5 comments about Saving the Sun: How Wall Street Mavericks Shook Up Japan's Financial World and Made Billions.

1. In the 1980's, Japan was considered an economic powerhouse and their sun was still rising. There was genuine fear in the United States of that power; the news broadcasts of the time were full of new Japanese purchases of properties in the U. S. and there was talk of restricting how much could be purchased. Much of this was based on real estate prices in Japan and some of the figures are incredible. At one time, the land area of the imperial palace, approximately 1.15 square kilometers, was estimated to be equal in value to the entire state of California or the entire country of Canada.
   However, most of this value was nothing more than a speculative bubble, and very early into the nineties, it crashed. This left the Japanese banks with billions of dollars of uncollectible loans and looking for a way to survive. With deepest reluctance, some original thinkers in the Japanese banking community looked to American capital vendors to assist in their recovery. This is the story of those events, but it is just as much a story of the contrast and clash of two cultures.
   In America, the flow of capital is largely freewheeling, the ideal is that it will always move to where it can most quickly be reproduced. However, in Japan, that is not the case. Lending is done based largely on personal and institutional relationships. Cooperation, even to the point of losing money, is the cultural imperative, reinforced by tradition and social pressures. It was considered very unacceptable for banks to call in unserviceable debt, with some banks referring to insolvent companies as "their children." Therefore, when the bubble burst, most banks themselves were insolvent.
   However, the leaders of the banks did not come clean, preferring to hide their problems with accounting tricks. One humorous incident is related where the true records were hidden in a closet when Japanese government inspectors were conducting an on-site audit. This behavior, considered criminal in the United States, was much more acceptable in Japan, which points out what are the real lessons to be learned from this book.
   Although the economic might of Japan leads those in the western nations to believe that it is economically similar, in fact it is not. The differences are dramatic and the explanations of how those cultural differences make economic differences make this book very interesting. Without the cultural contrasts, this is just another story about a weak, bankrupt company being taken over by another. While interesting, there is no real intensity to the story.
   I was amazed at reading how an American company that specializes in takeovers managed to purchase an interest in an insolvent Japanese bank and how all parties handled the event. There were political repercussions on both sides of the Pacific and it was necessary for some fundamental changes to be made in the Japanese financial systems. The events took place in the early 1990's, well after the economies of Japan and the United States had two decades to get to know each other. And yet, there was still a lot of misunderstanding and some naiveté on both sides.
   The Americans made the typical mistakes of thinking that the circumstances were no different than when they were on Wall Street. As soon as the company was saved and the price had gone up, they wanted to take their profits and run. This is anathema to the Japanese, and they should have known that. Their attempt to do so created a lot of unnecessary ill will that needed to be smoothed over. The Japanese also made the typical mistake of thinking that the Americans would act like Japanese after they purchased a Japanese company.
   This is an excellent book on international finance and the recurring problems of the Japanese economy. For years, the Asian form of crony capitalism was considered the model for economic growth, and a force that could not be stopped. In this book, you learn the fundamental flaws of such a system and how difficult it is for two cultures to engage in an economic marriage of convenience, even when there is no choice in the matter.



2. This is the first book I read about Japanese banks and this has not only given me an insight about their banking system but about how the Japan's Economic Policy is the face of Japan's Banks. It is about the clash between Japanese Traditional way of life against the changing face of the world. This book is about Globalization, this book is about dreams, this book is about Japanese pride. Go read this book.



3. I don't usually read books like these but I decided to purchase it anyway. How can something as dry as Japanese banking reform be interesting? Well Gillian Tett made it interesting enough. As with her style of writing, I note that the chapter headings fully telegraph what is about to take place in the narative, I thought, well whats the fun of reading on if you know what is going to happen? With that, Tett's narative is replete with all the drama one can ever read in a good novel. There are deaths, gangsters, flamboyant characters, politics, society, culture clashes, and mix in with all of this, economics.
   
   The Japanese are suppose to be the smart ones. They excel in many areas requiring technical knowledge. The media never misses an opportunity to point out how inferior Americans are when it comes to math and such knowledge. I was therefore amazed when I have read that the Japanese don't have a grasp of the simple relationship between risk and return. I would have thought that they'd have overly complicated financial models using high level math. But it turns out that, from my perspective, the way the LTCB bankers did business was bizarre. Why would anybody be paternalistic when it comes to money?
   
   I won't spoil the ending but it seems obvious from the title of the book what will unfold, in fact, it is the heading of the final chapter. I belive but am not sure that the paperback has an epilogue, revisiting the many chracters as further back as 2004. There are classes offered at university focusing in Asian economics and also Japanese economics as well. Gillian Tett's tract would be apposite as reading material if you are into that.



