4 comments about Banker to the Poor: The Autobiography of Muhammad Yunus, Founder of Grameen Bank.

1. I was inspired and amazed at the simplicity of Yunus's concept, and appalled at the resistance he met putting it into action.
   It started when he found that 42 villagers were being kept in thrall -- literally bonded slavery -- to moneylenders in one village. The total sum they owed was $27. Yunus put his hand into his own pocket, and the system of microcredit was born. THEN came the long, long, attempt to get other sponsors, government help, and a lot more.
   By the end of the book they have branched out into cooperatives, health care, cell-phone providers, and the internet. As he says, no US businessman would even consider operating without a telephone.... but there is criticism that "The rural poor do not need the luxury of a telephone." But telephones help the micro-borrowers improve their businesses and find the best markets for their products. So Yunus's bank, Grameen, created GremeenPhone to provide service to villages. Some villages didn't have electricity, so they then created a nonprofit company dedicated to developing wind turbines, solar energy, etc! Just one example of Yunus's progressive thinking and nothing-is-too-tough attitude!
   Not in the book, but it's inspiring to see how Yunus's idea has caught on in other parts of the world. There's even a US organization, Kiva, which allows people to extend loans over the internet to individual small businesses in far-flung countries. This is an idea that has to grow.



2. Very small amounts of capital loaned to people who have almost none yield very large returns. Loans are coupled with requirement that borrowers form groups of five borrowers to support and encourage each other, thereby building community. Bank is owned by the borrowers. Concept becoming worldwide movement called micro-lending. Entrepreneurship and access to credit as a cure for poverty. Great book by the guy who started it all with a $27 loan.



3. Banker to the Poor is an excellent read. The style is very easy to understand, and the jumps Yunus makes between different stories, ideas, and theories keep the reader's interest throughout. However, much more so that the style, the story itself is remarkable: to see how a single idea of one man could become a global force against poverty. His example has been extremely influential for millions of people, and his pursuit of a poverty-free world no longer seems outrageous, but in fact attainable! The story was enough for me to want to change my career direction to help the microcredit revolution.



4. Muhammad Yunus describes in this book how the idea developed about starting a bank for the poor. The writing style of Yunus makes the book very easy to read; almost like a good novel. Because this book doesn't focusses on just micro-credit (because it's an autobiography) I think it's an excellent introduction to the topic of micro-credit and finding sollutions for the poor. But for more in-dept info, buy another.

5 comments about From Lifeguard to Sun King: The Man Behind the Banana Boat Success Story.

1. Robert Bell has been a friend to me for a few years now. He is a great leader who knows how to make things happen in business. I was very eager to read his book and learn the details of how he did it! For Bob it was hard work and much discipline/dedication. He is a superb example for anyone to follow who craves for bigger and better things in life! A must read!!
   
   -Anna Kubit
   Konsultar Corporation



2. Bell is really on of the country's more interesting entrepreneurs and he shares his insights not only from the head but the heart. The information I found most useful was how he made the connections he needed to keep pushing his "Banana Boat" products ideas forward. Nice job. Recommended for anyone in business.



3. 'From Lifeguard to Sun King' is a must read for anyone desiring sage business advice in their quest for the American Dream. Robert Bell's creation of Banana Boat, relaunch of Sea & Ski, development of Sun Pill and ongoing commitment to overall Sun Health make him one of America's most formidable entrepreneurs. You'll find yourself cheering Robert on as he finds a way to bridle all his youthful, deviant energy into the great success story that he is today. The itemized success principles at the end of the book are an added bonus to an already engaging & important business guide. I look forward to the Sun King's next important contribution to society, as I know it's inevitable.



4. Great Book on Entreprenuership from someone who has actually started, built, run, and sold large businesses. Alot of people write about business success who have never actually 'done' anything...Mr. Bell is a true acheiver who has repeatedly succeeded in different businesses. Anyone can learn from this book. It is also an easy and entertaining read. Thank you, Bob Bell, for writing this book...it's generous of you to share your experience and wisdom.



5. Robert Bell lets us into his world from his modest beginnings to successfully building up the Banana Boat brand as a result of lots of hard work, creativity, commitment, determination, discipline, perseverence, and a brilliant business mind. A truly inspirational story for all whether you are an aspiring entrepreneur or not! This story is particularly unique in that the style in which it is written has a very human element to it, very personable, as if Robert Bell was sitting directly across from you sharing his remarkable story. This motivational book will make you believe that anything is possible and not be afraid to dream big because those who do and follow their true passion in life can well be on their way to achieving the American Dream just as Robert Bell did. A must read for anyone thinking about starting their own business . . . you will not be disappointed!

1 comments about Enterprising Women: 250 Years of American Business.

