3 comments about Chasing Daylight: How My Forthcoming Death Transformed My Life.

1. I found this book to be inspirational. I also found it to be painful to read. The author faces his own iminent death and does so with great dignity. There are great lessons to be learned but it is nonetheless a difficult topic and a difficult read.



2. There is a peacefulness and great joy in this heartwarming story of fully living life even in the face of death. I am grateful for having had the experience of reading it and for the reminders of how to live life with gusto.



3. This is an excellant book which we coulde all learn from on bring all our relationship to victory.

5 comments about License to Deal: A Season on the Run with a Maverick Baseball Agent.

1. In "License to Deal," author Jerry Crasnick presents the lives and times of sports agents Matt Sosnick and Paul Cobbe, two partners who represent minor league prospects that have a good chance of making it to the majors. With the exception of Dontrelle Willis, most of the players they represent are new draftees preparing to enter the minor leagues who may or may not eventually make it to the big leagues. Crasnick explains the ins and outs of the cutthroat world of representing professional athletes including services offered to clients, proper ethical conduct, underhanded tactics that agents use to steal each other's clients, and factors that lead young athletes to change agents. In the process, he addresses how agents influence the game itself, including how they can roil relationships between players and general managers while contributing to the escalating salaries that increasingly marginalize small market clubs.
   
   Ultimately, Crasnick believes that there are two different types of agents in baseball. The first group includes big name agents like Scott Boras and Jeff Moorad who represent superstars and are primarily concerned with enabling players to obtain a greater slice of the pie from ownership. These agents believe that negotiating the best possible contracts for the game's stars will have a trickle-down effect, leading to better pay and working conditions for all players. Crasnick argues that MLB general managers collude informally to keep salaries from escalating during arbitration hearings, and that agents like Boras and Moorad do their best to combat this. The author notes that noted economist Andrew Zimbalist, consultant to the players' union and author of several books on the economics of baseball, has praised these agents for prodding the league to implement revenue sharing and the luxury tax to help small market teams. In the long run, Crasnick says that these agents combat the owners, who are essentially monopolists, and help the players, who are the real heroes of the game.
   
   On the other side are small time agents like Sosnick and Cobbe who strive to give more individualized attention to prospects before they become famous. Crasnick says that Cobbe views running a small time agency as akin to starting a new insurance company. While selling auto insurance to single men in their 20s may not be the most lucrative business, those customers will eventually want to get married, buy a house, have kids, and plan for retirement. They will want help from someone whom they can trust in order to plan their future finances. As a result, Sosnick and Cobbe tend to look for common ground with the general managers that they negotiate with. They also work hard to develop long-term relationships with their clients, helping them with off-the-field matters that have nothing to do with baseball. Unlike Boras and Moorad, these agents are viewed as the good guys, helping to mold the next generation of stars into not just great players, but great people as well.
   
   The stories that Crasnick tells about clashes between these two different groups of agents are great, but the ones that he tells involving conduct by small time agents that fall into grey areas are even better. As the sports agent world is extraordinarily competitive and cutthroat, Sosnick and Cobbe must be wary even of peers who have similar goals and philosophies that may stab them in the back at any moment. In spite of this, the two partners do a remarkable job of helping their clients and keeping the sport's, and the fans', best long term interests at heart.
   
   "License to Deal" is an excellent read for any baseball fan who wants to learn more about how agents help the unsung heroes of the game. Readers will learn that the popular stereotype that agents are motivated solely to extract money from the game is flat out wrong, and that they do a great deal to help players focus more of their energies on the game. Crasnick should be commended for shining a spotlight on this little-known, and frequently misunderstood, aspect of the sports world.



2. This book is not really what the subtitle, "A season on the run with a maverick baseball agent", recommends. It is more of a description of the Sosnick-Cobbe sports agency, Matt Sosnick's biography, Sosnick's business approach, a history of baseball agents, a picture of the cutthroat business, Scott Boras' biography, and a basic how to of the agent business. All this information is randomly spewn about. It is like a picture you look at closely and think that it looks sloppy but when you take a look at the whole thing it is a masterpiece. Read the whole book before you make an opinion.



