1 comments about Forbes Great Minds of Business (Forbes).

1. At its most fundamental, the key to business success has always been leadership. Understand the mind of the top executive of a business and you will get a clearer sense of that company's prospects that from its balance sheet, profitability, cash flow, market share, and market capitalization. The drama of business lies in the leaders who make it happen. The chapters of this book each feature a profile and an interview with one of the five Great Minds of Business-Andy Grove, Fred Smith, Peter Lynch, Pleasant Rowland and Paul Volcker.

   They have all made enormous direct contributions to American business and economy. They have endured adversity and had the strength to learn from it and move forward. At moments when others might have faltered and given in to pessimism and despair, they did not. They embody ideas and ideals that we can all learn from.

   A world-class journalist, Gretchen Morgenson is a Senior Editor at Forbes magazine, universally recognized as one of the world's foremost business publications.

   Reviewed by Azlan Adnan. Formerly Business Development Manager with KPMG, Azlan is currently managing partner of Azlan & Koh Knowledge and Professional Management Group, an education and management consulting practice based in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. He holds a Master's degree in International Business and Management.

5 comments about The Disney Version: The Life, Times, Art and Commerce of Walt Disney.

1. More of a social history of cartoons and the movies and the common man, than that of an unbiased look at Walt Disney.
   I felt that the author believed himself above us common Midwest, small town folks, and felt pity on us that we didn't know that we were stupid and liked such low brow things like Mary Poppins, Snow White and Silly Symphonies. I think he equates pop culture with trash. I guess the millions and millions of people around the world that just want decent entertainment, and not some hidden meaning that needs interpretation, are fools. Or is he just jealous?



2. The book is definitly an in depth coverage of what happened in the early years of the Disney company, but it's definitly more of a history of the company than a biography of Walt.



3. Schickel does a good research and puts facts down as they are, but he analyzes those facts from his own point of view. He thinks Disney works have manipulated masses who were of an inferior intellect and the company made fortune out of it.
   While this may be true, the book could have been more balanced, with an unbiased view, mentioning many favorable things the Company created.



4. Taking into account the fact that this book is almost 40 years old, I found it extremely hard to follow. The author makes many pop-culture references pertinent to the time that I cannot relate to (as if he expects the reader to be a Hollywood-insider/contemporary of Disney's). The book skips around to different time periods and is very dry. This is NOT a biography, as I thought, more of a commentary on Disney's impact on American culture and entertainment, as it quickly summarizes Disney's formative experiences as if the reader is expected to be familiar with them.



5. I recently read both this and Neal Gabler's "Walt Disney, Triumph of the American Imagination," and Gabler's book (recently released) is an extroardinarily well-written (and detailed) attempt to give a balanced version of Uncle Walt. This book, unfortunately, has a point of view that is unwilling to take note of contrary evidence (although there is an interesting story here about the Disneyfication of American Culture, this book is simply too one sided.

No comments about I Was a Potato Oligarch: Travels and Travails in the New Russia.

5 comments about Joe Wilson and the Creation of Xerox.

