Book Description

Praise For Damn Right!

From the author of the bestselling WARREN BUFFETT SPEAKS

"Charlie Munger, whose reputation is deep and wide, based on an extraordinary record of brilliantly successful business strategies, sees things that others don’t. There is a method to his mastery and, through this book, we get a chance to learn about this rare individual."
——MICHAEL EISNER, Chairman and CEO, The Walt Disney Company

"Janet Lowe uncovers the iconoclastic genius and subtle charm behind Charlie Munger’s curmudgeonly facade in this richly woven portrait of our era’s heir to Ben Franklin. With a biographer’s detachment, an historian’s thoroughness, and a financial writer’s common sense, Lowe produces a riveting account of the family, personal, and business life of this idiosyncratically complex and endlessly fascinating figure."
——LAWRENCE A. CUNNINGHAM, Cardozo Law School
Author of The Essays of Warren Buffett: Lessons for Corporate America

"For years, Berkshire Hathaway shareholders and investors worldwide (me included) have struggled to learn more about Warren Buffett’s cerebral sidekick. Now we can rest and enjoy reading Janet Lowe’s book about this rare intellectual jewel called Charlie Munger."
——ROBERT G. HAGSTROM, Author of The Warren Buffett Way

"Janet Lowe’s unprecedented access to Charlie Munger and Warren Buffett has resulted in a first-class book that investors, academics, and CEOs will find entertaining and highly useful."
——TIMOTHY P. VICK
Money Manager and Author of How to Pick Stocks Like Warren Buffett ... Read more

Reviews (20)

Much about Charlie Munger, not as much about investing...
Without a doubt, Lowe has written an extremely interesting biography of Charles Munger, vice-chairman of Berkshire Hathaway. We learn about Charlie's background, his family (maybe a little too much about his family), and how he eventually met up with a gentleman named Warren Buffett (maybe you've heard of this guy, eh?).

From a purely biographical standpoint, you'll want to read this book. Gives much insight into Charlie's personal character as well as some insight into Buffett's character.

What I think the book misses on is investment technique. Granted, that's not how the book is advertised...it is a biography. But, I was hoping to get some better insight into the Munger/Buffett investment style. I was hoping the author would--at least--tease me a bit. No such luck.

It's an enjoyable read.

Recommended reading for all focus investors
Mr. Charlie Munger, Vice-Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, is the partner/sidekick of Mr. Warren Buffett and is considered the man behind the scenes at Berkshire Hathaway. Charlie is a veryentertaining guy, and this book shows why Warren Buffett calls him "one of a kind." Janet Lowe provides readers with an in-depth look at the full and interesting life of Mr. Munger. Many useful lessons on life and investing can be uncovered by a thorough reading of this excellent book. The book also includes two excellent speeches by Mr. Munger in the appendix: Multidisciplinary Skills: Educational Implications and Practical Thought about Practical Thought?

Insightful!
Charlie Munger's life story is a version of the classic American Dream: a hard-working young man builds a billion-dollar fortune through hard work and honest business deals, all the while raising eight children with the help of an intelligent, devoted wife. Author Janet Lowe brings this story and Munger's personality to life with well-chosen anecdotes from family, friends and business associates. These include, most notably, Warren Buffett, with whom she already enjoyed a rapport thanks to her work on a previous bestseller, Warren Buffett Speaks. Because Munger's business history is so complex, the chapters are organized thematically rather than strictly chronologically, which can be a bit confusing. Thankfully, Lowe provides a handy timeline in an appendix. We suggest this book to investors, Buffett fans (who may underestimate the contributions others such as Munger have made to the Berkshire Hathaway empire) and to those dismayed by corporate corruption who could use this tale of honest success to renew their faith in capitalism.

Mistaken Facts
Exept for the chapter "Doing Good at Good Samaritan Hospital" I only scanned this book rapidly but I hope that Mr Munger's recollections of his dazzling successes in the world of finance are more accurate than those relating to his early tenure at Good Samaritan Hospital.His and his stepson's opinions about the quality of the hospital and its medical staff at that time may be insulting but are their privilege.I was Chairman of the Medical Staff when Mr Munger became Chairman of the Board of Trustees,and I was a member of that Board for for about 18 years as well,and I am well aware of what transpired then.For Mr Munger to state that "decisions of the medical staff frequently protected the economic interests of certain doctors,rather than that of the patients or of quality medicine" ,and "a ruling of the organized medical staff was endangering the health and safety of our patients" is simply untrue and libelous.I would like very much to see him provide proof for these allegations At that time,he expressed to me the view that doctors are motivated mainly by financial considerations (greed),presumably based on his own experience in finance as described in this book.

Great Background on the Buffett-Munger Team
While there's too much genealogy of the Mungers from the 1600's on, the book does give a thorough grounding in what makes Charles Munger tick.
While this book provides no easy investment answers, Mr. Munger's values and wise quotes* make this book a winner. It makes me want to go to a Berkshire (or to hear more from Mr. Munger, a Wesco Financial) annual meeting.
* "Good businesses throw up one easy decision after another; bad businesses throw up painful decisions time after time." This is both a wonderful quote and a very Berkshire Hathaway way of looking at businesses in which to invest. ... Read more

Book Description

Hailed as the Thomas Edison and Henry Ford of Silicon Valley, Robert Noyce was a brilliant inventor, a leading entrepreneur, and a daring risk taker who piloted his own jets and skied mountains accessible only by helicopter.Now, in The Man Behind the Microchip, Leslie Berlin captures not only this colorful individual but also the vibrant interplay of technology, business, money, politics, and culture that defines Silicon Valley.Here is the life of a giant of the high-tech industry, the co-founder of Fairchild Semiconductor and Intel who co-invented the integrated circuit, the electronic heart of every modern computer, automobile, cellular telephone, advanced weapon, and video game. With access to never-before-seen documents, Berlin paints a fascinating portrait of Noyce: he was an ambitious and intensely competitive multimillionaire who exuded a "just folks" sort of charm, a Midwestern preacher's son who rejected organized religion but would counsel his employees to "go off and do something wonderful," a man who never looked back and sometimes paid a price for it.In addition, this vivid narrative sheds light on Noyce's friends and associates, including some of the best-known managers, venture capitalists, and creative minds in Silicon Valley.Berlin draws upon interviews with dozens of key players in modern American business--including Andy Grove, Steve Jobs, Gordon Moore, and Warren Buffett; their recollections of Noyce give readers a privileged, first-hand look inside the dynamic world of high-tech entrepreneurship.A modern American success story, The Man Behind the Microchip illuminates the triumphs and setbacks of one of the most important inventors and entrepreneurs of our time. ... Read more

Amazon

The Coors Brewing Company in Golden, Colorado, is one of those prototypical American businesses that sprang from the efforts of a single-minded individual to become a dominant force in its industry. The elements that led to its ascension make quite a story, too: a destitute but hard-driving immigrant founder; kidnapping, suicides, and murder; secretive, right-wing politics and boisterous consumer boycotts; and, to top it off, an aristocratic ruling family that never dealt well with outsiders. To make sense of it all, former Wall Street Journal reporter Dan Baum interviewed more than 150 people, excluding, unfortunately, the primary family members, who still routinely refuse to talk to outsiders. Nevertheless, Baum tells this colorful Hollywood-esque tale in a comprehensive and compelling manner. He shows with considerable insight how the corporate and familial tone was set early by patriarch Adolph, a figure so domineering he "was still effectively running the company more than 60 years" after his death. And he shows with equal clarity why Peter, the heir, ultimately turned to an outsider to help the company address its competition in a way befitting a prototypical American business. An interesting tale, well told. --Howard Rothman ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Citizen Coors: An American Dynasty
I thought the book was outstanding.It was historical, personal, tragic, economic, political and ideological.It also included incredible lessons for the business world.I have been and will continue to recommend this book to others.

