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Doom, the video game in which you navigate a dungeon in the first person and messily lay waste to everything that crosses your path, represented a milestone in many areas. It was a technical landmark, in that its graphics engine delivered brilliant performance on ordinary PC hardware. It was a social phenomenon, with individuals and companies hooking up networks specifically for Doom tournaments and staying up for days to blast away on them (well before the Internet went big-time). The game's publisher, id Software, used an unusual shareware marketing strategy (give away the first levels, charge for the more advanced ones) that worked very well. On top of it all, the gore-filled game raised serious questions about decency in products meant for use by school-age kids. Masters of Doom explores the Doom phenomenon, as well as the lives and personalities of the two men behind it: John Carmack and John Romero.

This book manages, for the most part, to keep clear of the breathless techno-hagiography style that characterizes many books with similar subjects. He tells the story of Carmack, Romero, and id--which includes far more than Doom and its successors--in novel style, and he's done a good job of keeping the action flowing and the characters' motivations clear. Some of the quoted passages of dialog sound like idealized reconstructions that probably never came from the lips of real people, but this is an entertaining and informative book, of interest to anyone who's let rip with a nail gun. --David Wall

Topics covered: The biographies of John Carmack and John Romero, and of their company, id Software. The development and marketing of all major id games (including Wolfenstein, Doom, Doom II, and Quake) get lavish attention. ... Read more

Reviews (39)

Excellent "Behind the Video Gamer Makers" story
Kushner's book is a "Behind the Music" type of story detailing what drove these young men to devote their lives to making some of the world's greatest video games. You'll especially love it, if like me, you played Wolfenstein 3D, DOOM, and Quake in the 80s and 90s, and wondered how id software could revolutionize gaming every few years. The author gives a great inside scoop on how Carmack created graphics engines that turned the PC into a gaming machine, which at that point in time seemed almost unthinkable. Romero, in the early days, was the perfect complement to Carmack's skills, creating the first level editing tools to develop levels for Commander Keen and Wolfenstein. And the rest of the people at id software--Adrian Carmack, Tom Hall, etc., their stories are detailed, as well as people like DWANGO Bob, who made money off networked DOOM servers before the Internet came along. My only wish was that the book had pictures so we could visualize what everyone looked like at the time!

Pizza, Diet Coke, Games, and All Night Programming!
In this book, David Kushner documents the lives of two influential game programmers, John Romero and John Carmack - the guys who created Doom and id Software. It chronicles the lives, the company, the gaming industry, and the impact of these two young computer geniuses. It's a quick, fluid read that is not only entertaining, but is awe inspiring as well.

This is a fascinating book on many fronts. It describes how two kids got into games from the early childhoods, describes their fascination with computers in general, and their dreams. It goes from a tale of two kids with ideas, to their technological innovations, to business start, to their monumental growth, and finally to their fallout. It sheds light not only independent game programming, but of the type of people who develop and play these first person shooters like Doom.

Not only is this a biography, or a game book, it's also sort of the "startup.com" of the gaming world. With a good mixture of business, gaming, with unique and individual characters, it indirectly describes the world of gaming companies and what it takes to make a good, and bad, company.

While a good book for all, it's a must for anyone who loves games or is into software development.

You don't have to play Doom to love this book
I am not a gamer and have only played Doom once when I was dating an engineer, but as an entrepreneur and start-up person I loved this book. Masters of Doom paints a very vivid portrait of a successful start-up company from development through to marketing and distribution. It is a story that reads like a great movie with rich characters passionately building something they love. I couldn't put it down and couldn't stop thinking about it for days.

Wow--if you were around for the Doom revolution, buy this!
Great book, great writing. No superfluous "filler" chapters. I finished this book in a 24-hour period. Tells the story of John Romero and John Carmack from beginning to end. I found the book very entertaining, and I actually started reading it again on a plane flight last week. I didn't like the foul language, but they were quotes, so what can you do?

Hard to put down
This book starts off with the brief biographies of both Romero and Carmack. From there you're taken on a wild journey of intrigue, deception, comraderie, and at times, chaos.