3. Not the most exciting book out there. But if you like minor league baseball, this book's worth a quick read.



4. Despite the fact that the book seems quickly written and is organized rather poorly, Jerry Crasnick offers a fascinating study of the sports agent's life. "License to Deal" causes one to root for the up-and-coming agents and against the behemoths, like Scott Boras, that control so many of the top free agents in baseball.
   
   After reading the book, I have a new understanding of the business behind baseball and the battle for new prospects still developing in the farm systems and high schools. In recent months, Sosnick was in the L.A. media surrounding the signing of Luke Hochevar, the Dodgers' top pick this year. Hochevar's negotiations with the Dodgers were strained when he switched from Matt Sosnick's agency to Scott Boras in mid stream. (See the excellent article in "Baseball America" by John Manuel and Kevin Goldstein on September 9, 2005.)
   
   I highly recommend this book for its fascinating portrayal of Matt Sosnick and his agency.



5. When looking for good sports books, this is the kind of project that should stop you in your tracks. It is an orginal idea, well-written, and, most importantly, holds the reader's interest throughout the entire package. Well done.

5 comments about The Education of an Accidental CEO: Lessons Learned from the Trailer Park to the Corner Office.

1. I went through only the first audio CD of six, and though it did tell about the author, the author was unable to describe the "business" techniques that are teachable to others. It was his set of particular skills or virtues (you know these already) that enabled him to accomplish such and such. Waste of time. If you're looking for a good CD on management or CEO behaviour, "Doing What Matters" is vastly superior. It teaches specific business techniques. I would give it a 1 star, except, I didn't go through the remaining five CDs, and have no easy way of previewing these.



2. Nothing new here. Probably of some use as a first exposure to anecdotes of private sector motivational techniques for Gen Y MBAs, but in my opinion of little value for those whose comprehension of the theories and practice of leadership is beyond the elementary level. I thought Novak's observations were pretty anodyne, and in places there's a barely-concealed undertone of "Ain't I wonderful?" which I found off-putting. Not actively bad, but far from good -- save a few bucks and buy the paperback version.



3. I hadn't known too much about David Novak, chairman and CEO
   of Yum! Brands, the home to KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, Long
   John Silver's, and A& W All American Food . . . that's no longer
   the case, though, since I've devoured THE EDUCATION OF AN
   ACCIDENTAL CEO, the inspirational
   book he wrote with John Boswell.
   
   Almost every page had an idea that could be implemented not just
   in the food industry, but in my teaching and/or in just about any
   other walk of life . . . as Novak notes:
   
   * When I read business books or motivational books I find that if there
   is one thing I can take away with me, and more important, if it is
   something that stays with me, then it is well worth the price of
   admission. Obviously, that "one thing" differs from person to person,
   but if there is anything I have said within these pages that helps you
   define your dreams and then go after them, then it is well worth the
   effort it has taken to write this book and see it through publication.
   Whatever field you have chosen, whatever your aspirations may be,
   and however you choose to make them come true, I hope one day
   you achieve more than you can even imagine.
   
   My problem, and it's a nice one to have I must admit, is that I took
   away many ideas . . . I regret that I can't share them all with you,
   but to cite just two:
   
   * I fancied myself a writer, but under Tom I would rewrite test-market
   analyses six or seven times until I learned how to put forth a
   recommendation, explain the rationale for that recommendation,
   and summarize it all in a single page. I try to force myself to use
   this same discipline today. Limiting myself to a single page not only
   helps concentrate my mind, it almost guarantees clarity.
   
   * The second thing I learned is that all the answers are in the building.
   Every company is filled with experts. If you want to learn the company's
   history, have a meeting with a twenty-five-year veteran. If you want to know
   what customers are thinking, talk to the people who answer the 800-number
   calls. If you want to know why the trucks aren't getting out on time, a route
   salesman who's trucks who's been at the job for a while is likely to know the
   answer.
   
