5 comments about The Last Good Time: Skinny D'Amato, the Notorious 500 Club, & the Rise and Fall of Atlantic City.

1. Before there was legalized gambling, before there was a "Martin & Dean", before the Chairman of the Board did things his way, there was Paul "Skinny" D'Amato, the father of Atlantic City and owner of the 500 Club! Jonathan Van Meter certainly did his research for this amazing true tale of the creation of a city known as Atlantic in NJ. His subject, Skinny D'Amato was, by all accounts, a person destined to make his mark in the world...and he did! His story is captivating, filled with life's highs and lows and everything in between. The history of Atlantic City is seen through the eyes of those who lived there in the 40's, 50's, and 60's, providing the reader with a snapshot in time - one never to return, but certainly one to remember.



2. So I'm riding the bus from Margate to Atlantic City every day on my way to work, reading this book as I go. What a thoroughly enoyable book. I was born in AC and saw the advent of the casino age and the decay of a dying resort town. I've heard the stories of the 500 CLub from my dad who used to frequent it. I remember the chit chat from the neighbors as kids when we sat on our grandmothers porch in AC, so richly captured in the book. I've heard the names and stories and it all came back in this wonderful book. A dead on accurate portrayal of the Worlds Greatest Playground. Enjoyable and highly entertaining with the love and affection that Skinny D'Amato so richly deserves.



3. I had expected The Last Good Time to be an in-depth look at the history of Atlantic City, with anecdotes of influential personalities like Skinny D'Amato weighing prominently throughout.
   
   What I came to discover was that this book is much more than that. In fact, it is a thorough biography of Skinny D'Amato, a man who was not only himself shaped by Atlantic City, but also played a significant role in defining what Atlantic City became. His own life uncannily mirrors the "rise and fall" of Atlantic City, which makes the book all the more engrossing.
   
   With some back-story on Atlantic City's founding and the corrupt regime of Nucky Johnson, the The Last Good Time quickly finds its focus on young Skinny, and then closely follows his trajectory as he truly becomes "Mr. Atlantic City." From the prohibition to back-room gambling to Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack, the book is an utterly fascinating portrait of the times, though it's also filled with significant heartbreak and tragedy.
   
   The only fault I'd mention is that at times the book takes its spotlight too far off of Atlantic City to digress on Rat Pack and Kennedy gossip. This leads to a few slow pages in the middle.
   
   Despite these distractions, The Last Good Time is a lively, engaging encounter with life in 20th century Atlantic City. As one of the subjects in the book suggests, "It was a different time, and it will never happen again."



4. This look into an era that is gone for good is fascinating. The real people who made Atlantic City the playground of the east coast were legends like Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and their dear friend Skinny D'amato. Skinny led a life that would make several movies. He was at the very top, the king of Atlantic City, but real life has a way of throwing curve balls, and his life was no exception. This is a fascinating book, and it is often hard to believe that it is fact, not fiction.



5. This is great reading!
   It's a wonderful journey down the nostalgic road back to the endless antics and travels of The Rat Pack (Sinatra, Bishop, Lewis, Martin, Lawford, and Davis, Jr.). Also, you'll find lots of good history on Atlantic City, and, on Joe Dimagio, George Raft, Marilyn Monroe, and many other celebrity notables who lived "on the fringe."
   You'll read all new stuff in here! Well-researched and a real page-turner. My highest recommendation to readers of all interest areas.

2 comments about God in the Pits: The Enron Jihad Edition.

1. In this outstanding, fascinating book, Mark Andrew Ritchie travels to far lands, learning and living among cultures that are so different from what we know in America, and also experiences inner journeys that are even more riveting to read, as he pushes his mind and soul to their limits, discovering pearls of wisdom and the mercy and goodness of God. Ritchie's spiritual transformation was birthed in a small grocery store, while waiting at the checkout line; one never knows when and where God decides it is time for a face to face encounter, and Ritchie's telling of this experience in his "Hypocrisy" chapter provides some of the most profound insights I've read in a contemporary book. Ritchie's proof of Christianity in Chapter 10 is another shining passage in the book, combining the author's brilliant intellect with his spirit as one of God's humble servants.
   
