4 comments about As I See It: The Autobiography of J. Paul Getty.

1. Good book out of print Amazon copy received was in near mint condition. 351 pages,30 pages of photographs. Not as mean as he was portrayed yet it is evident the author was a bit vain. he is obviously an interesting read. You learn "what makes him tick". If you are looking for a guide to riches this is not for you but if you are interested in learning about the richest man of his time then read this.

   RANKING OVERALL 7/10 BIO INFO 8/10 USEFUL INFO 5/10




2. This is Getty's autobiography, written in the 1970's not long before he died. One of the founders of Apple Computer advised me to read this book years ago, and so I did. I've studied many books on finance and business, but this was the first time I had read an account of a billionaire's life (and as I would later discover, the world's richest man).
   
   Getty wrote this book to give the public a glimpse into his very private life; seemingly knowing he was about to die, that he did not desire to die such a secretive/reclussive man. Inside this book, you'll read about how he developed a strong work ethic at a young age -- working hard-labor in the oil fields that he would later own; sneaking out his parents car in the middle of the night to take girls out on dates (hah!); accumulating wealth and looking out for employees; laying everything on the line for great opportunities; the tragedy of his grandson's kidnapping; and a very nice retort for all those people who called him a stingy old man -- that all of his wealth/money was invested in his business.
   
   Oh yeah, and you read about how he hung out with Hugh Heffner back in the day. His original books were published by Playboy Press, including my copy of his autobiography (an original 70's hardcopy). :-) Yeah, Getty lived the life I would like to be living now -- 'cept for all the divorces; poor guy just couldn't keep a lady around and it's depressing to read sometimes. And in a way, reading this book gives me inspiration for staying on track, aiming your sights on what's important in life and not letting go. Getty had a fun life and he was handsomely rewarded for it. Since reading Getty, I've seen the same drive in all the other Billionaires whose autobiographies I've read -- Branson, Dell, Schultz. And also Ray Kroc (although technically I don't think his stock was yet worth $1B when he died).
   
   You will love reading this account of Getty's life if your aim is to: have fun in life, be wealthy, learn from others, have a personal mentor from the grave, accomplish great things, and read autobiographies.
   
   Getty, thanks for sharing =)



3. I felt kind of lame after reading this book, Getty really lived a full life. Reading the book, you feel like you're having a conversation with him about his life and what's on his mind. He seems very down to earth.
   
   This isn't necessarily a quick read business how-to book though you learn a lot by reading it. You get his life story that includes details on his family, friends, business associates, charity work and art. You also get interesting stories about the famous people he knew, eg his friend the Duke of Windsor that met with Hitler trying to avert WWII. Also there are chapters lovingly discussing his parents, children, and even his 5 ex-wives. He also defends his reputation for being cheap, eg payphone in his mansion. You really get inside his head by reading this book. My favorite chapter is his random thoughts chapter he wrote on Thanksgiving day, less than a year before he died 1976.



4. I bought this book (for full price, should have saved $7 ordering through Amazon) at the Malibu Getty museum, initially to read after tiring before my wife of art-admiring. I read it the following week, and here are my impressions.
   
   The book is very readable, Getty is to-the-point and clear, he wanders a bit, no surprise for an 83-yr-old writer, but maintaining a good train of thought and addresses the topics one would want to hear. The pictures bring some personalities to life, and the large print helps the pages speed by.
   
   Some sections are fascinating, for example, the ways he dedicated himself to business at the cost of his five marriages, his hi-jinks as a youth, conversations with top leaders, Hollywood people and pesky hangers-on as the richest man in the world.
   
   Other sections can be tedious. He often argues that he is not a hermit, not miserly, and had great relations with his parents. Much of this comes across as protesting too much, in fact, I tried to find an unauthorized biography to contrast with his official version, as I suspect some facts don't align with his narrative, but have not yet succeeded. He also assumes a superior vision across the realm of art and humanity, which I do not value as highly as his views on business.
   
   My top gripe is the apocalyptic view of the world falling apart, mainly because there are fewer capitalistic businessman and more leftists than were dominant during his youth. The topic only comes up sporatically, although I thought of tossing the book midstream when his peculiar point of view went astray to the point of assaulting the concept of welfare and advocating capital punishment. He went so far as to claim (p. 172) that the US might well, probably before now, have to flush the unemployed out of the inner cities onto plots of countryside land to fend for themselves.
   
   Overall, however, the book was worth reading, both as an historical document and as an engaging personal history that took a very strong and astute personality to write.

5 comments about Trump: The Art of the Comeback.

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



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



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



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



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

5 comments about Damn Right! Behind the Scenes with Berkshire Hathaway Billionaire Charlie Munger.