4. Saving the Sun is about the corporate culture of Japan's financial industry and how it is changing. Gillian Tett focuses on one institution, The Long Term Credit Bank, to illustrate what happened and how the financial environment in Japan is changing.
   
   The LTCB was a key player in Japan's post war miracle. It lent money to fund business operations and new ventures, working in close cooperation with the elite bureaucrats of Japan's Ministry of Finance and Ministry of International Trade and Industry. Then in the 1980s, drunk on its spectacular success, Japan Inc. excessively invested in thoughtless projects, all funded by the LTCB and the rest of the financial industry, with no thought at all given to making money. Prestige was everything.
   
   As a result, the Japanese financial system almost collapsed; what survived had to change. Banks began failing despite attempts by the Ministry of Finance to organize rescues. Some failed banks were nationalized, among them the LTCB; these institutions were then put up for sale but no one in Japan wanted them.
   
   There were tragedies. Katsunobu Onogi, a fatherly and admirably responsible gentleman of the old school, was arrested and charged, spending a month in custody before being found guilty and sentenced to three years in jail, suspended. A colleague, Takashi Uehara, committed suicide, which in Japan is a gesture of atonement, not an escape. At another bank, the president parachuted in from the Bank of Japan, Tadayo Honma, also killed himself again to atone for the system's failure.
   
   Then Tim Collins's Ripplewood, an American fund, arrived and offered to rescue the LTCB. This was politically difficult. The Japanese don't like foreign ways, and the thought of a pillar of Japanese finance being bought out by foreigners provoked public outrage. In the end MoF had no choice and the deal went through.
   
   The bank was renamed Shinsei, meaning "Rebirth" in Japanese. A remarkable man, Masamoto Yashiro, was hauled out from a second retirement after a full career at Esso Sekiyu (Exxon's Japan operation) and the creation of Citibank's Japanese retail business, to oversee the reconstruction. Clash was inevitable. The conservative rank and file employees had no idea how to work with the hyperactive can-do go-go-go managers now running the show. A new Indian head of IT, Jay Dvivedi, junked the old mainframes and installed, in mere months, a new state-of-the-art system featuring PCs on every desk and instant access to whatever reports management wanted. The corporate planning department, which decided new products, disappeared: henceforth Shinsei would listen to its customers to determine their needs.
   
   The financial revolution isn't over. Shinsei's success wasn't total. Major clients were allowed to fail, Sogo department store went bankrupt. Politicians blamed Shinsei for not being kinder to its debtors.
   
   I've worked for the IT departments of foreign banks in Japan since 1995 so this book strikes particularly close to home for me. I can even see the Shinsei headquarters from my desk. Interesting and informative. Recommended.
   
   Vincent Poirier, Tokyo



5. In the 1980's, Japanese business could seem to do no wrong. From business publications such as The Wall Street Journal and Forbes, to the mainstream press (Newsweek, The New York Times and CNN), the press wrote glowingly about Japanese business. For over a decade we read that our western practices were too short sighted and antiquated- we clearly needed to take a more "Japanese approach" to doing business, and in so doing, could be successful as they have been.
   
   But a short time later Japanese companies were in big trouble in the US and back in Japan. Their stock market crashed, the real estate boom crashed, and the entire Japanese economy seemed to be not just in serious trouble, but in a meltdown of catastrophic proportions. What went wrong?
   
   This book does an extremely credible job of explaining both how and why, and in simple layman's terms that anyone can easily understand. Using many specific examples, Gillian Tett shows how American and Japanese thought and business practices are polar opposites. These differences are not just a matter of the differences in culture between east and west--they go considerably deeper. But by the end of the book, the results were able to speak for themselves. By bringing in a new international management team made up of Japanese, American, Indian and Australian management, an insolvent bank that had been bought out for the first time in history by a group of western investors (!!) became a success story.
   
   I'm an investment banker myself that has (in previous lives) worked for two different Japanese multinationals over a 7-year period in the 80's and 90's. My own experiences with Japan are mixed. I made some great friends, and have developed a high level of respect for their work ethic and their dedication to their employers, and usually, to each other. But in my opinion, the extreme xenophobia that permeates Japanese culture will not be lessened anytime soon. The term "gaijin" when politely translated means "foreigner." But to many (but not all) Japanese the term is not polite at all.
   
   Get this one. I don't give out many "five star" ratings, but I so for this book without quibbling. I look forward to future works from Ms. Tett.

5 comments about The Father of Spin: Edward L. Bernays and The Birth of Public Relations.

1. Larry Tye attempts an ambitious view of Edward Bernays but falls short. While his stories are entertaining he fails to draw a connection between his ideas and the results. Frankly, I found Michael Levine's Guerilla PR Wired to be a much better and useful read.



