5 comments about McColl: The Man with America's Money.

1. Ross Yockey does an exceptional job of explaining the ins and outs of bankings most aggressive company while capturing the thoughts and emotions of the very real human beings involved. Inspiration can be drawn from this book for all walks of life.



2. Althought I enjoyed this book about Hugh McColl, I got the impression it was another part to McColl's PR effort. The book was so flattering in its portrayal of Mr. McColl you wondered if Bank of America might not have subsidized it. Even with that criticism, I still recommend the book to anyone interested in the background of the buyer of Bank of America.



3. This book is not only poorly written, but is also the most BORING book I have ever read in my life, or tried to read for that matter. How can an author sit and write 600+ pages on one person and not even make it interesting... I mean 600+ PAGES IS BIG! I wouldnt mind a couple hundred pages on a very much more RICH MAN THAN I AM,, but thats another story... ANyway I rate this book as a very poorly written, and boring book that is a complete waste of money and time!



4. Although some of the subject material is interesting, this book is poorly written and just plain BORING. The author must have been paid by the word; he fills over 600 pages with petty details of relatives and co-workers. I had intended to read this book cover-to-cover, but I just couldn't stomach some of the meaningless drivel. This book could have been a good read at 200 pages, but not 600+.



5. As a former Bank of America employee, I read with interest Ross Yockey's authorized biography of Hugh McColl. McColl proves to be a shark when it comes to buying banks, devouring one bank after another in an effort to build a coast to coast banking franchise. Yockey provides much detail of McColl's early years, growing up in an affluent household (McColl's father owned banks and land) as well as McColl's efforts to impress his hard-to-please father. It was McColl's father who gave his son a push into banking, making a phone call to an old friend to help Hugh land a bank job with NCNB. The book details McColl's rise in NCNB, and, once he became more powerful in that organization, his many business conquests, first taking over, with military precision, small banks in North and South Carolina and then moving on to larger banks in Texas, Georgia, Florida, Missouri and finally San Francisco's Bank of America. On the negative side, the details of the BofA/NationsBank "merger of equals" are sparse, but I understand that the book was printed too soon to provide any information that isn't already available in newspapers. Also somewhat tiring is Yockey's, or McColl's, negative image of anything north of Baltimore and west of Charlotte. Throughout the book, there are constant negative references to anything outside of the South. Yockey also paints McColl as a man who believes deeply in diversity. But his contempt for anything outside of the South (or anyone who is not a former NationBank employee) makes one wonder how sincere McColl really is about diversity and inclusion. One interesting note, not mentioned in the book, is that most of the senior female employees in the old Bank of America left the bank soon after the merger. If McColl truly believes in diversity, I'm sure more would have stayed. It is also interesting to note that, in all of McColl's major takeovers, most of the senior staff (both male and female) in the takeover targets were either forced out or left the organization. McColl clearly shows loyalty to his old NB teammates and seems to have difficulty accepting his new associates. Overall, the book was enjoyable and entertaining.

3 comments about Saigo Takamori - The Man Behind.

1. As the first biography in English of Saigo Takamori and the first work to use original source material to examine his near-mythic status in Japanese history, this book does have value. However, it is not for the general reader. Though prodigious research was obviously behind this work, little accommodation is made to narrative thrust. The book appears to have been expanded from the author's masters thesis with passages which vary, often jarringly, in tone from the academic material. For those seeking a complete and more readable but still reputable history of the real man behind the character in "The Last Samurai" a better choice by far is the book by that name written by Mark Ravina.



2. This is a worthwhile read, mainly because it is the only book in English on a fascinating subject: the life of Saigo Takamori. Much credit is to be given to Yates for exposing the true Saigo, which is quite different from the Saigo myth that has grown up in Japan over the last 130 years. Many pages are devoted to what Saigo's true motivations and skills were. My biggest disappointment was the lack of any detail about the military operations that Saigo conducted. The worst example of this is that the entire 7-month Seinan War is covered in about 2 pages.



3. I had the great privelege and pleasure to have Charles Yates as my professor as an undergraduate. His keen insights and methodical decontruction, or "unpacking" of issues were seminal in my thinking about not only Japan, but the wider world. This book displays the same kind of attention to detail and thoroughgoing scholarship, combined with finely-honed skepticism, in dealing with one of the less understood figures in Meiji Japan. Through his ability to see through to the "why" in conventional scholarship, Chuck was able to write a convincing and human account of Saigo Takamori which successfully challenges the established ideas about the oligarch.

4 comments about Architect of Quality : The Autobiography of Dr. Joseph M. Juran.

1. 
   This is an excellent autobiography by one of the most renowned quality gurus in the world. His contributions to the field of quality management in his over 70 active working years is outstanding. Dr. Juran was the first to incorporate the human aspect of quality management which is referred to as Total Quality Management.
   