   A commodity trader in Chicago, Ritchie spent part of his childhood in Afghanistan, and much of the book is a remembrance of his past, the many places he called "home," and the people that influenced his life, as he returns to Afghanistan as an adult. These reminisces flow well between time zones, something accomplished by few writers, and in this edition Ritchie has added an epilogue, which delves into Islam, its people and motivations, and how it conflicts with Western ideals and morality in a "mountain of misunderstanding." For those not familiar with Islam, it is an intelligent and knowledgeable explanation of the predicament in this post-9/11 world, and deserves consideration.
   
   "God in the Pits" is written with energy and passion, and a raw honesty that engaged me immediately. It is a hard book to put down. It interrupted my work and kept me reading into the wee hours, but it was time well spent. This is a book that stays in your heart and mind; it asks the right questions, and has many answers.



2. I found the storyline of this book more consistent with the biblical tale of Job rather than what is advertised on the cover. At the top of the front cover, there is the caption, "One man's story..., why Muslim fundamentalists hate capitalists and Christians." There is also the subtitle "The Enron-Jihad Edition." This would lead you to believe that this is a book detailing some of the beliefs prevalent in the Muslim world and an explanation of why there is such a violent Christian-Muslim schism. This belief is further reinforced early in the book when the author discusses his experiences of living in Afghanistan and the work that his parents did there.
   However, that is not the case, there are very few references to Enron and they are at the very beginning and at the end. Those references are also extremely superficial, hardly worth being included as a subtitle. Furthermore, I learned nothing new from this book about why Muslim fundamentalists hate the west. There are no great insights and the information about Muslims is something that could be picked up in a short article in a news magazine.
   The overriding theme is the author's search for his relationship to the religious establishment in general and God in particular. He suffers through a great deal of poverty, sometimes eating only once a day or every other day. When he is young, people very close to him die suddenly and when he is older his father is killed in an auto accident in Afghanistan. Through all of this he maintains his religious convictions although he often convicts others who are religious.
   Ritchie worked as a commodity trader at a time when the markets were volatile, but in a manner where a shrewd inside trader could make an enormous amount of money. That is what he did and to his credit, he donated a great deal of it to Christian organizations. However, he was very cynical about how the money was being used, having been courageous enough to spend time on the ground, he understood how ineffective or even counterproductive some of the aid was.
   Ritchie comes across as the kind of religious person that people across the entire range of religious fervor would be comfortable with. Only the most zealous or cynical of religious believers or atheists would have a problem with his approach to religion. He is a devoted Christian, yet is willing to question things rationally and openly praises some well-known atheists for having the courage of their convictions. His greatest wrath is reserved for people who profess religion and yet do not really practice it. It is unfortunate that the cover of the book is so disingenuous, this is one of the few books describing one person's struggle with their personal religion that could stand on that basis only.

5 comments about It's a Long Way from Penny Apples.

1. If I wanted to read another depressing Irish Childhood story, I'd have re-read Angela's Ashes! (Not to diaparage Angela's Ashes in any way.) I completely enjoyed the story of Liam's family, his upbringing and the hard work necessary to survive in Ireland in those times. I especially enjoyed Mother Darcy. Whether she actually knew Aloyisius Hitler or not isn't the point, it's all in the storytelling.
   To compare Penny Apples to Angela's Ashes is the old "Apples to Oranges." (Sorry about the pun!) Appreciate the story on it's own merits.



2. If you knew Liam personally, you'd have a bit more insight into the personality that wrote this book. He tells a great story, and I'm certain that most of its true :-)
   
   I picked up a copy in Dublin last year at a book signing for his second book "Golden Apples." He even bought me a pint after the book signing. I know his family as well, and there are things in this book that give some intersting insight into the path behind them.
   
   Its written in a straight up no fluff no nonsense kind of way, and thats the way Liam is.
   
   Seosamh



3. Somewhat stiffly written, the book offers insight into a closely knit Catholic family struggling against poverty in Ireland. The author's success in business is commendable and he gives credit here to those who helped him along the way.
   At times, it seems a bit too self-congratulatory, but worthwhile reading for anyone with Irish roots.
   His childhood memories are a bit more gripping than his adult years. I particularly enjoyed the story where he bought unsaleable plastic dolls and the family decorated them, making a good profit selling them on the street as Marilyn Monroe dolls.



