No comments about Betting It All: The Technology Entrepreneurs.

1 comments about The Big Four.

1. Unfortunately this book was written some time ago and it misses our 21st century perspective on the Big 4. If you want to learn about Crocker, Huntington, Stanford and Hopkins this is a great starting point. But the book completely ignores important figures in this history like Stephen Gage, their attorney and mastermind. Gage was the reason that their power extended into Nevada, he controlled Congress and he masterminded the monopoly on transporting coal. How someone like this is not in a Big 4 history is mind-boggling.

5 comments about American Dreamer: The Life and Times of Henry A. Wallace.

1. Doesn't anyone here know how pathetically naive this man was? I mean he wanted to pursue a policy of appeasement with mass-murderer Joseph Stalin - much as Neville Chamberlain had done not a decade earlier with Hitler. Thank God Roosevelt had the sense to remove him from the Vice Presidency.
   
   Don't waste your time; the man, however "idealistic" (meaning he didn't listen to anyone else), is a historical nonentity.



2. This book is very readable and engaging. In parts, you'll learn more about corn and agriculture than you ever thought you would from a political biography, but it isn't dull. American Dreamer gives great insight into many facets of American life from the 20s through the 50s, from the collapse of agriculture to the red scare (among the many things Mr Wallace so accurately predicted or feared). Most importantly American Dreamer throroughly introduces one to Mr Wallace, his faults and greatness.
   
   Even if you're not too interested in Henry Wallace (or vaguely know of him), if you're interested in American history or politics of that era, you'll be fascinated as I was.



3. This is an extremely well written book. Th most amazing thing about it is that is corrects some of the conventional wisdom about Henry Wallace that more "popular" historians of this era like Doris Kearns Goodwin and David McCullough use without questioning.

   A remarkable book about a remarkable man.




4. A biography of one politician written by another could have been a nightmare this fall, but this one is a dream. Culver and Hyde have done a masterful job of telling a great story about someone who has been overshadowed by the giants of the era--Roosevelt, Truman, Stimson, George Marshall, etc.--but who certainly was one of the great minds of his generation. Henry A. Wallace was not only a cabinet member and vice president, he was a journalist, scientist, philosopher and theoretician. Culver and Hyde have captured all the aspects of his public life in an interesting, readable style. This may be more than you thought you ever wanted to know about Henry A. Wallace, but it's worth the time to learn about this fascinating man and his times.



5. This is undoubtedly one of the most impressive political biographies I've ever read. I have to confess from the outset (with a tad of embarrassment) that I pretty much had no idea who Henry A. Wallace was when I picked up this book. What shocked me most after reading 'American Dreamer' was how a man that was so revered and despised in his time has been so conveniently left out of any present discourse on that era.

   In 'American Dreamer', Hyde and Culver give a well-written and balanced account of the life on one of the most enigmatic and progressive political leaders that America has ever produced. Why his name has never come up in years of taking history courses amazes me- especially in light of the fact that his thoughts on the cold war, which he tried desperately to steer us away from, turned out to be quite prescient.

   Henry Agard Wallace was Secretary of Agriculture for eight years, Vice President for four and Commerce Secretary for a short time before his forced ouster. Wallace ran for the Presidency in 1948 on the Progressive ticket, lost, and then left public office. What Wallace left us during this time was a legacy of innovative leadership, genuine public service and a virtual revolution in agriculture.

   Wallace eschewed the world of dog eat dog politics and preferred appealing directly to the public than orchestrating back room machinations. He was honest, direct, practical and always put the public good above his own wants or ambitions. In short, he had everything that seems to be lacking in the American political spectrum today.

   As I read the book I couldn't help but think what would have happened if Wallace had remained Vice President (instead of Truman) and therefore become President at Roosevelt's death. It seems to me that the worse excesses of the cold war and the red scare could have been avoided and that US policy in just about every area may have been put on a more evenly keeled tack for the future (it would have been undone later, but hell, it's a start).

   Wallace was often accused of being an impractical dreamer- but if what he accomplished in his years of public service were the deeds of an impractical dreamer- then we can certainly use more of them.

No comments about Bernie's Game: Inside the Formula One World of Bernie Ecclestone.

No comments about Philip D. Armour.

4 comments about Made in Korea: Chung Ju Yung and the Rise of Hyundai.

1. Steers' book is well-written but is so sugar-coated that it could easily have been endorsed by Hyundai and Chung Ju-Yung himself. For a more realistic picture of Mr. Chung, read Korean dynasty: Hyundai and Chung Ju Yung by Donald Kirk. Kirk pulls no punches in showing the fact that many of Chung's employees secretly hated him for his despotic style of management. The revelations about Chung's personal life are truly shocking.



2. I had heard of Chung Ju Yung from a Korean fiend of mine. While I was going through the lows of my job, this book has motivated me to start my own business soon. The dipiction of one of the greatest entrepreneurs ever is so life-like that it would excite and thrill not just entrepreneurs but ordinary people. I am now reading it the second time and like every moment of it. It gives me goose bumps when I read about how this great man got someone else's money and technology to build ships with no prior experience of his own only to know that the orders would get cancelled upon completion! How one could lose all that he has and yet conclude that he could do anything if he put in his mind, soul and hard work into it. This story of an extraordinary entrepreneur who defied all textbook rules of business is a MUST read for westerners and aspiring entrepreneurs.