Coors Family's Personal and BusinessTraumas
"Citizen Coors" is a book written about the ups and downs of the Coors family, in both the business and personal arenas. Founded by Adolph Coors, a Prussian stowaway to America, the Coors Company has been in existance now for more than 100 years and during that time, it has often found itself thrust into the spotlight over problems with employees, political involvement, and family crises and disputes.

Author Dan Baum spends a little bit of time talking about the foundation of the company, then he heads directly into the 20th century, discussing at length the Coor's family members (Bill, Joe, Adolph II, Adolph III, Peter, Joe, and others) and their various business philosophies and personal lives. As most people know, the Coors family has always had problems with organized labor, and the company has been the target of strikes and boycotts by various pro- labor and ethnic groups. Accused of being anti- labor, anti- gay, sexist, and racist, the Coors Company has been forced to face a never- ending onslaught of criticism from various civil and political groups. Author Dan Baum covers many of these important issues thoroughly, while managing to leave out his own opinions, allowing the reader to digest the information and make his/her own decision.

Reading a book like will make some people a little bit annoyed at the Coors family and its beliefs. The labor problems are one thing, but there are other issues that the author covers which are just as controversial. For example, it is known that Coors was very slow to accept the changes in the marketplace in the 1970's, when the other big brewers, Miller and Anheuser- Busch, were both switching to a brand marketing emphasis. Coors could visibly see the changes, but refused to make any moves until it was almost too late. Bill Coors, in particular, is incredibly rigid, refusing to even consider producing and selling a light beer, even though other family members and marketing experts all warn him that change is necessary if the Coors Company has any hope to survive.

The book ends by talking about the modern era. Coors is still around, but the boycotts and other problems have taken a toll. The company is no longer family run, like it was in the past. Now, Coors is directed by professionals who have managed to expand the product line, allocate more money toward marketing and sales, and have rescued the company from bankruptcy.

"Citizen Coors" is a very good read. It has its share of tragedy (Adolph Coors I and great- granddaughter Missy both committed suicide and Adolph III was murdered) but it also has its share of success. Coors is credited for inventing the aluminum can and for encouraging recycling on a massive scale. Above all, though, "Citizen Coors" shows the importance of accepting change. If Coors had acted more quickly, it could possibly be a much larger brewer than it is today, rivaling A-B for the top spot in the industry. A little more flexibility and open- mindedness could have worked wonders.

Insightful
Baum does not go easy on the Coors family, but I also found Citizen Coors sympathetic and very touching, with frank discussion of the family culture and their very human conflicts, weaknesses, and strengths. Stubbornly, and honorably, they stuck to their belief that if they made excellent beer, people would buy it with or without advertising.They finally succumbed to the need for expensive advertising campaigns in the face of market share wars that erupted when Phillip Morris bought Miller Brewing Company and applied sophisticated tobacco marketing strategies to beer.

At times, the book portrays some Coors as very much bewildered, as when Bill Coors innocently suggested at an employee meeting that citizen's votes should count in proportion to how much each person pays in taxes.But when it came to engineering, in which most of the family members were trained, Bill Coors was creative and determined in the successful effort to develop the aluminum can, and an aluminum can recycling program.

The Coors, and the companies they control, have expended enormous resources for the causes in which they believe, which included development of the aluminum can, and a tab that did not leave a separated ring, so prone to becoming a separate piece of litter.They also were willing to spend millions and suffer economic and public relations losses to fight for their conservative political and religious ideals. Many (but not all) of the family members have a born-again or fundamentalist Christian faith, and there is an uncomfortable conflict between their morals and the manufacture and marketing of beer.

Sometimes they implemented their ideals about private sector action, in place of government programs.As Business Week pointed out in its review of the book, Coors "recruited urban unemployables right out of prison", because they wanted to give them a chance to become productive members of society. In another situation they did not act so responsibly.When they discovered that chlorinated organic solvents from aluminum can manufacturing had gotten into the groundwater, they decided not to report it as required by law, and secretly pumped the water into Clear Creek for ten years, before finally getting caught.

To maintain their absolutist view of property rights, including the right to run their brewery any way they saw fit; they waged battles with labor unions, hurting Coors' image with some of its consumers.Property rights also seemed to be the basis of their 1960's opposition to civil rights laws.Baum asserts that it was the Coors' repugnance about having government inspectors coming onto their property and reviewing their records, more than the cleanup costs, that motivated them to not report the groundwater contamination.

The history of the Coors family and Golden are very much entwined, so those interested in local Golden history will enjoy the book.Many Golden residents personally know various people in the book. Ruben Hartmeister's work with Bill Coors to develop the aluminum can is excitingly recounted.There is an astonishing story about Leo Bradley and Coors setting up private drug stings, and expanding the operations to downtown Golden to Shotgun Annie's (now The Buffalo Rose).Meanwhile its owner, whose business was put at considerable risk, was also a client of the Bradley law firm, and was therefor owed a duty of loyalty by the firm.But he was kept in the dark about the drug sting operations, set up on his property.

With Thanks to historian Rick Gardner regarding the new name for Shotgun Annie's

Hint: As I read the book, I found it very helpful to sketch a family tree.

Amazingly Compelling
Two of my neighbors read this book and told me, repeatedly, that I'd love it.They said they'd both finished it in two days.Finally they gave it to me for my birthday--and I spent my birthday (and most of the following night) reading it.I finished it in even less time than they did--and me, a fiction reader!

The Coors family saga is fascinating.It's a classic American success story, with elements straight out of a Greek tragedy.The very qualities that made the family succeed so well for the first hundred years--attention to product quality and family concepts of integrity--nearly destroyed them in the last twenty-five.

I can't agree with the earlier reviewer, who commented that the book was poorly organized.I thought the author did a great job of interweaving story lines, so I understood what all of the players were doing during a given period of time.

I thought the author also did a good job of remaining unbiased.He may have had "Eastern Establishment" leanings, as one of the other reviewers commented, but I thought he painted the Coors family members in a reasonably sympathetic light.He certainly helps you understand how people with their family background--immigrant founder who built the business from scratch--would have developed some of the attitudes they hold (or held).

My only problem with the book was that the anecdotes were so fascinating that I was compelled to read long sections to my husband--even though he fully intended to read the book himself as soon as I finished it.

I highly recommend this book!

Concise, relevant historical background
This book is particularly fascinating for those of us living in Colorado. As someone who enjoys regularly visiting Golden, (and taking Coors brewery tours), it's interesting to look at the town from a different perspective; The Coors' family's.