4. I picked up "A Long Way From Penny Apples" while traveling in Ireland in June, 2004, but didn't get a chance to read it until now. I started reading on Thanksgiving evening and couldn't put it down until I finished it today. The hardbound book spent 14 weeks on the UK bestseller Top Ten list, with 5 weeks at number two, so I don't understand the caustic reviews offered here on Amazon. Heavens, if the Brits, who usually distain anything coming out of Ireland, have overwhelmingly found this book to be excellent then surely this outstanding book merits readership in the U.S. too.
   
   Bill Cullen wrote the book as a tribute to his parents and grandmother, not as an ego booster for his own esteem. He was spurred on to write the book after reading Frank McCourt's words that there was, in effect, nothing more miserable than a poor Irish childhood. Cullen had a poor Irish childhood that he viewed as anything but miserable.
   
   Mr. Cullen grew up in the poorest tenements of Dublin with 12 siblings. His family was certainly bereft of even the most basic needs for food and decent shelter, but flush with wise and spirited discipline from his loving parents and maternal grandmother. It was the positive, uplifting attitude of his family that drove Mr. Cullen's ambitions to become the very wealthy man he is today. He's written a true rags-to-riches story, giving most of the credit not to himself, but to the upbringing his family provided. All of the proceeds of the book will go to a youth charity in Ireland, and in fact Bill has promised $1 million to the charity whether or not the book raises that much money. Not exactly the actions of the type of person pictured in the previous reviews.
   
   I certainly learned much from the depictions of a Dublin era long gone, but the optimistic tone of the book was most inspirational and left me with a smile on my face. My own grown children will receive copies of this book for Christmas this year, in memory of my Irish father and grandmother who would have bent their ear with the same wise teachings if they were still alive.



5. The profits from this book are going to charity. That is probably the best thing about this bloated, self-serving exercisein ego-enrichment. Mister Cullen is a remarkable man and he wants you to know that in a desperate way. He could have saved everyone a lot of trouble and just given the money directly to the charities. Mr Cullen tells the reader that he is not a professional writer. That wasn't needed.

2 comments about The Making of a Drum Company : The Autobiography of William E. Ludwig II.

1. I loved this book, I could not put it down.It was fascinating
   to read the story of arguably the most famous name in drums.
   His honesty about mistakes made as well as his relationship with his competitors and his father was really interesting.This is a must read.



2. I really enjoyed this charming account of Bill Ludwig's life. I have to say that I'm glad I'm not on his bad side, because he spares none of his enemies!

   Still, it is a sentimental and lovely book, betraying a golden hearted yet savvy businessman. A must for any drum collectors.

5 comments about My Life and Work.

1. Anyone who has read "My Life and Work" will understand exactly what is wrong with our country today. There are three ways to create wealth--grow it, mine it, or make it--and activities like flipping houses or trading carbon credits do not qualify.
   
   Ford developed what is now known as the Toyota production system, and readers will see a very explicit description of just in time manufacturing (and its benefits) in "My Life and Work."
   
   Ford also summarized effective labor relations in one sentence: "It ought to be the employer's ambition, as leader, to pay better wages than any similar line of business, and it ought to be the workman's ambition to make this possible."



2. In reading the book I keep thinking what Henry was saying in 1922 could be said today. War profiteering, patriotism, interest rates, bureaucracy, education are all topics that sound so familiar in today's news. Henry had it right then in lots of ways and I think a lot of what he put forth it could be used in today's society.



3. "A manufacturer is not through with his customer when a sale is
   completed. He has then only started".
   
   "Even as late as 1910 and 1911 the owner of an automobile was
   regarded as essentially a rich man whose money ought to be taken away
   from him. We met that situation squarely and at the very beginning. We
   would not have our distribution blocked by stupid, greedy men."
   
   You will read dozens of frases like this, reminding us that great ideias can become lost in time, that stupid people can if fact take control of our companies, media and what not, and we can slowly drift into oblivion.
   
   An eye opener.



4. I read about this book while doing some research into Lean management. Taiichi Ohno, "father" of the Toyota Production System noted that he learned many lean principles from Henry Ford. After finishing this book, I would recommend that EVERY CEO in this country be REQUIRED to read it. It is a wonderfully clear description of management and leadership principles that all companies should embrace. Mr. Ford is clear on the purpose of a company - to build products and provide services that meet the needs of its customers. If we do this, as he notes, the money will follow. We get it backwards so often these days - we think the purpose of a company is to make money or increase its share price.
   
