5 comments about Threshold Resistance: The Extraordinary Career of a Luxury Retailing Pioneer.

1. I found this book to be remarkable. Taubman writes with humor and humility. I would suggest that this be required reading in business school classes in entrepreneurship and ethics. His story is one of a Shakespearean drama - his rise from depression era poverty, funding his education through the selling of shoes, to being a young architect boldly suggesting to an industry icon that through design a better sales and profits would result. Then starting his own firm with $5,000 to becoming a billionaire who brought creativity to the business of selling art, root beer and charitable giving. Then as in any great drama the betrayal of a trusted person (Dede Brooks CEO of Sotheby's) and the revelation of his untold side of the trial including prosecutorial misconduct and a judge with more than questionable judgment.
   Al Taubman has had an extraordinary career with a story of determination and redemption that will serve well those interested in family business, marketing, functional design, the history of real estate development, trial strategy, charitable giving, art history and personal accomplishment. 5 stars!



2. Having just finished reading A. Alfred Taubman's new book, "Threshold Resistance", I am thoroughly intrigued and amazed with this story. With his entire life focused on doing the right and best things for as many people as possible, how could it be that he ended up on the wrong side of the Government and spent time in our prison system? As with any situation where the primary information comes from new sources, internet, or just word of mouth, this book reminds me as a reader that there is a second side to every story. I felt the sincerity in every word written by Mr. Taubman and I can only wish that the entire jury had been able to hear the whole story before convicting him; I believe the course would have changed. However, his own words of "Faith, along with friends and family, can get you through the most difficult of life's tests" truly confirms that he left prison a far richer man than when he entered.



3. This is an incredible book! It was fascinating, heart wrenching and motivational all at the same time. The hard work and determination of Mr. Taubman is inspiring. His description of his trial and prison stay was unnerving. But to see the influence he has had on America is truly inspirational. Everyone in the retail industry should read this book to see what a difference we make. Thank you Mr. Taubman.



4. Arthur Taubman's "Threshold Resistance" provides a candid read about the rise of a business giant over the last fifty years. During this period, self-made Taubman played an influential and innovative role in the unrelated fields of retailing, real estate, art, restaurants, and professional sports. The book is rich with business history - the migration of retailing from America's cities to suburbia, the rapid growth of the franchise industry, and the reinvention of the auction house.
   
   The concept of threshold resistance, after which the book was titled, is defined as the physical and psychological barriers that stand between a customer and the sale of merchandise - the force that keeps the customer from opening the door and coming in over the threshold.
   
   Taubman expands on this concept and applies to everyday life. In order to accomplish anything, people have to find a way to get beyond the limitations they believe that personal background, conventional wisdom, common practice, or experience has placed on our imaginations. These limitations are set by psychological, physical, cultural, social, and economic barriers we encounter. Assessing and overcoming threshold resistance is an essential life skill. While threshold resistance might stop a customer from entering a store, it might also stop a young woman from applying to medical school, stop an engineer with a great idea from leaving the comforts of a job to start his own company, or stop a politician from seeking votes among a vital growing constituency.
   
   "Threshold Resistance" fills the gaps not covered in the press about Taubman's price-fixing indictment and conviction in the well publicized case of collusion between Sotheby's and Christies. One cannot help but feel sympathetic to Taubman for what appears to be a wrongful conviction. He also covers his experience while serving time in a low security federal prison. Finally, the book includes Taubman's four marketing precepts, an interesting history of Detroit, and his thoughts on Internet's impact on retailing.
   
   It is clear that Taubman enjoyed great success and suffered gut-wrenching personal failure at the end of his 70's. But along the way, he showed he was pretty good at assessing and responding to threshold resistance in both business and life. He found breaking down barriers to be very scary and risky, but once done, very rewarding and fun. He advises all that "you will always face resistance with a new idea...in fact, the better the idea, the greater the resistance and the more people will want you to fail... believe in yourself and be on your way."



5. for a yonug aspiring entrepreneur, this book is n excellent read to learn to be persistant and resilient!

5 comments about King Cohn: The Life and Times of Harry Cohn (Revised and Updated).