1. Joe Wilson led Xerox through more years of uninterrupted growth at a more rapid pace then achieved by any other company. This fact is sufficient motivation to read Charles Ellis' comprehensive and compelling story of Joe Wilson and the creation of Xerox. Most business aficionados think they know the story but this book will truly open your eyes and mind. Mr Ellis' thorough research and deft prose reveals the true leadership genius of Joe Wilson.The Xerox journey, from it's humble Haloid beginnings, through the twists and turns resulting in the introduction of the 914, reads like an adventure novel worthy of Eric Larson. The introduction of Joe Wilson to Chester Carlson, the inventor of Xerography, was just the beginning. The author provides countless examples of situations that could have derailed the success of Xerox.Examples include Homer Piper's invention of Haloid Record during the thirties. Without this milestone,Haloid would not have survived the depression and therefore Xerox would not have evolved.The author also explores how Xerox managed to avoid being acquired by the mega Corps.,once the potential of Xerox was understood.Tom Watson, IBM CEO, stated that failing to pursue the acquition of Xerox was the biggest regret of his career.It's almost a foregone conclusion that GE would have purchased Xerox if,at the time,it wasn't distracted by developing the technology for color TV.The true genius of Mr. Ellis'is his ability to bring Joe Wilson alive through the pages of this monumental work. Joe Wilson's leadership,vision,passion and creativity are a wonder to behold. His true commitment to customers,shareholders and employees are truly inspiring.Even with the technology, Xerox would never have been successful without Joe Wilson's commitment to R&D,his insight in developing his management team, his dedication to employee relations. The list could go on and on.Two other areas that are worthy of highlighting. First, the author explores Joe Wilson's dedication and unselfish service to improving the social welfare both in his community, country and globally.His undying commitment to diversity and the bold actions he initiated to bring the dream to a reality are inspiring and should serve as prime examples for present and future business leaders. Finally, the in depth profiles of all those VPs,managers,engineers, employees,suppliers, that actively and unselfishly shared Joe Wilson's vision and who turned it into a resounding success are truly a joy to read. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has even a passing interest on what it takes to be a successful and compassionate leader in business.



2. The author presents a very thorough book of the man who was an inventer and self made made who built a machine and built a company. Whats most interesting is his detail of the compromises and deals he made with other men and companies to make his dream happen.



3. This notable biography recounts the remarkable story of Joe Wilson, a shy entrepreneur who overcame tremendous technological and business challenges to develop an entirely new photographic process and create the Xerox Corporation. Wilson was a powerful but quiet leader who motivated employees, family members, business associates and his community to achieve the impossible. Charles D. Ellis presents a comprehensive portrait of the man and his times, highlighting the roles of luck and perseverance. He tells how Wilson built a revolutionary machine even before he had a market and, in that process, pioneered a new technology and transformed his grandfather's small company into Xerox. The story is slow at times, but we highly recommend Ellis's inspirational business profile to those who enjoy stories of legendary business leaders and the companies they built.



4. Joe Wilson would likely be the first to admit that many contributed to the creation of Xerox. But he was the glue that held everyone together. Without Wilson, adoption of the technology might have been delayed by decades. Computer printers would have remained impact devices for decades longer. The laser printer might not have seen the light of day until recently.
   
   There are so many remarkable facets to this story, that if it were a work of fiction readers might criticize the plot for being too fantastic and contrived.
   
   First, the technical inventor, Chester Carlson, was listed as one of the richest men in America in the late 1960s by Forbes Magazine. He wrote the magazine informing them that they ranked him too high because he had donated two-thirds of his fortune away anonymously in earlier years.
   
   His mother died as he was entering his teen years and his father had tuberculosis. Chester had to work for a living as an adolescent. Despite this, he somehow graduated from Cal Tech during the Great Depression.
   
   Second, when Wilson's company was looking for funding he sought financial partnerships with every important office equipment company in the United States, but was turned down in every instance.
   
   Third, IBM declined to partner with Xerox in the formative years. They hired Arthur D. Little to do a nearly year-long study of the product potential which concluded that the market size was too small at only $200 million. Later, after Xerox was an obvious success, IBM told Wilson that it should be granted an exclusive license to compete so that Xerox would not run afoul of antitrust regulations.
   
   Fourth, during an era when the company was a shinning success, Wilson's publicity-hungry lawyer permitted Life Magazine to prominently feature a story implying he (the lawyer) was the "man behind Xerox". While this infuriated his wife, Wilson seems to have been largely silient on the transgression.
   
   Fifth, xerography was invented during the Great Depression, in an era that was risk averse. It was brought to commercial success by a lab in Columbus, Ohio and an modest company in upstate New York. While the cities were far from being technological backwaters, neither were they the putative leaders.
   
   The story inspired me to start a Wiki on this book.