1. Janet Lowe is not a bad writer. I've read one other book by her, and she has the habit of writing dull prose. For this book, she collected a lot of facts about Charlie Munger. The problem is that plain facts don't make a good story. Maybe Charlie Munger's story is not that riveting, or maybe Janet Lowe did not present it as such on the page. In any case, the book is a fact.
   
   If you want to learn about investing from this book, save your money. This is a biography of sorts. It's an OK biography. I learned a few things about Charlie Munger, which may or may not improve my financial situation. There are no how-to-be-a-billionaire tips in the book, nor hard-learned life lessons we should adopt. Most people will read the book because Charlie Munger is Warren Buffett's right hand. I recommend reading Warren Buffett's biography, not Charlie Munger's.



2. A very good introduction to Charles Munger and the plethora of quotes makes it a worthy read if you are a fan of either Benjamin Franklin or Charles Munger. Whether the subject is the practice of law, running hospitals, proper educational curriculums, to the running of a business, Charlie has done them all and has an opinion on how to make them all better.
   
   Though this book does not carry many overt stories about investing of which Charlie is heavily attached to, it does provide a lot about the investing process if one reads closely. Though several critic this book as poor on the investing side, that is not the purpose of this book, so travel somewhere else. However, if one is interested in how one could improve their way of living and add back to society as whole, then read this book.



3. Great book by a great author - I highly recommend this book to one interested in either Buffett or Munger. Janet is the one of the best writing in this area of life and business.



4. The book is very readable and interesting. Munger is a pretty private person, so there's not as much about his personal life as some might like. But his financial journey is amazing and you learn as much about Buffett as you do Munger. The wit of both men appears often in the book and lightens the numbers crunching for those not as interested in the financial details.



5. This was a great read. Author Janet Lowe did a fine job explaining how Charlie Munger became a successful individual; his upbringing, schooling, and experiences are detailed here. This biographical background was very interesting and I enjoyed learning how Munger became a successful lawyer, real estate developer, money manager and Vice Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway. There is a lot of wisdom in this book from Munger and you'll be happy you read it when you're through.

5 comments about Eichler Homes: Design for Living.

1. I agree with the other reviewers' comments about the excellence of the Eichler homes and this book. I have many design books, but I keep coming back to this one and never tire of the clean, modern--but not cold--design. I wish Ditto, et al. would produce a video on the subject.



2. Being a real fan of the "Eichler Home" architectural style, I was excited to recive this book. After a quick read, I felt that it was a waste of time and money.
   
   First, the narrator (who is Mr. Eichler's son) skims over the architectural concepts that embody the Eichler Home concept. And this from an architect! The design elements of the home are covered so quickly, with practically no details, that this book will be useless to anybody wanting to use this as a teaching aid, reference text, or just to get a better appreciation of how these homes were designed.
   
   The author also spends an inordinate and oddly placed amount of time to describe how magnimonius Mr. Eichler was to sell homes to African Americans, unlike the trend at the time. Unfortunately the author's claims are not borne out by my personal experience in looking through the housing covenants of an Eichler Home in Mountain View that date to the early 60's, which specifically stated that the home would not be sold to people of colour. Nice retrospective attempt at social equality, but the treatement of that sad portion of America's history is treated in a white-washed derisitory fashion by the author.
   
   And the book ends with a weird comparison of Mr. Eichler to other property development tycoons, including Donald Trump, with the conclusion that the brave Mr. Eichler rose above the greed and vanity of the rest.
   
   This is a simplistic, self-serving, useless book. Look elsewhere.
   
   The photography and interior shots are good.



3. As a fan of Mid-century modern and Eichler homes,I loved the many photographs in this book.I believe this book would be a good reference for anyone who owns an Eichler home or someone who wants to achieve a modern look in or outside their home.



4. This is the first book on Eichler, and it does an admirable job of getting the topic out there. The good part is that there are plenty of color photos and the book is very well desgined. The not-so-good part is that many of the homes pictured are remodeled and don't truly represent the original designs. The text is by 4 different authors and doesn't hold together well as a complete narrative. Still, if you are relatively new to Eichler this is a nice browsing book that will give you plenty of visual stimulation. For the definitive historical tome on the Eichler story, get "Eichler: Modernism Rebuilds the American Dream" by Adamson which is more complete and scholarly but not as visual and colorful. The two books actually make a good set and give you both sides of the story. In all, this is a very good book about beautiful and innovative homes by an important midcentury homebuilder and businessman.



5. I have been looking for as much information as I can on Eichler houses and this was a real find. It not only provided me the fundamental information I had been searching for but surprised me with wonderful photos, including the very house that I want to build. The only problem I have now is trying to find contractor willing to provide a contemporary interpretation.

5 comments about Iacocca.