1. King Cohn is a flawlessly produced, deftly abridge audiobook about the life and times of Hollywood magnate Harry Cohn detailing is influence and impact on the American film industry in general, and the Columbia Pictures studio in particular. John Landis superbly narrates Bob Thomas' insightful biography of a notoriously gruff and tough studio head, a task made difficult in light of Harry Cohn's aversion to personal publicity, an absence of personal writings, speeches, and reluctance to be interviewed. Nonetheless, Bob Thomas was able to bring this Hollywood mogul to life as he climbed from a New York City song plugger to eventually becoming one of the most powerful men in Hollywood during the golden age of the Hollywood film studio system. King Cohn is a "must" for all students of American cinema and film buffs of those great Columbia Pictures movies that were only made possible by this unique and complex man.



2. "I am the king here. Whoever eats my bread sings my song". (Harry Cohn).

   "I don't have ulcers - I give them". (Harry Cohn).

   "I kiss the feet of talent". (Harry Cohn).

   This is a marvellous and outstanding book that everyone with an interest in Hollywood should read. Once started it is hard to put down! Harry Cohn was the notorious head of Columbia Pictures from 1924 until his death in 1958. It is a remarkable story of the former song plugger who became the feared chief executive of Columbia Pictures during the "Golden Years of Hollywood". Harry Cohn was a very reclusive man who seldom gave interviews so Bob Thomas has done an exceptional job in putting together this account of Cohn's life. He put in hours of efficient research for this book and spoke with many people who knew Cohn and the stars and directors who worked for him.

   Harry Cohn's brother Jack was the first to go into the film business but Harry soon joined him. Jack was based in New York dealing with the business and financial side and Harry was in charge of film production in Hollywood. There was no love lost between the two brothers and they were constantly arguing with each other. Columbia could not compete on an equal footing with the other major studios such as MGM, Paramount, Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox and initially made cheap westerns and second features to begin with but Cohn was ambitious and wanted to produce more prestigious films. His luck changed when he had the enormous good fortune to persuade director Frank Capra to join Columbia who made a series of first rate quality films for the studio. The Capra films were box office successes (and Oscar winners) and brought in the much needed dollars to expand the studio and purchase important screenplays, and hire other talented writers and directors etc. The name of Columbia then became recognised and its films obtained a wider audience.

   Columbia did not have a large roster of stars under contract like the major studios so they had to discover new talent and develop their own stars. One of Harry Cohn's discoveries was a dancer named Margarita Cansino - he cast her in a few Columbia features and loaned her out to other studios and then the big build up started. Cohn decided her name should be changed so she became Rita Hayworth and went on to become one of Columbia's top stars.

   Columbia's biggest box office success in the 40's was the biographical musical "The Jolson Story". This was not an easy film to get off the ground as the New York office were convinced that Jolson was a "has been" whose career was finished and that the American public would not be interested to see a film about his life. Another problem was the casting - James Cagney and Danny Thomas both turned down the leading role and other actors were considered including Jose Ferrer and Richard Conte. Jolson desperately wanted to play himself in the film but in his 60's was obviously too old. The eventual casting of Larry Parks in the role of Jolson was a masterstroke - he was absolutely brilliant - in fact we can't now imagine anyone else doing it as he is so identified with the two Jolson films.

   In 1949 Marilyn Monroe was signed to a contract at Columbia for $175 a week. She appeared in a B picture called "Ladies of the Chorus" but when her six months contract was up Harry Cohn ordered her to be dropped - "She can't act", he said. Some of his associates at Columbia never allowed Cohn to forget he had dismissed Marilyn Monroe who as we all know went on to become a major Hollywood star!!

   Harry Cohn was responsible for creating another star at Columbia when he signed Kim Novak to a contract. He tried her out in small budget pictures such as "Pushover", "Phffft", and "Five Against the House". Cohn was not initially impressed by her acting but she did well enough in these films for him to agree to cast her in a major production with top stars - "Picnic" - featuring William Holden, Rosalind Russell and Cliff Robertson. "Picnic" established Kim Novak as a star and she went on to make several other successful films.

   The 50's brought even more success to Columbia with films such as "Born Yesterday" (1950) which won the Best Actress Oscar for Judy Holliday. Even more popular was "From Here to Eternity" (1953) which won the Best Picture Oscar and seven other awards. ("Eternity" became the biggest money maker in Columbia's history and Harry Cohn was very proud of the film). "Bridge on the River Kwai" (1957) was another Columbia success winning the Best Picture award and six other Oscars.