5. The book read like a novel. One really got to know what a great man Joe Wilson was. A rare breed in todays corporate culture.

5 comments about The Operator : David Geffen Builds, Buys, and Sells the New Hollywood.

1. Bottom line, Geffen slept on couches as a kid in Brooklyn, and w/ nothing but intense drive, charisma, and extremeley hard work he built a 4.5 billion dollar fortune from scratch. If you are considering going in the entertainmetn industry, and particualrly starting a record company..... read this book and act like Geffen does to acheive your goals because you will see exactly all that is required of you to build a record company from nothing to 250 million in revenues in under 10 years..... and ultimatly how to build a net worth that puts you in the top 30 of the Forbes 400 ...... read it and take action and if you create 10% of it you'll be in the top 1% of America. Blake---- bldgassets247@yahoo.com



2. This is a book that's basically for the show business junky and even then it can get to be a bit much. About two-thirds of the way into it, I had to put it aside for awhile. The paranoia, betrayal, double dealing, etc. had happened over and over so many times, with so many people, that I wondered if there was anything more to the story. In some ways, there is. We are given a sometimes convincing portrait of Geffen coming out as a philanthropist, although I came to the conclusion that it's mostly just another persona. King hedges his bets, by reminding us that, as the book ends, Geffen is estranged from his remaining family and various other pivotal people in his life.
   
   One thing that would help make the unrelenting scuzziness of Geffen's business life and the lack of meaningful long-term relationships in his personal life more bearable would have been some perspective. Despite pulling off some major deals, Geffen also took on some very weak clients and found himself with some very bad breaks, like taking on Donna Summer as a client just as she found religion and homophobia. He was an uneven judge of talent and largely out of touch with the popular culture his business helped shape. Even the most vile of studio moguls, like Harry Cohn, could have an acute appreciation and respect for talent. It's also telling that some of his greatest feuds were with people like Jerry Wexler, who understood music, built careers and helped open new doors for different styles of music. Geffen was fortunate to be on the ground floor of trends, in popular culture, but did little to actually shape them. Buried in the details is something else that's interesting--much, if not most, of Geffen's money came from his trading in junk bonds, rather than his show business wheeling and dealing. I came away thinking "yes, he's a talented deal maker", but a good salesman is someone who can believe in their product and maintain long-term business relationships. Geffen, like Jack Welch, is overrated and it will probably take a more analytical volume to make this more clear. Someone also needs to figure out a way to get his long-time secretary to tell her story (right now a settlement precludes that). Knowing how to survive for 20 years with a megalamaniac would be almost as interesting as the further betrayal and double dealing she could add to Geffen's story.



3. I had never heard of David Geffen before this book was recommended to me...Now, I say WOW!!! What an OPERATOR he was and is...What a fitting title. I highly recommend this book to all serious business people...Mike Stokes



4. 
   The meteoric rise of David Geffen is told by Wall Street Journal reporter, Tom King. King's business background was invaluable in researching and explaining Geffen's deals... in some parts there is a different deal on every page.
   
   Geffen seems to be living on adrenalin be it his hard charging in your face negotiating or his indulgence of artists and friends. He crashes hard too, finds therapies and cries when hurt or moved. To paraphrase one of his artists, it's like the sound of his own wheels drive him crazy.
   
   When he bet on a star he went all the way, as he did with his first artist-Laura Nyro. He housed and fed them. Sometimes he provided lawyers for them and sometimes took them on trips. He gave his top managers wide decision making authority. Besides salaries they could be surprised by bonuses of cars or houses. Not knowing the industry norm, it's hard for me to judge if those who felt he didn't do enough them (after their/his success) have legitimate complaints.
   
   Years, differences and feuds can separate him from family, friends, mentors and staff. There can be a kiss and make up (Cher, Spielburg, etc.), sometimes just separation (Nyro, Roberts, etc.) and sometimes a continuing freeze (Ovitz, Loddengaard etc.). He can be very generous, for instance giving Jackson Browne his copyrights or subsidizing cousins he doesn't know. He can also give to get, for instance rescuing his friend Calvin Klein paid him well at the end.
   