1. Lee Iacocca, the corporate icon of the "go go" era, recounts (with co-writer William Novak) how he did it his way, with a little help from his friends. He sets the record straight about insinuations that he was a flamboyant flash in the pan or had Mafia ties. A sense of honesty pervades his narrative, which often reveals more about the man than he probably intended. This 1984 classic is a cultural account of a time when American manufacturing was full of vitality, and marketing was simpler and more direct. At the time, experts warned Iacocca that you can know too much about everything and that a flood of information will just slow you down. He decided to know it all, anyway. His philosophy, well expressed between anecdotes, seems almost naïve now, certainly when contrasted with the ruthlessness of his nemesis, Henry Ford II. Iacocca gets the last laugh with his insider descriptions of life in the corporate glass house. getAbstract recommends this frank, refreshing yarn to postboomer business leaders, managers on the ascent, car buffs and manufacturers who operate within a dealer network.



2. I have been playing golf for over 45 years and have read many books related to the golf swing. Joe Laurentino in his book takes a lot of the "mystery" out of teaching the golf swing. He specifically puts you at ease by stating that you don't have to swing like a pro to play a decent game of golf. The chapter on golf club path and golf club face angle are particularly enlightening. This book is a must read for anyone considering trying to improve their golf swing without going through a major overhaul.



3. He supported Bush, while saying Gore was a nut for believing in global warming. Thanks for your help, Lee... you Republican imbecile.



4. Lee Iacocca was a brilliant salesman, a workaholic, and a resourceful businessman. Throughout history, at the heart of the American automobile industry there have always been men of advanced practicality that shaped the nation as a worldwide power; Iacocca clearly belongs among its best.
   
   Iacocca's autobiography details early childhood, his entry as a salesman into the auto industry, time with Ford including overseeing the development of the Mustang, and saving Chrysler including details on the government bailout loan he negotiated to save the flailing company. There is no doubt the auto industry would look far differently had Iacocca never existed. His footprint will be forever felt and his life lessons should be part of any business study. Iacocca presents his life story in detail using a presentation style that is both appealing and unrestrained. I recommend this book to anyone with an interest in business history.



5. Lee Iacocca is best known for bringing back Chrysler from the brink of bankruptcy and taking $1 a year as a salary to show his commitment to the cause.
   
   This is an important part of the book, it needed to be told. Also, Iacocca is a story of a man driven to work hard and become a leader. It is a bit egocentric at time, but that can be forgiven with the richness of the material. I found the book enlightening, entertaining and inspirational.
   
   The inspirational part of the book is that when Chrysler is faced with impending tragedy the people all put together as one. It is disheartening that tragedy has to be a huge element in the success equation for many companies. This would be a tremendous book to explore.
   
   Iacocca has some strong common sense weaved through this work. For example, Iacocca would prepare to hit the ground running by preparing for the week on Sunday evenings. Also, he notes that the speed of the boss is the speed of the team.
   
   In another telling example during the almost collapse of Chrysler, Iacocca reduces his own salary to $1.00 a year to get support from the Chrysler workers and management. He says:
   
   "Leadership means setting an example. He goes on to say: "I didn't take $1.00 a year to be a martyr. I took it because I had to go into the pits. I took is so that when I went to Doug Fraser, the union president, I could look him in the eye and say. "Here's what I want from you guys as your share," and he couldn't come back to me and ask: "You SOB, what sacrifice have you made?" That's why I did it, for good, cold, pragmatic reasons."
   
   Overall, an excellent book with many powerful ideas worth embracing. Highly recommended!
   
   The Re-Discovery of Common Sense: A Guide to: The Lost Art of Critical Thinking

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

1. I'm not sure how true all of the "accusations" / "observations" are about the infamous Mr. Wynn, but the book is extremely well written. Paired with the "Green Felt Jungle" (another excellent book) you will be hard-pressed to put these two books down. I would recommend this book to everyone.



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



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



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



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

5 comments about The Chief: The Life of William Randolph Hearst.

1. William Randolph Hearst was loved and hated by millions. He became one of the richest and most powerful men in the world. He ran for President, created one of the grandest homes ever built, and lived one of the most complex, fascinating lives of the 20th century. Loving and devoted to his wife, Millicent, and their five children on the East Coast, he lived openly with his mistress, Marion Davies, on the West Coast. An avid supporter of unions and the "common man," he was one of the most ruthless "barons" and fought unions, communism and Franklin Roosevelt ferociously. He was the first to "vertically integrate" his businesses, leveraging the same material in newspapers, magazines, newsreels and movies. What a life!
   