   To sum up "King Cohn" is a marvellous book, full of interesting anecdotes about the stars and "behind the scenes" information what it was like to be in charge of a busy Hollywood studio and with such a fantastic character as Harry Cohn running things there are many wonderful stories to tell. Harry Cohn had the reputation of being something of a monster and tyrant at the studio but this book reveals that he did many kind acts often helping out his employees and stars when they were in financial trouble (sometimes giving them substantial amounts of money) and visiting friends who were in hospital. He enjoyed his image as a tough boss and did not want these stories to be publicised. "King Cohn" is a fascinating read. Buy it - you will enjoy every chapter!




3. This updated version of Bob Thomas's biography of Columbia studio chief Harry Cohn is very enjoyable reading. Since its original publication, anonymous sources have come forward and new facts and anecdotes have been incorporated. The brusque, outspoken Cohn appears to have been only concerned with Columbia's most important productions, and Thomas's text reflects this bias. If you're looking for details about Columbia's bread-and-butter product, including its popular "B" pictures, westerns, short subjects, serials, and cartoons, you won't find anything here, and even some of the studio's "A" pictures receive only passing mention. Thomas keeps the spotlight on the colorful Cohn, with some incredible stories and quotes. A great read for movie buffs.



4. Harry Cohn willed Columbia Pictures to become a major Hollywood studio, arising Phoenix like out of the muck of "Poverty Row" mediocrity in the Thirties by producing some of the Silver Screen's great triumphs. Columbia films won 52 Academy Awards during King Cohn's reign including Best Picture Oscars for IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT, YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU, ALL THE KING'S MEN, FROM HERE TO ETERNITY, ON THE WATERFRONT and BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI.

   Cohn, a transplanted New Yorker born to immigrant parents, was the quinessential Runyonesque character--crude, commanding, ruthless but possessing a "heart of gold" beneath the tough veneer. He was the inspiration for Willie Stark in ALL THE KING'S MEN and Harry Brock in BORN YESTERDAY. Cohn played the role of mogul as tough guy to the hilt.

   Veteran entertainment journalist, biographer and Hollywood observor Bob Thomas recreates the man and his times with a lively anecdotal prose style and an insider's eye that discerns between the real and the hype.

   Cohn has long endured a bad rap hung on him by the "creative community" that passed through Columbia's portals and over which he often rode roughshod. Frank Capra, Howard Hawks, Leo McCarey, George Stevens, Barbara Stanwyck, Jean Arthur, Rita Hayworth, Kim Novak, Cary Grant, Jimmy Stewart, Glen Ford and many, many others bemoaned Cohn's crassness, tyrannical interference and bullying ways but did their best work under his "oppressive," "untutored" and "uncouth" dominion.

   Columbia, under Cohn's supervision and control, invented the screwball comedy, perhaps the American cinema's most significant contribution during The Great Depression, and remained the pre-eminent producer of this genre until the outbreak of World War II.

   Cohn understood and felt a kindredness with his plebian audience that many of his patrician "creative" employees did not. Thomas' excellent biography goes a long way toward rehabilitating the "Ogre of Gower Gulch" with those who believed Cohn to be the undeserving and unappreciative beneficiary of Frank Capra's genius.




5. There is nothing in this book that couldn't have been learned from other books or old Hollywood magazines and papers. This is hardly an in depth study. Still, I gather that most readers will pick this up for the beach or a cruise and only want some fast moving reading with lots of celebrity anecdotes (read "gossip") so this book delivers. I picked this up in a bargain bin for a dollar and think I got my money's worth.

5 comments about Of Permanent Value: The Story of Warren Buffett/2007 International Edition/in 2 volumes.

1. If you want to gain insight into what makes Warren Buffett tick and what Berkshire Hathaway is really all about -- you NEED to get Andy Kilpatrick's Of Permanent Value. I have nearly every edition, and this 2007 International Edition, a two volume set, is superior to the past editions both in the extended quality of its content and in the upgraded physical quality of the book. The paper stock of this OPV is glossy and it is much "richer" than previous editions -- much more befitting the man who is it's subject. OPV 2007 IE is simply an essential part of anyone's library. I buy two -- one for home and one for the office. Every time I pick up the book I learn something new about Buffett, Berkshire and the businesses and people that make up this amazing story. A great gift for that Buffett-phile who has everything or the student who wants to learn more about this interesting and complex man/business.