While tragic in some respects, I do think that this tome paints a real and unflinching picture of the life of one immigrant family which has made in America. ... Read more

Book Description

Not since the days of Lee Iacocca at Chrysler has an auto executive captured the imagination of his industry and the broader business world as Carlos Ghosn of Nissan.

Ghosn is responsible for one of the most breathtaking business turnarounds of all time -- taking the near-fatally wounded Japanese automaker Nissan from the brink of ruin back to profitability in just two years. His achievement is all the more astonishing because he did it as a Westerner operating in Japan's closed, tradition-bound business environment.

In Turnaround, business journalist David Magee presents the first behind-the-scenes look at Ghosn, his management methods, and his role as the leader of a new generation of global business managers.

A Brazilian of Lebanese descent, Ghosn has led companies to success in the United States, South America, France, and now in Japan.

Turnaround reveals how he remade Nissan by defying the business and cultural taboos that in the past have stifled the economy in Japan; how he cut costs, smashed Nissan's Keiretsu relationships, and revived the company's design innovation, quality standards, and product.

Readers in and out of the auto industry will learn the essential management techniques that have helped Ghosn achieve spectacular business results on four continents:

• The importance of transparency in all business dealings
• Planning via a cross-functional team approach
• Cost containment through benchmarking
• Breaking cross-cultural barriers among employees
• Sparking innovation through empowerment

Combining the dramatic story of the remarkable Nissan turnaround with new lessons for success in a global economy, Turnaround belongs on the desk of every manager everywhere.

Reviews (19)

The Passionate Pragmatist
Although Magee does indeed provide a brilliant analysis of how Carlos Ghosn "rescued" Nissan, the value of this book extends far beyond that admirable achievement. What we have here is a probing and informative analysis of a leadership and management style which provides important lessons to decision-makers in all organizations (regardless of size or nature) which currently struggle to compete successfully in their respective marketplaces. In a sense, the same skills required by a successful turnaround are also valuable in organizations which are currently prospering: "Be transparent and explain yourself in clear, lucid terms. Do as you say you are going to do. Listen first; then think." Prior to being reassigned by Renault to the Nissan organization, Ghosn had led the revivals of Michelin South America, Michelin North America, and Renault. According to Magee, he "may be the only person to have four verifiable corporate turnaround efforts on four different continents." Serious problems had developed at Nissan in the early 1990s. How serious? It was "strapped by $22-billion in debt, inflated supplier costs, and new product development that was at a standstill." This book explains how, under Ghosn's leadership, Nissan not only solved those and other problems; it regained a position of profitable and prominent leadership in one of the most competitive of industries.

As indicated previously, Ghosn is a firm believer in transparency throughout all areas and at all levels of an organization. For that reason, prior to the merger of Renault and Nissan, he created cross-company teams (CCTs) which "were charged with finding possible synergies between the companies and exploring specifically how these might work if an alliance was formed." Teams studied product planning, vehicle engineering, power trains, and purchasing. It is incomprehensible to me that Ghosn, a native of Porto Velho, Brazil, could convince those who worked in two such different companies, in cultures with such different values, to work effectively together. He advocated the same strategy which had succeeded so well at Michelin North America: "Assume nothing (find answers within the company), work fast, and earn trust and respect with strong results." As American colleague Jim Morton once said of Ghosn, "he knows how to get a commitment."

Obviously, throughout his career thus far, Ghosn has demonstrated a specific style of leadership and management which Shiro Tomii, a senior vice president in Japan, once summarized as follows: He establishes high, yet attainable goals; makes everything clear to all roles and levels of responsibility; works with speed; checks on progress; and appraises results based on fact. In this context, Magee notes by creating intracompany transparency, "only the facts survive. [Ghosn] loves it when data and analysis win and loses his patience when individuals persistently argue a point with nothing to back it up."

Once the Nissan Revival Plan (NRP) had restored hope, profits, and confidence in the company, Ghosn focused everyone's attention on NISSAN 180 which involves even more ambitious objectives and requires even greater commitments to achieve them. "So questions remain as to exactly how high and how far Nissan will go in its ultimate quest." However, this much is certain: "Renault took a chance. Ghosn went to work. And Nissan responded. Together, they changed world business forever." That is the story which Magee has told in this book and he has done so with rigor and eloquence.

unique story
the story of Carlos Ghosn was amazing. I have followed the resurgence of Nissan but did not know how it was done. There is no business book that tells a global management story like this one.

Ghosn-san
The man they hail in Japan as Ghosn-san, superhero, is unbelievable. He changed the work the Japanese approach work and turned Nissan around.

This book tells the story of how he did it and the techniques he used. I read it in two and a half hours and learned from it.

This book is useful if you want to learn about Ghosn, who I think will be taking over the business world in America very soon.

The author obviously knows Ghosn and writes from an inside perspective. He uses many quotes which help me understand his personality. He also quotes many Nissan Japanese executives and that is rare.

I wish maybe he would have told more juicy negative details instead of teaching how Ghosn-san did it, but still, this book is worth reading.

strong leadership title
I got this book to learn about Carlos Ghosn because I work at a domestic in the auto industry. I have since shared it with several of my colleagues because I found it to be a useful leadership guide.

It different than I first thought it would be. I thought it would be a narrative look at what happened at Nissan. Then I realized it was a "lesson" approach and appreciated the approach and writing.

I recommend it for anyone wanting to learn about Carlos Ghosn and his interesting ways of working.

awful writing kills interesting subject
Being an auto-enthusiast, I was very interested in the story of Nissan's turnaround. However, Magee's abysmal writing made it very hard to read the book. It is written at a 3rd grade level, with short sentences that convey no point whatsoever. The plot wanders aimlessly and points that can be summed up succinctly in one sentence are restated over and over again. It is amazing that Carlos Ghosn, being the brilliant business mind that he is, ever allowed a book of such low caliber to be written about him. Maybe Ghosn's next turnaround project should be having someone competent rewrite this book so that it's not a pain to read. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Few biographers convey their subjects' business abilities and personalities with equal acuity, but Washington-based journalist Christopher Ogden has done just that in this accomplished portrait of Moses Annenberg (1877-1942) and his son, Walter. Depicting Prussian-born Moe's rise in American publishing, Ogden captures the innovative circulation gimmicks and bare-knuckled competitive tactics that fueled the success of newspapers like the The Inquirer in Philadelphia and the Daily Racing Form (the Annenbergs' cash cow). He also unsparingly but sympathetically depicts Moe's terrible temper and willed blindness to the shadiness of some of his business practices and associates, which led to a two-year jail stint for tax evasion before he came home to die. Spoiled only son Walter, born in 1908, didn't really grow up until his father's conviction shocked him into finally focusing on the family assets, which he further enhanced by creating such pioneering niche publications as Seventeen and TV Guide. Ogden nails Walter's complex character as well, doing particularly well in evaluating the younger Annenberg's famous philanthropy--partly the result of his mother's nurturing and partly a burning desire to justify his father's choices and remove any taint from his legacy. A pleasing combination of colorful history and moving father-son drama. --Wendy Smith ... Read more

Reviews (5)

gbird and me: another legacy of annenberg will
Legacy does an accurate job of portraying POP the way he wanted it and believe me, he certainly controlled the content. As one who is most familiar as an insider, I can say that his goal was to build the image of greatness. Yes, Pop, you were great and no matter what the cost. In the end you won. To the family, you know how he was. Gbird if you get this, im still here, faithful as ever, yet still controlled by old walter from the grave.

