4 comments about Boy Wonder of Wall Street: The Life and Times of Financier Eddie Gilbert.

1. This well written book is a facinating review of a very intelligent man that made some poor decisions early in his career and spent most of his life redeeming himself to the public and his friends. It is wonderful to read about his ultimate success in overcoming the adversity of the press, the legal system and the cutthroat Wall Street environment. The book illustrates that it is possible to have been in jail and to be financially successful and respected by family and business associates alike in the end.

   The author did a excellent job of researching the material that has resulted in a very factual, objective narrative... but it still reads like a novel!

   I would strongly recommend purchasing this book, particularly if you are a business leader that must make people judgements.




2. I have known Eddie Gilbert personally for over a decade, and I find that at 80 years old he continues to work as hard as most people in their 30's. He is a driven man, whose ambition is boundless.

   This recent book is a swift read and covers the major events in Eddie's life in a well researched and balanced way. From the heights of two separate fortunes to the depths of two jail stints, it is really an amazing story. The most amazing part is that it is true. Eddie Gilbert is still making history today as a very, very successful real estate investor. Everything he touches turns to gold. He is a very loyal family man, who values friendships and would do everything to follow through on his word.

   I recommend reading the book, not for its literary merits, which are very modest, but for the truly extraordinary story of the many lives of Eddie Gilbert.




3. Richard Whittingham has always produced exciting and important books (in military history, police novels, sports history, etc.). So it shouldn't have come as a surprise when I picked up his latest, "Boy Wonder of Wall Street" (biography), and had trouble putting it down. But I was surprised. After all, what's to admire about another financier (yawn), especially one who has been labeled an "embezzler" and a "crook"(ugh)? Well, Whittingham has produced again. "Boy Wonder" is spellbinding. It's a consistently surprising, revealing and ultimately heart-warming tale of a truly unforgettable character. Rarely in biography (and fiction, for that matter) is an ending of sweet redemption so winningly delivered --- and I have given away nothing with that statement except that this is a terrific read that will stay with you a long time. Need a new hero in your life? Eddie Gilbert's your man. Five stars!



4. Pick it up and you won't be able to put it down!

5 comments about From Strength to Strength: An Autobiography.

1. This is one of the best books that i have ever read and i would like to read more of her books



2. Sara Henderson demonstrates an inter strength that only people dream about. She is a survivor from the start and must save her ranch from foreclosure and deal with the daily harshness of the out back environment. With an undying love for her girls, her ranch, and the people whom she works with side by side she must pull herself up by the "boot straps" and move forward. Having the strength to go on in spite of the hard ships she faces in her life and in a land that is unforgiving. Her story is moving, funny, and full of inspiration. I just hope her other books come back into print someday soon.



3. Thankfully we get to find out what happens after Strength to Strength in Sara's next two books in this series about her life in the outback, The Strength in Us All, and most recently, The Strength of our Dreams. I love her stories peppered with humor as she moves through life with such an indomitable spirit. I wish these books were easier to find in the U.S.



4. Australia is my hobby, and I lived in a half dozen towns between Adelaide and Mackay covering two years. If you like reading Australian authors and stories, this is the book for you. If this is your first Australian book, you'll probably give it about a B-, because although Sara Henderson's life was exciting to her, she left out most of the juicy details which would have made it a compelling read. For example, many times she described her day by naming the cities she visited without giving us the nitty gritty. I've read four of her books. Unless I missed something, Sara Henderson never had a date in the 20 years following her husband's death. I admire her accomplishments in life, but they didn't make her an author. About the Strength series, read one and you've read them all.



5. Whether you are an Australian City Slicker or from another part of our planet this book will delight. Henderson provides a great intimate look into her life - one not so dissimilar to others in the outback of Australia. You will learn how life really is in a remote and desolate world of outback Australia. You are sure to sympathise with Henderson and the lot of others in a similar situation.

2 comments about Robert Wood Johnson -- The Gentleman Rebel.

1. The usual authorized biography is worthy but not worthwhile; the author has traded access for freedom to write what he damned well pleases. In this case, Foster, though not writing an "approved" or subsidized book, has given up nothing -- he knew and genuinely liked his subject, despite having worked for him. Robert Wood Johnson, NOT the Johnson who just bought himself a professional foootball team, was both a gentleman and a rebel but he did establish for one of the premier American companies a credo which helped to build it and, even after his death, to keep it on the right course during the Tylenol crisis, a triumph of responsible capitalism -- and not incidentally of well-handled public relations . The author minimizes his own role in handling this potentially widespread and dangerous situation. The book is rare in its genre -- well written, humane, interesting, and valuable to anyone interested in top drawer American companies, the economy, public health, public service, the lives of the rich, and more.