   If they know anything about Hearst at all, most people think they know him from Orson Welles' movie, "Citizen Kane." While "Kane" is, without doubt, one of the very best films ever made (if you haven't seen it, by all means rent the DVD! It's fantastic!) it is unfortunately a terribly shallow and vindictive caricature of the real man. Welles was associated with political movements that had labeled Hearst "public enemy number one" in the 1930's, and the film reflects his point of view.
   
   While Hearst was selfish and ego-manical, his rampant collecting also saved vast warehouses of art and antiques from destruction, creating his "Enchanted Hill" in San Simeon, California. In 1959, when his estate gave the property to California as a park, it was valued at $55 million, and it is by far the most extraordinary personal residence ever built in the United States. If you haven't seen in, put it on your life-list of things to see!
   
   But why read the book? Here's my short list of essential reasons: (1) He was a man of courage. It's easy to disagree, or even have contempt for, many of his opinions and actions but he stood by them. (2) He was a visionary and many of the positions he advocated were ahead of his time. Our world today looks remarkably similar to what he predicted, and we can learn from that. (3) He was extraordinarily resilient. When his personal foibles combined with the depression to drive him nearly bankrupt in the late 1930's, he fought back. He never gave up.
   
   Nasaw does a remarkable job of telling a complex story and I found the book highly readable. This is great history and an inspiring story. To understand the 20th century, and to be personally inspired, read this book. You'll be richer for it.



2. I loved this book. I find Hearst fascinating. Imagine being such an important, rich and busy man--and he just loved playing solitaire and buying beautiful furnishings and accessories for his great ranch. I think he contributed a lot to society and I really enjoyed reading most of it. The political and parts where he got involved with the war, etc., I kind of either read over or skipped past as those parts of books come to an easy conclusion without having to read all the gory details. I wanted to read about the substance of what made a guy like this tick. I think I got a good idea of him through Nasaw's book.



3. This book is much more than I thought it would be. I'm really enjoying all the detail and learning so much. Life was so different back then and it's fascinating to be "transported" back to another time and another class.



4. An excellent, well-written book chronicling the life and times of an individual who may well belong in the first-tier, and certainly at least in the second-tier, of the most influential Americans of the twentieth century. The writing is lively, vivid and engaging. The times in which he lived are carefully woven into the story Mr. Hearst's evolution of thought and action over his life, demonstrating what an inconsistent, cipher of a man he really was. Much attention is paid to the many different characters surrounding "The Chief", which only adds to the overall high-quality of the book. A must read before visiting San Simeon.



5. This book is a real winner! What a whirlwind of a life! I loved it!

5 comments about Leadership is an Art.

1. Max Depree has captured the essence of leadership in plain language. His clarity is unmatched in a world filled with leadership related noise. You will not enjoy the book if you are a moron. However, if thinking is something pleasurable for you, you will not be disappointed reading Leadership is an Art. I have shared this book with every person I have worked with who has leadership in their soul and a lifetime of learning in front of them.
   
   Pound for pound the best investment you will make in leadership education this or any year.



2. Not everything that is old is wise. But this book, written 20 years ago, is jam-packed with wisdom. Max DePree wrote in 1987 that the management team's job "is to provide an environment that allows momentum to gather."
   
   DePree's simple, but profound leadership primer has never been equaled. Read it and you'll marvel at the insights--like in his five-page chapter, "Pink Ice in the Urinal." Few CEOs before him and hardly anyone after him have so eloquently discussed the tendency of organizations to deteriorate like in the pink ice chapter. Even DePree's chapter titles are memorable: Theory Fastball, Tribal Storytelling, Some Thoughts for CEOs Who Build Buildings, and Why Should I Weep?
   
   DePree wrote that a financial analyst once asked him, "What is one of the most difficult things that you personally need to work on?" DePree's answer: "The interception of entropy."
   
   "One of the important things leaders need to learn is to recognize the signals of impending deterioration." He kept a list and observed that leaders, especially in large organizations, fail to see the signs of entropy, including: 1) a tendency toward superficiality; 2) no longer having time for celebration and ritual; 3) a growing feeling that rewards and goals are the same thing; 4) when people stop telling tribal stories or cannot understand them; and 5) when problem-makers outnumber problem-solvers. His list was longer--but you get the idea.
   
   The pink ice in the urinal? It was a team member's odd suggestion for dressing up the men's room for their VIP visitors. "Despite the good intentions behind this idea," DePree commented that the team member was signaling a clear deterioration in thinking and strategizing. The pink ice in the urinal would have little effect on the VIPs--so why bother? Focus on the strategic, not the cosmetic.



3. I enjoyed the book. It was an easy read and the concept was one I believe all of Corporate America should embrace.



4. This book was purchased as a birthday (May) gift for a family member who has subordinates reporting to her. Shipment was prompt and book arrived timely and in excellent condition. I have seen others review of this book, saying it is a "must read" for anyone having people reporting to them. Since the birthday isn't until May, I won't know her reaction till after then.