An outstanding book by a great author.
After having read Legacy I had all of my beliefs about the Great Walter Annenberg confirmed. This man is truely a great and magnanimous individual. His donations are really unprecedented and you could say he has done more for education than any other American. I truely love this man. As an alum of the Peddie school I was astounded by his massive gift in 1993 and I do hope his actions will inspire other alumni to make similiar or even larger gifts.

An American 20th century story of the highest order
In this engaging and wonderfully written biography, Ogden describes with consummate skill the origins, careers, hardships and accomplishments of two remarkable men, Walter Annenberg and his father, Moses. Facinating insights on business dealings (sometimes hardball), White House maneuverings (not always exemplary), politics, government, social discimination and class structure in America from the end of the 19th century to the present abound. The childhoods and early family environments of both Annenbergs (quite different for each) are well described. The complexity of the father/son relationship (partly due to very different temperaments) and its continuing influence long after Moses Annenberg's death in 1942 is especially poignant. One need not have a special interest in media empires to find this book engrossing; an interest in the capacity to endure, adapt creatively, and prevail in stunning and magnanimous fashion is quite sufficient. This is a distinctly American 20th century story of the highest order.

An American epic that has it all
Just finished Legacy after a whirlwind of reading. Couldn't put it down. Each chapter of this brilliant biography flowed into the next. Author Ogden has done a magnificent job of weaving this father/son story together, managing to illustrate much of the American century through their compelling (and inspring) tale. Reads like a great novel. I will be recommending Legacy to everyone I know.

A fascinating tale of Rags to Riches
Chris Ogden proves once again that he is a superb biographer. His portraits of Walter and Moses Annenberg are as vivid as his splendid book on Pamela Harriman, "Life of the Party." Put this book at the top of your reading list! ... Read more

Book Description

The Amazing Life of Jesse Livermore

Subtitle: World’s Greatest Stock Trader

Jesse Livermore is considered by many of today’s top Wall Street traders as the greatest trader who ever lived. For the first time, in one book: his trading secrets, techniques and stock market methods are revealed. Livermore broke new ground in trading the market. His timing techniques, money management systems, and high-momentum approach to trading in stocks and commodities were revolutionary, and remains valid today.

Livermore ran away from home in 1891 at 14 years of age, with five dollars in his pocket, and immediately started as a board boy in the offices of Paine Weber. He made so much money he was banned from the "Bucket Shops" of Boston and New York. He made a fortune in the crash of 1907, and later lost it, only to make it and lose it several more times.

In the panic of 1907, J. P. Morgan personally implored Livermore to stop selling-short, stop pounding the market into oblivion. He made 3 million dollars in one day during the panic.

He married a beautiful Ziegfield Follies showgirl. They lived in a magnificent mansion on Long Island with 14 servants and a three hundred foot yacht, anchored off the back yard, that ferried him to Wall Street every morning.

He sold the market short before the crash of 1929, and entered the depression with 100 million in cash.

A mysterious and secret trader, he worked out of a palatial penthouse, a highly secure office-fortress on Fifth Avenue where he traded in absolute secrecy. Once the market was open, no one in the office was allowed to speak until the market closed.

In 1935, Dorothy, his beautiful wife, shot their son, Jesse Livermore, Jr., in a heated, drunken argument in Santa Barbara. It was one of the great scandals of the era.

Jesse Livermore ended his own life with a self-inflected bullet to the brain, ending one of the most dynamic careers in Wall Street history. A complex genius whose life ambition was to win on Wall Street and he did. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Cautionary Tale
The Story of his life and the description of his methods are very worthwhile to get familiar with if you are into the markets. Jesse was a repressed and brainy kind of guy who related to every aspect of his life with dollars. It was his way of controlling things. But it led from one catastrophe to another. I don't think he saw people as people. I guess what I am saying is that money has limited power and Jesse's story is an excellent demonstration of this. If you make a pile, you gotta read this. It may save you a ton of grief. Author's style is lively and to the point. As a book, it's certainly no waste of time. Enjoy!

AN EXCELLENT BIOGRAPHICAL PORTRAIT OF A WALL STREET KING
This book provides an excellent biographical portrait of one of the greatest Wall Street speculators that ever lived. This book is well researched and well written. In fact, as Livermore's life story unfolds in the book, the reader begins to feel as though they are eyewitnesses to the time. The reader gets to experience Livermore's triumphs and defeats. In the end, the reader will find that Livermore's life mirrored the stockmarket more than the life itself. This man's life ran with the bulls and the bears culminating in one big crash. Ultimately, Jesse Livermore died of lead poisoning, a fatal gunshot wound to the head.

If it is one's intention to garner the "Livermore Key" to profits in the stockmarket then this is definitely not the book. While the author briefly touches on Livermore's tactics and attempts to tie it into current stocks, the information provided is rather general and somewhat vague. The reader would be better off looking elsewhere for investment advice. However, if you are truly interested in Livermore himself then you might consider it. In the final analysis, while this book is a good one it really does pale in comparison to Edward LeFevre's classic book "Reminiscence of a Stock Operator." LeFevre's book speaks to the reader while Richard Smitten's new book is more of a third person account leaving the reader as more of an observer.

Poorly written and weakly researched
One of the poignant aspects of Livermore's life was that he was a loner who rose to great heights in business, friend to many of the industrial barons of an earlier era, but he left a sad, diminished legacy.

Smitten's book doesn't cover the tragic biography very well. He deserves some credit for teasing out secret details, but his writing is poor, repetitive and full of conjecture. He admits to inventing conversations to ease the telling of the story, which is not all bad, but he exhibits little skill. He does manage to convey a heavy down-draft of tragedy, with fortunes, marriages and kids' lives imploding, but Smitten had spent little ink discussing Livermore's contribution to all this, so that this seems to come out of the blue. "Seabiscuit" captured its characters and the wheeling and dealing of its time, but this book never rises to that level. Only someone interested in trading would slog through this muck.

So Smitten is not a natural storyteller, nor does he cover Livermore's trading particularly well. Smitten reveals the true identities of some characters from "Reminiscences of a Stock Operator," but never lets the reader know why, for instance, Ed Hutton should be interesting to us. Of course a trader over 30 would know, but there is more of a story here that needs a more competent researcher and writer.

If you are interested in a tragic tale, this book remains unsatisfying. If you are interested in learning something of trading, skip this book altogether and go to LeFevre's "Reminiscences," one of the most revered books on trading ever written.

Mr. Smitten the line of least resistance in on the Pivot
NOT ON THE TREND LINE. I DID learn something of value to me in one chapter in your own words. Because of this I am very grad I bought your book.