2. Bernays is generally acknowledged as the Father of PR. But, is he also the Father of Spin?

   Tye writes a fascinating biography of this key communications individual, filled with the key episodes that earned Bernays his moniker. From getting women to smoke to getting people to eat bacon, Bernays always seemed to figure out a way.

   But, Tye focuses heavily on these episodes and gives short shift to the implictions and consequences of Bernays's actions beyond fattening the bottom line. While it is true Bernays could not have fully appreciated all the consequences, his relentless drive to serve his clients reveals a man who forgot that public relations means being the conduit between the public and the client, not being another salesman, no matter how clever.

   If you're interested in seeing the modern fruition of Bernays's tactics, then I suggest Michael Levine's Guerilla PR: Wired, which updates Bernays's ideas into the digital age.

   Overall, this book is well-worth reading if you're interested in a man's actions. But, if you're interested in seeing how a man's actions can affect the world, then you might be better off with another book.




3. The book is entertaining in parts and provides interesting information to someone who has no prior knowledge on Bernays. But considering the impact Bernay's ideas & work made on PR and spin and consequently the American way of life, I found the writing style to be rather flippant; and the book, as a whole, skimpy. From the research material available and the interviews which he had conducted, Tye could have written a more substantial if not a scholarly piece, irrespective of his sentiments for Bernays the person. Perhaps, that was not his intention. However, Tye did make a bold claim with his title, and I naturally expected more from his book.



4. Larry Tye takes on a subject that few journalists would regard of savory: the biography of a PR man. One might dismiss PR people as not meriting attention or even toleration. But Tye walks a fine line here because the life of Eddie Bernays has some tension and complexity, and the book makes that clear. He is a worthwhile character study, not just for people in the communications industry, but also those in business more generally, politics, or interested in consumer and opinion issues. As Freud's nephew, Bernays carried around more heritage than most, and how he shoulders that burden creates interest. Bernays also placed himself at the forefront of an industry's development, and that creates another set of issues. The book is fraught with the same conflict that many deal with in communications: are they adding egocentric bias to information, or warping it for vested powers? Lastly, Bernays had a role in helping leaders develop their visibility, but does he stand as a peer at their shoulders? Tye does a great job at making us reflect on these issues in this highly readable book.



5. I enjoyed this book immensely. Tye chronicles Bernay's life and times well. Bernay's is presented as a genius and a demon and the facts support that he was both! If you disagree, read this book; it reveals how there are no real heroes, just good/bad/indifferent PR!

5 comments about The Accidental Investment Banker: Inside the Decade that Transformed Wall Street.

1. The author takes up into the life of investment banking, the personalities and the moralities of those in this world. This is very similar to all of the other book of this ilk. Its good meat and potatoes when describing the players and processies of this world.



2. The book touches on the politics inside GS and gives you a better idea about how those that leave GS stay in touch. It helped a little with understanding certain people in my firm, and that's why it's somewhat informative about investment banking culture, but you read a couple of these books and realize that they're all the same - especially if you're already working in investments industry. I'd recommend more detailed books about Milken, those had a more lasting impression than this book, i.e. The Predators' Ball: The Inside Story of Drexel Burnham, and Barbarians at the Gate. Those are still very relevant to today's developments.



3. I did enjoy this book, though perhaps I was expecting a little too much in the way of entertainment factor. There is a very extensive history of Goldman Sachs - to the point that it almost seems the book is focused more on the firm than on telling the story of the author.
   
   The book does serve as a good primer for those that don't really know what investment banking is, and want to get a sense of what Wall Street is like. It does not however, quite live up to the quote on the cover - "a ringside seat to the madcap and often egomaniacal world of wall street's masters of the universe".
   
   This is a good book, but you should also checkout "Monkey Business", "Bank", and "Liar's Poker" for a more light-hearted, but still informational look at investment banking.



4. This book isn't quite as good as its cover would suggest. You'd be better off getting a copy of Monkey Business, which is hysterical. My greatest frustration with this book is that it is so ridden with typographical errors (which any investment banker past or present will tell you is a HUGE no-no) that it was actually distracting.
   
   I am friends with someone mentioned in Knee's book, and fortunately my friend got off unscathed in Knee's commentary. Unlike many!



5. The writer did a very good job of explaining from his view what the world
   of investment banking is like. He also gives a good perspective of the
   changes that have occurred and what should be improved. I was looking for
   a good commentary on investment banking including past events that have
   occurred. I was very satisfied upon reading the book. The author also provides specific insight into events and culture of two specific investment houses which are fascinating in light of recent events. The
   author includes names of real people which lends more credibility to the
   book. For the serious student of the investment banking industry, this is
   a book to read in addition to others. It does provide an insider's view.
   
   Richard Macomber
   Cape Coral, FL

4 comments about Chanel: The Couturiere at Work.