2. The impact of the Johnson family -- and particularly the "gentleman rebel" at the center of Larry Foster's book -- on the community, the health care industry and society at large has been documented in a way that is illuminating, satisfying and inspiring. Attention to detail, the providing of context and respect for the subject, along with graceful writing, make this book a joy to read.

No comments about The History of Springer Publishing Company.

No comments about Doing It the Right Way: Autobiography & Career of John Giovanni Milano.

5 comments about Everybody Wins! A Life in Free Enterprise.

1. We need more business leaders and managers who embrace and practice Mr. Cain's brand of business and general living. very pragmatic, down-to-earth, no-frills, seeing things for what they are -- Very ZEN.

   Mr. Cain is a hero, not so much for the wealth he created for himself and many others, but the way he lived his life when he did not have alot of money.

   Involved in a number of his transactions from the banker's role, Mr. Cain has set an example for all of us who call ourselves capitalists. Unfortunately, the corporate scandals of the day get the headlines whereas the true successes that create value for everyone, including the employees get little or no attention.

   Integrity, Accountibility and Maximizing Long-Term share-holder Value -- not going for the quick buck at the expense of others is what is all about -- it allows us to discover, explore, educate, entertain and enjoy the life before us -- society progresses as a result. Everyone Wins.

   High recommend this read to everyone -- whether or not you have an interest in business becasue it is the true story of one man's journey who just happened to become a successful businessman through a series of "happy accidents.




2. Gordon Cain led a fascinating and exemplary life. This book is well written and comprehensive. Well worth reading.



3. I had the pleasure and blessing financially to work for two all two short years for Gordon Cain, back in the 1980s. The man was both a gentleman and a genius. The title of the book sums up how he lived his fascinating life. As Gordon gracefully recounts his story, he leaves the business reader with wisdom of great value. His precepts are simple: Manage rationally with a human hand, make everyone an owner and a potential winner, engineer your product and processes to meet customer needs that are more important than your own, leave office politics behind. This stuff really worked, as deal after deal recounted in this book showed. It is a great mystery to this reviewer why american business rarely follows these precepts; since they always work. Post note to the book: Gordon shared the financial benefits with thousands of people and gave all his money away to build rural hospitals before he died.
   
   Further the book is well written in Gordon's plain style of speaking. It shows how one man took the cards he was dealt with in life and played them not only well, but with dignity over the course of a long and interesting life.



4. Gordon Cain tells his impressive story in a modest and matter of fact way. This book paints the broad strokes of his life. He shows some detailed financial data for his transactions but doesn't delve too much into the story. I think the book is most useful when combined with some additional research, you need to spend the time looking up information about the individuals and companies he references.



5. The late Gordon Cain was a legend in the chemical industry, first as a successful engineer and manager for various multi-national petrochemical and fertilizer firms and then as a very successful LBO architect and entrepreneur. Mr. Cain bought unwanted plants and divisions from chemical giants such as Dupont, Conoco, and Monsanto, and made them stand alone success stories. His strategy was simple, buy at the bottom of the cycle, find unwanted but well run plants, eliminate corporate overhead, and make sure that everyone shares in the gains.
   
   Mr. Cain wrote this book to let everyone, especially his grandchildren, know that one does not need to be a ruthless raider like the boys at Apollo or Drexel to succeed in business and there is nothing inherently wrong with debt or leverage. Some deals even require subordinated debt, unfortunately called junk bonds. Mr. Cain's deals were all successful, mostly because of his keen sense of the cycles of the industry, and all participants went home happy. His biggest problem was managing the success, dealing with issues like whether an LBO should be re-leveraged or go to IPO in order to get liquidity for the participants.
   
   An interesting lesson for Mr. Cain was that it is easier to do a large deal than a small one, since in the large deal, one can negotiate directly with a motivated and empowered seller. A key point for us is that Mr. Cain never became an owner until he was in his 70's. An early attempt at entrepreneurship in his 30's failed miserably, mostly because he went into it for the wrong reasons. Cain in his 80's continued to look for new business opportunities, stretching into airlines and biotechnology.
   
