really made things happen...where ever he was. This book tells his story in unflowery language, and yet it reads like a movie. His life has touched so many highlights of the 20th century.

   His story is also a guide to how to live life honorably. He is guided by ideals, philosophy and values that are clear and relatively simple. Today, we are reluctant to believe that life can be lived well and honorably when based on such simplicity. Brandy's sense of honor is palpable. This creed has been tested greatly. There is no fair weather advice from his life. Inspirational. The stuff of world-class leadership.

5 comments about The Man Who Changed How Boys and Toys Were Made: The Life and Times of A. C. Gilbert, the Man Who Saved Christmas.

1. This book is being hawked to book club types who read widely if not deeply, but it seems to have missed its intended audience. The first clue is it has two subtitles. The second appears when you crack the cover. Watson seems to have reprised the successful writing style of his other books. What results is neither fish nor fowl.
   
   The few black and white pictures will have toy collectors salivating for more. Any serious? afficianados will be put off with Watson's frequent recourse to pop psychology and his continual penchant to restate the obvious. What this book makes you want is a full scale, photo-drenched guide to the A.C. Gilbert toy company and especially erector sets.
   
   Erector sets also have a long, speckled history, being bought at one point by Meccano, the British equivalent, and recently reissued by various companies who apparently just bought the name. As with Johnny Lighting, Aurora Models and Lionel Trains, Erector longs for some toy lover to bring back the real thing: kits that build various structures and vehicles and especially robots, not those currently in vogue with nostalgic adults (but ignored by creative kids) that only construct one rickety model.
   
   That said, this book does a great job of recreating the possible environment of A.C. Gilbert's company and how he lived and breathed toys. As one subtitle suggests, he ought to be every toy lovers' hero for the way he saved Christmas in 1918 from a proposal that would force parents to buy war bonds rather than toys for their kids. Rather than appearing in circulating libraries and book clubs, this book needs to be redone with far more graphics and toy pics and aimed at toy collectors who would discover in A.C. Gilbert a mentor and hero.



2. Although I was born too late for the Erector set boom, I, for the most part, enjoyed this biography on toy magnate A.C. Gilbert. Part man, part boy, part inventor, part showman and all business, this gave good insight into the man behind the legendary toys. Again, I'm a little out of the loop as far as Gilbert's toys go, but I'm willing to wager that this would be much more enjoyable for somebody who grew up with Erectormania.



3. This book should be required reading for industrial designers, toy designers and anyone else involved in design, marketing or production of consumer goods. This is a very important look into market forces, consumer behavior and the importance of placing the consumer first amd foremeost in your product design.

   The book may be a biography, but is also a textbook for every enlightened designer and marketer. I will make this required reading for the Industrial design grad student I am mentoring.

   Add to the fact that the author's style is at times hilarious, sometimes matter of fact, and the bottom of page 208 and page 209 will bring tears of joy and pride to your eyes.

   Well written, entertaining and incredibly informative.




4. A.C. Gilbert wore many hats: athlete, magician, and self-made millionaire - but he made his money by creating the Erector set toy back in 1913, making an invention which changed how boys played. The Man Who Changed How Boys And Toys Were Made isn't just a biography of an inventor; it examines how toys help avert or discharge childhood violence, how high-tech toys may serve a different purpose, and differences between how both sexes play.



5. Bruce Watson takes the reader from AC Gilbert's childhood to his days at Paradise. He explains how this industrial legend developed and advertised his "Toys for Boys". And Mr. Watson explains the reasons why Gilbert's toys were not as popular for the 60"s child. A good read.

2 comments about Entrepreneurial Genius: The Power of Passion.

1. Gene takes the reader inside the minds of twelve of the greatest enterpreneurs of this century and the last. If you're more interested in WHY they achieved than WHAT they acheived, this is the book for you.



2. This is a book which tells the reader about hugely successfull entrepreneurs who followed their instincts in order to make their visions become realities.The book profiles some of the most accomplished people of their times.Some have already made history such as Henry Ford who founded the first company which sold cars to the mass market,as well as Sam Walton who is remembered for revolutionizing the retail world.Others profiled in this book include Jeff Bezos and Michael Dell.The former introduced the world to the power of the internet as a vehicle for shopping.Without him this review may well could not have been written. This book also provides a psychoanalytic analysis of these great entrepreneurs and explains thoroughly how their intuition acts as their ladder to success.Personally,i have read the biography of Sam Walton,Henry Ford as well as Dell and Bezos.However, this book explained things that were not available in those mentioned biographies.Example:-If you read Sam Walton's biography,he wouldn't be able to explain how his intuition acted in helping him with his business decisions as thoroughly as in this book, although the author seems to have researched those biographies well before writing this book.Indeed ,he uses evidences from those books to support what he mentions in the book.A young person may learn more from it than an older person.I do believe it will help those who are intending to enter the business field in future.