   THE EDUCATION OF AN ACCIDENTAL CEO had me laughing at
   spots, too . . . for example, when Novak showed how a floppy rubber
   chicken often had more value than a gold watch . . . it might not
   sound possible, but if you read this book, you'll see that it
   well could be the case where you work too.



4. I found this book to be inspirational as well as educational. It was also entertaining enough that it was a very fast read. David Novak's live has touched products and advertising I have been familiar with my whole life so it was easy to go along for the ride. Some stories were a little tangential but I HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone in corporate America looking to excel in their career.



5. David is donating the proceeds of this book to fight world hunger. We approve. But the book itself while interesting, does not have enough nitty gritty how to's to satisfy. Nice guy, interesting book, good cause but nothing special or great here.

2 comments about My Life and Work - An Autobiography of Henry Ford.

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. I'll just say this about Ford. He was absolutely the greatest industrial mind off ALL TIMES.

No comments about The First Billion Is the Hardest: Reflections on a Life of Comebacks and America's Energy Future.

5 comments about Eat Mor Chikin: Inspire More People.

1. 
   Author Truett Cathy believes in building businesses by building people. He practices what he preaches --- his Chick-Fil-A stores are places where employees are treated like family and offered many chances to succeed. Cathy, who not only believes in mentoring but has spent a lifetime practicing it, writes an inspiring book about how to improve yourself by helping others.
   
   Great gift book for co-workers or clients. Great Father's Day gift.
   Buy an extra copy for yourself!
   
   Dr. David Frisbie
   The Center for Marriage & Family Studies
   Author of Raising Great Kids on Your Own: A Guide and Companion for Every Single Parent



2. Why is S. Truett Cathy so successful? The answers are in this book. It's not rocket science. Work hard. Make people a priority. Live your values. Nail the fundamentals and most other things tend to fall into place. For Chick-Fil-A, the fundamentals are Customers, Cleanliness, and Quality. No surprises there. But the difference is in the execution of these values. How does he do it better than the rest? He hires the right people. People who care a lot. People who have character that match the character of Truett. After he hires them, he inspires and motivates them. The result is a fast food chain that is among the best.
   
   Truett makes no secret that his values come from being a Christian. His faith isn't a private thing. It encompasses every part of his life and is deeply integrated into the business. He actually believes that applying biblical teachings brings success. He gives numerous examples of this throughout his life. The official statement of corporate purpose says that they exist "to glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us and to have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A." Is that any way to run a fast food chain? Apparently it is; they now have well over 1200 restaurants and more than $2,000,000,000.00 in annual revenues. Truett has achieved this success steadily over many years. He never went public (IPO), like most larger restaurant chains do. His method makes me think of a few Proverbs:
   
   "The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty."
   
   "Those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies have no sense."
   
   "Do you see those who are skilled in their work? They will serve before kings."
   
   This book should be required reading for managers in the fast food industry. As one of Truett's top managers says; the method followed is "can't miss." Normally that kind of comment would fire up my skepticism, but after reading this book, I know just what he means.



3. This book was very good. It encouraged people to respect each person as an individual and help them build ownership and self respect in their work ethics. It also shared the rewarding value of performing service and giving credit where credit is due.



4. Great reading and very inspirational. God is a wonderful business partner. My husband serves on our city council and recieved this book as a gift from the mayor of our town. My husband, after reading it and enjoying it so much, ordered this book for all our store managers(we are self employed). All our managers have found it to be great reading and inspirational as well.



5. This was a fun read and a nice story about a guy and his family who kept working and stuck to their principles and succeeded. I dont know if there are a lot of lessons on business here other than work hard, do good and treat people right which of course is enough in most cases. But enjoyed the book and its nice when nice people make it and not the bums at the top of most of Americas so called 'top companies'. Worth the price and your time.

5 comments about Queen of the Oil Club: The Intrepid Wanda Jablonski and the Power of Information.