3. I thoroughly enjoyed this account of Chung Ju Yung's life and the rise of Hyundai. The son of impoverished farmers, Chung managed to build the world's largest shipbuilding company, create a competitive Korean automobile, and sped the development of South Korea into one of the world's foremost economies--all with little more than sweat and determination!
   Steers does a great job of detailing Chung's personal and business character, along with providing a detailed history of the growth of Hyundai in the larger context of the Korean economy. I highly recommend it!



4. The engineering and managerial feats that Chung Ju Yung accomplished with only a grade school education are amazing.

5 comments about Speed Is Life: Street Smart Lessons from the Front Lines of Business.

1. Packed with great tips, real life tips, not fiction. I've never read a book as devotedly as I read this one. 'Speed is Life' or 'Life is Speed'. True!!! Bob is not only a great success, but is able to tell how he did it, which most people can't. Having a great experience and being able to tell & teach it to others so that they too can be great, is what I consider Bob's greatness. The great principles in this book could be applied to selling peanuts as well as running any technologically sophisticated company in the world, even managing a family, relationship, making good grades at school, or landing a good job. I have made this book my business bible & reference point. If you ever think of making anything come out great & successful in today's world, GRAB this book first & don't part with it. Thank you Bob!!!



2. Bob Davis' book is vastly superior to many CEO memoirs in its clarity, simplicity and sophistication. While much of his "Internet-is-changing-everything" spiel will seem rightfully dated, his core point - that speed has become a critical organizational imperative - will hit home with anyone competing in business today. We from getAbstract recommend this book more for its advice about building cultures of speed than for Davis' dot-com tales.



3. In the interest of speed, suffice to say that one minute spent on this book is a moment wasted.



4. I am an MBA graduate of Babson College, Bob Davis' alma mater, and I have heard Bob speak many times at Babson and at other venues over the last three years. When I heard from him that his book was being released, I knew that I would read it, and I hoped for the best. I was not disappointed.

   Speed is Life, gives the reader an internal view into some of what was going on during the dot-com frenzy. It also includes valuable lessons that Bob was able to learn while being one of the leaders in this hypergrowth industry. The lessons are supported with real-life examples that clearly convey Bob's point as well as inspire an entrepreneur!

   One last item that I can add is that the ideas that Bob writes about are not a result of 20/20 hindsight. When I sat down to hear Bob speak in September of 1999, when I was beginning my MBA, he was preaching the same lessons. First of which was - profitability is fundamental.




5. Davis was a hired gun who jammed, misfired, missed the mark, blew up in everyones face. Contrary to what he would have you believe, he didn't found Lycos -- he was brought in (admittedly on day two) by his pals at CMGI. The real story here is how and why did Davis blow it so bad and huge? He was "first mover" as much as Yahoo and he had every advantage they had, etc. -- except apparantly Yahoo's brains. (Davis's dim tough guy act isn't really an act at all -- its thye real Bob, rough and tough with muscle where gray matter should be.) So instead of being a category leader and defining early web brand and company, Lycos ends up being fourth in a race with three winners (AOL, MSN and Yahoo). Forget the laudantory blurbs -- all those folks are Davis's personal pals who thru barely legal scheming made a mint on Lycos inflated stock price. If you want management expertise, you'll get more out of "Body by Jake."

No comments about William Appleman Williams: Learning From History (American Radicals).

No comments about The Mystery Man of Europe Sir Basil Zaharoff.

5 comments about Profiles of Genius: Thirteen Creative Men Who Changed the World.

1. Great book insightful the only book i think is better is another one of his books! So far i have 4 the best of which is Profiles of Power & Success.



2. This book has a deceptive title that suggests that it is objectively focusing on the concept of genius. I think that if you were to ask the average person to start naming the smartest people in the world, you would end up with names like Einstein and Mozart, Michelangelo and Bobby Fischer. Even given that Landrum was going for people who have displayed genius in the last forty years, I'm sure that there are people who rate higher on an IQ test than the thirteen men Landrum has chosen.
   
   And so, this book is much more a measure and study of what goes into business success than it is a blueprint for genius. By identifying thirteen men and thirteen characteristics that can be emulated for financial gain, Landrum is giving business advice to aspiring entrepreneurs, and I wish that the title of the book reflected that.
   
   Aside from that, I'm not sure that the book does a good job of identifying thirteen separate personality traits that drive success. For one thing, many of the traits seem to overlap or even seem somewhat synonymous. The personality traits of being competitive, driven, and passionate are extremely similar, if not identical. For another thing, all of the personality traits are described in glowing, positive terms. Where are the traits of ruthlessness, greed, and insecurity that also drive some of the market forces that drive success?
   
   I'm not trying to rain on anyone's parade, and I realize that this book can serve the valuable function of inspiring those who undertake the very difficult job of being an entrepreneur. I started and ran my own business for seven years, and realize that there is some sound business advice in this book that can help someone to make their own dreams come true.
   
   But I don't want anyone to think that this book is something that it's not. It's not a book about genius, nor is it a scientifically sound piece of research. I'd recommend it to business owners or inventors, but not to those who are truly interested in the nature of the human mind.



3. Maybe I'm biased for being a Ted Turner fan ... but this book will make you cry with inspiration and hope!



4. This excellent book fills a need for biographies of entrepreneurs who have shaped the modern world. The chapters pack a lot of useful information with a clear focus on what is important. They cover childhood and education as well as adult business life. The personality theories used help to relate the stories to the professional literature, but do not detract from the richness of the descriptions. These portraits will be useful to anyone thinking of life as an entrepreneur as well as to parents and educators dealing with creative youth.



5. This is a good overview of how and why people create. Lots of good and varied case studies.