2 comments about Hoffa.

1. Sloane takes us on a journey through Hoffa's life. From his early childhood, to the end. Sloane spends time on Hoffa's relationship with Ferral Dobbs and the tactics and strategies that he learned in Minneapolis that Made Hoffa one of the most effective Union organizers of all time. This book literally cuts through the crap and vilification and shows Hoffa the man, the Union organizer, and the Union leader. A must read



2. Good book, well I don't know much else to say, I read it a long time ago, but I remember being enthrulled with it; I couldn't put it down!

4 comments about Benjamin Graham: The Memoirs of the Dean of Wall Street.

1. This book concerns Benjamin Graham, the man (well, he wrote it). There has been virtually no mention about investment principles other than his career. But I like the book because I wanted to find out more about the man who was arguably the greatest original thinker in security analysis and investment. [And I do derive consolation from the fact that one does not have to be good at everything to be a good investor - Ben does has his dose of shortcomings as well! :P] Sadly, it is out of print; I am fortunate that I obtained a pristine used copy at a reasonable price. Nowadays the book can fetch a very high offer price.



2. The book is very appropriately titled. The story is told directly by Ben, and it covers his life from his family when his father passed away to his education at Columbia after losing his scholarship the first time.

   Ben was a colorful person, and reading an autobiography like this allows the reader to see the paths a great person chose in life to really become what we remember him for.

   Of course, the fact the Warren Buffet was his best student and biggest advocate was probably the reason I picked the book up in the first place, but after reading it, I discovered the Ben was wise in more than just Wallstreet. My favorite wisdom derived from Ben is on the subject of sex and relationships, as he had so many of the latter while becoming the great investor that we first associate with him.

   I feel that I learned skills that will help me grow to be wiser by reading his bio. I definitely suggest the book to anyone who is interested in not only Ben's life but in contemplating how to improve his or her own.




3. The Dean of Wall Street confesses. That would be a great lead, except that Benjamin Graham has little to confess. Rather, Graham, considered the father of modern security analysis, tells us about his life, career, and his intellectual passions. He shares his thoughts about a range of issues, and about his experiences. For instance, did you know that he valued his intellectual pursuits more than making money? Or that he was a Broadway playwright? These memoirs are more concerned with Graham's story than with his investment techniques. We [...] recommend this book to those who want to learn more about Ben Graham, the man. It is not for those who want to learn more about Ben Graham, the founder of value investing.



4. I bought this book after reading Roger Lowenstein's book 'Buffett: The Making of an American Capitalist' (1996) to read on value investing. Unfortunately, this book covers very little about techniques. And I mean VERY little.

   If you want to get to know the person Graham is, get this book. You can skip this book and still produce superior investment returns (this, known as rational allocation of capital). For value investing, read Intelligent Investor, by Ben Graham.

   This book gets 3 stars bcoz it serves its purpose as a biography but at the same time managed to discourage me from spending time finishing it, despite my passion for Graham's investment principles.

1 comments about Business Unlimited: Memories of the Coming Kingdom.

1. I consider this one of the best books that I have ever read. While reading it I had the feeling that I was reviewing a 21st Century account of the Book of Acts: very practical testimonies of what God is able to do in the workplace and in our lives if we just trust Him and keep our faith in Jesus Christ. A must read for all christians that consider themselves kingdom embassadors or kingdom entrepreneurs for Christ.The author Gunnar Olson is also founder of the International Christian Chamber of Commerce (www.iccc.org). I also suggest reading books by Myles Munroe for a deeper understanding of kingdom principles.

1 comments about I Inherited a Fortune.

1. What is the greatest gift a father could give his children? Himself, of course. And in his autobiography Paul J. Meyer gives both his children and the rest of us as his readers the gift of himself, the things he learned--and how he learned them. He made his first million dollars by age 27, and lost it by the age of 28--and made it back again many times over. He was, and still is, the youngest insurance agent ever inducted into the million-dollar roundtable, something he accomplished at age 22.
   
   A good friend of mine, Charles "Tremendous" Jones, says that the only people we should take advice from are people who have gone where we want to go and paid the price we're willing to pay. Paul J. Meyer has done that.
   
   He has listened and learned--first from his hardworking immigrant father and mother, and then from his teachers. He made mistakes, many of them, described in this book, but he seldom made the same mistake twice. He learned from each mistake, and that made him a quick learner.
   
   The fortune he inherited was not money, but rather an unquenchable thirst for knowledge and the idea that he could achieve anything he wanted--if he wanted too badly enough. He was raised in a family that was rich in love though not wealthy.
   
   He learned how to make what he needed or to barter for it. He learned to work with his hands first as a field laborer picking fruit, then in rebuilding junk bicycles. In every job he learned something.
   