5. As CEO Coach, Poet and author of a leadership book that helps leaders learn how to unleash the genius of teams and corporations, I feel this book is a must read. Max is not talking about theories, he is sharing his real experiences from his successful leadership of an excellent company. If you want to learn how to be a leader, this book is core to your collection. I have learned much from this insightful book. Paul David Walker Unleashing Genius: Leading Yourself, Teams and Corporations

5 comments about The New New Thing: A Silicon Valley Story.

1. The July 1999 issue of Forbes magazine makes the astonishing observation that there are now 465 people who have a billion or more dollars. Incredibly, as this book notes, there are an estimated 180,000 Americans who are deca-millionaires (over ten million dollars in assets). An inventor or entrepreneur, upon reading these statistics, may note that not only has a great amount of wealth been created, but that it is not in the hands of just a handful of people.
   
   This book tells how one man, Jim Clark, starting out as a thirty-eight year old unsuccessful college professor and whose second wife just left him, went on to create, in succession, three billion-dollar corporations. These creations were Silicon Graphics, Netscape, and Healtheon. In the process of achieving this hat trick, he also reinvented the social order. The "Organization Man" and conformity have been replaced by brilliant engineers and nonconformity. Bitter at how little the actual creators of Silicon Graphics received and how much the venture capitalists profited, Jim Clark made sure in his next two ventures that, by such means as stock options, his creative people prospered very well indeed.
   
   One of Clark's great strengths has been to rapidly change directions. As the book notes, "A stunning ignorance of mass tastes was a common problem in high technology." For example, Honeywell, in the 1960's, created The Kitchen Computer and assumed housewives would welcome the monster size computer in their kitchens and would know how to program it. "Neiman Marcus failed to sell a single unit." When Marc Andreesen mentioned 25 million people were then using the Internet, Jim Clark saw the potential of Marc's Mosaic code and formed Mosaic Communications (which became Netscape). This time around, Clark cut a deal with venture capitalists that was unprecedented. When the initial public stock offering was made, "It was one of the most successful share offerings in the history of U.S. stock markets and possibly the most famous." In the past, shares were not sold to the investing public until four consecutive quarters were profitable. Now it was the future potential, the rapid growth, that lured investors. Also, the young engineers profited. Inventor Marc Andreesen, at twenty-four, was now worth eighty million dollars! Stock options were now the name of the game for engineers.
   
   The author compares the changes in the Silicon Valley value system to the changes that have taken place in Hollywood's value system. He notes "The stars seized power and once they'd seized power they raised their price and demanded the right to direct their own picture." He compares Jim Clark to Marlon Brando.
   
   A fascinating insight into Silicon Valley is that almost half of the companies there have been founded by Indian entrepreneurs. The book tells how Nehru set up an educational system that found the very best young minds among 900 million people and brought them to the Indian Institute of Technology. They all spoke English and America offered the highest pay and the most opportunity.
   
   Another informative bit in the book is the origin of the word "debug." It turns out that back in the 1960's a computer problem was found to be literally due to a large moth trapped inside. The word become the standard term for removing errors from programs.
   
   This book is so up to date you may feel you are reading your daily newspaper. How Microsoft attempted to achieve complete domination over the world's 500 million computers is explained. Netscape informed the U.S. Department of Justice of Microsoft's threats. Together with information furnished by other firms, this led to the Justice Department's antitrust action.
   
   The author observes that, generally speaking, stock market investors now fall into two categories: Those who follow the Graham and Dodd's system of careful analysis and those who are "kamikaze investors." It will be interesting to see which of these two opposing financial philosophies has the last laugh.
   
   Considerable book space is devoted to Jim Clark's obsession with building his completely computer controlled world's largest sailboat. A sad observation made by sailors is that when approaching an island a land bird, such as a hawk, may appear, but it may be too far out and it will perish in the sea. The author notes how this is "The first bird, like a man ahead of his time, a tragic figure." It is a reminder that all inventors and entrepreneurs are not Jim Clarks.
   
   A highly readable book and, if you delight it) the thought that bankers and venture capitalists should not rule the business world; you will enjoy Jim Clark's triumphs.