1. (nermin8@yahoo.com) How to recall sectet life of the most influencal fashion Mademmoiselle of all times? For the first Chanel-biographyst it was a nightmare...So we should give a huge respect to evry new Chanel biography, and not just for this reason... Also this biography deserves great respect. Though, some questions aren't yet answered (they may never be), this colourful book, introduces us to some new detailes about the "Chanel cut" as well as Coco herself. Must read to any haute couture lover or dreamer...



2. Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel is adequately profiled in this book; from her very humble beginnings to her rise and fall -- and rise again -- this is an insightful biography of the woman and her work, which were for all intents and purposes inseparable. The authors capture not just the drive and determination which propelled Coco to the heights, but shrewdly illustrate how startlingly ahead of her time the designer was, and how much her work and ideas permeate fashion, even to the present day. Don't let the absurdities and excess of so much Chanel on the runway today fool you -- this woman was a visionary in her time, and the quintessence of her designs was paradoxically American; sporty, practical, possessed of a spare elegance, though she was in every way a Frenchwoman through and through. The early drawings of her first dresses are included here and are fascinating. Precious few exist, because -- as they book tells -- Coco Chanel preferred to design on the body, using live models. She was a perfectionist par excellence who introduced trends that transcended their time, and this modest book is a worthy addition to your library if you have any interest at all in the foundations of twentieth century fashion. There are many books on Chanel; I haven't read them all, so this isn't a comparative review, just the opinions of a fan of the couturiere as artist.



3. Chanel: The Couturiere At Work is a lovely survey of fashion icon Coco Chanel and her innovative fashion ideas, and belongs in any collection boasting a focus on fashion. Her style is examined in depth; from her first early creations in the early 20th century through her design changes over the decades and her creations through the House of Chanel. Loaded with black and white and color examples from all the periods, Chanel The Couturiere At Work is a 'must' for any serious fashion collection.



4. The writing is not very good - more like a stream of advertorials. There is overwhelming praise of Chanel's work - flattery more like it - without any criticism or analysis. However the pictures are good if you are collecting photos of Chanel's clothing designs over time. "Chanel and Her World" is a better book - it was put together with more thought. "Chanel: The Couturiere At Work" is just a thin book - more like a magazine, with insubstantial prose. Get it used.

5 comments about Valley Boy: The Education of Tom Perkins.

1. this book has more substance than is typical for the genre, and i was hooked on every page; wish there were more pages and illustrations :-)



2. Tom takes the opportunity to get his view of events in his life on the record. Very doubtful as biography, this book is more of an attempt to sway public interpretation of events in his long career, spanning early years in Hewlett Packard, the formation of the Kleiner Perkins venture capital firm, his sailing exploits, his marriage to Danielle Steele, and how he chose to use his vast wealth to influence events and people he encountered. Right up front he deals with the spying incidents at Hewlett Packard when Pattie Dunn was the chairwoman (very condescending), as well as his relationship with Carly Fiorina (very confrontational and rocky), but most of it comes off as self-serving and slanted to his view. Yet, the book is interesting as an peek into the restless and eclectic mind of the ultimate bootstrapper, a man who leveraged his times and opportunites into one of the most successful careers on record. Despite this, it also serves as a warning to those who believe great wealth is matched with great wisdom, since clearly, his wealth was poured into his world class collection of toys and houses. Take heed.



3. The book is a few interesting stories from his life told as if it were over several dinners and several glasses of wine.
   
   I personally like the conversational style and flow of the book and so highly recommend it.
   
   These are just a few vignettes from his life and I'm sure there are many more stories to tell.



4. Perhaps I'm the only one, but I found this book to be basically unreadable. (As such, I have only read a small part of it.) Tom Perkins is an impressive person with a successful career by many standards, and I am interested in what he does for a living even, but suffice it to say he is not one of our nation's best writers.



5. As an aspiring young entrepreneur, I found Tom Perkins' Valley Boy a most enjoyable read. I was able to easily relate to many of his stories, although my experiences are drastically different. I can understand why many people do not find this book enjoyable - they can not relate. While I would recommend this book (and already have) to most of my friends, I don't think it is written with a wide enough audience in mind. If I were given the opportunity to meet with Mr. Perkins, I am sure we could devise a more appealing piece of writing. His genius and creativity are quite evident, but his point of view as an author needs some adjustment.

5 comments about Running Scared: The Life and Treacherous Times of Las Vegas Casino King Steve Wynn.

1. This book is a real page turner. It is amazing it ever got printed, given Wynn's many attempts to strangle the unflattering portrayal it in its infancy. That in itself is reason enough to pick it up and study it.



2. So damaging to his super clean image, Wynn drove the original publisher into bancruptcy and tried everything he could manage to keep this book out of circulation. Steve Wynn vs. the First Amendment (1st 1, Wynn 0).
   