1. While I expected to find Queen of the Oil Club to be an educational read, I wasn't prepared for the page turner I found. Rubino's first person and you are there approach to Wanda's amazing life was riveting. So far,I've recommended it to friends looking for a lively summer read, writer friends, my graduate student niece who is pursuing Women's Studies and a friend who grew up in Saudi Arabia in the 1960's. There's something there for each of them.



2. The seeds of today's oil crisis were sown during the five decades that Wanda Jablonski reported on industry events and, through that reporting, influenced their outcome. To understand the current surge of oil nationalism on the part of both producer and consumer nations that will determine the future of hydrocarbons for years to come, we need to go back to the earlier rise of oil nationalism that led to the creation of OPEC. This book takes us there through the life of an extraordinary woman. Wanda, her first name sufficed to identify her whether in the court of the King of Saudi Arabia or the Exxon executive offices, had access to the boardrooms and bedouins that created the oil machine. She spoke the truth to their faces and told her readers what went on behind the curtain. In an all-male oil world, she earned respect and fear for the power she wielded as a journalist who knew as much or more about this crucial industry than the men who ran it. Anna Rubino captures Wanda, a strangely reclusive woman who quietly re-wrote the rules of business journalism and influenced the world we live in today.



3. Review for "The Queen of the Oil Club"
   Anna Rubino takes us into the world of oil in the 1950's through the eyes of a remarkable woman, Wanda Jablonski. In this clearly readable book the reader is exposed to the personalities of the industry leaders, the look and feel of the Middle Eastern cities and the customs and concerns of its people. Filled with high drama, this book tells a fascinating and timely story, perhaps even more relevant in view of today's oil crisis.
   Donald and Kathie Eppert



4. Anna Rubino was a brilliant scholar of history at Yale as she pursued her PhD. Now she has written a brilliant historical study, impeccable in scholarship but also timely and exciting. Five stars all around.
   --William Lilley III, a Yale history faculty member when the author was a graduate student.



5. You will be sucked into the story from page one. How could a woman named Wanda Jablonski have climbed into the middle of the super secret, conspiratorial world of global oil and remain there for more than 30 years as big oil's top digging journalist? The author, Anna Rubino, lays it out in page-turning fashion.
   
   Wanda broke all the stereotypes. She was on a first-name, trusted basis with Arab oil sheikhs. Her publication, Petroleum Intelligence Weekly, became the must read for every global oil player. She broke all the big stories in a career that, as written in this compelling book, tracks more like a great work of fiction - except it's all true. If you want to understand the forces that have carried us into the current world of skyrocketing fuel prices, read this book.
   
   It's a great summer escape - particularly if you can't afford the gas to get to the beach! You can sit under an umbrella on the back deck, grab a cool drink and get absorbed.
   
   Wanda Jablonski - one of the most important journalists in U.S. history. Who knew?

5 comments about The Mailroom: Hollywood History from the Bottom Up.

1. The book is a collection of anecdotes, a collection that is far larger than it needs to be. The author seems desperate to show us how comprehensive he can be, putting in everything he possibly could instead of culling out the mundane.
   
   For every anecdote that is interesting, insightful, entertaining, etc...--in other words, worthwhile--there are half a dozen that all read like this:
   
   "How did I get into the business? I don't know, let me see. I wasn't doing anything with my life, but my aunt knew a guy at [insert agency here]. I interviewed. They said there was no way they could offer me a job. A week later they offered me a job. I took it."
   
   Now if the interviewee is a Hollywood big shot, o.k., but if not....
   
   Basically it's a nice rough draft for the book it could have been had someone applied a stronger editorial hand and produced a much tighter, "punchier" work.