   As opposed to most business books where one idea is promoted and beaten to death, Mr. Ford's book is full of good ideas on all aspects of managing a business. It's a delightfully refreshing read!



5. This is a book every business executive should read at least twice.
   The wisdom of one the greatest entrepreneurs and practical thinkers of our time is lasting.
   Exellent book. Fords thinking is focused and joyful reading

No comments about Good Guys Finish First: Reflections Of A CEO And How To Start A De Novo Community Bank.

3 comments about The Highwaymen.

1. The highway being described in this book is the information superhighway and the people being discussed are its developers. Jumping to the postscript at the very end, Auletta observes "while the Highwaymen enjoy immense power, they remain vulnerable" (p. 355). This is the paradox presented throughout the book. The regulators, entrepreneurs, and public do a dance of vulnerability in the development of the new technologies as niches are being carved out. One of the realities of corporate growth is that as they become large, they sometimes lose the freshness associated with risk and creativity. Auletta says "it becomes more difficult for them to maintain a focus, to make quick decisions, to stay creative" (p. 134).
   The ancient concept of pathos is explored in 21st century corporate America. In describing how business decisions are made in Sumner Redstone's organizational culture, he quotes an associate as saying "most deals are fifty percent emotion and fifty percent ecnomics" (p. 61).
   Aulette spends a little time on media content, pointing out the hypocrisy of film producer Oliver Stone, who sees his distortions (to be even more accurate fabrications) as "artistic freedom, while he demands strict accuracy from reporters covering him.
   The reader is left with numerous insights that would not be attained anywhere else. This book is a worthy read.



2. This is an interesting series of past news features on the media business. The book chronicles some of the most fascinating media personalities from Rupert Murdoch to Herb Allen to Barry Diller to John Malone to Edgar Bronfman Jr. to Bill Gates. This is a fascinating book by a guy who was given incredible access by a large number of media executives. Highly recommended.



3. Ken Auletta already proved with Three Blind Mice--his book about the Big Three traditional broadcast networks--that he's a dogged reporter. Few thoughts, musings, or nuances of expression go unrecorded. "The Highwaymen" continues in that tradition. Auletta aims to offer some sense of the men (and they're almost all male) who make the decisions about what the rest of us will be seeing, listening to and seeking for entertainment and how that software will be delivered. He delivers well-wrought profiles of these people through their deeds--which often contrast with their words, and that tension is illuminating. Finally, at the end of each piece are postscripts which offer the reader a scorecard; which of the fearless mogul's bold predictions came true, which crashed a burned: everybody thought interactive/VOD TV was going to take off--so far, it's been a stalled cash-disposal scheme that sucks in capital with no discernable result. The point is that for all their visionary claims, these people are no better at predicting the future than anybody else. If you missed the original pieces as they ran in The New Yorker and have an interest in the thinking (or lack thereof) behind movies like Basic Instinct or any of Oliver Stone's noxious fantasies, buy the book

No comments about The First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt.

1 comments about Crisis in Candyland: Melting the Chocolate Shell of the Mars Family Empire.

1. I must confess that I read this book because I love
   Milky Ways. I've tried chocolate in Germany, Austria,
   Italy, and Denmark, but I have found nothing that equals
   the Milky Way.

   I still love Milky Ways, but, after reading
   this book, I am not so enchanted with the family that created this wonderful product. Indeed, the creatures from Mars are very strange according to Jan Pottker, who specializes in writing about famous people.

   Pottker traces the history of the family that brought us
   Milky Way and a handful of the other most popular chocolate
   candies (Snickers, M&Ms) of all time. Along the way, we learn about the sour business that is chocolate making.

   Pottker's story begins with Frank Mars, who, as a child stricken with polio, loved to watch his mother make candy. After a slew of hard times and many failures, he invented the Milky Way in 1923, and he began to make his fortune.

   But it was his son, Forrest Mars, who built the company into a major player in the world of chocolate candy. Pottker depicts Forrest as an exacting, brutal, miserly, and strangely religious man who probably ruined his children's psyche. His own character was forged out of much conflict with, and neglect from, Frank Mars. Forrest retired from the company in 1973, and then headed to Henderson, Nevada to make Ethel M candies, named so in honor of his mother.