   Read this book, not because it is a fascinating autobiography, though it is. Read it, rather, because the author provides page after page of step-by-step strategies that any reader can apply to their own life--regardless of situation.
   
   Armchair Interviews says: Great advice all in one place.

No comments about Favored by Fortune: George W. Watts and the Hills of Durham.

2 comments about OIL BARON OF THE SOUTHWEST: Edward L. Doheny and the Development of the Petroleum Industry in California and Mexico (Historical Perspectives on Business Enterprise).

1. Martin Ansell has written an intelligent, obviously well researched book on Edward Doheny, but just as he has accused the other biographer of Doheny, Dan La Botz (Edward L. Doheny: Petroleum, Power, and Plitics in the United States and Mexico), of having a negative bias of Doheny as seen from the political left, Mr. Ansell's presumptions about Doheny's honorable nature and neglected status as a major, constructive pioneer of the American West is clearly written from the political right.
   After reading both these works, I'm still waiting for a book that has some objectivity in its analysis of the life of Edward Doheny. However, due to Doheny having all his records destroyed after his death, any objective book may be about five pages long.



2. Interesting, historical, about a man that left an impact on the oil industry and California. A special interest to me, I am a distant relative. The Three Doheny brothers came from Ireland, moved to MN, had large families. Many of these decendents were brave and adventureous.

No comments about It Was Never about the Ketchup: The Life and Leadership Secrets of H. J. Heinz.

5 comments about Radicals & Visionaries: Entrepreneurs Who Revolutionized the 20th Century.

1. This book is similar to the -chichen soup- series type of short stories of the GREAT PEOPLE of todays.

   It is inspiring and have great insight.

   The only problem is putting too much people into a volume, there is some -depth- missing. It feels some sort of too-narrow and too-thin-spread. You wont get the depth of a biography, not even close, but then you get a lot of great people's short stories of their lives.

   Most of the current greats are included, each with their short interesting quotes.

   Overall, this is a greatbook especially for some short battery charging type of reading. One can read a few pages now and then and still enjoying it.




2. Moving, inspiring, stirring and exciting, the short biographies are readable, short and sweet. I picked up the book thinking that I'd read a few stories a night and was totally floored after reading the first few. The stories were ordered alphabetically which in itself brought a randomness to the sequence.



3. What do a bunch of computer geeks, housewives, washer woman, book retailer and others have in common? They and the rest of the group profiled in this anthology are the movers and shakers who changed how we do business and developed new industries that will shape the future.

   Radicals & Visionairies gives you a brief look into the lives of seventy entreprenuers who changed the face of American business. Some of them have become house hold names (Walt Disney,Clarence Birdseye, Henry Ford) while others may not be as well known but their achievements live on. The individuals examined represent a diverse group of people coming from every social, economic and ethnic class. A few could be called egocentric, free wheeling and downright crazy. All of them were able to overcome obstacles in their lives and bring to America a new and diverse economy.

   Unlike other profiles which go from "rags to riches", Thaddeus Wawro focuses on what innovation or new invention that the person developed which had a great impact on business. You see that these mavericks refused to follow the conventional business pack and moved out on their own.

   This book also deals with what makes success. Each person doesn't have a "set formula" which says this will lead you to success. All of those profiled came to success in a different way. Their stories are enjoyable, informative and inspirational. These radicals should jump start you in thinking about entering the entrepreneur path.




4. This is an anthology of 70 micro-biographies, each of which includes some insightful comments and occasionally a little-known fact or two about the subject. Many of the selections are predictable: Michael Dell, Henry Ford, Bill Gates, William Hewlett & David Packard, Ray Kroc, Steve Jobs, Akio Morita, Ted Turner, Sam Walton, and Thomas Watson Jr. What surprised and pleased me is that Wawro also discusses several other "radicals & visionaries" which I did not expect to be included: Desi Arnaz & Lucille Ball, Clarence Birdseye, Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel, Berry Gordy, Hugh Hefner, Jim Henson, John Johnson, George Lucas, David Ogilvy, Ron Popeil, Martha Stewart, and Oprah Winfrey.

   This book is great fun to read...as well as informative. Wawro does indeed cover a wide as well as diverse range of entrepreneurs who helped to revolutionize the 20th century. My only complaint is the Wawro, who obviously completed a great deal of research inorder to write this book, did not include an annotated bibliography for readers who wish to learn more about the 70 subjects discussed. Perhaps it was impractical to do so. This is nonetheless a commendable achievement which I recommend highly.