1. exhibition and looks at the lives of women from 1750 to 2000. Meet women who were and continue to be instrumental in building America.
   Enterprising Women brings to life the stories of family, marriage, motherhood and business savvy success. Marriage was a crucial decision in a woman's life before the 20th century. A woman's choice in marriage ranked with survival, so a divorce could be the demise of a woman's lifestyle and life. Yet, Madam C. J. Walker, Elizabeth Arden and Martha Stewart endured and flourished after divorce while at the helm of their companies. Motherhood was a challenge (and still continues to be a challenge), so a few women remained single as in the case of Katherine Goddard whose business was a family business. Ellen Domoest sold paper dress patterns, Oprah Winfrey has taken self-improvement to billion-dollar success, Lillian Vernon started a catalog at her kitchen table and Maggie L. Walker became the first African American bank president. Enterprising Women is a must-have for every women and her daughter to know where she came from and what each of us are capable of achieving in business and on life's journey.

5 comments about Turnaround: How Carlos Ghosn Rescued Nissan.

1. 
   David Magee provides an interesting and compelling account of how Carlos Ghosn turned around Nissan. This was a remarkable turnaround which transformed a company which was collapsing, mired in debt and lacking direction and focus to one of the leading vehicles manufacturing firms in the world.
   
   Ghosn performed this outstanding turnaround by cutting Nissan's huge debt, drastically cutting costs, getting rid of non-performing assets, streamlining management and restoring the company's competitiveness.
   
   The book provides essential insights into the leadership and management style of Ghosn which provides important lessons to companies that may wish to effect an economic and financial turnaround of their organization. The author has detailed knowledge of Ghosn which he often quotes, making it possible to understand his personality. Part of the secret of Ghosn's success appears to be his cross-cultural management skills. He was born in Brazil, educated in France and was of Lebanese descent. Ghosn's track record is impressive. He turned around Michelin in the important Brazil market and spearheaded the successful merger of Michelin with Uniroyal-Goodrich. He did the same trick with Renault in France where he revitalized their sales, market share and profitability.
   
   Among the leadership skills that Ghosn used in his turnaround is the need to be a good listener, being transparent, be a good team player, and establish trust and respect
   
   This is an excellent book on Ghosn and his leadership style that is recommended to those who may wish to turn their organisations around or just wish to learn about developments in the auto-industry. His simple writing style makes it easily understandable to a wide audience.



2. If you would like to read about how a no nonsense guy took Nissan from being extinct to one of the top automotive companies in the world you need to read this book. It has many great lessons and principles that you can apply to your everyday life or job and turn your life around!



3. David Magee's book tells the very interesting story of how Nissan's fortunes were revived by "a fiery, intellectual, Brazilian-born, French educated man of Lebanese descent, Carlos Ghosn".
   Although Nissan was established in 1933, it had its heyday in the 1960s when products like its Z car took the American market by storm and its Datsun brand was a global brand leader. By the late 1990s, Nissan had lost its focus and direction. Whereas Honda and Toyota were both going from strength to strength, Nissan languished, its glory days seemingly gone forever. Faced with a mountain of debt, they allowed the French Renault company to buy what was effectively a controlling stake in the company.
   Renault dispatched Ghosn to Tokyo, where Ghosn performed what can only be described as miracles. He slashed Nissan's debt burden, he restored its cost competitiveness, he sold off non performing assets, he reorganized its finances and streamlined its management systems. Magee tells us that he even inspired the F-Marinos, the soccer team Nissan sponsor, to advance from languishing in 13th place in its league division to winning the competition, all in the space of a year.
   How could one relatively young man accomplish so much in such a short period of time? Magee attributes his massive successes to the homespun wisdom of Fr. Lagrovole, a Jesuit priest, who taught Ghosn at school in Lebanon! Lagrovole advised his young charge to listen before he speaks and to understand where everyone is coming from in cultural and other terms.
   Armed with this advice, Ghosn set out to take to the corporate world by storm. Before reviving Nissan's fortunes, he restored Michelin's profitability in its key Brazilian market. Having then organized the merger of Uniroyal -Goodrich and Michelin, he was head hunted by Renault and quickly revived their fortunes in Europe. Having solved their European problems, Ghosn was dispatched to Tokyo to reinvigorate the newly acquired Nissan company.
   Ghosn, in some ways, comes across as a comic book hero. And in fact, he was made the hero of a Japanese manga comic book, which he helped write and which Japanese salary men eagerly read in the hope of picking up some managerial tips from this remarkable man.
   Fr. Lagrovole's advice apart, they will find few tips in this book which tells us that Ghosn's forte seems to be at cross-cultural management and at paying attention to both the minutest detail and overall strategy. There are no worthwhile insights into the mind of this remarkable strategist. We hear, unsurprisingly, given his results, that he works very hard but likes to devote his weekends to his family but we get no inclination of why he is so brilliant and how we lesser mortals can learn from his successes and his failures, assuming, if we dare, that he has ever failed at anything.
   We are told that the Nissan revival has been a great success. But, as with his earlier successes, the synergies to Renault are not explained. We are not even told what Renault hoped to gain by taking over Nissan. Instead, we are told on pages 207/8 that "Ghosn stressed time and time again that he and others were at Nissan for the good of Nissan, not for the good of Renault."
   But it does not make sense that Renault should take over Nissan so that Nissan would benefit. Renault's management is supposed to work in the interests of Renault's shareholders, not Nissan's. We are told that Renault hopes the Nissan merger will boost Renault's sales in Indonesia. But, just as we are not told why Renault failed to merge with Volvo, so also are we not told why an unstable country like Indonesia stands at the center of Renault's projected synergy gains.
   Instead, Magee informs us that Nissan has gained so much from the Renault alliance that it might soon be strong enough to divorce itself from the French company entirely. If so, how did Ghosn's successes with Nissan benefit Renault and, Indonesia apart, has the Nissan merger strengthened Renault's position in the auto market against the formidable opposition of such titans as Toyota, Honda, Ford, General Motors, Daimler and Volkswagen?
   Instead of addressing those key managerial and strategic questions, Magee wastes too much time discussing such things as Mississippi's race riots in the 1960s. The result is a shallow book that does not do justice to the very important topics it purports to cover.