   His success began with falsifying his resume, opening others' mail and forging mail. He intimidated, reneged, spread disinformation, brown nosed and bad mouthed. A lot of these very same tactics were used against him.
   
   His talent was knowing entertainment that would sell, and he was usually right on the mark. His mistakes seemed to come when he worked with established stars, not the artists he "discovered".
   
   This is an almost 600 page book, but you have the feel that there is much more to be written.



5. I must confess. I have not as yet read the entire book on David Geffin. I am reviewing the first 80% simply because this biography stands as the best book on a Hollywood celebrity I have ever read. The first thing that impressed me about the book was how ruthless Geffin was in his quest for power and how sad it was that he seemed to have finally realized that money was NOT in fact the thing that really made him happy. I think virtually everyone who makes multi millions comes to realize this. IF you have one Porsche turbo thats green does having ones in blue, red and black made you three times happier? No... Geffin coveted money over all else, and the book goes into minutea about this topic, because he grew up with an unambitious father who his mother, named Batya, thought was shiftless. The reader can make his or her own conclusion but my take is Geffin wanted to make dollars delux to ensure his mother's love. In the book Geffin shows no mercy in his quest for fame and glory and tramples on his closest associates. But I came away fascinated with Mr. Geffin in spite of, or maybe because of, these traits. A GREAT READ. And again, even if the last 15% of the book isn't as interesting as the first 85% its still an unbelievable tale of rags to riches unbridled ambition.

5 comments about After the Ball: Gilded Age Secrets, Boardroom Betrayals, and the Party That Ignited the Great Wall Street Scandal of 1905.

1. "After the Fall," Patricia Beard's clear-eyed look into the excesses at the tag end of the Gilded Age, focuses around a costume party thrown in 1905 by then 23-year-old James Hazen Hyde, who was expected to accede to the presidecy of the Equitable Life Insurance Company when he turned thirty.
   
   It never happened. Instead his enemies, in the company and outside it, used the ball as an excuse to start a power play that would bring him down. As sometimes happens, however, they brought themselves down as well.
   
   The book is almost like a musical comedy in structure. The title is somewhat misleading as the ball itself comes in the middle of the book (imagine the ball as the big production number that brings the curtain down on act one). It begins with James's father, Henry, skips quickly through James's adolescence and early manhood (there'll be a production number having to do with James's hobby, racing horsedrawn carriages), the premature death of his father, and his rise to the first vice presidency of the insurance company, where, or so his father had hoped, he would be tutored by the interim president, James W. Alexander, who was nearing retirement age.
   
   When the curtain rises on act 2, you will encounter an array of schemers, some driven almost batty as they struggle for power, and a parade of the gilded age financiers, J. P. Morgan, E. H. Harriman, Henry Clay Frick, and James Fortune Ryan, as well as President Theodore Roosevelt, ex-President Grover Cleveland, and Charles Evans Hughes, who would some day be, thanks largely to his investigation of the scandal, Chief Justice of the United States.
   
   You'll maybe hear patter songs in your head as the robber barons form committees, make deals, break deals, and leak their doings to the press, as they scheme to acquire the faltering company for themselves.
   
   And when the curtain comes down on the tale as the chastened but hardly impoverished Hyde leaves for France--saying his goodbyes aboard the ship that's about to sail perhaps--it comes down, as well, on the Gilded Age itself.
   
   Notes and asides: The afterword, about Hyde's later life and that of his son, who was in the OSS during WWII should not be skipped.



2. 
   This is a well presented and gripping account of the clash of the titans of industry of a century ago. It shows them in their true, unsavory, colors, albeit a tad muted....
   
