2 comments about I Sold the Moon!: A True Story.

1. Barry is an exceptional writer, a romantic and a real character with refreshing insights into human nature.
   
   His book gives the reader a look at the days of "Free Love" and an understanding that it was never free.
   
   The images Barry creates flow on the page and the depth of emotion evoked from his bittersweet romance is delightfully balanced with the humor of his 'moon' work.
   
   Barry McArdle is not your everyday 'Joe' his inventive mind and the quiet support of his father along with a secret dream to be a circus barker allow him to follow a dream that leads him to an entertaining income and a modicum level of celebrity. But secretly he is a romantic thrust into a generation that sees monogamous relationships as passe and free love as their mark on the world. With hormones raging, the romantic must succomb and true love wistfully lost.
   
   If you enjoy stories about people - fiction or biographical - you will find Barry McArdle's book fascinating and an easy read. He captures you with his love, his humor and his antics. Engaging and fun, I recommend - "I Sold The Moon."



2. I must say, I thoroughly enjoyed reading Barry McArdle's first of hopefully many more books. An author appears to have been born out of reflection of his years of youth and indiscretion, when he came upon the idea that he could lay claim to the moon, as no one else had done so. And thus a kitchen table industry was born that's being retold with amusing rear views into history, when Nixon was in the White House, and hippie culture reared its hairy head. Snippets from the author's youth and the ongoing tale of a high school romance weave throughout the trials and tribulations of being one of the looneys out there on the sidewalk, trying to make a living with an idea, rather than a plan, and because of that, the story takes us along like a roadtrip movie, into every direction. McArdle's ability to observe all that happens around him, and accept the challenges his traveling lifestyle exact on him and his relationships bring out a quiet humor and the wisdoms of a man who has seen it all, done it all, and by golly, thought of selling the moon and then did it.
   As I came to the end, I was left with the feeling that McArdle is one of those people that fit the American landscape so well, even when that same landscape regards him nothing more than a lunatic. As it turns out, he is not, and therefore I expect that with one book under his belt, a next one may reflect all he's learned, writing and selling a book about selling the moon.

No comments about A Woman's Courage: The Inspirational Story of the Woman Behind Ann Summers.

No comments about BEING, The Radiant Force Within: The Autobiography of My Soul.

1 comments about Sotheby's: Bidding for Class.

1. Excellent book. Piles of facts, sharp analysis. One can learn more about art market from the book than from years of studies. Apart from it - pleasant reading.

3 comments about Crossing the Road to Entrepreneurship.

1. An inspirational read that is a first in its balancing act between relationships, the value of work, teamwork, and leadership.



2. This book was inspirational on so many levels. First, it is a great tribute to Mrs. Wolstein, who was Mr. Wolstein's partner at home and at work. This is itself a tribute to marriage and stability and family that few businesspeople talk about (or seem to take seriously). Second, it is a reminder of the value of work--to keep plugging away at things and keep looking up . . . eventually you will get there. Third, its a reminder that luck matters--but luck combined with skills and attitude matter the most. Wolstein got lucky by being a developer at a particular time in the suburbanization of America--but he had the smarts and the experience to make that moment work. Finally, it is a story of leadership. Wolstein didn't do it all himself. But he chose those who worked with him over many years to accomplish the great things he did. He knew how to get their best, and he knew when to part ways. He led by example and there are a great many people out there working in his footsteps.



3. It is rare to find a book where the author shares his journey to success in such a personal and honest manner. I found Bert's account of the challenges and triumphs that make a successful entrepreneur to be inspiring. I wish I had read it earlier in my entreprenuerial career.

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.

4 comments about Ambassador from Wall Street: The Story of Thomas W. Lamont, J.P. Morgan's Chief Executive.

1. This is a fresh and thoughtful review of an important period in American history with up-close portraits of some its most fascinating personalities--Charles Lindbergh and Lady Astor among others. LAURA and BILL RILEY



2. The Ambassador From Wall Street is a fasciating tale of one of the great financial leaders of the 20th Century. As a retired New York banker who started work in 1950 and who held some quite responsible positions, I found the book contained messages for bankers that are as true today as they were in the life of Mr. Lamont, particularly on how to avoid undue risk and how to manage the inevitable messes when they occur. The book seems to have been well researched by the arthor, a Grandson of the subject,and takes us through the many economic and financial developments of the first half of the twentieth century. Its scope allows the reader to have a broad view of the financial world, a useful benefit in this age of globalization. I particularly recommend the book to young students of finance. The lessons learned will enhance their careers.



3. Alethea W. Hawley's review offers an excellent summary of a well researched account of the life and impact of Mr. Thomas W. Lamont and his importance to the major economic and political powers of his era and why this account deserves a five star rating.