The author does an excellent job of telling the story of how two guys with similar taste revolutionized the world of computer gaming. You'll be amazed to see how much effort and struggle was put into the formation of id software, and how success changes people.

This book reads at times like a Hollywood novel. The reader will definitely have a hard time putting this down. I highly recommend it. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Thank you, Jerry Fisher!
Anyone with any interest in auto racing or how 20th Century America needs this book. Painstakingly assembled, Jerry Fisher expertly defines one of the most charasmatic figures of the first half of the century. The fertile imagination of Carl Graham Fisher conceived and birthed the greatest automobile competition in the world, the Indianapolis 500, and then proceeded to will the playground metropolis of Miami, Florida up from wet sand. A marvelously unvarnished chronicle of a passionate, creative, generous, and, yes, flawed human being. Hats off to Jerry Fisher.

Bookviews
" The name Carl G. Fisher may not ring bells today, but it was this man who created the first transcontinental highway, built theIndy 500, developed Miami Beach, Florida and Montauk, New York . . . .One can onlysay "Thank You", Jerry for writing awonderful biography, asplendid piece of history, and a story that provides an insight into anAmerica where a poor Indiana boycould fulfill his dreams."

It gives a great picture of American History!!
I had never heard of Carl Fisher until this riviting book appeared in print. Facts that I never knew about were brought to my attention. For example: he is the creator of the Indy 500 and Maimi Beach. All of hisaccomplishments are beyond belief! ... Read more

Book Description

Raves for War Paint

"The amount of research and meticulous personal data in this book is really quite remarkable and compelling.It provides a wealth of information from which to draw wonderfully three-dimensional characters and humanizes this iconic twosome."
–Raquel Welch

"I have seldom enjoyed a book so much as War Paint.The research is staggering–I loved all the detail about society and the arts in Paris, New York, and London that so beautifully set our two heroines in context during such a long span of years . . . it was a wonderful read."
–Lulu Guinness

"A compelling cosmetic portrait of the first half of the twentieth century."
–W magazine

"So riveting that it reads like the movie that will surely be made. . . . With first-hand research and fast-paced prose, Woodhead has succeeded in turning dusty archives into high drama."
–Suzy Menkes, International Herald Tribune

"It might seem impossible to wring another drop of H2O (water is still a 90 percent base of most cosmetics), let alone humour and historical interest, out of the absurd but ever-alluring beauty business, but Lindy Woodhead has succeeded."
–Nicky Haslam, Literary Review

"These were women who were tough in business, who had a single vision–an idea of what they believed in and would do anything to get there."
–Bobbi Brown ... Read more

Reviews (1)

War Paint
This is such a juicy story. Elizabeth Arden and Helena Rubinstein were two glamorous divas, who come to life and the stories of their personal and business lives are fascinating. The author describes the rivalry between these two women with rich details, describing how their animosity fueled their growing empires. The story is even more interesting because of the times in which they lived, and Woodhead does a great job of explaining their very glamorous social circles. I can't wait to share this book with my friends, especially those who love fashion. ... Read more

Book Description

For more than a decade, Japan's dismal economy -- which has bounced from deflationary collapse to fitful recovery and back to collapse -- has been the biggest obstacle to economic growth. Why has the world's second largest economy been unable to save itself? Why has a country, whose financial might in the 1980s was the most feared force on the globe, become the sick man of the world economy? Why has the industrial transformation once called the Japanese Miracle frozen into the Japanese malaise?

Saving the Sun answers these questions by telling the story of Long Term Credit Bank, one of the nation's most respected financial institutions, and its attempts to transform itself into a Western-style bank. Through the stories of three extraordinary men, former Financial Times Tokyo bureau chief Gillian Tett brings to life the bank's long struggle to regain its financial health. In the process, she shines a light into the secretive world of Japanese banking where business is done in sex bars and gangsters lurk behind the scenes. And, in a fast-paced narrative, Tett chronicles the internal conflicts between reform-minded and tradition-bound factions within the bank, as well as the powerful and protective Japanese bureaucracy.