Not worth the paper it's written on.
This book goes beyond fiction, it's pure fantasy. If you like fiction, there are many other authors who do a much better job. Just make up your own fantasy about Livermore and save yourself the cost of the book. I hope to find a good use for it before I die, but I'm not optimistic. This book will in no way help you in your trading endeavors. Honestly, look someplace else...or donate the money you would spend on this book to charity. ... Read more

Book Description

Letitia Baldrige is the woman best known as Jackie Kennedy's social secretary during the White House years. But in this fascinating memoir Baldrige reveals a career sparkling with a host of other achievements: embassy work in an era when women rarely were given jobs overseas, becoming the first female executive at Tiffany & Co., and founding one of the first companies run by a female CEO. In her amazing life story Baldrige shares her perspective as a White House insider: the hilarity of young Jackie's antics on foreign diplomatic visits, the terror of the Cuban missile crisis, and the heartbreak of President Kennedy's funeral. Stylish, chic and always polite, Baldrige reveals the determination that has made her a success and brought her the admiration of women around the world. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

The Wind Beneath Their Wings
I have always been a fan of Miss Baldrige, and I have several of her books, but I really enjoyed this one. I feel it gives a more personal glimpse into the HOW behind the WOW. She really was (is) the wind beneath the wings of her glamorous employers, Evangeline Bruce, Clare Boothe Luce, Jacqueline Kennedy. Creative mind behind the clever Tiffany campaigns, and later of her own company Letitia Baldrige Enterprises.

I particularly enjoyed her telling of early life, and then of life on her own. I have always found her quite as interesting as her illustrious employers, and delight to catch her on television.

I think her chouce of "A lady, First:" says it all.
She is indeed a lady, and a very interesting one.

I recommend this book heartily.

An Interesting and Amazing Woman
Tish Baldridge has led an interesting and amazing life. She wasn't blessed with great wealth or beauty yet she managed to live and work on the upper echelons of American political and social society in the 50's, 60's, 70's, 80's, and onward.
Baldridge takes you through her beginnings in the midwest, her education at Miss Porter's and Vassar as one of the less financially advantaged students, her life in Paris and Rome working for such trend setters as Clare Booth Luce, her days at Tiffany, her years in the White House with Jackie Kennedy, and her life after.

Here's what is great about this book and her story: her life didn't begin and it didn't end with her association with Jackie Kennedy. Camelot fans will get great glimpses into those years from her vantage point. But there is a lot more to this book...

I would highly recommend this book to women who love biographies on the Jackie Kennedy, Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn set. I also would recommend this book to women who enjoy the story of a self-made woman and a survivor and anyone interested in the social history of this era. I would not recommend this book to most men and I would caution all readers to note that this is a book filled with details of food, flowers, gowns, and jewels and not policy making or congressional bills. You learn about the parties that Jackie Kennedy went to in the year of the Cuban Missile Crisis not about the policy nuances behind the crisis.

I gave this book as a present to several female friends and they loved it.

Class from the past!
Oh! how I wish I had a life like Tish Baldridge's! She is a gutsy and classy lady and I admire her for that. I loved to read that book because it goes to show that dreams come true when we put the energy and efforts for them to materialize.

Classy!
I just couldn't put this book down! Mrs. Baldridge has led a wonderful and exciting life.

Strong women with great manners are always in style ...
I thoroughly enjoyed this book as my first glimpse into the life of Letitia Baldridge ... I was consistently intrigued as to what intimate political and social disclosure the next page would bring, all the while appreciating her honest and often self-deprecating narrative. She has in fact led an extraordinary life which she often acknowledged in reflection of each experience, always seemingly thankful for the opportunity to have played small, yet significant roles in our nation's history. She also represented the classic female struggle more commonly found for today's woman ... unafraid to admit her conventional desire for an all-American red-blooded husband, while also refusing to compromise all of her intelligence, skill and experience by stopping anywhere short of being an accomplished business executive, saleswoman, philanthropist and lecturer.

Anyone who has enjoyed biographies from other great woman of the last century (i.e. Eleanor Roosevelt, Katherine Graham) would definitely enjoy this one as well ... ... Read more

Book Description

In 2000, the bottom dropped out of David Denby's life when his wife announced she was leaving him. To make matters worse, it looked like he might lose their beloved apartment in the split. Determined to hold onto his home and seized by the "irrational exuberance" of the stock market, Denby joined the investment frenzy with a particular goal: to make $1 million in one year so he could buy out his wife's share of their home. Denby gathered courage from stock analysts, from the siren song of CNBC, and from tech gurus and lying CEOs at investment conferences. He befriended tech stars like ImClone founder Sam Waksal and Merrill Lynch analyst Henry Blodgett, both now disgraced in scandals. He plunged into a season of mania, swept forward on the currents of greed, hucksterism, and native American optimism that caught up so many in that era--with cataclysmic results. AMERICAN SUCKER is his account of those years of madness and then of recovered sanity, written with the rueful insight and bitter humor that only a wiser man could attain. What began as a money chase developed into an encounter with such eternal issues as envy, time, love, and death. With wit, warmth, and tough-minded candor, Denby explores not only his own motives and illusions, but the whole panoply of desire, greed, and willful blindness that consumed the nation. ... Read more

Reviews (28)

Want more about his family and less about the stock market.
In terms of page count, "American Sucker" is about obsessions like money and real estate. But what is going on beneath the surface is something about the loss of family values. [Hey, hang in there with me for a minute--I promise I'm not for Bush.] What we have, at least on the surface, is a happy and successful family, an American success story, if perhaps more New York, upper-west-side literaryish than most. Was there a mid-life crisis? Sure, it happened back before "Great Books," when Denby's wife Cathleen Schine told him "...why don't you take your Columbia courses again?" Why? Because "I no longer knew what I knew." A few years later, "my wife...announced that she no longer wanted to be married to me." So Denby, already vulnerable, is left with "there is no there there;" rudderlessness; oblivion. Porn, suit-in-the-closet affair, foolish investing? He didn't kill himself--he wrote a book! He's a survivor.

I'm not all that up on the New York literary scene or the political correctness of women leaving men, but this strikes me as serious self-indulgence on the part of the wife. Schine's books don't exactly suggest that conventional marriages can endure. In "The Love Letter," the divorced heroine takes up with a younger man (the letter turns out to be from one woman character to another). I haven't read "She Is Me," but isn't it about a wife leaving her husband for a woman? See a pattern?

How does it go? "A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle." Denby should have seen it coming, but who knows what he could have done about it.

Sure, Denby wallows in self-interest and indulgence in this book; but his family is destroyed. Family values meant something to him. Too bad he couldn't figure out how to write about them in "American Sucker." It would have been a lot more interesting to me than the stock market stuff.

Dumb, dumber, and greedy
Having read a good but cautionary review when the book came out and having an interest in the topic, I waited for a copy at the local library. Good idea. Buying this book to learn something about investing would be like buying the stocks Denby chose to make money. At least the reader's intentions or motives would be a bit more rational. Denby apparently has watched too many movies and read too many great books. What he really needed was some good common sense.

The title is misleading. Denby's entire downfall is not based on his being "American" or a "sucker". Yes, he was greedy and willing to be gullible. He waxes eloquent on greed and envy. But these are besides the point. Yes, he listemed to precisely the wrong people. But his initial, critical, deadly mistake was to assume that he could make a million dollars in one year by not doing anything other than "invest". He was greedy, envious, naive, uninformed and lazy. He wanted so much to make that million that he ignored red flags, warning bells, and first-year business student advice on investing.