   We find the anything-but-poor, yet unsuspecting Mr. Hyde (heir in his 20s to the Equitable Insurance fortune) shaken from his elite complacency and thrust into the eye of a storm that is kept stirred by the machinations of Equitable board member Henry Clay Frick, one of the more amazing and alarming capitalists from Pittsburgh's steel days.
   
   In a bid to oust Hyde from control of the mega-insurance concern that his father founded with wit, skill and sleight of hand, Frick engineers a negative publicity juggernaut that calls Hyde's personal financial ethics into question and ends up in the courts. The Equitable goes into receivership-with some luminaries like George Westinghouse in temporary control-until, beset by the scandal, Hyde sells out, shakes the dust off of his well-heeled shoes, and departs for Pre-World War I Paris. He remains a Francophile expatriate for the remainder of his days.
   
   There is more to the story and some of it is here, and well worth the reader's time and attention, especially since Ms Beard had access to some privately held family papers and files that cast the story in a Schubert pink spotlight, with few shadows. The author, a personal friend of Hyde's granddaughters and a member of the same giltetry social set, goes easy on some of the tale. What is left on the cutting room floor is even more fascinating than what made it into this book.
   
   For, shadows there are, and there is oh so much more of the story to be told, ranging from the Johnstown Flood (this family is connected to the infamous South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club) to the crafty ire of Mr. Frick's European counterpart, the equally effective and furiously ambitious harridan, the Archduchess Isabella of Austria-Hungary (again, an extended family connection).
   
   What a yarn and all of it, true!
   
   Perhaps Miss Beard will muster the courage to follow up this book with a prequel about Mr. Frick's very similar, skillful machinations regarding Mr. Hyde's future father-in-law, and a sequel that more fully addresses the irony of World History that found Mr. Hyde's son among two generations of this extended family who served diligently, on both sides of W W I and W W II, some as top level spies. Then again, perhaps not.
   
   But if not, one hopes that other historians might take note, there is so much more to be told! This is a real life E Phillips Oppenheim novel. It would find as its centerpiece, Hyde's father-in-law, a rags to riches success - an orphan who rose to the top of the tree, on both sides of the Atlantic and who had his hands in many a pie, industrial and diplomatic....
   
   Now...The only question is: Who will be the first to tell it?
   
   Perhaps Martha Sanger, or Teresa Carpenter or Les Standiford or - of course - the incomparable David McCullough!
   
   If you find this review helpful you might want to read some of my other reviews, including those on subjects ranging from biography to architecture, as well as religion and fiction.



3. Well-written, interesting and sheds new light on a long-forgotten subject. The author has the gift of understanding and writing well about both Gilded Age high society and finance, and uses her gift to good advantage. Occasionally the inner manueverings in the Equitable drag a bit, but this is a hardly noticeable defect. Five stars +; buy and and read it with enjoyment.



4. "After the Ball" is a biography of James Hazen Hyde (1876-1959), Gilded Age aesthete, sportsman, patron of the arts and heir to the majority shares in The Equitable Life Assurance Society, which his father Henry Baldwin Hyde had founded in 1859. The emphasis is on the decisive event of James' life: His battle to retain control of his father's company that played out over the course of 1905 against Equitable's president James Waddell Alexander and its ruthlessly ambitious 2nd vice president Gage Tarbell. That battle commanded 115 front page articles in "The New York Times" alone and resulted in the passage of New York's Armstrong Laws in an attempt to regulate the insurance industry. Author Patricia Beard knew James Hyde's only son Henry Hyde -Henry was godfather to her son- which explains the late chapter dedicated to Henry Hyde's life.
   