Filled with dramatic scenes involving some of the most important figures and institutions in international finance -- -Paul Volcker, Lawrence Summers, John Reed, Goldman Sachs, UBS, and CSFB -- Saving the Sun charts the growing confusion between a government eager to revive the economy but unwilling to accept the necessary compromises and the Western bankers (profiled here for the first time) who too openly scorned Japanese capitalism and its paramount interest in social harmony over pure profit.

What emerges is the first viable explanation of what caused Japan to stumble from such economic heights -- readers will finally understand what has hobbled that country. But what also emerges is the realization that a profound rift still exists between Japan and the rest of the world. Though Long Term Credit Bank's transformation into Shinsei bank has been a rousing success in financial terms, the Japanese press, government, and people have all but turned against the idea of American-style capitalism. Indeed, instead of reforming Japan, the banking crisis may have convinced ordinary Japanese, more than ever before, that they must go it alone.

Reviews (12)

Good but not the whole story
Overall Tett has done an exemplary job in summarizing the basic events surrounding LTCB / Shinsei. Her access to senior Japanese management of the old LTCB is particularly impressive. No Japanese journalist has gotten such close personal access to the men involved. In addition, her book provides very thorough background of the history of Japanese banking right up through the "bubble" years. Tett's book , however, does have some shortcomings. First and foremost, she overstates the role of Yashiro and drastically understates the key role of Chris Flowers and Brian Prince in the bad loan cleanup phase. Those two, more than anyone else, deserve credit for doing the really tough work. Moreover she appears to have fallen under the spell of the very glib Tim Collins and therefore has exaggerated his contribution as well. Collins is essentially a money raiser, he is not the architect of the LTCB/shinsei deal. Flowers again deserves the credit here. Perhaps Tett missed this because Flowers is famous for his reticence with the press. Lastly Tett seems overly focussed on the (gasp!) fact that some financial sector employees in Japan (gasp!) frequent strip clubs and hostess bars. I guess she hasn't been out on the town in London or New York recently....

SUMMARY: Good general chronological summary and overview but lacks deep understanding of key element -- the bad debt workout.

Outstanding focused explanation of the Japanese loan problem
This book chronicles the fall of Japan's Long Term Credit Bank (LTCB, not to be confused with American Long Term Capital Management) and it's resurrection as Shinsei. The story starts with the problems created in Japan's real estate bubble, and how they left Japanese banks saddled with poor performing loans. The story zeroes in on the problems that caused LTCB to fail. It then covers the revival of the bank with the assistance of an American private equity fund, and the struggle of the new managers to play within the constraints of the Japanese system.

This book highlights several issues with reform in Japan:
1) The business problems are never what they seem on the surface.
2) There are deep cultural issues at play that transcend mere language barriers.
3) Working on a turnaround in Japan is a tremendously challenging ordeal for people on both sides.
4) There is no simple economic or cultural solution.

So was it a success? Well, depends on how you define a success. Collins and Flowers put a $1.2 billion in the bank. The government accepted $10 billion in returned loans, on top of a recapitalization. $27 billion in bad loans were disposed of. The bank winds up with a projected market cap of about $10 billion. So was it a transfer of public wealth to private wealth? Or a neccessary step in reforming the banking system? The reader is left to decide.

If the book has one shortcoming, it's the presentation. I certainly enjoyed it, but the focus is much narrower than the title of "Saving the Sun" would highlight. While broader banking issues are tackled, the book centers on one bank and a small group of investors, and no broader Wall Street/Ginza tie-ups.