4 comments about The Way of the Shark: Lessons on Golf, Business, and Life.

1. As a lifelong golfer and equally devoted reader of book about the game, I was somewhat curious about Norman's latest. After all, he's certainly out of the spotlight as a golfer so what's the purpose of this late-issue autobiography?
   
   Let's say this: if Greg Norman is your hero, if you worship the ground he walks on, then I suppose you will fine this effort...uh... awesome. For someone slightly more critical, I will say that the content is less-than-inspiring. During his years as the number one ranked golfer (and did that mean he was really the BEST, or simply one whose high finishes in run-of-the-mill events put him there) I was neutral toward Norman, and I still am. Sure, I thought he cut a dashing figure on the golf course, despite that rediculous hat, but there was always something a bit false about him. Perhaps, of course, that stems from his many failures in majors -- after all, if he was truly as bold and dynamic as he liked to portray himself, wouldn't he have won a great deal more?
   
   But I digress. The book is written in a most pedestrian style, perhaps designed to appeal to Australian teenagers who still have posters from the 1986 British Open still on their walls. Norman's version of his greatest defeat, at the hands of Nick Faldo in the 1996 Masters, tells us how he played beautifully for three days, but even before teeing off in the final round, he tells us that his "hands felt funny," telling caddie Tony Navarro, "It's going to be a long day." Well, it was a long day, as Norman blew a six shot lead to finish third. Hmmm... nerves never had a thing to do with the detonation?
   
   Greg Norman devotes a whole chapter to his befriending of young cancer victim Jamie Hutton at the Heritage and offers countless other examples of just what a splendid fellow he, Greg is. Still, if you're looking for any golf insight, it's just not here. The last two-thirds of the tome is Greg Norman tooting his own horn about his all-important "brand," his many business deals -- without his own money, of course -- and just what a little Donald Trump he's determined to be. All this is both tiresome and uninteresting. The constant crowing about his stellar character are, themselves a complete contradiction. Perhaps one of his "good friends" will one day mention the virtues of modesty. (And while it's none of my business, how does one dump his loyal wife of some 25 years to take up with Chris Evert?)
   
   I strongly suggest you pass.



2. 
   How unique, indeed refreshing it is to read a book by and about a professional athlete, unlike so many others past or current, who has achieved great success both in athletic competition and in the business world. In this volume that Greg Norman wrote with Donald T. Phillips, he shares the lessons he has learned thus far (he continues to compete on a limited basis) "in golf, business, and life." It is important to note that when writing a book as well as when preparing for a major tournament or conducting due diligence on a business opportunity, it makes sense to enlist the assistance of others who can provide the knowledge and experience needed to achieve success. I commend Norman on selecting Phillips -- who collaborated so well with Mike Krzyzewski on Leading with the Heart and also wrote Lincoln on Leadership and The Founding Fathers on Leadership - but there can be no doubt that the insights and, of equal importance, the "voice" in this book are Norman's.
   
   Others have their reasons for praising this book. Here are three of mine. First of all, Norman's candor. This was especially obvious when, in Chapter Twenty-Five, he discusses his final round at the 1996 Masters. I was in Virginia that Sunday on a business trip, playing a relaxed round of golf with a friend before a series of stressful meetings the following week. When we teed off, Norman had played the first several holes, well ahead of the field; after we completed the round, we were shocked to learn that he had not won the tournament. How could that be? Later, I saw a telecast of the news conference, one that many golfers would have avoided, responding to questions that many of them would have evaded. "I screwed up today. My thought pattern was good but my rhythm was off. My good shots weren't good enough and my bad shots were pitiful. And that's pretty much it. Just didn't have it today. I place all the blame on myself." Of course, he was grateful for the strong support he received from family members and friends as well as from Jack Nicklaus, Raymond Floyd, Fred Couples, and countless other players. Norman may have failed to win the Masters that year but at the same time demonstrated qualities of character which continue to earn respect and admiration for him, both on and off the course.
   
