No comments about John D. Rockefeller.

No comments about Against the Odds: The Public Life and Times of Louis Rasminsky.

No comments about John B. Stetson.

1 comments about International Oilman, As Told to Stanley Naylor (European Business).

1. This is the assisted autobiography of the man who almost singlehandedly built up the energy conglomerate that is known as Royal Dutch/Shell. No doubt aided very much by Mr. Naylor's crafty pen, this book reads as an adventure novel and business guide at the same time. Mr. Deterding gets a platform to tell his story, which turns out to be slightly short on personal detail (there is exactly one mention of a wife, even though he got married four times) and somewhat longer on the history of his business, though for a thorough discourse on the early history of RD/Shell I'd refer the reader elsewhere.

   The power of this book lies in the apparant disclosure of this mans character. Much a child of his time, it can't be denied he also was a pretty nasty individual in some of his views. He does mention his admiration for Mussolini, who he sees as a pretty efficient businessman, but also in other respects he sounds as a rightwing gung-ho type of person, which echoes most in the harrowing quote near the end of his story:
   
   "If I were dictator of the world, and please Mr Printer, put this in large type, I'D SHOOT ALL IDLERS ON SIGHT"

   There 's quite a few other opinions of this sort which make it not surprising he was seen as the foremost incarnation of evil capitalism in the early thirties, however, he does make some points which portray him as a clever and resourceful (business) man, with some remarkable traits indeed, and discarding him on the scrapheap of history solely for the reason that he was a vile man would do him nor history right.

   Again, he doesn't tell all, but for lack of other, this is quite an indispensible resource for those interested in this person, or in the political economic history of the 20th century either. It is a pity that there are very few other monographies on Deterding, (even less so in English) and I wouldn't recommend this book as a starting point, but if one's interested, you can't do without it.

No comments about John Wren: A Life Reconsidered.

No comments about J. B. Say.

No comments about Fighting Fashion.

1 comments about The Life and Death of a HiTech Patriot.

1. I'm sure that the real-life story told in this book, or "memography", as the author calls it, is not a stand alone case but I doubt that many people would be able to describe the series of events in such an intriguing and original way as Mr. Faybish does. This book has it all : pashion, humour, drama, cartoons and ...mathematics ! Just buy it.

No comments about Robert Mondavi Of The Napa Valley.

1 comments about Ottawa Titans: Fortune And Fame in the Early Days of Canada's Capital (Amazing Stories).

1. L. D. Cross has provided an excellent overview of Ottawa's founding fathers. This is not an academic exercise, but rather a good simplofication for people who want to know more about the business people who made Ottawa. This book will serve as a general guide, and will help the reader determine if he or she wants to study one or more of these men more in depth.
   
   This book would also be good for high school students wanting general information.
   
   A very good generalization.