   Among the quality management ideas and concepts for which Juran is well known include top management involvement, the Pareto principle, the need for widespread training in quality, the definition of quality as fitness for use, the project-by-project approach to quality improvement.
   
   Juran was born in 1904 in Rumania. The family immigrated to the USA some few years later in search of the American dream and to escape poverty in their country. Young Juran was a gifted scholar with special aptitudes for mathematic and science. In 1920, he enrolled at the University of Minnesota. By 1925, he had received a B.S. in Electrical Engineering. He worked at the Western Electric Company in the Inspection Department of the famous Hawthorne Works in Chicago. This was a huge and complex factory, manned by 40,000 workers. This presented Juran with his first challenge in management.
   
   Juran was one of two engineers for the Inspection Statistical Department, one of the first of such divisions created in American industry.
   
   By 1937, Juran was the chief of Industrial Engineering at Western Electric in New York. His work involved visiting other companies and discussing methods of quality management. During WWII, Juran served in Washington, D.C. as an assistant administrator for the Lend-Lease Administration. He and his team improved the efficiency of the process, eliminating excessive paperwork and thus hastening the arrival of supplies to the USA allies. Juran finally left Washington in 1945 and chose to devote the remainder of his life to the study of quality management.
   
   Juran became Chairman of the Department of Administrative Engineering at New York University (NYU), where he taught for many years. He also created a thriving consulting practice, and wrote books and delivered lectures for American Management Association (AMA). It was his time with NYU and the AMA which allowed for the development of his management philosophies which are now embedded in the foundation of American and Japanese management. His classic book, the Quality Control Handbook, first released in 1951, is widely used reference work for quality managers.
   
   This is an excellent book that is highly recommended for managers as well as quality specialists.



2. Juran is known as a Quality "guru", but this book makes clear that he made significant contributions to management theory, human resources management and consulting as well. The historical perspectives provided by such a distinguished leader in these areas is illuminating. The book is a fast read, and is focused on his professional journey, with only a little about his life outside work (I would have liked more about this side of his life). His affection for the United States, and his work with the Japanese come through as high points.



3. This autobiography of Dr. Juran, who overcame childhood tragedy to make an impact on business and society, examines his career and work life with an eye to showing how they influenced his professional development and eventual reputation in the business management world. His concepts of quality eventually became a part of businesses around the world: Architect Of Quality will appeal to any interested in how the quality concept became embedded in the business plan.



4. This book was a real eye opener for me. I know a little about the Quality world -- and Juran is the #1 man in Quality.

   He pulled the tools together into one place for identification of waste, putting the ideas into forms management could understand, and developing problem solving methods for fixing it.

   It was really interesting to see where this man came from and how his concepts and ideas came together.

   Easy reading and the sort of book that will make you want to dig into his other heavier management and engineering books.

3 comments about The Jenny Craig Story: How One Woman Changes Millions of Lives.

1. I'm on the Jenny Craig program and I love it! However, this book left a LOT to be desired. I thought it was boring and even though she says things like "I'm not bragging but...", she really is. I really don't want to hear about her $2.5 million race horse and all of her expensive stuff when I'm struggling to come up with the considerable amount of money I pay each week for Jenny Craig food. As a businesswoman myself, I was hoping to read an inspirational story, but it was not too be.



2. We've all seen the commercials starting off when the staff had lab coats to now with people losing weight and living a healthier life. But you never really think about the fact that there was a real Jenny Craig that was running the business. This is a great book that details everything from the risk of starting a business to discovering the delights and challenges of working in the corporate world. A worthy read if you've ever been on the client side of the diet industry.



3. There are commercials and ads for the Jenny Craig program but I didn't realize that there was a real Jenny Craig! This is a wonderful first person account of how she started the business--with no advanced degrees or training--and built it into a huge empire. It wasn't always easy and Mrs. Craig had to make some difficult decisions along the way. I learned a lot about how she ran the business. This book should inspire many people to get off the couch and start working toward something they want--whether it be getting in better shape or finding a new career.

No comments about The Ultimate Lark: In Search of Epicurean Adventure.

3 comments about Defying the Odds.

1. This lady has a wonderful sense of life.
   I found the book interesting, informative and inspiring.
   I have a small business and I am asking all of my 20 employees to read it.
   Thank you Marcia.
   (My only criticism is that it was too short!)



2. Marcia Israel begins the book as a poor girl in New York working as a part time model and bookkeeper, and by the end she's not only a successful entrepreneur who has been named "Woman of the Year" by the Los Angeles Times, but a world traveler, a Presidential commission appointee, a USC professor, and somebody who entertains heads of state in her home.