He has a cynical view of investing, based on Keynes' observations as to the risks involved. That pretty much explains how he thinks he can make a million in one year just by buying technology stocks in 2000. Denby also decides that taking risks means being irrational, that progress requires irrational behavior. What he fails to do is to listen even to the people who he indirectly accuses of having duped him; even Henry Blodgett told Denby to be more careful. Denby seems convinced that Alan Greenspan's effort to raise interest rates was the market's true undoing, This is a bad case of denial from the recent dot.com bust debacle.

Denby's self-absorption with his attempts to maintain his liberal, upscale, upper West Side lifestyle and apartment in the face of a pending divorce speaks volumes for his willingness to do incredibly foolish, shortsighted and greedy things makes this more of a lesson in how not to dissolve a marriage than any sort of morality play, note of sympathy, or tale of snake oil salesmen swindling a poor, innocent, well-read but naive movie critic. It is hard to feel sympathy, even for such a large, personal loss.

An Awful Book by a Selfish Man
David Denby is a selfish man. He refers to his wife of nearly two decades as the "novelist Cathleen Schine" and hardly ever mentions his kids except as nuisances. His greeds leads him to the diabolical duo of Henry Blodget and Sam Waksal who then fleece Denby out of much of his life savings.

American Sucker is the work of a selfish, greedy self-obsessed man. The book is similarly awful. It is a waste of both your money and your reading time.

Greed and Envy
It's hard to feel sympathetic for someone who writes for the New Yorker and owns a seven room apartment on Manhattan's Upper West Side. Too bad he became obsessed with the stock market; well, as he admits, lots of ordinary Americans lost more than he did. This is a story of shallow values, false friends, and calculated social climbing. Denby collected people with celebrity, charisma and most important, wealth. No wonder they betrayed him. He wasn't looking for good people, he was looking for glamorous people to use to enhance his social (and financial) standing. Surprise - they used him instead. It's an old story. Can't feel sorry for him, I'm afraid. There are a lot of dissatisfied people out there, people who will never have enough, and whose accomplishments will never give them happiness. Denby is one, his novelist wife who left their marriage for unspecified reasons, is another. I downed this book in one gulp and returned it to the library the next day. Don't buy it. Do read it, and in conjunction with On Paradise Drive by David Brooks. It's the antidote to much happy theorizing about following one's American bliss.

an interesting look at a self-absorbed, humbled investor
This is an interesting look at a self-absorbed and humbled investor who fell for the allure of the markets and the get-rich-quick mantra of the late 90s. It chronicles, cliched though it is, the rise and fall of a man's portfolio, along with his ties to some of the more notorious corproate crooks of the past few years. It is worth 4 stars if only because the author is remarkably candid about his greed, his desire for quick riches through the market, and his admiration and jealousy of the 'rock star' CEO embodied in Sam Waksal.

There's not much original in here, or interesting beyond that rare candor. Candor, however, is a rare quality in writers, and such makes this an interesting trifle of a read. ... Read more

Book Description

"Lots of entrepreneurs make money.Lots of entrepreneurs who make money write books.Few of those books make you glad they did. This one does."
–The New York Times Book Review

A provocative autobiography by the visionary leader of the world’s fastest-growing media empire

"A classic tale of a nimble, customer-focused, entrepreneurial David outsmarting bureaucratic, ossified, corporate Goliaths."
–Business Week

"Michael Bloomberg is the most creative media entrepreneur of our time and, with Bill Gates, perhaps the most successful."
–Rupert Murdoch, Chairman & Chief Executive, News Corporation

"Entertaining, engaging, and informative, Bloomberg by Bloomberg is packed with great advice about how to start a lean, hungry company–and how to keep it that way."
–Bryan Burrough, coauthor, Barbarians at the Gate

"The man with Wall Street’s best known generic name has written an autobiography that keeps you up late to finish.The book is full of wonderful insights about Wall Street and about starting and growing a new business."
–Julian H. Robertson Jr., Chairman, Tiger Management LLC

"This is the best insight yet on how one man shook up the entire financial information industry."
–Richard Branson, Chairman, Virgin Group of Companies ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Arrogant, boastful, blind, but beguiling
The most arrogant, pompous, self-important autobiography I've ever read. Mike Bloomberg makes Barbara Cartland seem as modest as Ophelia and as talented as Shakespeare. Sloppily written, utterly devoid of irony or self-perception, it is the sort of book one might expecta Harvard MBA to write. The man, as anyone who has visited the US will know, is a rampant egomaniac, who would probably like to plaster his name across Heaven - and this book shows why. But but but... it is a gripping and exciting story, and Bloomberg's energy, vision, and commitment are passionately communicated - his gradual destruction of Reuters and his building of a global media empire from scratch is a great yarn and he tells it well. His ideas on entrepreneurship and capitalism are less original than he might think, but the book is full of thoughts and ideas about being in business - it certainly stimulated me. Read it, if you have any interest in the media or in business - but with a pinch of salt please!

Mr. Big
Don't be deceived by the modest size of this self-made billionaire's autobiography. As if cramped by the limitations of the book's length, Michael Bloomberg's ego assaults the reader like an over-zealous vacuum cleaner salesman, pushing his ideas on life, work and excellence with all the energy that scores of superlatives can summon. Funny, then, that in many places the story comes off as a crashing bore.

"Bloomberg by Bloomberg" is ultimately redeemed by the compelling nature of the tale. More than anything the spectacular success of Bloomberg, L.P. highlighted the extent of the information technology revolution and the resultant productivity gains that transformed global industry. There's no question that Michael Bloomberg saw these changes coming, and in harnessing them created a company whose reputation for excellence, innovation, and customer orientation set a standard unmatched by any information services company before or since.

The author's pride in Bloomberg, L.P. suffuses the book, and he focuses so much loving attention on its birth and propsperity that at times this seems more like the story of a company than a man. The two are clearly of one soul. But at times it's easy to forget that this is the story of an extraordinary character and not an addendum to "In Search of Excellence".

This life story is one in which the input of outsiders would add tremendous insight. When Bloomberg discusses his dealings with his Harvard Business classmates, his trading buddies at Salomon Bros., or his employees at Bloomberg, it's easy to wish for their side of the story. As it is, the only hint we get of humility or insecurity from Bloomberg himself is his incessant reminder of the fact that he had been fired from Salomon Bros. ("though with a $10million severance), and that he had to call on every psychological resource to overcome this calamitous setback and move on to greater glory. Is he difficult? Has he ever been ruthless or cruel? Does he have any imperfections at all? You won't learn these things from Bloomberg by Bloomberg. And what he possibly doesn't realize is that these are the things that add color to a story, if not authority in the boardroom. Next time he should shop for a biographer. Maybe after he's moved on from the mayoralty to the Big Job, Doris Kearns Goodwin can do him justice.

Conceited, but inspiring
I do not like Michael Bloomberg's politics, but I respect him as a business leader. His information terminal has revolutionized the financial services industry, and it is always nice to see an American success story.

I bought my book at a discount place, and I am glad I did. It wasn't boring, but it didn't knock my socks off.