2. I'm a former talent agency trainee. I worked at one of the majors. This book tells it like it is, and I wish this book was published before my talent agency stint. If you have ever seen the show "Survivor", you can get an idea of what it's like to climb the agency, or Hollywood ladder. There are very few spots, and there many people clambering for those spots. And those people who want it the most will do whatever it takes. It's very cutthroat. An agency with 100 agents, has 100 assistants, all of whom want to be agents. Maybe 10 of them will make it. Family members of Hollywood VIP's most probably WILL get promoted to agents (but after that it's still sink or swim..you'll read the story of Peter Guber's daughter in this book...she sunk). Same goes for Harvard grads...deep Harvard connections in Hollywood. Many trainees quit. The attrition rate is huge. It's a crazy business, and nearly impossible to have a balanced life as a trainee (or agent, or for anyone else in Hollywood). It's no walk in the park for new agents either. They start with a tiny salary (although more than a trainee)and must perform or they're out.
   
   Before going to Hollywood, be real with yourself and determine if you're cut out for it. This book gives you a good glimpse into those who make it. Unless you are highly extroverted, and an extremely high energy person, than don't choose this career. If you are a person who needs downtime to collect their thoughts, than don't choose this career. If you are a person who needs their 8 hours of sleep a night, than don't choose this career (you may never sleep again!). If you aren't a highly social person, than don't choose this career (i.e. does your phone ring off the hook in your personal life?). Are you politically savvy, or do you put your foot in your mouth? Can you handle egomanic clients? (and agents). Can you handle being screamed at on a regular basis? Can you handle the pressure of doing more work in one day than most people accomplish in two weeks, including juggling several hundred phone calls? I'm convinced that those agents that make it to the top, are people who'd make a fortune in any business. They're natural salesmen, born with charisma; have endless energy, and can win people over with a glance.
   
   Also, determine if your morals/values are congruent with Hollywood. You might have to do some nasty things to people on your way up the ladder to success. In Hollywood, nastiness is embraced, not frowned upon. In Hollywood, real world morals and values are turned upside down. Believe it or not, many people in Hollywood are so egomanical that they consider people who don't work in Hollywood to be, "losers", or "the little people" (unless you're an internet billionaire or the equivilent). They believe they are the chosen ones. Even if you made a couple mil a year manufacturing cardboard boxes, they'd turn their nose up at you. It's a very snobby club.
   
   Does all this bring people happiness? For some I guess. It seemed to me that many agents were very unhappy and perpetually stressed out.
   
   Although my experience was interesting, had I realistically assessed my personality, which I would have, had I read this book, I would never have set foot in Los Angeles. Other than that, this book is a very entertaining read on the ins and outs of a ruthless business.



3. You don't get what you deserve in life, you get what you negotiate.
   
   This is the first quote in the book and I cannot tell you how many times I have used this in the past month. This book looks at the entertainment industry from the earliest days of William Morris (1930') through the collapse of the studio system, to the "young turks" of CAA until today. The author speaks to a varied group of people who went through the system. Many survived and stayed in entertainment business and some moved on to other things. What I most enjoyed about this book was that it didn't just cover the famous (Geffen, Diller, Ovitz) who rose out of the mailroom, but it also covered those who helped create the system that these people who control what we watch today came out of. For the number of people interviewed and covered, this book was excellently edited for flow and did not double up too much on stories. Very readable and informative. After reading this I pulled out my copy of "Swimming with Sharks" and watched it again with the new feeling of an insider.



4. I listened to the book on tape of The Mailrooom. Different mailroom employees from different Hollywood & New York Agencies give their stories of what it was like to work in the Mailroom and learn to be an Agent. The book starts with some of the older Agents who began way back when Agencies were first formed. Interesting stories about the stars of the 1950s all the way up to present times.
   I really liked the stories of the pranks some of the mailroom employees would play on eachother. And some of the horror stories when they made mistakes on the job are really amazing.
   The Mailroom is an interesting and amusing book about the inner workings of the Entertainment Business. The stories of how the mailroom employees make it to the top to become Agents are a real lesson in how the industry works.



5. If you have an interest in the entertainment industry, this is an absorbing must-read, absolutely fascinating from cover to cover, the kind you don't want to put down. Can't recommend it highly enough!

5 comments about The Secret History of the American Empire: Economic Hit Men, Jackals, and the Truth about Global Corruption.