   It's an incredible story.

   She also gives good advice along the way for aspiring business owners.




3. "Defying the Odds" is an autobiographical account of Marcia Israel-Curley's trials and triumphs as she founded and grew the "Judy's" line of specialty clothing stores. A highly successful chain that was founded in late 1940's, it set several precedents that are still followed today by most specialty chains.

   But this was a time when a woman working outside the home was not totally accepted, a woman at the head of a successful corporation was pretty much unheard of, and the average retail store lasted only three years.

   The author starts with some background on her family and her childhood. She follows that with how and why she started the clothing chain and then delves immediately into the ups and downs of the business. From the first small store that was so small it would only allow one customer in it at a time while others waited outside, to 104 stores, it is the story of strength, perseverance, and common sense. An encouraging read for anyone in business for themselves or thinking about it, it is a recommended read.

No comments about Famous Wisconsin: Inventors and Entrepreneurs (Famous Wisconsin).

5 comments about Defiance: How to Succeed in Business Despite Being Hounded by the FBI, the KGB, the INS, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, Interpo.

1. What this under-edited first-person tale lacks in presentation it more than makes up for with the story it brings: of a Russian businessman hounded by the KGB, the FBI and all manner of baddies, East and West. (Reviewed in Russian Life)



2. Alex Konanykhin's story of his phenomenal success against overwhelming odds in becoming one of Russia's first entrepreneurs and the steep price he paid as a result, is one that rivals and even tops any novel by James Patterson,Carol Higgins Clark, or Frederick Forsyth. The sad part is how the U.S. goverment was a willing party in Russia's attempt to suppress and kill Konanykhin.
   
   The most amazing part is that this is ALL verifiably true!



3. Defiance By Alex Konanykhin How to succeed in business despite being hounded by the FBI, INS, Homeland Scurity, Interpol, Department of Justice, and Mafia hit men. This is the amazing true story of Alex Konanykhin, a young man who made millions in Russia during and immediately after the ending of the Soviet Union's Communist dictatorship. He was an entrepreneur in business even before citizens were allowed to pursue capitalistic ventures and before he had completed college. His wealth was seized by the KGB and he had to flee Russia to keep from being killed or thrown into political prison. He continued to pursue business ventures within Russia even from his exile in Hungary and later the United States. In a difficult to fathom true account he describes how the United States government sold him out to the KGB and Russian mafia who wanted him returned to Russia so they could kill him. The biographical account reads like a Clancey novel. His determination and courage are amazing, and what was done to him by trusted government entities of several countries is horrifying. An interesting read.



4. Ever since the Soviet Union crumbled in the early 90s, many first-time entrepreneurs who had exceptional financial success amidst the chaos that followed the collapse of the old way of life found themselves targets by the ruthless Russian Mafia, the KGB and also, the United States government.
   
   This real life story of the author, Alex Konanykhin, is a detailed account of his life that spanned his relatively simple days in college to being the "Bill Gates" of Russia; from being one of the most powerful men close to Russian president Boris Yeltsin, to a marked man by the KGB; From a political refugee in the United States to being a prisoner, and then finally to freedom.
   
   Written during his frequent incarceration, Konanykhin narrates a story worthy of a best-selling spy novel that proves once again that reality is certainly far stranger than fiction. It tells us even in the free world as long as there is lust for money, no one can escape persecution.
   
   The book adequately shows insights into the dark world of Russian politics with its influence even reaching U.S. shores and the breadth and depth of the KGB's clout in the U.S. government. The paperback offers a different and deeper perspective into the conspiracies revolving inside Russia's political affairs. Many will find this revealing and will understand better what truly happened to the author.
   
   Readers will be shocked about the hidden agenda of governments including the US' own government. You will be convinced that what is commonly released in the media has more to it than meets the eye. As you read this book, you will also find it unbelievable that the US government is all too willing to help KGB-controlled Russia, the so-called "Superpower of Crime," catch its political enemies.
   
   The book also exposes a part of the Soviet culture which blindly hates capitalism yet it tolerates or sometimes encourages lust for power and wealth among its citizens.
   
   The author, whom the CIA calls "The Kid," reveals that titles are more important than actual production in a Soviet economy. To get by, one must be well-connected to men in power - it ensures a good job that pays well without having to actually work. It also shows how fear of authority restrains the whole nation from straying beyond the Soviet thinking. And only the brave few will prevail; challenging the status quo.
   
   Appropriately titled, Defiance tells its readers that even in a world such as where the author lived in and against all odds, one can triumph. Alex Konanykhin's memoir is an absolute must-read for anyone - particularly those who are interested in Russian business or politics.
   
   Today, Alex Konanykhin, 39, heads KMGI, a thriving high-tech B2B agency located in New York which services major corporations and ad agencies across the globe.