2. A must read for any entrepreneur or intrapreneur(someone within a company who must innovate). Lewis opens with stories about Jim Clark -- reknown Silicon Valley entrepreneur and innovator and his boat that 'built Netscape"...the book talks about Netscape which Lewis says launched the Information age (it may or may not have but it certainly ushered in the IPO era and online businesses. Interesting what has since happened to Silicon Graphics and Healtheon that was supposed to turn the health care industry 'on it's head'. The inside cover talks about --- what else-- Paradigm shift in American culture-- from conventional business models (the old economy) to the new economy. Yet in retrospect we know that a mix of the best of both is really probably the way to go. The titles of the chapter are more clever than the chapters themselves. I personally would have liked to see more about different innovators not just Clarke but then I didn't write the book. The chapter titles include "Pasts in a Box" Disorganization Man, Home of the Future God Mode -- How Chickents Become Pork, Cheese Sandwiches for Breakfast, Chasing Ghosts, The Turning Point and The New New Thing....



3. If you have read any of Michael Lewis's other books and found them enjoyable (either writing style or topic), you will find this a good read, worthy of your time. You will learn a little about the atmosphere of Silicon Valley during the height of the bubble / late 90s as well as about a very unique figure who helped (over exagerated, per Economist) start it all.



4. "The New New Thing" tells two stories. The first is the story of Jim Clark, a technical entrepreneur who founded three companies -- Silicon Graphics, Netscape, and Healtheon -- that achieved phenomenal heights during the Internet boom of the 1990's. Clark is, to say the least, an interesting character; at least two of Clark's business associates are quoted in the book calling him a "maniac". Clark is driven almost entirely by an unending greed, so for me at least, he quickly became an unsympathetic character around which to hang an entire book. Another criticism I have is that far too many pages of the book are spent on Clark's quest to build and debug Hyperion, the world's largest computer-controlled sailboat. These sections were a distraction from the rest of the narrative. (By the way, it's pretty clear that although they may have been smart, the people writing the software for Hyperion -- including Clark himself -- were all pretty lousy software engineers.)
   
   The second story is that of Silicon Valley, and it doesn't come off looking much better than Clark. Lewis seems to have been granted incredible access to Clark's life, which included the ability to interview and attend meetings with the Valley's top movers and shakers -- the engineers, senior managers, and venture capitalists who fund them. As a computer scientist who has lived and worked in the Valley since 1991, I found this material to be enlightening, and certainly the strongest part of the book. Perhaps most fascinating is the way the decisions of the venture capital (VC) firms and investment banks are based so much on perception rather than sound reasoning. For example, one minute the VCs are writing off their Healtheon investments as a total loss, but the next minute -- when Clark offers to invest $40M of his own money in the failing venture -- they all clamor to invest more in it. Sadly, during the "irrational exuberance" of the late 1990's, this was actually a winning strategy.
   
   One danger in writing a book about the new new thing -- at the height of the Internet bubble no less -- is that it can quickly become old. And this book has not aged well. Yes, Jim Clark was the first person in Silicon Valley to have founded three companies with a market capitalization exceeding $1 billion, and yes, he made himself and many others around him obscenely rich. But most of the companies he started have not been lasting successes: as of this writing in 2007, Silicon Graphics is dying, having lost tens to hundreds of millions of dollars in each of the last four fiscal years; Netscape was acquired by AOL, whose subsequent acquisition by Time Warner nearly killed the latter company; Healtheon merged with WebMD, whose business model is substantially less ambitious than Clark's original concept for the company; and myCFO, the newest new enterprise mentioned at the end of the book, morphed into a company that offered illegal tax shelters to wealthy clients, came under investigation by the IRS, and was eventually sold for only one third of the original money poured into it. Toward the end of the book, Lewis also wryly mocks John Doerr's VC firm Kleiner Perkins for paying $25M for a 33% stake in Google, which he writes "consisted of a pair of Stanford graduate students who had a piece of software that might or might not make it easier to search the Internet." Poor Kleiner Perkins. Their Google investment was obviously a terrible mistake.
   
   Michael Lewis is a great writer, but I enjoyed two of his other books far more: Liar's Poker: Rising Through the Wreckage on Wall Street and Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game.
   
   All in all, "The New New Thing" does a good job of exposing the underbelly of Silicon Valley capitalism. But its focus on Clark and companies born out of the Internet bubble gives a distorted picture of the challenges in founding and running a technical startup. For a more accurate depiction, I recommend Startup: A Silicon Valley Adventure.



5. I'm a big fan of Michael Lewis. He usually brings characters and situations to life and provides a perspective on a situation that introduces me to a new way of looking at things. That's not the case here.
   
   I get the feeling when Michael Lewis got permission to follow Jim Clark around for several months to write about him he thought he'd hit the mother load of great book material. Here was a guy who had traipsed through the daunting world of technology with a seeming Midas touch. Heck, the man had started Silicon Graphics and Netscape.
   