1. The Secret History of the American Empire by John Perkins author of Confessions of an Economic Hit Man.
   P. 283; "The world is not in danger. We are. If we don't change our ways, Mother Nature will shake us off like so many fleas."
   This fast moving book is packed with historical revelations and profound thoughts.
   Read it!



2. Perkins once again tells it like it is. We are part of the problem. Our addiction to cheap clothing and exercise equipment (put together in tropical sweatshops by people living only marginally better than inmates of Nazi prison camps) fuels the system. We have to change, to live sustainable lifestyles. Read the book. Once you understand the problem, you will want to be part of the solution.



3. Wow, I can't believe the reviews have been so favorable for this writers books. It's as though people just stop thinking for themselves. Let me save you 15 bucks. Down w/ capitilism, people who make money are bad. No mention that, perphaps, it's government interference and manipulation of fiscal programs around the world that cause corperations to act as they do.



4. I just finished reading this book. I've been researching this subject for a few years, but more importantly, have been experiencing the effects in my life of the systems he describes. The changin times are barrelling upon us. As a former world traveller, I can attest to everything he says.
   
   This is a concise wrap up of his experience produced in a highly readable format, and I believe is indicative of a broader picture. I like that at the end of the book he gives some suggestions for solutions and ways to work together to transform the world.
   
   Read this book!



5. Excellent follow-up by Mr. Perkins of his astonishing "Confessions of an EHM". First-class condition and splendid service from supplier.
   If there is in the world a politician who has not read both of these works, then he or she does not deserve the position.

5 comments about Howard Hughes: His Life and Madness.

1. After watching the movie AVIATOR about Howard Hughes' life, I had to know more. This book is extremely detailed as it goes through his many business deals in his life to his ultimate tragic end. I am fascinated by Hughes and this book gave me more than I could have expected. I wanted to know more about his personal life than his business dealings and his financial status and so I bought another one. He certainly was a poor soul who was tortured by his mental illness and having so much money it allowed him to create his own mental hopsital where he could go deeper into maddness and this book shows you exactly how that happened.



2. This is the only Howard Hughes biography that I have read, so I can only discuss in it absolute terms.
   I thought it was facinating, and that the level of technical and business transaction detail was right on the mark. The author also did a great job of presenting information, rather than going off on his own interpretation of the greater meaning in it all.
   The only reason that I docked it a star is that it need to have an Update written that fills in some of the gaps of what transpired after the book was written. When the book ends, there are still open questions around several lawsuits, investigations, business transactions, and the inheritance. I would think most, if not all, of these issues have been resolved in the 25 years since the book was published, but we are left wondering what the resolutions were.
   All in all, a great and gripping read.



3. Great book. Get's a little technical when taling about aircraft. But I consider it a must read for fans of biographies.



4. Howard Hughes is hot right now. Just like John Nash of "A Beautiful Mind"-fame was a few years ago. The movie "The Aviator" has been nominated for more Oscars than any other. And, after seeing the movie everyone wants to know more about Howard Hughes and attempt to crack the mystery that was his life.
   
   There is no question Hughes' character was mythical. He was part Chuck Yeager, Donald Trump, Hugh Heffner, Steven Spielberg, and a genuine madman all combined in a strikingly handsome 6 foot 4 inches body frame. After reading this book, however, you may find that Hughes was ultimately more successful at creating a myth than anything else. Looking at his private life and business ventures, you will conclude that he was a tragic failure.
   
   This book has to be the most detailed biography on Hughes. The authors conducted a Herculean research effort that entailed the examination of a quarter million pages of records and documents, and reproducing over 50,000 pages of them. They traveled to numerous cities in the U.S. and Japan to conduct this research. As a result of this unparalleled research, the authors wrote a tightly written 600 page book in extremely small font. Thus, it is not a quick read. But, it is incredibly informative and fascinating.
   