   I was also fascinated by all that he shares about his various business activities. He is a ferocious but principled competitor. Over the years, he and his associates have build a multi-national corporation focused around golf and the golf lifestyle (e.g. clothing, real estate, sporting goods, wines, gold course design, restaurants, and event management). Norman is an active and involved chairman and CEO of Great White Enterprises which now generates hundreds of millions of dollars in annual revenue. His approach to leadership and management in the business world seems exactly the same as when playing competitive golf: set ambitious goals, assemble the "best and brightest" people, rigorously prepare, keep ultimate objectives in mind while focusing on significant details, explore all appropriate opportunities, measure only what really matters, never confuse pride with arrogance, welcome constructive criticism, be resilient when circumstances require adjustment, and remain convinced of achieving success eventually, preferably ASAP. As Norman learned on the golf course, there are some pars that are as valuable as birdies, there are some hazards to be avoided even at the cost of a par, that there are sucker pin placements which require a "safe" shot, and that sometimes what seems to be a perfect putt simply won't go in the hole. In this book, Norman cites dozens of examples of comparable situations during his career as a corporate executive.
   
   Finally, I admire the humanity that Norman is willing to reveal so generously. For various reasons, many celebrity athletes are viewed as role models and even as icons. Over time, they become very protective of how they are perceived by the general public. (Joe DiMaggio is one example that comes immediately to mind.) In this instance, I am not referring to protection of privacy that I think is every person's right. Rather, I mean to suggest that it is rare that an athlete of Norman's stature and achievement is willing to discuss, even celebrate those in his life - over the years - whom he has most loved and most respected as well as those whose friendship he most appreciates. He recalls many fond moments, dark moments, lucky breaks, and other ingredients of his life and career thus far. Throughout the narrative, he gives full credit to those who have helped him but always assumes full responsibility for mistakes and failures of various kinds that he duly acknowledges.
   
   When concluding his book, Norman observes, "In golf, you can always shoot a lower score. In business, you can always make another buck. And in life, you can always become a better person. The next minute is the most important minute of your life. You are limited only by your imagination. Your dreams are the blueprint of reality."
   
   Really, this is not a "golf book" nor a "business book." Rather, it is a book about one man's pursuit of self-improvement and personal fulfillment while achieving success both in golf and in business. Greg Norman's journey continues, guided and informed by the lessons he has learned, lessons that can also be of substantial value to others who share his faith in what is possible and his determination to "go for it."



3. I LOVE Greg Norman and this book so far is AWESOME!!!! ANYTHING to do with him is AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



4. Who is the greatest athlete Australia has ever produced? Arguably it is Greg Norman. He is certainly the most well known. He has won 91 golf tournaments around the world, including 20 PGA tournaments in the U.S. and 2 British Opens.
   
   Swimming and surfing were his original passions, but his mother's passion for golf captured young Norman as well, and after a stellar, but brief amateur career, he started as a golf professional trainee in 1975 for the magnificent sum of $38 per week--Australian!
   
   If Arnold Palmer pioneered the "go-for-broke" attitude in modern golf, then Greg Norman certainly picked up the mantle from him. That attitude on the golf course carried over into business, and even to the writing of this book. Norman is willing to share his perspectives on the good, the bad, and the ugly--when most would want to focus only on the good.
   
   You'll love his descriptions of his British Open victories (the good), his part in trying to start a World Tour which was quickly snuffed by the PGA Tour's response (the bad), and his meltdown on the final day of the Master's against Nick Faldo in 1996 when he lost a 6 shot lead and lost by 5 to finish third (the ugly). They are open and honest.
   
   Norman also does a wonderful job of describing the business side of golf. At this point only Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus have done a better job of parlaying golf talent into business success. And Norman's success in helping build the Cobra Golf franchise, as well as his thriving gold course design business, clothing lines, etc., all make for fascinating reading.
   
   Armchair Interviews says: Any golf aficionado will appreciate this book.

1 comments about Man With No Name: Turn Lemons into Lemonade.