2. I've just finished Volume 1 - a mere 903 pages - and it's terrific. The subject matter is compelling, of course, but Andy's own little humorous asides make this a very fun read!



3. Kind of dissapointed after flipping through the two huge volumes. Nice pictures (but many of them not that clear)through out the book, and seemed to keep up to day with most of the recent events related to Warren Buffett. But the events has not much to read about. For example, about Buffett's purchase of USG stocks lately, only simply mentioned the fact without any background or related story (but the table of contents sure seemed to suggest otherwise). The older one-volume version of the book seemed to have more stuff to read then the new two-volume version, even the older text-only cover seemed to be nicer than the colorful picture-jammed new cover. The new 2 volume version seems to be a chronicle album rather than a historical book. Usually less really means more. Ballooning a book's size with air would only send the disappointed readers away.



4. A lot of info about Buffett & his investment history, but most of them is useless. I see rubbish rather than helpful info in this book.



5. Buffett warned in 2003 that mortgage-backed derivatives were "financial weapons of mass destruction" and that, while the Federal Reserve system was created in part to prevent financial contagion, "there is no central bank assigned to the job of preventing the dominoes toppling in insurance or derivatives".
   
   In his letter to shareholders in March, 2005, Warren Buffet predicted that in another 10 years' time the net ownership of the US by outsiders would amount to $11 trillion. "Americans ... would chafe at the idea of perpetually paying tribute to their creditors and owners abroad. A country that is now aspiring to an `ownership society' will not find happiness in - and I'll use hyperbole here for emphasis - a 'sharecropper's society'."

5 comments about James J. Hill: Empire Builder of the Northwest (The Oklahoma Western Biographies , Vol 12).

1. Malone's book is a good introduction for people interested in the early history of the Northwest, the Great Northern Railway, and the man who greatly influenced both. While not as detailed as Martin's 1976 bio, Martin's is at least twice as long and too tedious for many readers.

   Both Martin and Malone had access to the James J. Hill papers, a collection of almost every business paper Hill ever handled that is located in the Hill Reference Library in St. Paul, MN. Except for Pyle, previous Hill biographers and railroad historians did not see those papers, such much of what they say is more rumor than fact. Malone (and Martin) set the stories straight.




2. A new favorite of our staff..and recomended to our members who would like to understand the Northwest in a brand new light. Malone is an excellent writer and this book a gem !



3. Perhaps the author should have written a history of the Northwest, and northern railroads. I found very little of the persona of James J. Hill in this. It is a very historical narritive, not very biographic.



4. «The wealth of the country, its capital, its credit, must be saved from the predatory poor as well as the predatory rich, but above all from the predatory politician» - James J. Hill.

   In her 1962 lecture, «America's Persecuted Minority : Big Business», Ayn Rand distinguished two types of entrepreneurs, whom Burton Folsom Jr. was later to label «economic» and «political»: «self-made men who earned their fortunes by personal ability, by free trade on a free market» and «men with political pull, who made fortunes by means of special privileges granted to them by the government.» And according to her, James Jerome Hill was an arch-representative of the former group, because he built his transcontinental railroad, the Great Northern, «without any federal help whatever.»

   Michael P. Malone's admiration for Hill, on the other hand, is much more moderate (and for those who think such moderation unjust, he is kind enough to direct us to Albro Martin's «highly laudatory» two-volume biography of Hill, *James J. Hill and the Opening of the Northwest*)

   For instance, he puts the phrase «self-made man» in quotation marks when applying it to Hill, for, he says, Hill's fortune «sprout... from the rich seedbed of federal subsidy»: by completing his first large scale project in time (the Manitoba railroad), Hill managed to reap the «seventh largest of the original seventy-five railroad grants», located mostly in the fertile Red River valley. Therefore, Malone says, we should forget the «hoariest, and most mischievous, of all the many legends surrounding Hill»- the one perpetrated by Ayn Rand and, after her, Burton Folsom Jr.- which «rhapsodizes about how he built a great transcontinental line without the benefit of a federal land grant.»

   Was Hill therefore just another political entrepreneur? I don't think so.