   The scope and the details on Howard Hughes business and legal dealings is extremely thorough. And, you get a real sense of who he was, the way he thought, the way he mismanaged every business enterprises he engaged in. Hughes was obsessive about so many things. In business, he developed a weird set of obsessions that included not paying any taxes, becoming a major airline owner at all costs, becoming an aircraft manufacturer and also a defense contractor at all costs. For him, manufacturing an aircraft for the Department of Defense became a lifelong obsession. Contrary to what the outside World may believe, Hughes was not a brilliant businessman. Much to the contrary, he was really a madman. For every dollar he did not pay or save in taxes, he actually lost a dollar fifty or so. Thus, his various tax schemes were disasters from an after tax return standpoint. He also did not have the organizational, and managerial talent to pull off any of his grandiose obsessions to economic fruition. Hughes would certainly have become much richer being just a regular Trust baby supported by the extraordinary capital generated by the company created by his father, the Hughes Tool Company. The latter made a fortune by developing the most advanced oil drilling head. It became so successful as to become nearly a monopoly throughout the entire worldwide oil industry. This invention created the fortune that financed all of Howard Hughes business fantasies and fiascos. However, if he had done so [just become a Trust baby] he would not have become Howard Hughes and offer us the spectacle of one of the most grandiose, grotesque, and tragic life of modern times.
   
   The authors also covers in detail Hughes social life, movie producing years, and his long and irreversible descent into madness. This part is easier reading than the legal business disputes. The psychological profile that emerges is almost unbelievable.
   
   The book does an excellent job of debunking several myths about Hughes. One of them is Hughes the world class philanthropist. Indeed, he is known has having given during his lifetime a fortune to medical research. Well during his lifetime, his creation of The Howard Hughes Medical Institute was nothing more than a leveraged lease tax avoidance mechanism. Most of his donations funding this nonprofit entity went back to him in the form of lease payments on properties rented from various Hughes corporations at above market rents by this institute. Nowadays, the IRS never would grant such a research institute any tax-exempt status. In the Appendices, the authors do an excellent job of documenting the cash flows associated with this tax avoidance scheme. Almost, zero % of the donation to this institute went to medical research.
   
   At the end of the book, the "Chronology" is an excellent timeline map to get an overview of Hughes life. I found myself referring to it constantly to get my bearings of where was I in this convoluted story. Did he incur his first major mental breakdown before or after his spectacular Congressional hearings where he outwitted and demolished his Congressional nemesis? Amazingly enough, a quick reference to the Chronology confirms that he incurred his mental breakdown before the hearings.
   
   Also, the Epilogue is brilliant. It fully captures the essence and drama of this life and provides a coherent thematic summary of this 600 page book.
   
   In any case, if you really want to find out more about Hughes this is the book.



5. Great book, with many great details.
   This book will tell you all you really need to know about this great man.
   The latest movie about Howard Hughes is nothing compared to this book. What was Hollywood thinking when they decided to make this movie? It did not say anything about his Vegas ventures, which was a crucial time in his life. If one knew about his time in the Flamingo hotel, it would have been easy to relate to his crazyness, mentality and thinking. Nothing also was mentioned in the movie about his voyages around the world, which started it all, and his life after his aviation follies. I know the movie was called "The Aviator", but if you did not know anything about Howard before you saw the movie, then all you would think was that he was some crazy aviator who wasted his time building a giant aircraft that was never used for military or commercial purposes, dated a movie star and was always concerned that the US government was out to distroy him. (Well, the government tried really hard!!)
   Who knows, maybe Airbus engineers had Howard Hughes in mind when they build their latest aircraft, the giant A380.
   Mr. Hughes will be forever the pioneer who started it all.
   In this book though,his life and his legacy are well preserved.
   It is very well written, it tells use about his dramatic life, his eratic lifestyle and behavior, his connections to everything that was going on in the US at the time, and his constant drive for perfection. Hero or not, he was sometimes crazy but also brilliant.
   If one really wants to know who Howard Hughes really was, all questions will be answered here. This book will tell you everything.
   Very long but really good read.