Bloomberg The Great. . .
The book was not bad. Well worth the $.99 I paid for it but not much more. This Bloomberg is without doubt in love with himself. His story was not bad--probably not truthful either--but I had a hard time getting through the book. This man must be the most arrogant and pompous man in America. He thinks he's the second coming of Christ. Really. If you don't believe me read the book. He wants his name and mug on anything and everything he comes across. He even says that by donating money to universities and whatnot he's enabling future Nobel Prize winners to get their start; thus, he too is a Nobel recipient. He says he considers it his Nobel too. And he's also planned his daughters lives for them. When he's dead his daughters and ex-wife--boy would I love to hear her side--are to spend the rest of their lives distributing his billions to worthwhile foundations and charities. All and all the book was not bad. Being interested in the financial markets AND politics I thought the book might be worth the read. And it was. I just wish Michael would've stopped telling me how wonderful and great and superior he is to most human beings. And another thing, Mr. Bloomberg, being fired as a ten million dollar check is put into your hand is not a tragedy. And did you ever consider this? Put that check in the market and just settle for an 8-10 percent return while still living very comfortable as you try to be a better husband and father. Certinaly you're not going to convince me or any other reader that your family got much of your attention. All I took from this book was that Mr. Bloomberg, though a sucessful businessman, probably failed something horrible as a family man. Me personally, I'd rather focus my time and energy on my wife and kids. You make the world a better place by starting right there. Do you understand the power of exponetial growth?

A true picture of an entrepreneur
Bloomberg does not mince workds -- his book is hard-charging, full of ego and energy. It is an easy read, peppered with his strongly held personal opinions and receommendations for the reader. I believe that his style is a representation of his character -- open, honest without excuses. Whenever I thought his ego comes through too strong, I reminded myself that I have spent hundreds hours in from of the Bloomberg terminal in my professional life and that it is an outstanding and ever-changing product.

I would highly recommend this book to aspiring entrepreneurs, students of finance and anyone seeking a career in the banking or investing. ... Read more

Book Description

PRAISE FOR Julian Robertson

"Julian Robertson may be the most important person to ever manage money. Daniel Strachman has captured Robertson’s impact on the money management industry in this excellent and insightful book. It is an essential read for anyone interested in the way money is truly managed."
–Michael Cacace Fortune magazine

"Daniel Strachman has written an important book about one of the most fascinating people to run a hedge fund. The book reveals how Julian Robertson built the Tiger organization from a single fund with $8 million in assets under management to a fund complex with more than $20 billion in assets under management. Throughout its pages, the book gives readers real insight into this unique man and his business and how the hedge fund industry has evolved over the last fifty years."
–Jack Gaine, President Managed Funds Association

"This is a portrait of one of America’s most diligent and successful money managers–one who had the foresight and courage to walk away when the investment marketplace began to go crazy. Read it. "
–Christopher L. Davis
Executive Director, The Money Management Institute ... Read more

Book Description

Welcome to the world of Martin "Buzzy" Schwartz, Champion Trader--the man whose nerves of steel and killer instinct in the canyons of Wall Street earned him the well-deserved name "Pit Bull." This is the true story of how Schwartz became the best of the best, of the people and places he discovered along the way and of the trader's tricks and techniques he used to make his millions. ... Read more

Reviews (58)

I could not put it down...best trading book I have read yet!
While this book is not overly strong on technical details, it is excellent reading: well written and the author is liberal in showing his successess and his mistakes with equal candor. I consider this a "must read" for stock or comodiities traders/speculators. Marrty Schwartz discuss his methods that made him a champion trader, and gives one example of his "sheet of boxes that he prepares and uses daily, but I would have like a little more detail there. I like how he had to balance his family and his health with trading. His stories all have a point he is putting across.....well worth the money! Once I started. I couldn't put it down!!! If he writes another book, I'll buy it! The best trading book I have read so far!

If you are looking for strategy look elsewhere
Marty Schwartz is a great trader, no doubt about it. Is he a legendary trader? No. Is he a champion trader? Yes. But how many trading contest winners do you know that have gone on to succesfully manage OPM as "Buzzy" likes to refer to it. Contests and real life have nothing in common with each other. How many of us have paper traded with good results only to find ourselves losing in "real-time". Schwartz is too arrogant. He claims to have out-traded George Soros, what nonsense!! George can crush him with a mere bat of an eyelash. Buzzy is a great trader for himself, but when it comes to OPM (other people's money), forget about it. No scalper is going to make money trading in huge size. Unless they are on the floor or they are Monroe Trout. The strategy section in the book is very thin. There are a few interesting tidbits, such as mid-month buying and so on, but nothing that will really help you in your trading. An amusing read overall. However, Schwartz really needs to get over himself, he is a great trader, but he should never make comparisons with himself and the "big boys"; he just ends up looking stupid.

Worthless and offensive
If you have a "groupie" personality then you will probably like this book; however, if you are an independent thinker (absolutely necessary to be a successful trader) then you will almost certainly hate it.

It is absolutely worthless as far as learning anything useful about trading, although it is informative as a study in egomania in the extreme.

Studies, as well as my thirty plus years of experience in the futures trading business, show that the overwhelming majority of individual traders end up losing (as many as ninety percent or more). I am convinced that anyone who likes this book has the wrong personality type to end up a winner. Only a celebrity worshipper would like this offensive piece of garbage.

To be a successful trader you have to be able to think for yourself and be capable of acting on your own. No independent thinker could like this book. The fact that so many apparently did like it is one good reason why so many traders end up losing: most people are born followers, unable to think and act independently. Followers, celebrity worshippers and groupies simply do not make good traders.

I have never met Mr. Schwartz, but if this book is an accurate depiction of him I hope I never do. For his sake I hope he has matured and grown as a human being since he wrote it, and is now profoundly embarassed by it.

Excellent entertainment
This book was an excellent entertainment. It was well written and broken up into small chapters. The author effectively conveys the emotions and errors that all traders go through at one time or another. Through the story, you pick up insights on trading, market makers and commodities.

Don't buy this book expecting it to teach you how to get rich, because it won't do that.

Buy this book if you're interesting in learning about a successful traders life and the trials and tribulations that go along with it.

A great read!
As a professional trader I am always looking for the "edge". This book is weak on actual trading methodologies. But I really enjoyed hearing about his daily life and routines as a trader. Especially what it's like when things go against you as they eventually will if you are in this game long enough.

I had trouble putting the book down. Highly recommended.

Woops, just got a fill, gotta go! ... Read more

Book Description

The story of Robert Moses, who shaped the politics, the physical structure and even the problems of urban decline in New York. ... Read more

Reviews (74)

Political power primer
This massive work, published in 1975, is unfortunately just as timely today as it was a quarter century ago. It is the story of Robert Moses, arguably one of the most important and influential men of the second half of the 20th century. He, for better or for worse, gave us our models for the modern highway transportation system and wielded enormous power in the city and state of New York -- without ever being elected to a single public office.

At 1,162 pages, Caro's work will undoubtedly always face the charge that it needed editing. But to address large themes, a writer needs to expand, and Caro does, brilliantly for the most part. "The Power Broker" takes on the question of whether democracy in America really works. Using Moses' life as a model, the answer is "no." Moses began as a passionate believer in reform, a man who wanted to end favoritism and corruption in New York. Yet early on he concluded that to "get things done," he needed to beat the power-wielders at their own game, and he did. He built an enormous network of influence that included politicians, unions, banks and big business. And he used that power to build the most enormous transportation system in the nation, often over the objections of elected officials.