   Certainly did improve Vegas by leaps and bounds, but at what cost? Using public water to build his exclusive Shadow Creek golf course, buying art, jets and NY condos with stockholders money as the stock sank into takeover waters, untimately being shown the door by casino magnate Kirk Kerkorian. Once owned by MGM, things changed. The golf course was opened, the art, NY condo and jet all sold.
   
   How does one man undermine Federal law to build a dolphin attraction? he is on film meeting with a known mobster who used his Atlantic City casino (Golden Nugget) to launder money, but can't seem to remember anything about it.
   
   Fact: the son of a Bino Hall operator rises up to be one of the worlds leading casino developers and owners through some very shady associations. He influences Nevada politics as all people with money are able to, so no surprise there. The mob associations are clearly documented and associating with a convicted felon (Milken) is grounds for losing your gaming license, yet Wynn does so with impunity.
   
   Wynn has brought some great changes to Las Vegas, but after reading the other sidie of the story, you have to ask yourself if the ends justify the means.
   
   John L. Smith has done a great job with the facts surrounding Steve Wynn. Hat's off to him!



3. This is an excellent book for anyone wanting to know more about the character of the man who is Steve Wynn. It is a true account of the way he has conducted himself over his history in Vegas and Atlantic City, not the image projected of him by Steve Wynn and his company. It is well written and concise. John L. Smith does an excellent job presenting the information, including several of the more uncanny incidents Steve Wynn has been involved in over the years by merely presenting the facts as they happened. He asks some very good questions that should have been asked but never were because of who the man is. He also points out numerous things that have been glazed over by the press and various agencies involved. Very informative. A definite must read.



4. If you're looking for a biography-style book about S.Wynn's road to being King of Las Vegas this really isn't it. I'm about 120 pages into it now, and I'm already flipping through to see if it is going to get any better. Here's a little on the book:
   
   VERY detailed! Assuming all is true in the book, you can tell there has been much research and hours of connecting people together in the stories in the book. Unfortunately, the book seems to be just that, many many small stories or bits of stories that rarely link together at once. The book really doesn't have a good time line -- it's all kinda scattered, and doesn't read very well. The worst part about the book is for me it seems the author has an agenda to destroy the reputation of S.Wynn. Every opportunity is taken to say how Wynn was asscoiated with crooked and shady characters. So many of these characters one would never recognize, so there is much wrote about why these characters are shady people, so we all will know just how bad the company of Wynn was. There just seems to be nothing good written about Wynn in the book (so far) and that doesn't seem to be changing. Maybe that's just how it really is, I don't know. There's no wonder Steve Wynn sued these people for putting this book out. If you really want a copy, you can look for mine on ebay. This will be the first book I haven't finished in long time.



5. I am about 75 percent through the book, but I have a good feel for the writer and the content. I'll keep it short so you can make a decision.
   
   I think the book is really full of great Mob stories/conections with Steve Wynn. It is not as detailed as i hoped, but as a S. Calif. person who is intreged with vegas, it is a real eye opener.
   
   The main thing i dont like is that its not like a true biography. I have been reading a Disney biography at the same time and in comparison, its not as good, but then again, I dont believe Steve Wynn really contributed to it or allowed it.
   
   Bottom line, if you want to know about Steve Wynn and his amazing ride to the top of a billion dollar corp., read this book. If you like great vegas stories, give this a read. If you have personal feelings about Steve Wynn, you will either love it or hate it.
   
   Easy read, buy it used, and don't ever give a dime to a Wynn company (my opinion after reading the book).

No comments about Six Tycoons: The Lives of John Jacob Astor, Cornelius Vanderbilt, Andrew Carnegie, John D Rockefeller, Henry Ford and Joe Kennedy.

5 comments about Trump: The Art of the Comeback.

1. Like all the Trump books this one captures a moment in the life of "The Donald". Trump's bad habit of erroneously naming his books with 'how to' titles makes no exception here as The Art of the Comeback contains no instructional material. The book begins with Trump taking shots at some of his rivals, whom he feels betrayed. The book puts Donald back in the drivers seat, officially letting everyone know 'The Donald' has return and is richer and more powerful than ever! Flaming aside Donald briefly talks about his divorce with Ivana, and I mean briefly, there is no indication as to why Donald thinks the relationship collapsed, expect for a few nonscientific remarks. Anyone interested in the life of New York City's real estate tycoon would identify with this book, those looking for actual advice on making a financial comeback are better set skipping this one.



2. All you haters out ther hating DOnald trump because he is succesful and that is fine and dandy, calling him an "overgrown boy" when you can't even talk or type properly. I am getting sick and tired of all these small time smack talkers criticizing Donald Trump for being succesful, while having pride, and living the American Dream being that his grandfather was a German immigrant and has built an empire in 3 generations, more than most people have been in here for way longer. He is living the billionaire experience having style and beautiful women and everything. Take it or leave it. ROFLCakes. Many of you haven't gotten that he is writing from experience and so he tells us what he has gone through to be where he is at today. This Book can literaly change your life as it did mine. It is inspiring don't listen to these jealouse fools, buy and read this book you will not be dissapointed.