5. Truly an intriguing book. The stories of these entrepreneurs are both revealing and inspirational. The author's in-depth research uncovers fascinating, little-known facts about such modern business geniuses as Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Jeff Bezos, Ted Turner, Sam Walton and many more.

5 comments about Golden Boy: The Harold Simmons Story.

1. Interesting book. But keep it in perspective. This is the same person that financed the swift-boat ads and the new smears against Obama. I cannot take such a vicious, evil man seriously



2. Fantastic success story of a true visionary. Good linkage w/other Texas Titans, James J. Ling LTV Corp. I bet Henry Kravis and Ron Perlman both read it. I wanted to know "where the tire meets the road" this one told me.



3. Clearly Nance is a level above the rest in his writing ability. Having waded through more than one business biography, it was a pleasure to read one written by such a high caliber author. This was a very well chronicled history of a man who seems to embody the common characteristics of the truly great CEOs described by Jim Collins in 'Good to Great': modest and reserved, but having steely determination and focus.
   
   In general, the book is excellent, and I would recommend it to anyone interested in this genre of book. It is a very good description of how Mr. Simmons got to where he is...
   
   BUT, after getting through half the book, red flags began to appear when it became clear that the author is very hesitant to say anything even remotely negative about his subject. To take it as face value, Mr. Simmons was a perfect husband (despite having his first two wives walk out on him), a perfect father (who's daughters inexplicably attemped to sue him) and a perfect leader and boss. Perhaps this is all exactly as stated, but the author would be more believable if he tried to get a little of the other side of these issues and balance the perspective somewhat. I cannot recall one negative thing said about this man.
   
   I'm not one who is interested in "expose" style books that dig up a bunch of dirt on someone, however it is important to characterize your subject as human. We all have flaws, and it seems strange that these are never addressed. This one-sided take makes one a little skeptical about perspectives taken in other parts of the book (such as his wonderful treatment of existing management in companies Contran acquired).
   
   Still, reservations aside, this is well worth the read.



4. I thought I would write a review where I don't automatically give the book 5 stars like all of the other reviewers. Firstly, this book is the amazing story of how Harold Simmons built his financial empire. I was fascianated by his business deals and genius. The book conjures up conversations and certain events to make it more like an enjoyable novel (i.e. make believe conversations). It left out most of the complex details of his deals to spare the reader from the highly specialized world of corporate takeovers.
   
   This is not an unbiased biography. It appears that Harold played a part in shaping this book. Most of the events are reported from his point of view - especially the breakup of the trust originally setup for his daughters. So, this is more like an autobiography from the man himself. There is nothing wrong with that. But the reader needs to understand that they will only get his side of the story.



5. THE MONUMENTAL ACHIEVEMENTS OF LEGENDARY BUSINESS TYCOON HAROLD SIMMONS ARE CHRONICLED IN "GOLDEN BOY: THE HAROLD SIMMONS STORY." AND, IN MY VIEW, MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE AUTHOR PROVIDES INSIGHT INTO WHAT MAKES THIS REMARKABLE MAN "TICK." THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT HAROLD SIMMONS IS TRULY A GOOD AND RIGHTEOUS MAN WHOSE MORAL COMPASS HAS NOT BEEN AFFECTED BY HIS EXTRAORDINARY WEALTH AND POWER. HE PERSONIFIES THE HIGHEST COMPLIMENT THAT I, AS A JEW, CAN BESTOW --- HE IS A "MENSCH" --- A PERSON OF THE UTMOST INTEGRITY AND HONOR. OR, TO PUT IT ANOTHER WAY, HAROLD SIMMONS IS A "TRUE CHRISTIAN," NOT A "PSEUDO CHRISTIAN." THIS WONDERFUL BOOK IS SIMULTANEOUSLY ABSORBING, CAPTIVATING, COMPELLING, AND EDUCATIONAL. IT IS A THOROUGHLY ENJOYABLE READING EXPERIENCE. AND, AS HAROLD SIMMONS HAS CONTINUED HIS BUSINESS EXPLOITS SUBSEQUENT TO ITS PUBLICATION, I LOOK FORWARD TO A SEQUEL, OR, BETTER YET, AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY BY THE GREAT MAN HIMSELF.

1 comments about Comcasted: How Ralph And Brian Roberts Took Over America's Tv, One Deal At A Time.

1. I just read this book because I was mad at Comcast--long story. While I didn't find it brimming with "dirt" I did find it a quick, interesting read and gave me some of the answers to my questions--why this giant has not been felled by the government...it's all in the message. The Robertses are very clever about how their media messages are presented and swallowed. If you're looking for a pure rant, you won't find satisfaction in this book. If you're looking for a sublimely damning look inside the company that pretty much controls how we watch tv and how much we pay for it, you'll enjoy this book.