   First, Malone here seems to be conflating federal subsidies and land grants. A federal subsidy, in my understanding, is a transfer of money or produced goods, which by its very essence involves a forced redistribution and is therefore immoral. A land grant, on the other hand, consists in the granting of a non-improved natural resource to its actual developer, in a good approximation of the Lockean ideal of acquisition through labour. What makes it a form of «federal aid» is only the government's assumption of the power to acquire land by some non-Lockean process (i.e. by fiat, or in this case, purchase from another government that had acquired the land by fiat.)

   Second, the lands granted to the railroads actually owed most of their value to the building of the roads. As Clarence Carson explains in *Throttling the Railroads* : «the lands granted [however fertile] were worth little to nothing on the market at the time they were granted.» This was so because cultivating those lands would have been economically hopeless without the cheap transportation to population centers provided by the railroads.

   And third, Malone's metaphor makes it sound as though Hill's fortune merely grew out of the «soil» of federal subsidy by some natural, automatic process or, to mix metaphors, a snowball effect. Actually, the building of the Manitoba railroad is only chapter 2 of the biography, and there are 6 more chapters to go in which Malone himself offers ample illustration that the building of Great Northern and the rest of Hill's achievements did not simply «sprout» from the government's bounty.

   Whatever the motivations for Malone's very mixed final estimate of Hill, he does grant his subject a certain number of admirable character traits, which confirm Edwin Locke's conclusions in *The Prime Movers*. For instance, Malone singles out the following as Hill's distinctive traits in chapter 4: «his remarkable mastery over every detail of what was now a far-flung operation, his vision of the inevitable triumph of transcontinental through-carriers [together forming Locke's virtue of «independent vision»], his insufferable [Malone again...] iron will and work ethic [Locke's «drive to action»], and his recruitment of an able coterie of men [Locke's «love of ability in others»].» And this is only Malone himself trying to summarize Hill's virtues : the book offers much more concrete material for you to make your own identifications and corroborate Locke's analysis.

   The flaw of *Empire Builder of the Northwest*, in my opinion, is that it is merely interesting and informative where, given its subject, it could have been epic. Malone himself is no great enthusiast of economic freedom: at one point, he refers to «the simplistic bromides of laissez-faire». Moreover, the book only offers two maps, which makes following some of the descriptions rather difficult. However, if you do not have the time for Albro Martin's longer work and are frustrated by the mere 22 pages in Folsom's *The Myth of the Robber Barons*, Malone's book remains a good introduction to the life of an immensely productive and hardworking man, who was also a voracious reader, a faithful husband and- as the opening quote reveals- a «true believer in the virtues of unfettered capitalism».




5. Right up front Malone admits this is neither an authoritative nor exhaustive biography of Jim Hill and he keeps his promise. But as a pretty quick (280 page) read of Hill it is a solid book if slightly antiseptic and repetitive at times. It is particularly interesting if you want to know more about the history of the Great Northern Railway.

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.

3 comments about Consumed by Success: Reaching the Top and Finding God Wasn't There.

1. Athena Dean has been to the top of the Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) ladder. She and her husband were making well over $20,000 a month. They thought they had success, but then God stepped in. He showed them how they had become consumed by the world's view of success and the pursuit of wealth. They had sold out everything--church, friends, family and their ministry to Vietnam Veterans in order to worship the almighty dollar. In this book, Athena not only shares her personal story (both highs and lows) but gives scripture references why as Christians we need to avoid falling into the Satan's trap of multi-level marketing. If you are a Christian and are involved in a MLM or are thinking about getting involved in one and want to hear an opinion from a Godly woman who has been there and back, then this book is a must read. "For what does it profit a man if he should gain the whole world and lose his own soul."



2. I fully understand Mrs. Dean's struggles and position. She truly became consumed with success. That as she points out is wrong and un-Christian. We are to be fully and totally given over to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. However in her zeal to warn us from the dangers of materialism and greed - both sins- she has mistakenly isolated on "tool" of both. MLM is no more the problem than an 8 - 5 job. I was also in her position once but my "MLM" was the military. With any business, career or hobby for that matter, we can become overly consumed as was she. I think the book's message would be better targeted at greed, materialism and lust for power and fame - not a particluar type of business. For the record I am not in any MLM - But I find it truly distatsteful to mark any type of business opportunity as "ungodly" simply because we may or may not have had a bad experience in it.