   James Hyde became the majority shareholder in The Equitable at the age of 23 upon his father's death in 1899. Henry B. Hyde had planned that his son serve as 1st vice president under the tutelage of James Alexander before assuming the role of company president at age 30. But Henry had ill prepared his son for the murky realities and unbridled ambitions of the business world. And James was ill-suited to the job, being by nature a man of arts and letters and high society. James idolized his father and took his legacy seriously but didn't understand his responsibilities until it was too late. In 1905, frustrated by James' ability as majority shareholder to stifle his plans for the Society, unscrupulous, dogged Gage Tarbell recruited malleable and unstable James Alexander as his ally and launched a campaign to force The Equitable to mutualize (give shareholders voting rights) with the intent of ousting James. They expected James to resign, sell his stock, and move to France. Instead, he put up a fight.
   
   "After the Ball" provides a blow-by-blow account of The Equitable crisis and the attempts to resolve it, from James Hyde's lavish 18th century France-themed ball in January 1905 until his self-imposed exile in France a year later. Although it occasionally bogs down in minutiae, the battle for The Equitable is a page-turner. Histories of Henry B. Hyde, The Equitable, James' later life in Paris and New York, and his son's service in the OSS during World War II bookend the drama. Prominent industrialists and financiers from Wall Street's boom years of the 1890s-1920s are the cast, and The Gilded Age itself is a character. James' flamboyance, active social life, and ostentatious wealth exemplified the ideals of the era. He was praised for successfully juggling his business, social, and artistic pursuits. But he couldn't. "After the Ball" is the story of a doting father who gave his son an empire but neglected to teach him how to rule for fear that his image would be tarnished in the boy's eyes. It's the story of a son who inherited great wealth and power but little motivation to comprehend or exploit them and so fell victim to those more willing.



5. Historians of the Progressive Era will appreciate this biographical sketch of Henry Hyde and the founding of the Equitable Assurance Co. during the latter nineteenth-century. In a period of liberal corporate empire building by Hyde, Morgan, Biltmore, et al., Patricia Beard profiles the Hyde's desire to establish a "sacred trust" life insurance company for investors and policyholders. As the author notes in her sub-title, that trust was riddled with financial scandal and power brokering. Henry Hyde's heir apparent, James, is cited as a flamboyant, underachieving vice-president of the company and ridiculed for a wasteful spending ball in 1905. In truth James Hyde's rivals Alexander and Harriman are the true culprits of the Equitable's indebtedness when they establish trusts with railroad magnates and wealthy stockbrokers.
   Some highlights of the book that readers might find interesting are Charles Evans Hughes establishment of anti-trust legislation as governor of New York which set the foundation for the Armstrong Commission and contemporary rules of conduct, for corporations. Biographical profiles of the Hyde family covers James' early proficiency at coach racing to his son Henry's "exact" purpose in life while he served in the OSS during World War II. Future reviewers may speculate about why James did not heed a lesson from the famous Bradley-Martin Ball (1897) which caused those families embarrassment and exiile. Perhaps the implicit meaning of the word "Gilded" is appropriate here in that the thin layer of ornamentation that covered the rich and haughty was only a cover-up for their flawed character.
   Overall, Patricia Beard does a fine job proving the primary sources she uncovered in newspapers and family correspondence. She writes with the narrative style of Barbara Tuchman and her personal encounters with Henry Jr. and surviving members of the Hyde lineage adds panache. A good read for history book discussion clubs and perhaps a welcome addition to business history curriculums.

4 comments about Jim Thompson: The Unsolved Mystery.

1. I began this book on Christmas day while visiting Singapore after having spent a few days in Thailand. My son wouldn't give up possession of this book as he was also reading it. It just was made available this Spring in the U.S. I can't wait to get a copy and finish it! It is a great mystery story and also a fascinating account of a man who was instrumental in revitalizing Thailand's silk industry.



2. Bought this book on a recent trip to Thailand. Have known of the many stories surrounding Jim Thompson and wanted to read the definitive book on the subject. Unfortunately, I'm no further ahead in learning the solution but the book is fascinating and a page turner.

   And since the author is a true fan of Jim Thompson, is what HE wrote the truth or is there still more out there?

   This book will just make the reader want to know more.