But the book also makes clear the cost of power. For one thing, there were political losers. Moses was ruthless in his attacks on those who opposed him, often lowering himself to attacking character. Mass transportation was a loser during the time Moses wielded power. He considered the automobile the premier mode of transportation, and he steadfastly refused to accommodate plans for subway, bus, and train improvements. And the poor and working class were losers in Moses' power game. He had no respect for the poor, particularly those with dark skin, and he ruthlessly destroyed their neighborhoods in his grand building schemes.

In the end, we have all lost because of Moses' vision. His idea that we can solve transportation problems by building more and more roads, bridges and infrastructure to accommodate commuters who live farther and farther from the places they work has carried the day, and those of us who live in medium-sized and big cities continue to suffer for it with every minute we lose in traffic.

Tremendous book -- grand in its vision, grand in its documentation, grand in its achievement.

There and back again (but not on the Long Island Expressway)
I first picked up The Power Broker when it was published 25 years ago. Since then I've re-read it three or four times over the years. It is a true monument to Caro that this book has remained in print in both hc and pb over these years.

This massive work is at the same time a biography of Robert Moses and the metropolitan New York City area. Moses, originally a reformer and a true public servant, somehow became tainted by the power entrusted to him. It was his way or no way -- and once he became firmly entrenched there was no "no way." A typical Moses tactic: design a great public work (bridge, for example) and underestimate the budget. A bargain sure to be approved and funded by the politicians! Then run out of money halfway through construction. The rest of the money will surely be forthcoming because no politician wants to be associated with a half-finished and very visibile "failure" -- it's much better to take credit for an "against the odds" success.

I grew up in NYC at the tail end of Moses' influence and I remember the 1964 Worlds Fair in NYC vividly, especially a "guidebook" that lionized Moses' construction prowess. In school, Moses' contribution was also taught (always positively) when we had units covering NYC history. If nothing else, Moses understood the power of good publicity, and used tactics later adopted by the current mayor (King Rudy) to control the press and public opinion. This book brings Moses back to human scale and deconstructs (no pun intended) his impact on the city.

The book is long, detailed, and compelling. Great beach reading -- especially at Jones Beach! Now that it is celebrating its 25th anniversary, a new retrospective afterword from the author would be appreciated (perhaps a reprint of the article he wrote for the New Yorker a few years ago on how he wrote the book).

An interesting counterpoint to this biography of Moses is The Great Bridge by David McCollough. This story of a great public works project is also a biography of the Roeblings, the family of engineers who designed and built it. They shared Moses' singlemindedness, but the methods and results had far less negative results.

Let them eat highways
After reading this book you might well wonder how this arrogant public servant escaped prison. You might want to petition to have every park and roadway that is named after him renamed! On the other hand Robert Caro makes the case for how and why Robert Moses was able to do what he did extremely understandable, and even, inevitable to a point.

In the early years, as Caro rightly points out, Robert Moses' vision helped the city out of its doldrums of the Great Depression. He offered hope and a future when the present seemed so doubtful. At what point did Moses shift from a true visionary to a ruthless, megalomaniacal autocrat? To a neighborhood-squashing tyrant without conscience? There is no one event or series of events to explain this change, and Caro wisely avoids claiming there is. That is not his concern, anyway. What Caro does map out are the paths of destruction that Moses gouged through the metropolitan area. The interviews and extended quotations are very revealing, almost chilling. Moses's sang froid about New Yorkers--and how he cultivated it for half a century--defies reason. Yet this book, "The Power Broker" is as close to an understanding of Robert Moses as we'll ever get.

Power corrupts . . .
The Power Broker by Robert Caro deftly weaves together a myriad of stories, histories, biographies and sociological trends into a fascinating narrative on the development of New York City and the man who guided, controlled and ultimately placed an indelible stamp on the physical layout of modern world capital.

Robert Moses, a man of considerable intellectual capacity and enormous energy, demonstrates also an insatiable appetite for political power. His flaw is his fundamental dislike for the people he serves. The type of power he seeks is not that based in electoral competition and consent of the governed but that of bureaucratic power in the service of the most powerful segments of society. Having once attained power, he employs all of the tools at his disposal to become the indispensable man, repeatedly challenging his politically elected, nominal bosses to fire him. His ability to continue in office through repeated changes in leadership is a testament to his tenacity and ruthlessness. He then uses the appointed positions he has attained to acquire others.

One of his early positions is as an aide to Al Smith in the New York Legislature. Here he learns to write laws and, using his considerable talents masters the arcane art of drafting legislation. This serves him well in later years as he cajoles and bullies legislators to create special districts, which have as the head of the district whoever is currently the head of the Long Island State Parks Commission. Who might that be? You guessed it.

His power continues to grow through the century and his influence on the growth of New York is inescapable. That he may have done a lot of good is a question open for debate. Are the results of an undemocratic and in many ways authoritarian process good? Do the ends justify the means? He may have been able to "get the job done" and "he made the vaunted bureaucracy of city hall bend to his wishes" but he did so in highly disagreeable and bullying way. It is also a testament to his personality that Robert Moses continually went out of his way to sabotage the career of his brother and to the day he died, his only brother hated him.

It is only when he runs up against Nelson Rockefeller that he meets his match. Here Moses has an adversary with equally developed ego and with enormous resources to take him on. Indeed, the bonded funding for much of Moses' projects came from the Rockefeller controlled Chase Manhattan Bank. It is this leverage that Rockefeller use to finally push Moses out of power.

An incredibly well written book. Highly detailed and long with a densely layered structure.. This is one long book that I did not want to end.

John C. McKee

Brilliant, but imbalanced

Although this book is over 1300 pages, Caro does an extraordinary job chronicling the life of Robert Moses. This book is a real page turner and you can't help but be inspired and repulsed by what Robert Moses did.

This book's main flaw is its relentlessly negative view of Robert Moses. It is true that Moses permanently altered the relationship between New York City and the suburbs. He destroyed vital neighborhoods and undermined the stability of surrounding areas. However, it is a mistake to say (as Caro does) that Moses was the sole cause of what happened afterwards. Suburbanization (and urban renewal, but that's another topic!) after the Second World War was encouraged by all levels of government. To put it another way, if Moses hadn't built the highways (and cleared the "slums"), someone else would have.

In reality, the long-term stability of American cities was undermined by VA mortgages (often cheaper than renting), red lining, cheap oil and the interstate highways. Common wisdom says that the race riots "caused" suburbanization. The truth is that suburbanization was already far advanced in 1965; the riots merely sped up the process. Incidentally, 1965 was the year of the Watts riots, the first major urban disturbance in the 1960s.

Despite the anti-Moses bias of this book, I'm still giving it four stars because it is such a good read! For a more detailed examination of New York's problems in the late 20th Century, I suggest "Geography of Nowhere" by James Howard Kunstler, "The Ungovernable City" by Vincent Cannato, "The Assassination of New York" by Robert Fitch, and the 1961 classic "The Life and Death of American Cities" by Jane Jacobs. ... Read more

Book Description

A rich, colorful history of California centering on the untold story of America 's biggest farmer, J.G. Boswell, who controls more than $1 billion worth of water rights and real estate in the heart of the state.

J.G. Boswell is the biggest farmer in America. Over the past f