3. This is a brilliant testimony from a woman who has in bondage to this kind of success. The fact that Athena Dean speaks from her own experience doesn't mean it's true for everybody else...however, there is a great deal of truth in here for everyone to learn from.

   As someone who was in the grand-daddy of them all in MLM, as far as the motivational organizations which propel it, much of what Athena says is right on the money (pardon the pun).

   The fact that no one wants to hear the "negative," and you have to "associate" with the right kind of people, read the "right kind" of books, and listen to the right tapes and go to all the seminars. I mean, one can spend thousands of dollars on this kind of thing and get nothing out of it.

   Then there is the "selling of the dream" which is right on target as well. I used to sell the dream, and everything which she talks about still occurs. But, there is one thing which none of the "upline" ever did, and that was to "counsel" their downline to seek God's guidance before every decision, and to go to prayer when any major decision needed to be made. No, they said "see it to believe it," which ran counter to what the Bible says about "In all things seek God, and He shall guide your paths." I even remember one man having a Bible in his motel room and right next to it a book by Napoleon Hill. Talk about contradictions.

   A great book, and meant as a personal testimony, although I'd advise others to read it carefully and prayerfully. I wish I'd read this book back in the early 90's. It would have saved me thousands of dollars. God calls us to be faithful, not successful.

   Highly recommended!

No comments about Industrial Genius: The Working Life of Charles Michael Schwab.

1 comments about Big Top Boss: JOHN RINGLING NORTH AND THE CIRCUS.

1. Now know more than I ever wanted to about John Ringling North.

   The book was a bit slow in parts due to the excessive detail the author included. Such detail would be of much more interest to a fellow circus history aficionado than someone(like me) with a passing interest.

   Well researched, even handed account of the subject matter.

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

1. 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.



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. 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.

3 comments about The Highwaymen.

1. Ken Auletta already proved with Three Blind Mice--his book about the Big Three traditional broadcast networks--that he's a dogged reporter. Few thoughts, musings, or nuances of expression go unrecorded. "The Highwaymen" continues in that tradition. Auletta aims to offer some sense of the men (and they're almost all male) who make the decisions about what the rest of us will be seeing, listening to and seeking for entertainment and how that software will be delivered. He delivers well-wrought profiles of these people through their deeds--which often contrast with their words, and that tension is illuminating. Finally, at the end of each piece are postscripts which offer the reader a scorecard; which of the fearless mogul's bold predictions came true, which crashed a burned: everybody thought interactive/VOD TV was going to take off--so far, it's been a stalled cash-disposal scheme that sucks in capital with no discernable result. The point is that for all their visionary claims, these people are no better at predicting the future than anybody else. If you missed the original pieces as they ran in The New Yorker and have an interest in the thinking (or lack thereof) behind movies like Basic Instinct or any of Oliver Stone's noxious fantasies, buy the book



2. This is an interesting series of past news features on the media business. The book chronicles some of the most fascinating media personalities from Rupert Murdoch to Herb Allen to Barry Diller to John Malone to Edgar Bronfman Jr. to Bill Gates. This is a fascinating book by a guy who was given incredible access by a large number of media executives. Highly recommended.



3. The highway being described in this book is the information superhighway and the people being discussed are its developers. Jumping to the postscript at the very end, Auletta observes "while the Highwaymen enjoy immense power, they remain vulnerable" (p. 355). This is the paradox presented throughout the book. The regulators, entrepreneurs, and public do a dance of vulnerability in the development of the new technologies as niches are being carved out. One of the realities of corporate growth is that as they become large, they sometimes lose the freshness associated with risk and creativity. Auletta says "it becomes more difficult for them to maintain a focus, to make quick decisions, to stay creative" (p. 134).
   The ancient concept of pathos is explored in 21st century corporate America. In describing how business decisions are made in Sumner Redstone's organizational culture, he quotes an associate as saying "most deals are fifty percent emotion and fifty percent ecnomics" (p. 61).
   Aulette spends a little time on media content, pointing out the hypocrisy of film producer Oliver Stone, who sees his distortions (to be even more accurate fabrications) as "artistic freedom, while he demands strict accuracy from reporters covering him.
   The reader is left with numerous insights that would not be attained anywhere else. This book is a worthy read.