3. In characteristic blunt style, Donald Trump describes how he made his astounding financial comeback during the severe downturn in the early-1990s real estate market. In a few short years, Trump went from being three-quarters of a billion dollars in debt to having a net worth of over $2 billion. This fast-reading book provides a fascinating look at this highly controversial, intelligent, and complex man.
   
   Much of the book is full of name-dropping and self-pats on the back, but, hey, "The Donald" has a lot to brag about. Trump describes how he bought and improved many of New York's greatest landmarks, such as the Emprire State Building, Wollman Skating Rink, and 40 Wall Street.
   
   Trump is coarse and sensitive; vicious toward betrayers and generous to loyalists; egotistical and self-critical. He uses four-letter words to describe his enemies, yet is magnanimous enough to make peace with rival Merv Griffin. He describes his nasty divorce with Ivana, but has mostly good things to say about her. Perhaps The Donald's most candid admission is that the breakup of his marriage to Marla was probably his fault.
   
   This book isn't for everyone. Trump, the quintessential builder, finds "a crane on every block" a thing of beauty. He also seems to find humor in Mike Tyson's biting of Evander Holyfield's ear during that infamous heavyweight title fight.
   
   Trump is understandably reticent about his daily life during the tough times of the early '90s, but that would have been more interesting material than the mundane schedule he describes.
   
   Yet, overall, The Art of the Comeback is a straight-shooting autobiography providing insight into the mind of the greatest real estate titan of our time.



4. Most books written by Trump sound like an old broken record. But that can be said of many book sequels. Basically reading one by the author is more or less reading the others. This book is somewhat unique because it talks of Trump in trouble, in a recession, and how he was able to stand tough and come back. These are lessons that are very useful to everyone since we live in a world when tough times come and go and it is probably during these tough times that will separate the men from the boys.



5. I find Donald Trump fascinating as he is among the most successful and prominent people in the real estate industry. For his third book, Trump presents an update on what has taken place since the real estate crash in the early 1990's, complete with his near bankruptcy, divorce with Ivana, and his financial turn around bringing him back to billionaire status.
   
   For those seeking the excitement found in his first book, the Art of the Deal (a book which I rated very high) you will find yourself dissatisfied. The Art of the Comeback offers some interesting insight behind the scenes of Trump's life, which will be of interest to any Trump enthusiast; however, it lacks the excitement of his building his empire.
   
   There is a limiting measure of thrill stemming from discovering how Trump acquires properties having already possessed the needed financial abilities, as with his detailing of the acquisition of the Mar-A-Lago. While the property itself might provide some content of curiosity, this pales in comparison to his earlier work in which he divulges the difficulties with finding financing, establishing air rights, negotiating with city officials and adjacent property owners; all tasks required for Trump to bring his deals into fruition. The Art of the Comeback, although discussing some of his recent acquisitions, is sorely missing the excitement contained in his drive to the top (the exception being his chapter on Trump International).
   
   Donald includes a chapter on personal investment which should have either been given much more attention or left out of the book entirely. Donald discusses knowing the right people, broadly investing in the stock market, and for those less inclined to deal making, to invest in REIT's to gain some of the benefits of real estate investing. This advice is thin for even the average writer; yet such guidance coming from a billionaire makes one wonder if Donald truly struggles to convey his financial aptitude or if he merely presented a meager effort to add this chapter to the book.
   
   The Art of the Comeback will assist those seeking to learn more about Trump and his life in the 90's; however, the only benefit this book offers over reading all this same information from Wikipedia or any other source is hearing it from Donald's point of view, as his financial and life advice is paltry at best.

5 comments about Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr..

1. 
   This book is the best biography I've read thus far.
   Ron Chernow has a deep understanding of
   economics and history. He uses this understanding to
   paint an accurate, balanced and complete picture of
   the Rockerfeller dynasty with J.D. Rockerfeller as the
   center of their powerful universe.
   
   
   To emphasise just how well this book was written,
   consider the fact that I spent my whole
   Christmas weekend reading it! I couldn't move from my
   library or sleep until it was done. Though the book
   weighs in at approximately seven hundred pages, it is
   reads like a novel, a trait which makes it both
   palatable and pithy.
   