In all it is well worth the time for anyone interested in the Japanese financial sector. It is one of the strongest books I've read in describing the economic situation in Japan, and melds cultural and antropological issues into describing the problems and solutions. Very well done!

overall fine, but...
As others have commented, Saving the Sun provides a good chronology to the LTCB takeover, a significant event in Japan's recent history. But there are problems with the book. I lived in Japan during most of the 1990s, and Tett's constant pigeon-holing of the Japanese and American attitudes contains some truth but is exaggerated and becomes tedious. (Even the title is an exaggeration.) Tett may be a financial journalist, but there are enough errors that one questions her expertise on the subject matter. In addition, it is difficult for the reader to get a sense of the scope in some sections as numbers are almost never provided within a clear context. For example, Japan's debt may be "horrendous" although its savings may be "staggering." What is the horrendous/staggering ratio, and how has it changed? Still, readers interested in Japan should read through the shortcomings because the anecdotes Tett provides are interesting and the story itself is important to understanding what is happening inside Japan's financial sector today.

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ?
"I would put an exclamation point at the end of all these sentences! On this one! And on that one!"

The above speech from Seinfeld's Elaine pretty much sums up my feelings regarding Ms. Tett's attempts at "writing". I feel like Franklin Dixon (yes, he of Hardy Boys fame) wrote this account of LTCB/Shinsei. Much of the dialogue (whether direct quote, questionable translation, or fanciful conjecture) is peppered with inappropriately many exclamation points, making the story sound like a teenage mystery adventure novel.

Aside from the unnecessary dramatization, and the author's tendency to intersperse good economic analysis with poorly considered social commentary about Japan, the book is informative and interesting. If you are interested in learning about the main players in the Shinsei drama, and learning a fair bit about the differences between Japanese and western political and financial systems, then this book is definitely worth the three stars I am giving it.

I just finished reading Saving the Sun, and today (2004-Feb-19 in Japan) Shinsei actually completed the IPO mentioned in the book. The shares were offered at the upper end of the range, and traded at a 66% premium. It looks like Collins, Flowers and Co. will be making a handsome profit for their investors, after all.

Let's wait and see #1: let's see if New LTCB Partners CV (Netherlands) is allowed to get away with paying zero tax in Japan.

Let's wait and see #2: let's see if Japan ever allows foreign investors to get this much control in this profitable a local investment ever again.

Let's wait and see #3: let's see if the Shinsei experience has any lasting (positive) effect on reforming the Japanese financial system -- history says it won't, but we keep hoping.

Finally, one material transgression worth noting is the author's reference to Anil Kashyap of "Chicago University". Professor Kashyap is certainly a good teacher and a great researcher, but we prefer to refer to the institution as the "University of Chicago" -- please take note for the 2d edition, Ms. Tett.

The Japanese banking crisis as an anthropological study
What is new to be said about Japan's now decade-long financial crisis? A Wall Street Journal financial reporter has returned to her roots as a trained anthropologist to look at the cultural implications behind Japan's continued failure to deal definitively with its insolvent banking system.

The core point that Gillian Tett returns to again and again is that Japan's problems started when its traditionally-run banks extended into global markets. There they operated without any of the checks and balances provided by either Japanese society or Western business methods.

American, European and Australian customers were only too happy to take advantage of Japanese banks that lent money without any attempt at risk analysis. They called the bankers "unseasoned" and "juvenile". The Japanese, on their part, saw the West as a Garden of Eden, ripe for the picking. It was sweet revenge after the humilation of World War II.

The important point is that these wealthy, powerful men with their sophisticated knowledge of derivatives and debentures, were hopelessly naïve about the differences between Japanese and Western social and business assumptions. Despite many of the Japanese having lived and (often very successfully) worked in Europe or the US, and some of the Americans having lived in Japan, neither side showed any insight into the social mentality of the other. Crucially, this caused them to misinterpret even such basic tools of their trade as the implications behind a simple insurance contract.

There aren't many heroes in this tale. The Japanese bankers and their Japanese customers were crudely vulgar. The Western "ex-patriots" in Japan were crassly bad-mannered. It's no surprise that the more the Japanese public learned about both groups, the more outraged they became. Frustratingly, even the ongoing churn of politicians and political parties in an attempt to get the system reformed, and a few nominal criminal charges of fraud against some of the Japanese participants has failed to significantly cut the Gordian knot created in the 1980's and 1990's.