5. And you think you've got it rough?
   
   Young, wealthy, powerful and prominent one day and a robbed fugitive with a KGB contract out on his head the next, so has gone the life of Alex Konanykhin. Like they said it on 60 Minutes,
   
   "Alex Konanykhin didn't only have KGB after him...He had the FBI, the Justice Department, even the CIA all on his case, as a favor to the Russians, part of a deal to allow the FBI to keep a bureau in Moscow."
   
   And while you may have heard a bit about the chaos and danger faced by Alex and his wife Elena on 60 Minutes, CNN and FOX News, you now have the chance to experience the thrill of their misadventures first hand in Alex's new fact action page turner, Defiance.
   
   While the plot is as twisted as any international paperback novel, this is the real McCoy - every bit of it a true story. From cover to cover, you'll find yourself immersed in a world of cruelty, intrigue and espionage, and seeing it through the eyes of an indomitable hero diametrically opposed to the oppression and lack of moral fiber (and ingenuity) around him. What started out as merely an attempt to quell an internal business takeover took him on a whirlwind adventure that left them fleeing from country to country, until finally finding themselves seeking amnesty within the safety of the borders of the United States.
   
   But the story doesn't end there. In fact, it only begins.
   
   Soon after fleeing here for safety, Alex learned that it wasn't just Russia that was after his life. You may just be surprised to learn of some of the social (and potentially life-threatening) injustices that various departments of the United States government made this young man and his wife suffer through as the US Court system became the playing field for a battle of immense, far reaching and often quite unexpected proportions.
   
   More than just a great fast paced read highlighting the highs and lows of an incredible decade of change, Defiance is also a great source of motivation and inspiration for rising entrepreneurs and business men and women all across the globe. In addition to the hope inspired by the story of the chase, you'll also find wonderful insight into the budding economy and changing political ideology in Russia that are sure to refresh the hearts and minds of even the staunchest and experienced Capitalists around!
   
   In a world far too short of people with principles, integrity, and long-suffering Alex's story is sure to inspire individuals in just about any negative situation, from imprisoned immigrants to disgruntled employees, to reach above their current circumstances and hold fast to a dream of something more, something better.
   
   With an intense plot that will speed you from the first page to the last, and a bird's eye view of a world straight out of a spy novel (hey, that's not just me saying that, judges said so too!) Defiance is a compelling page turner that solidly deserves two thumbs up!
   
   -Jennifer Gibbs

1 comments about William Marshal, Knight-errant, Baron, and Regent of England (MART: The Medieval Academy Reprints for Teaching).

1. I learned after reading the Painter biography of William Marshal that it has been largely superseded by David Crouch's (which I will be reading soon), but I believe it still has much to offer.
   
   For this work, first published in 1933, Painter draws heavily on the _Histoire de Guillaume le Marechal_, a contemporary chronicle written by an obvious Marshal partisan. Naturally, the Histoire's version on Marshal's life, the glowing but vague physical descriptions, the legendary exploits and such, is to be taken with a grain of salt. However, Painter's book is much more than a mere translation of the _Histoire_. While Marshal's early life is to some extent lost in the mists of time, significant objective information becomes available beginning with his association with the Plantagenets when he was in his early 20s. From this point on, this well-footnoted book references a variety of chronicles and administrative records, and references to the _Histoire_ grow fewer and farther between.
   
   Two aspects of Marshal's life make his life story especially edifying to the medievalist:
   
   First, it shows us what virtually every younger son who didn't go into holy orders wanted to be. Marshal epitomized the late twelfth-century knight, first distinguishing himself in battle and on the tournament field, then garnering the attention of a powerful patron, Eleanor of Aquitaine, which he then parlayed into a long and profitable royal association that included marriage to the wealthiest heiress in the realm. Late in life, he became the reluctant but highly effective regent of England. Even if the _Histoire_ sometimes is a bit too glowing in its praise, somewhat over the top in detailing his exploits, "reading between the lines" renders an only slightly duller portrait.
   
   Second, his long life and intimate association with English royalty means that his story is also a crash course in early Plantagenet history, beginning with latter part of Henry II's reign and then encompassing Richard I, John, and the first few years of the boy king Henry III. While Painter probably isn't entirely fair to John, with whom William fell out a couple of times, William's experiences with John are well-documented and can still be instructive.
   
   I found Painter's writing surprisingly readable, at least as much, and probably more so, than Georges Duby's. Painter was only slightly less enthusiastic about Marshal than the writer of the _Histoire_, never applying anything but the highest of motives to Marshal's actions. But he does a good job of justifying his positions; I always felt they were grounded in realism.

No comments about Veblen in Perspective: His Life and Thought (Studies in Institutional Economics).