4. 
   Obviously this book has not been written by a specialist in management but it gives you some of the management tools that Carlos Ghosn and his team used to save Nissan. One of them is probably the use of cross functional teams (CFT). I bet that Carlos Ghosn is the new Jack Welch. Future will tell!



5. The story of how a foreigner rescued Nissan would make a great book, but this isn't it. The writing is pedestrian, but, worse, there's too much padding. Magee takes a handful of basic points about Ghosn's management technique, and repeats it throughout the book, providing little illumination about the specifics. Shorn of the repetition and generalities, you could take all the content and reduce it to maybe 25 pages.

No comments about Robert Bosch: His Life and Achievements.

3 comments about Whatever Happened to Molly Murphy's House of Fine Repute?.

1. This was an interesting book. My wife and I both grew up with Molly Murphy's visiting 2-3 times a month. It was good to read the whole story and what happened. Thank you for the story.
   
   Let's open back up!



2. This is a very well written and entertaining account as seen through the eyes of its co-creator, Jeffiee Tayar, of how through perseverence and vision, one couple's dream came true and created a restaurant in Oklahoma CIty like no other anywhere. It was for many years a landmark known for its family fun atmosphere and great dining. Ms Tayar also reveals in a human interest way, how just a few seemingly minor events turned the tide and eventually brought to an end Molly Murphy's House of Fine Repute,
   
   No doubt, as an institution that touched the lives of so many patrons and employees over the years, I can enthusiastically recommend this book. Especially if you, like myself, were one of those lucky patrons who had the Molly's Experience, and may now wonder "What Ever Happened To Molly Murphy's House of Fine Repute?"



3. Having lived a parallel life to the author, this was a well written accurate account of this outstanding restaurant and the couple responsible for its success. For those of us fortunate enough to know the restaurant or, more important, the owners, it tells of the unfortunate media folly that led to its demise. Jeffiee is a no-nonsense, intelligent and funny author who tells the story with truth and humor. I recommend this book without reservation.
   Rhonda Shadid

No comments about Rupert Murdoch: The Untold Story of the World's Greatest Media Wizard.

No comments about Grass (Mainstream Sport).

5 comments about An Enterprising Life.

1. It reminds me of dreams and encouraged me to do something for that



2. Were others reviewing the Amway business, Van Andel, or the book? I see that a few were of the book, and this is too.

   I loved the first part where he talked about their other businesses and travels through S. America. Great detail and I could really feel the joys and pangs of their challenges. It was fun. I wish that the rest of the book had been this way.

   What made Amway? What made MLM? What changed the course of business history in the US and possibly the world? The battle with the FTC! Amway winning this case alone has created thousands of millionaires in the US and possibly the world and has allowed for hundreds of other legitimate MLM firms to become successful. But this part of the book WAS ONLY ABOUT 12 PAGES!

   Deciding to keep the book short to get more readers was the wrong way to go with this story. Like it or not, Amway changed business history. The story needed more detail and feeling for how they changed history.

   The story further deteriorates as the writer chose to use the book as a soapbox (esp. towards the end). This took away from the suspense and flow. I expected an autobiography, not a pontification.

   2 1/2 stars. Good book for those interested in business from a purist point of view. Van Andel was a good example of tenacity and no-quit in action.




3. This is a book which exemplifies true leadership & courage. It brings out the lost values in the current society. A business built on a strong foundation of honesty, Integrity and Godly principles will continue for generations to come.



4. Amway is an increadible opportunity and this is a great insight at one of the greatest entrepreneurs of our time. As a distributor I have often wondered about the history of the Amway opportunity. This book gave me some of that history. I am just glad that we live in a country where a great man such as Jay Van Andel is allowed the freedom to write what needs to be written, without the interference of government.



5. What a load of bull. This particular individual probably did not write the book, and the information is not exactly as history will prove. It is a shame that the souls of thousands of people have been touched by the Black Hats and the Scamway lot. I found the book too long, long on hipe, and the recollections? who cares? It is obvious that the enterprise that Van Andel and De Vos started is barely holding on, and books like this are merely a form of vanity press to remove actions of the corporation from the renegade distribution zombies- so much for free enterprise, Jay's views surely are bent toward the right with ultra christian "family breaking" values.

No comments about Lion of Wall Street: The Two Lives of Jack J. Dreyfus.