   

   Synopsis

   
   Rockerfeller has all the traits of a classic self made hero. His
   antecedents are not amazing. He grew up in a poor
   family featuring a bigamist foot-lose father who was
   hardly ever around. His father taught John painful
   lessons in business and human behaviour. John's father
   would regularly tell John to jump from his high chair
   into his father's arms. Once, in order to teach John
   never to trust anyone, he told John to jump. He then
   walked away, leaving John to slam painfully into the ground.
   John's mother was the backbone of the family; quiet,
   anassuming and hardworking. He assumed the role of
   surrogate father and dedicated his life to ensuring his
   mother and the rest of his family were safe, secure
   and happy.
   
   
   When Rockerfeller got into the business world, he
   began as a book keeper. It was from these early
   beginnings that he showed the traits that would be the
   core of his success. He was meticulous and diligent
   when keeping financial records and accounts. He would
   manage his own funds as well as the company's money down to the
   decimal point! Like Warren Buffet after him,
   J.D. Rockerfeller would emphasis that "numbers are
   everything."
   
   
   J.D also proved that discipline is more important than
   intelligence. In school, he wasn't the sharpest blade
   in the set but his slow, diligent, determined and
   disciplined approach to study ensured his success. He
   emphasised this in his business dealings as well. With
   this method, he created the jaggernaut monopoly of
   Standard Oil. He began by consolidating the mass of oil
   refineries and wells in Cleveland under his umbrella.
   Later, after recruiting his alter ego, Henry Flagler,
   they would proceed to dominate the oil industry
   thoughout the world.
   
   
   Rockerfeller also exemplified a reticence that would
   inspire respect and fear in his enemies while planting
   admiration and loyalty in his friends. At board
   meetings, he was often known to lie back in a settee
   with his eyes closed as he let his leiutenants debate.
   Later, he would discuss these issues in great detail,
   as though he had absorbed and understood everything
   without skipping a beat. Within his company, he was a
   ghost. Employees would never see him arrive or watch
   him leave. However, they were made acutely aware of
   his presence when he popped up at some underlings desk
   and discussed their jobs and records in great detail. He
   knew everything and everyone.
   
   
   Later on, Standard Oil would become the focus of the
   anti-trust movement. The Spellman Act was passed in
   order to curb its power. In later years,
   Rockerfeller's juggernaut would be split up with
   unforseen results. Instead of destroying his wealth,
   as his detractors and politicians had hoped, his
   wealth and that of his shareholders trippled!
   Rockerfeller's success was enduring and could not be
   stopped or limited.
   
   
   Rockerfeller dedicated the first half his life to becoming the
   richest man on the planet. He then dedicated the
   remaining half to becoming the greatest philanthropist
   in the planet. His medical foundations brought
   back the disciplined approach he applied to business to
   the medical field that had erstwhile been dominated by
   quacks and homeopaths. Were it not for Rockerfeller's
   contributions to medicine, modern health might not be
   as advanced as it is now.
   
   
   After living to the ripe old age of ninety eight,
   Rockerfeller had achieved more than most people achive in a
   hundred lifetimes. He was one of those individuals so
   powerful that he forever changed the destiny of
   humanity forever.
   
   
   
   Something in the nature of J.D. Rockerfeller had to
   occur in America, and it is all to the good of the
   world that he was tight-lipped, consistent and
   amazingly free from vulgar vanity, sensuality and
   quarrelsomeness. His cold prsistence and ruthlessness
   may arouse something like horror, but for all that he
   was a forward-moving force, a constructive power.
   
   --H. G. Wells. The Work, Wealth and Happiness of Mankind.
   
   
   

   Conclusion

   
   This book is mandatory reading for all students of
   success. It teaches the nature of the monopolist, the
   spirit of the leader, the hunger of the rich, the
   ambition of the visionary, the structure of a dynasty
   and the soul of the innovator.
   
   
   I've idolized Rockerfeller my whole life. Reading this
   biography gave me an understanding of both his faults
   and his virtues. It humanised him. The fact that
   Rockerfeller is so much like a next door neighbour
   leads the reader to a very important conclusion:
   success is not about nature, it's about nurture. It
   is not about intelligence but of intent. It is not
   about destiny but of decision. It is not about magic,
   it is about method.
   
   Each of us can make the decision to be successful. All
   we have to do is practice the method by mimicking that
   of the giants who have come before us. That is the
   Billionaire Way.



2. Rockefeller is reported to have searched endlessly for golf balls lost in an attempt to recover them, yet could nearly buy the world - why?
   
   Objective biographies are important to show that it is rarely money or greed that inspires the mind of man; it is the pursuit of the solution to the particular problem that he has defined worthy of solution. Both great inventions and great works of art have been formed as a result of the tiny seeds of construction or of destruction that engage the human spirit.
   
   Without it, are we not all merely reduced to automated machine status, the robots of today for the future of tomorrow?
   
   Is the mind of man made for the pursuit of money, or for the pursuit of satisfaction of what he perceives is worthy of addressing, focusing his attention upon the manner and the object of his passion?
   