3. James H.W. Thompson was a legend. Born in 1906, he served during WWII in the O.S.S which later became the C.I.A. His real claims to fame however were first as the 'Thai Silk King' and secondly as a missing person rivaling Judge Crater and Jimmy Hoffa for mystery. This book should have inspired several others on Thompson since he lived such a legendary and fascinating life. Sadly, this is really the only authoritative book out there on him. Nearly 36 years have done nothing to dispel the myths and rumors about what may have happened to him during a fateful weekend in the Cameron Highlands of Malaysia (Easter weekend of 1967). For those who love a real-life mystery, tantalizing clues, possibilities, and innuendos keep the reader guessing as to his possible fate. You won't find any definitive answers here, but what you will find is an extraordinary life laid out in the most entertaining of biographical narratives.



4. After having travelled to Thailand and seen Jim Thompson's house in Bangkok, I was interested in learning more about Jim's life & disappearance. This book appears to give a fair and balanced look at Jim's life (although some may disagree since the author was a personal friend). It's a good read, interesting, but not without fault. The editing for one had some lapses. There are quite a few times where I found typos or missing words. That gets annoying after a while.
   
   Of the many theories surrounding Jim's disappearnce in the Cameroon Highlands in Malaysia, the author holds a view that makes the most sense to me. I won't reveal it. I recommend the book.
   
   In terms of the edition itself, the book was printed on good paper stock and is of high quality.

4 comments about Ambassador from Wall Street: The Story of Thomas W. Lamont, J.P. Morgan's Chief Executive.

1. This biography of Thomas W. Lamont, J.P. Morgan's Chief Executive is a thoroughly researched account of the legendary financier during the first half of the twentieth century, when the powerful banking firm was at the pinnacle of international finance. The author, his grandson has written this lively biography based on his independent research and his personal collection of family papers and Thomas Lamont's letters.The reader will become acquainted with the economic and political history of the period, the many crucial world events that were transpiring, as well as a full roster of leaders such as Presidents Franklin Roosevelt, Wilson and Hoover, who all sought advice from Lamont. Along with all of the above, the author portrays the luxurious lifestyle of his grandfather, such as commuting from his home to Wall Street by yacht. There are social vignettes such as a house party at Lady Astor's Cliveden, as well as a Lamont soiree during which a Federal judge broke the nose of Walter Lippman's charming wife. The reader is also given glimpses of such luminaries as Charles Lindbergh and H.G. Wells, who were among Thomas Lamont's close friends. John Kenneth Galbraith praised this volume and characterized it as "affectionate and well researched...We are in debt to Edward Lamont for this literate and thoroughly interesting biography." Book List and Publishers Weekly contributed highly enthusiastic reviews, and recommended it for those interested in history, banking and foreign affairs. Written in a brisk and informative style, Lamont interjects his wit at just the right places so as to present a very balanced, straight forward, and informative piece of work.



2. Alethea W. Hawley's review offers an excellent summary of a well researched account of the life and impact of Mr. Thomas W. Lamont and his importance to the major economic and political powers of his era and why this account deserves a five star rating.



3. The Ambassador From Wall Street is a fasciating tale of one of the great financial leaders of the 20th Century. As a retired New York banker who started work in 1950 and who held some quite responsible positions, I found the book contained messages for bankers that are as true today as they were in the life of Mr. Lamont, particularly on how to avoid undue risk and how to manage the inevitable messes when they occur. The book seems to have been well researched by the arthor, a Grandson of the subject,and takes us through the many economic and financial developments of the first half of the twentieth century. Its scope allows the reader to have a broad view of the financial world, a useful benefit in this age of globalization. I particularly recommend the book to young students of finance. The lessons learned will enhance their careers.



4. This is a fresh and thoughtful review of an important period in American history with up-close portraits of some its most fascinating personalities--Charles Lindbergh and Lady Astor among others. LAURA and BILL RILEY

5 comments about Mary Kay: You Can Have It All: Lifetime Wisdom from America's Foremost Woman Entrepreneur.