   Forrest's two sons, Forrest Jr. and John managed to overtake
   Hershey as the biggest candy maker in America by the 1970s.
   Their sister, Jackie, moved from a life of leisure to helping them run the company.

   The children of these three siblings are given dim prospects for equaling or surpassing the success of past generations.

   The book has everything needed in a good novel. Sex, money, and power. And for good measure, Pottker throws in more power. Yes, the whole company seems to be one big power kick.

   It is difficult, of course, to verify a lot of Pottker's information. Authors that purport to bring us information from nebulous sources are always selling their own credibility to readers. One repeated slip is the reference (pp. 8, 117, 228) to the disgraced president of American University as Richard Berezden instead of Richard BERENDZEN. Figures about sales and assets are rarely documented precisely. This is surprising, given
   that the author has a Ph.D. from Columbia University, according
   to her book cover.
   

   
   Those interested in a relatively better documented book on the Mars family may also want to read Joël Glen Brenner's The Emperors of Chocolate (2000), which focuses on the battle between Hershey and Mars for the world's sweet tooth. Brenner is not as good at telling a coherent and sequential story as Pottker, and Brenner repeats some of the more amusing anecdotes about the Mars family found in Pottker's book (though Brenner never refers to Pottker). But Brenner, at least, does attempt to provide a semblance of more precise documentation.

   In sum, Crisis in Candyland is a good read (and to be read with much caution) for those interested in what to me are the makers of the best chocolate bar of all time (the Milky Way).

5 comments about Augie's Quest: One Man's Journey from Success to Significance.

1. T. R. Pearson is probably my favorite author -- I look forward to reading his books and stop by amazon on a regular basis to check for his new works. Augie's Quest was a most interesting read for me for two reasons -- Pearson was the author, and I have been personally touched by ALS (my father and one of my brothers died from the disease). The story of Augie, his journey with ALS, his drive and determination to work towards a cure, to pursue new paths in search of a cure -- is most captivating -- and knowing T. R. put the words to paper assured me that many people would find this book and come away being touched by Augie's story -- for the story itself and for the superb writing. When you finish this book, think about a donation to Augie's foundation, and then come back to amazon and search out Mr. Pearson's other writings -- mostly fiction -- you will be glad you did.



2. Augie: Thanks for sharing your world past and present! Your book gave me a terrific insight into ALS and your fight for life and significance. You are an inspiration to us all and I came away with a better appreciation for my own life and what is important!
   
   Thanks
   
   Kim Megonigal



3. I was a little disappointed in Augie's Quest. I saw Shirley McClaine on a talk show and she was so hyped up about the book and about how Augie was so instrumental and amazing in his quest. True, Lou Gehrig's disease (ALS) is a horrible and quickly invasive disease, but I was more interested in how Augie dealt with his disease than with the tremendous amount of research and technical aspects of ALS that are given in the book. I was looking for a more personal insight into Augie and his wife, Lynne, in their daily dealings with this disease. However,if you know someone with ALS, you will find this book very informative.



4. "Perhaps no other disease takes the physical and emotional toll quite like ALS, and I can think of no one who understands this more fully than fitness pioneer Augie Neito. Augie's Quest speaks to us all about life, how we choose to live it, and what can happen -- physically and emotionally -- when the unexpected hits us in the face. But Augie's story is about more than how one man chooses to face adversity, it's a playbook for how to live life on your own terms. Anyone who reads Augie's Quest comes away enriched by the experience."
   
   Dr. Jeffrey Trent
   President and Scientific Director, TGen



5. This is a different read compared with Tuesdays with Morrie. It contains a wonderful mix of narrative and personal testimony. While it tells the story of Augie's life, it is much more focused on what Augie has chosen to do with his life: find a treatment for ALS, and, cut through some of the academic/scientific red-tape that slows the process. As I was reading I kept thinking of a friend in Idaho who said, "I would never trade what I have learned from this disease for anything in the world!" I was especially struck by the quote: "Life is not measured by how many breaths we take, but by how many moments take our breath away." Thanks, Augie! Well done!
   John Free, Ph.D. (Psychologist)