   What makes people tick is a source of inspiration often overlooked in the attempt to idolize or endow humanity, and far too often, misconstrued by mistaken others who aim to profit from that misinterpretation.
   
   Molded soles, like molded fingerprints, rarely sit anyone else. Why then do we not concentrate upon the perspective of what men aim for, and why, rather than what they accomplish, and its yield?



3. Hopefully it is good, Kinda Long but I am looking foward to having time to read the whole novel.



4. This is a really excellent book on Rockefeller. It made me laugh; it helped me to understand who he was as a person; it showed how he became who he was; and it gave me a true and complete understanding of Mr. John D. Rockefeller, Sr. in an unbiased way.
   
   I read the negative reviews on here, and I want to refute them. Some say the author clearly favored Rockefeller; I felt quite the opposite at some points and think a really objective depiction was achieved. Others say the editing was poor; I didn't find a single spelling or grammatical error during the read. In terms of its editing, it was fine.
   
   If you want to know who Mr. Rockefeller, Sr. was, this is the book for you.



5. John D. Rockefeller Sr. was probably the biggest, baddest robber baron in 19th century America, and also its leading philanthropist. Many writers scorned his ruthlessness, notably Ida Tarbell, who wrote two books on Rockefeller and his company, Standard Oil. Author Ron Chernow digs deeper, through masses of Rockefeller family documents, to present the founder of the Rockefeller dynasty as a "man of flesh and bone and soul." He covers Rockefeller's ugly, dramatic and even shameful aspects, while concurrently demonstrating his business acumen and his philanthropic leadership amid a remarkable generation of business barons, including William Randolph Hearst, Jay Gould, William Vanderbilt, Andrew Carnegie and J.P. Morgan. An amazing portrait emerges of an almost invisible, rather megalomaniac ascetic who wanted to fulfill God's will. He became extremely wealthy, gave millions away, and believed that he brought the benefit of inexpensive oil products to all mankind. getAbstract highly recommends this multifaceted biography.

5 comments about How I Retired at 26! A Step-by-Step Guide to Accessing Your Freedom and Wealth at Any Age.

1. I originally picked up this book because I've just written my own book - Retired at 27, If I can do it anyone can. Asha's story is very compelling. I found the first part of the book, which focuses on her childhood, absolutely fascinating. It was powerful, easy to read, and I was hooked. Then, quite quickly this story telling was over, Asha had declared herself retired at 26 and despite reading this passage over and over again, I'm still not sure what she means by "retired". The second part of the book has some good content, but is more along the lines of a "self-help" book as opposed to the business book I thought it was going to be. In all - I would give the first part 5 stars, however the second part didn't appeal to me as much - I wanted to keep hearing more about her personal journey!



2. Asha Tyson's book is fantastic. Such an inspirational story on her life's journey and challenges. What Asha has achieved is a must read for anyone who needs that motivation to keep going and the belief that anything is possible! She talks of how she coped with difficult situations and gives great tips on how to fight and overcome challenges. A very inspirational and informative book!



3. 
   
   For a month I have been working my way though this book and Tasha's Emails.
   
   Not light reading. Great stuff !!!!
   
   I'm pleased she is here.
   
   I will keep at it.
   
   Thanks, Sid



4. I got this book Friday evening and it was finished before I went to sleep Saturday night. This book is wonderful. Asha talks about her hard life in the first 3 chapters and I have to admit after reading about her life, I have nothing to complain about anymore. She then jumps into basically telling you that there is a solution to every issue no matter how you look at it. She viewed her past as hard but also found the meaning in her struggles which is what most people fail to do. She did not use her hard past childhood as an excuse to not become someone and she strongly advises everyone to do the same. This book speaks to everyone whether you have a hard past or not. It tells you to TAKE CONTROL of your life TODAY!!!!. Do not let past experiences dictate to your future. Only you can be in the driver's seat of your life so do not be mad at anyone if you do not fulfill your all in your life. This book is wonderful and it made me examine some things in my life that I just took with the grain of salt. If you are not happy in your life, read this book and then as Michael Jackson said Make That Change. Good Luck



5. "How I retired at 26" was certainly a book that recapped numerous success principles like persistence, goal-setting, and overcoming obstacles. I must say I was intrigued by the title because I purchased it when I was 26. I'm glad the book recapped many things that I had already learned because we all need to be reminded. The first time we read something or hear something it doesn't always "stick" therefore we don't take action. This book gave me the motivation to take the action needed to get to the next level.
   
   In a way I have "retired!" I removed myself from the day to day operations of my long time business so I could pursue other interests and passions. My "original" business continues to grow but now I have the freedom to achieve what I had been putting off! Retirement is now a relative term and I think this book points that out!
   
   Thanks for an awesome, inspirational story!
   
   Mike D.