   As I read the book, however, something strange happened, I started wondering, "When did Michael Lewis realize he was following the most improbably boring man in the world?" Jim Clark should be fascinating; he starts huge companies and turns venture capitalists on their ears, he flies helicopters, rides motorcycles and builds ludicrously complex, large and expensive sailboats. Jim Clark is a man who is never satisfied and always striving for the "New, New Thing." Yet somehow, Jim Clark is also apparently stone cold dull.
   
   In the course of the whole book, not one Jim Clark quote is interesting, entertaining, or insightful. It doesn't seem like Clark won't open up to Lewis, it's more like he's a one-dimensional guy. Lewis writes the book in a way that indicates that he's an author that knows he's got nothing but has invested far too much time in research to try to turn back. The book becomes focused on the attempt to get Clark's newest technology-laden boat ready for an Atlantic crossing; hardly what I'm guessing Lewis set out to write.
   
   The crossing itself turns out to be a non-event and unfortunately the book does to. Don't despair though, read Moneyball or Liar's Poker or Blindside and you'll find that Michael Lewis can, and usually does, deliver the goods in spades.

5 comments about Copy This!: Lessons from a Hyperactive Dyslexic who Turned a Bright Idea Into One of America's Best Companies.

1. This is a spectacular book.
   
   Orfalea opened his first copy shop while still a student in college. Over the next 30 years, he built the world's premier copyshop business, then cashed out for $1.5 billion. Not a bad run, especially for a kid who was so dyslexic that he was virtually illiterate.
   
   He says he got the idea for the business while working on a term paper with a team of fellow college students. He was unable to contribute any research or writing skills to the team, so he offered to do the photocopying. The lines at the school's photocopier were so long that he realized that there was money to be made in copying. In short order he scouted a location, borrowed $5K from his father, and launched his business.
   
   He makes the point that, as a functionally illiterate person, he was extremely dependent on other people. He argues that this forced him from a very early age to assess people accurately and find ways to make use of them. As a youngster, this meant choosing someone to sit next to whose work he could copy. As an adult, it meant choosing people who could help him run his business.
   
   He says that straight-A students tend not to develop the ability to read people the way a dyslexic can. He says further that straight-A students tend to do what's safe and what's asked of them, whereas a dyslexic tends to be highly creative in getting things done or at least convincing authorities that things have been done.
   
   In short, he feels that his dyslexia was a critical ingredient in his success.
   
   This gives him an interesting perspective on school. He feels that no assignment is so valuable as to be worth extinguishing a student's spark of self-confidence and excitement about learing. He points out that, in school, most students are made to feel like failures in something. By contrast, in adulthood we are allowed to specialize. If math explodes in our heads, we can seek work that requires little or no math. Students aren't so lucky, and some of them are so handicapped that their spirits are entirely crushed by the experience of going through school.
   
   The Orfalea family had a long tradition of entrepreneurship, and Paul grew up believing that one should earn one's way through life by the sweat of one's brow only long enough to accumulate some savings and then, by investing wisely, gradually transition to a point where one's way is financed entirely by rent and dividends.
   
   Today Orfalea teaches at the University of California and one of the questions he asks his students is, "What's more important: good grades or saving money?" The answer is saving money.
   
   He's quite a guy. You'll enjoy reading about his success.



2. Orfalea opened his first copy shop while still a student in college. Over the next 30 years, he built the world's premier copyshop business, then cashed out for $1.5 billion. Not a bad run, especially for a kid who was so dyslexic that he was virtually illiterate.
   
   He says he got the idea for the business while working on a term paper with a team of fellow college students. He was unable to contribute any research or writing skills to the team, so he offered to do the photocopying. The lines at the school's photocopier were so long that he realized that there was money to be made in copying. In short order he scouted a location, borrowed $5K from his father, and launched his business.
   
   He makes the point that, as a functionally illiterate person, he was extremely dependent on other people. He argues that this forced him from a very early age to assess people accurately and find ways to make use of them. As a youngster, this meant choosing someone to sit next to whose work he could copy. As an adult, it meant choosing people who could help him run his business.
   
   He says that straight-A students tend not to develop the ability to read people the way a dyslexic can. He says further that straight-A students tend to do what's safe and what's asked of them, whereas a dyslexic tends to be highly creative in getting things done or at least convincing authorities that things have been done.
   
   In short, he feels that his dyslexia was a critical ingredient in his success.
   
   This gives him an interesting perspective on school. He feels that no assignment is so valuable as to be worth extinguishing a student's spark of self-confidence and excitement about learning. He points out that, in school, most students are made to feel like failures in something. By contrast, in adulthood we are allowed to specialize. If math explodes in our heads, we can seek work that requires little or no math. Students aren't so lucky, and some of them are so handicapped that their spirits are entirely crushed by the experience of going through school.
   