   As a chemical industry veteran myself, I know some of these plants and people, but wanted to hear Cain's story from the man himself. While some of these companies have not done well in the last 10 years, there are plenty of people who paid their mortgages and sent kids to college with Cain's help. Mr. Cain is no longer with us, but has made an impact on our business and has done much good with his charitable work, especially at his alma mater LSU.

1 comments about My Experiences in War and Business.

1. I found My Experiences in War and Business to be an excellent depiction of a soldier's trials and triumphs- his will and determination to not only survive, but conquer the enemy. Hawkins was rather graphic in some of the explanations of the battles; however, he presents them in such a manner that the reader is able to put himself in his place and have a true sense of the emotions that he felt. I would suggest that any World War II buff should pick up this book;it is an acurate and interesting representation of the war. Hawkins'writes in such a way that you don't want to put the book down. You want to know what is going to happen next. Further, Hawkins' expresses the ups and downs of his life in My Experiences in War and Business in a manner that is far from typical. His story can provide hope for success to everyone, even those in the worst possible physical and/or financial conditions. He overcame many trials and has achieved great success many areas of his life. I truly enjoyed this book.

No comments about Clarence Dillon: A Wall Street Enigma.

5 comments about My Life and Work.

1. I read about this book while doing some research into Lean management. Taiichi Ohno, "father" of the Toyota Production System noted that he learned many lean principles from Henry Ford. After finishing this book, I would recommend that EVERY CEO in this country be REQUIRED to read it. It is a wonderfully clear description of management and leadership principles that all companies should embrace. Mr. Ford is clear on the purpose of a company - to build products and provide services that meet the needs of its customers. If we do this, as he notes, the money will follow. We get it backwards so often these days - we think the purpose of a company is to make money or increase its share price.
   
   As opposed to most business books where one idea is promoted and beaten to death, Mr. Ford's book is full of good ideas on all aspects of managing a business. It's a delightfully refreshing read!



2. "A manufacturer is not through with his customer when a sale is
   completed. He has then only started".
   
   "Even as late as 1910 and 1911 the owner of an automobile was
   regarded as essentially a rich man whose money ought to be taken away
   from him. We met that situation squarely and at the very beginning. We
   would not have our distribution blocked by stupid, greedy men."
   
   You will read dozens of frases like this, reminding us that great ideias can become lost in time, that stupid people can if fact take control of our companies, media and what not, and we can slowly drift into oblivion.
   
   An eye opener.



3. In reading the book I keep thinking what Henry was saying in 1922 could be said today. War profiteering, patriotism, interest rates, bureaucracy, education are all topics that sound so familiar in today's news. Henry had it right then in lots of ways and I think a lot of what he put forth it could be used in today's society.



4. Anyone who has read "My Life and Work" will understand exactly what is wrong with our country today. There are three ways to create wealth--grow it, mine it, or make it--and activities like flipping houses or trading carbon credits do not qualify.
   
   Ford developed what is now known as the Toyota production system, and readers will see a very explicit description of just in time manufacturing (and its benefits) in "My Life and Work."
   
   Ford also summarized effective labor relations in one sentence: "It ought to be the employer's ambition, as leader, to pay better wages than any similar line of business, and it ought to be the workman's ambition to make this possible."



5. Henry Ford is the classical writer on management. He stands on a same line with Sun Tzu, Niccolò Machiavelli, Robert Owen, Frederick Taylor and Henri Fayol.
   
   This is the foundation of all the management literature, and every modern manager should be aware with the works of the authors above mentioned.
   
   In the book "My Life and Work", Henry Ford presents his view on different things: management philosophy, social life, human abilities and capabilities, the role of the bankers in the production, good debt and bad debt, the labor and the speculation, the roots of poverty and the ways to solve it, the role of the government, and other important topics.
   
   You will also find an autobiography in this book, but there is a lot of things that Henry Ford avoids in this book, e.g. how did he took the controlling stake in the Ford Motor Company. He didn't write in the book that he have started another company, Henry Ford and Son, and made a show of taking himself and his best employees to the new company; the goal was to scare the remaining holdout stockholders of the Ford Motor Company to sell their stakes to him before they lost most of their value. The ruse worked, and Henry and his son purchased all remaining stock from the other investors, thus giving the family sole ownership of the company.

1 comments about Chairman of the Fed: William McChesney Martin Jr., and the Creation of the Modern American Financial System.

1. The book came in a timely manner and is in great condition. I would buy from this seller again.