1. Mary Kay Ash is truly an inspiration to all women. Not only does she succeed she lets you know that there will be obstacles to overcome, but you can and will succeed if you keep your priorities in order GOD,Family, and career and work hard. Nothing comes in life easy and through perservence and a dream and goal setting there is nothing you can't do. I LOVED IT!!!



2. I AM A MARY KAY CONSULTANT.I WAS A DEVOTED CUSTOMER FIRST.ONCE I WAS ON HER CUTTING EDGE COSMETICS, I DECIDED TO OFFER THE OPPORTUNITY TO MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY MEMBERS. THIS BOOK GIVES YOU ALL OF THE TOOLS YOU NEED TO MAKE IT IN ANY BUSINESS. SHE GIVES YOU INSPIRATION AND MINDSET YOU NEED TO MAKE ALL OF YOUR DREAMS A REALITY. IF YOU BELIEVE IT, YOU CAN ACHIEVE IT. I AM DOING THAT RIGHT NOW.REDUCING MY DEBT, INCREASING MY SELF ESTEEM AND SELF WORTH.DEFINATELY A MUST READ



3. What a great book, a great lady, who had a great business philosophy. A must read for anyone who wants to do their own thing.



4. This book is all about how great Mary Kay thinks Mary Kay is. Though I was interested in learning more about the company (I even was a Mary Kay consultant for a little while), the self-proclamation factor proved too frustrating. I could not even finish the book!



5. With the right priorities (God, Family, Business) you can have it all. Read how a successful business woman broke out of the accepted mold, built her own business and gives you the tools to build your own. I find it amazing that Mary Kay put forth this model over 45 years ago and some corporations are still looking for it. The advice and wisdom in this book will help you reach your goals, whether as an Independent Beauty Consultant or just starting your own business.

3 comments about The White Sharks of Wall Street: Thomas Mellon Evans and the Original Corporate Raiders (Lisa Drew Books).

1. This book filled a gap for me in the history of Wall Street and some of its more colorful participants. I think there is a tendency for the more notable "raiders" and their like to be confined to the 1980's and 1990's, and as this book points out this could not be further from the truth.

   This book chronicles the exploits of men like; Thomas Mellon Evans, Lou Wolfson, and Leopold Silverstein. These individuals were out inventing the type of financial transactions that today are commonplace, and seem to have a rather brief history. The truth is that these; raiders, proxy fighters, liquidators, were using sinking funds, Leveraged Buy Outs, and Junk Bonds long before Michael Milken heard the term. In fact much of this took place before he and Ivan Boesky and their crowd were born.

   The book delves into specific deals that are enticing reading just by there names. In 1955 a complicated price-fixing scheme that included companies still doing business today operated a system known as the "phase of the moon".

   Shark-repellent, poison pills, greenmail, side deals, collusion were all in a days work. What was also interesting is these people never had their fill, many ending in bankruptcy court half a century after they had started.

   The did what they had to do to get what they wanted, and if that meant convincing a 90 year old woman to part with her shares, it was just another day in the trenches.

   I would highly recommend this book for anyone interested in Wall Street History in general, and the specific predecessors of today's big names. Long before "Chainsaw Al" there were men hacking away at companies that even he would have found audacious.

   The Authoress does a wonderful job of relating this History in a readable easily accessible format, which is well worth a reader's time. You will be amply rewarded.

   I don't know how Trump got in this; his contribution was an endorsement on the book jacket. Not one of his deals made the book.

   Great addition to your financial library.




2. An important book that covers an overlooked era and subject.



3. I found this book to be filled with fascinating stories about Thomas Evans and other like him who changed the face of Wall Street in the 50's. As far as corporate raiders, most people only think back to the 1980's for when it began. This book will give you insight into how it all began half a century ago. It is not just a single story, but numerous ones about various radiers and the companies they targeted. For anyone who wants to learn about Wall Street history, this book is a must.