1. I was honored to hear a talk by this gentle, humorous man 7/15/98 at the INTA Conference in Arizona. He genuinely bubbles with enthusiasm and positive energy. It was a joy to read this book and learn how he turns events around to his satisfaction, depending solely upon God. Two of his powerful statements are, "Failure is Someone Else's Opinion of the Outcome of a Situation," and "Power Is In Being, Not in Doing." Wally Amos depends, he says, on spiritual laws that work - he doesn't have to understand them - they just work. He tells us how to benefit from adversity and of the many relationship problems that occur and how to handle them. I enjoyed every minute reading this book and highly recommend it.

5 comments about Threshold Resistance: The Extraordinary Career of a Luxury Retailing Pioneer.

1. for a yonug aspiring entrepreneur, this book is n excellent read to learn to be persistant and resilient!



2. Arthur Taubman's "Threshold Resistance" provides a candid read about the rise of a business giant over the last fifty years. During this period, self-made Taubman played an influential and innovative role in the unrelated fields of retailing, real estate, art, restaurants, and professional sports. The book is rich with business history - the migration of retailing from America's cities to suburbia, the rapid growth of the franchise industry, and the reinvention of the auction house.
   
   The concept of threshold resistance, after which the book was titled, is defined as the physical and psychological barriers that stand between a customer and the sale of merchandise - the force that keeps the customer from opening the door and coming in over the threshold.
   
   Taubman expands on this concept and applies to everyday life. In order to accomplish anything, people have to find a way to get beyond the limitations they believe that personal background, conventional wisdom, common practice, or experience has placed on our imaginations. These limitations are set by psychological, physical, cultural, social, and economic barriers we encounter. Assessing and overcoming threshold resistance is an essential life skill. While threshold resistance might stop a customer from entering a store, it might also stop a young woman from applying to medical school, stop an engineer with a great idea from leaving the comforts of a job to start his own company, or stop a politician from seeking votes among a vital growing constituency.
   
   "Threshold Resistance" fills the gaps not covered in the press about Taubman's price-fixing indictment and conviction in the well publicized case of collusion between Sotheby's and Christies. One cannot help but feel sympathetic to Taubman for what appears to be a wrongful conviction. He also covers his experience while serving time in a low security federal prison. Finally, the book includes Taubman's four marketing precepts, an interesting history of Detroit, and his thoughts on Internet's impact on retailing.
   
   It is clear that Taubman enjoyed great success and suffered gut-wrenching personal failure at the end of his 70's. But along the way, he showed he was pretty good at assessing and responding to threshold resistance in both business and life. He found breaking down barriers to be very scary and risky, but once done, very rewarding and fun. He advises all that "you will always face resistance with a new idea...in fact, the better the idea, the greater the resistance and the more people will want you to fail... believe in yourself and be on your way."



3. This is an incredible book! It was fascinating, heart wrenching and motivational all at the same time. The hard work and determination of Mr. Taubman is inspiring. His description of his trial and prison stay was unnerving. But to see the influence he has had on America is truly inspirational. Everyone in the retail industry should read this book to see what a difference we make. Thank you Mr. Taubman.



4. Having just finished reading A. Alfred Taubman's new book, "Threshold Resistance", I am thoroughly intrigued and amazed with this story. With his entire life focused on doing the right and best things for as many people as possible, how could it be that he ended up on the wrong side of the Government and spent time in our prison system? As with any situation where the primary information comes from new sources, internet, or just word of mouth, this book reminds me as a reader that there is a second side to every story. I felt the sincerity in every word written by Mr. Taubman and I can only wish that the entire jury had been able to hear the whole story before convicting him; I believe the course would have changed. However, his own words of "Faith, along with friends and family, can get you through the most difficult of life's tests" truly confirms that he left prison a far richer man than when he entered.



5. I found this book to be remarkable. Taubman writes with humor and humility. I would suggest that this be required reading in business school classes in entrepreneurship and ethics. His story is one of a Shakespearean drama - his rise from depression era poverty, funding his education through the selling of shoes, to being a young architect boldly suggesting to an industry icon that through design a better sales and profits would result. Then starting his own firm with $5,000 to becoming a billionaire who brought creativity to the business of selling art, root beer and charitable giving. Then as in any great drama the betrayal of a trusted person (Dede Brooks CEO of Sotheby's) and the revelation of his untold side of the trial including prosecutorial misconduct and a judge with more than questionable judgment.
   Al Taubman has had an extraordinary career with a story of determination and redemption that will serve well those interested in family business, marketing, functional design, the history of real estate development, trial strategy, charitable giving, art history and personal accomplishment. 5 stars!