   The Orfalea family had a long tradition of entrepreneurship, and Paul grew up believing that one should earn one's way through life by the sweat of one's brow only long enough to accumulate some savings and then, by investing wisely, gradually transition to a point where one's way is financed entirely by rent and dividends.
   
   Today Orfalea teaches at the University of California and one of the questions he asks his students is, "What's more important: good grades or saving money?" The correct answer is saving money.



3. I found this book to hold my interest. It provides an intriguing and inspirational view inside the start-up of a business, as well as honest, personal revelations.



4. Paul Orfalea is the type of boss we call a "Crazy-Maker." Type triple-A. In your face. A new idea every minute. Little or no boundaries between personal time and work time. I suspect he was an exhausting (if occasionally) exhilarating boss to have.
   
   This business autobiography offers a revealing portrait of an unlikely business tycoon. Orfalea overcame dyslexia to found Kinko's, which he grew into a multi-billion dollar business before selling it off. It is now an American icon.
   
   The section on how games - especially poker, Monopoly and Risk - are better predictors of business success than grades is interesting.
   
   Otherwise, Orfalea at times seems to make it all about Me. Me. Me. See me the generous philanthropist! See me creatively teaching business classes to students at UC Santa Barbara! See me lament what the new corporate suits have done to Kinko's. Of course, he has multi-millions to assuage his pain. Dude - when you sell it off, you relinquish that right to call all the shots!
   
   Orfalea took a quirky, albeit courageous, path to his fortune. Whether many others can "copy this" as a template for success is debatable. Like him or love him, the Kinko's founder has written an engaging autobiography.



5. BUT...
   
   "...you can't take care of your customers unless you take care of your people." (- Paul Orfalea)
   
   "Copy This!" is a book that illustrates the enduring idealism and sincerity of Paul Orfalea. Orfalea's enthusiasm is infectious. His optimism and energy vibrate through the narrative as he explains how his values were challenged over the years by various partnerships, a corporate reorganization and the eventual decision to leave the company he built and guided for over 30 years.
   
   Those of us who lived the "Kinko's experience" can vouch for the effectiveness of Paul's leadership and his approach to team management.
   
   Long ago, I took a job at my local Kinko's working the overnight shift as a machine operator. On my first day of work, my branch manager handed me a wallet-sized, white plastic card with something called "The Kinko's Philosophy" printed on one side. Up to that point in my life, working for a company was all about punching a clock and biding your time until you could punch it again and get on with your real life. I assumed this card, talking about things like "The coworkers are the foundation of our success" and "we trust and care for one another" were just marketing lip service by some faceless corporate human resource office.
   
   But my manager took time with me, said that he wanted me to keep the card with me explaining, "We really believe in these things here. I can't force anyone to be anything more than a clock-puncher, but we can do everything we can to support how you want to work out your days with this company. Your only real job here is to take care of the customer."
   
   Over the next several years I moved up in the company and dealt with dozens of coworkers. I worked with and for the kind of employees you've encountered of heard about who contribute to a miserable experience as well as those who stopped everything to solve your emergency and save the day for you. Paul's philosophy (his "commitment to communication") made it easier to manage the daily operation of a store of 15-20 people on three non-stop, busy shifts
   
   As Paul pointed out on more than one occasion, each coworker -- regardless of their aspirations, ambition or approach to the job -- deserved to be treated with respect and gratitude ...because their performance was the only true measure of my own success. Discipline was to be bundled with coaching and retraining. Even in an "at-will" employment environment, Paul was dedicated to making sure we did all we could to help every coworker succeed.
   
   Understanding and providing for your customer requires understanding your employees and their own needs. While they carry out the necessary tasks to get the job done, your job as a manager is to make that job fun, safe and efficient. The challenge of the organization is to create an environment where managers can do their job. In the case of Kinko's, that meant great opportunities for advancement, solid training programs, profit sharing and excellent wages. Many of those values (and benefits) changed with Paul's departure, but there are still hundreds if not thousands of team members who maintain that positive, supportive attitude toward their most valuable resource on the sales floor.
   
   Most businesses treat their employees (human assets, labor force, whatever form they take) like a herd of sheep to be managed as though they have neither the skill nor experience to contribute to the business process. This book explains how each member of your working team is not just a salary on a P&L chart, but the REASON your operation is successful. It explains that you can have your heart firmly invested in taking care of your customers, but if you don't have the drive to take care of your own PEOPLE, you will be hard-pressed to achieve that goal consistently or at all.
   
   Small business owners, department heads, and CEOs could learn much from Paul's dedication to his team members and perhaps begin to understand that their own success isn't tied to a few lines on a spreadsheet and the demands of a board of MBAs, it begins and ends with the people who run the cash registers, take care of the daily operation and make it possible for executives to spend time pondering "bigger picture" issues for their organization.