4. This biography of Thomas W. Lamont, J.P. Morgan's Chief Executive is a thoroughly researched account of the legendary financier during the first half of the twentieth century, when the powerful banking firm was at the pinnacle of international finance. The author, his grandson has written this lively biography based on his independent research and his personal collection of family papers and Thomas Lamont's letters.The reader will become acquainted with the economic and political history of the period, the many crucial world events that were transpiring, as well as a full roster of leaders such as Presidents Franklin Roosevelt, Wilson and Hoover, who all sought advice from Lamont. Along with all of the above, the author portrays the luxurious lifestyle of his grandfather, such as commuting from his home to Wall Street by yacht. There are social vignettes such as a house party at Lady Astor's Cliveden, as well as a Lamont soiree during which a Federal judge broke the nose of Walter Lippman's charming wife. The reader is also given glimpses of such luminaries as Charles Lindbergh and H.G. Wells, who were among Thomas Lamont's close friends. John Kenneth Galbraith praised this volume and characterized it as "affectionate and well researched...We are in debt to Edward Lamont for this literate and thoroughly interesting biography." Book List and Publishers Weekly contributed highly enthusiastic reviews, and recommended it for those interested in history, banking and foreign affairs. Written in a brisk and informative style, Lamont interjects his wit at just the right places so as to present a very balanced, straight forward, and informative piece of work.

5 comments about Mind Your Own Business: A Maverick's Guide to Business, Leadership and Life.

1. I read this book on my flight from Phoenix to Maryland(BWI). I have since bought several copies and am sharing the contents with my friends and associates. Excellent Man, ideas, thoughts, great experince and honesty during turbulent years, yet he is always giving. I am still buying copies to give away.



2. I have reviewed the comments on this board and felt utterly compelled to say something. My father is Sidney Harman and I can assure you that he is a wonderful and caring father to his six children and two step-children. His family life, however, is irrelevant when reviewing and contemplating the content of the book. This book is not called Mind Your Own Family. And to those conjecturing about my father's child rearing skills, I recommend you take a hint of advice from the book's title.



3. This book is full of bravado and it reads like a one written by a megalomaniac. In the book, it sounds as if Sidney is attempting to address his own regrets in life. I don't mean to discount Sidney's success in business, but he does not share much of that insight in his book. He emphasizes a lot on ethics and integrity, but he doesn't seem to fully embrace that at work or demonstrate that in his family and personal life. He also emphasizes hard work, but who doesn't already know that. To put this book at the level of a classic is highly unfortunate, and to categorize it in the same league as "My Years With General Motors," as Tom Peters has done, is to do Alfred P. Sloan gross injustice.



4. Dr. Harman had four children, worked 24/7, and divorced his first wife after 25 years. Ten years before the divorce he took up golf and played weekends, leaving his children, entering their teenage years, for his wife to raise. At age 60 he married a woman 25 years his junior and according to the book had two more children with her. They are still married, after some 25 years.

   This book contains anecdotal information regarding the environment in which a large company operates, and some things to consider while doing so. That info is useful. The author also deals extensively with business ethics. This is less useful. His ethical model was apparently different at home than in the office.




5. Mr. Harman espouses hard work and integrity. There - I just saved you hours of time and the cost of this book.

5 comments about Legacy: A Biography of Moses and Walter Annenberg.

1. Since James Annenberg Levee was my roommate and fraternity brother, I was curious about his famous family. The book is well researched, informative and readable. A great rags to riches saga.



2. Legacy does an accurate job of portraying POP the way he wanted it and believe me, he certainly controlled the content. As one who is most familiar as an insider, I can say that his goal was to build the image of greatness. Yes, Pop, you were great and no matter what the cost. In the end you won. To the family, you know how he was. Gbird if you get this, im still here, faithful as ever, yet still controlled by old walter from the grave.



3. After having read Legacy I had all of my beliefs about the Great Walter Annenberg confirmed. This man is truely a great and magnanimous individual. His donations are really unprecedented and you could say he has done more for education than any other American. I truely love this man. As an alum of the Peddie school I was astounded by his massive gift in 1993 and I do hope his actions will inspire other alumni to make similiar or even larger gifts.



4. In this engaging and wonderfully written biography, Ogden describes with consummate skill the origins, careers, hardships and accomplishments of two remarkable men, Walter Annenberg and his father, Moses. Facinating insights on business dealings (sometimes hardball), White House maneuverings (not always exemplary), politics, government, social discimination and class structure in America from the end of the 19th century to the present abound. The childhoods and early family environments of both Annenbergs (quite different for each) are well described. The complexity of the father/son relationship (partly due to very different temperaments) and its continuing influence long after Moses Annenberg's death in 1942 is especially poignant. One need not have a special interest in media empires to find this book engrossing; an interest in the capacity to endure, adapt creatively, and prevail in stunning and magnanimous fashion is quite sufficient. This is a distinctly American 20th century story of the highest order.



5. Just finished Legacy after a whirlwind of reading. Couldn't put it down. Each chapter of this brilliant biography flowed into the next. Author Ogden has done a magnificent job of weaving this father/son story together, managing to illustrate much of the American century through their compelling (and inspring) tale. Reads like a great novel. I will be recommending Legacy to everyone I know.

2 comments about The Cattle King: A Dramatized Biography.

1. I found this to be a fasinating book about the success of Henery Miller in the American West.



2. The life of Henry Miller really derves the talents of someone like Robert Caro, since it can be seen as the basis for a broader history of the American West in the 19th century. Miller himself was self-made, a dynamic, visionary, and fantastically successful land and cattle baron. He also seems to have been welll-liked by the men he hired, and (at least for a land baron) by his neighbors. The story as told by Treadwell is factual enough, but devoid of personal and cultural detail. Miller's business papers are mostly in the collection of the Bancroft Library at UC Berkeley, raw data awaiting the talentrs of a more skilled biographer. An out-of-print but fairly easy to find book written by one of Miller's foremen, "California Gringos", is also informative