At the date of publication (and of this review), Japan is still an economic basket case, its banks loaded with an unstable mountain of debt. In the final chapter, Tett lets the major participants involved in the takeover of one of the biggest banks by a Kansas-based "vulture" fund have the last say. Unsurprisingly, they all disagree with each other. ... Read more

Book Description

Wall Street is a funny business. All you have is your reputation. Taint it and someone else will fill your shoes. Longevity comes from maintaining that reputation.

Ask Jack Grubman, the All-Star telecom analyst from Salomon Smith Barney; uber-banker Frank Quattrone at CS First Boston; Morgan Stanley's Mary "Queen of the Net" Meeker; or Merrill Lynch's Henry Blodget.

Well, they probably won't tell you anything. But have I got some great stories for you.

Successful hedge fund manager Andy Kessler looks back on his years as an analyst on Wall Street and offers this cautionary tale of the intoxicating forces loose in the world of finance that overwhelmed sober analysis. ... Read more

Reviews (26)

A carnivorous bite into Wall Street
Andy Kessler's "Wall Street Meat" is a breeze of a read: an often funny (sometimes hilarious) series of anecdotes that combine to provide an insightful, critical look at the workings of Wall Street and the technology capital markets of the 1990s.

Kessler recounts his days on Wall Street, starting as fresh-scrubbed engineer who stumbles onto the Street almost by accident, to his departure and subsequent career investing in and writing about technology from Silicon Valley. He had the good fortune to learn the ropes from an old school traditionalist, which allowed him both to be successful in the old fashioned sense (achieving a top analyst ranking, as determined by clients) and to understand the transition that happened in the 1990s, as analysts became more involved in investment banking and, in many cases, lost their bearings in the telecom/Internet boom and bust markets (Jack Grubman being the penultimate example).

What makes Kessler's book so powerful is that he calls it as he sees it, from his objective, fundamentally grounded insider's viewpoint. He's made enough money, he's happy in his career, and he cares deeply about the future of Wall Street, so he's not out to perform character assassination; he truly wants to point out what went wrong (and does so in a very entertaining fashion) and make suggestions for reform. He doesn't put much weight in additional regulations and prosecutions, believing that reputation is a more effective mechanism for ensuring proper behavior over the long term. Rather, Kessler pushes structural economic reforms such as a "synthetic Goldman Sachs" in which stock research could be performed by truly independent, stand-alone entities (TheStreet.com isn't there yet, according to Kessler), and ending IPO lockups, to eliminate the huge post-IPO pops that happened during the boom and which led to such a frenzy of deal making. The Dutch auction method for allocating and pricing IPO shares, which Google is using during its upcoming IPO, could also eliminate this problem.

WSM is a must read for Wall Streeters, and people involved in the financing of technology companies. Individual investors (especially tech stock investors) would benefit greatly from reading WSM, to learn Kessler's cautionary tale of how the Street really worked during the boom, and what perversions remain.

Smart, Irreverent, - Real!
This is a great story of how the real Wall Street was operating throughout the late 80s and throughout the maniacal 90s. Kessler is able to write an entertaining story that connects Boesky to Jim Clark to Ebbers. You can pick up any newspaper today and read about the types of misbehavior that Kessler describes in great detail in this book. One of the most fascinating points that Kessler makes, is that despite all the wrong doing (insider trading, ignoring the Chinese Wall, IPO hand outs, tainted research, etc), everyone knew they were breaking the rules, but in order to make more money, they had to be responsible for more banking business. As a result, every analyst, trader, banker, and VC became a ... to "the deal."

This is a quick read, but it is entertaining and well-written. The characters you have come know and despise are well-developed and described in great detail, sometimes sympathetically. You will forever remember this book each and every time your hear the names Blodgett, Quattrone, Grubman and Meeker.

A Fun Read
This book was pretty poorly written and fraught with annoying typos - but, nonetheless, a fun read for us outsiders who have only heard names like Jack Grubman and Frank Quattrone rather recently. There must have been a push to get this book out while it was still timely - it could have been brilliant with a little more time and effort, but if nothing else, it kept me entertained and enabled me to have more interesting (at least in my own mind) conversations with the financial types.

Funny and insightful stories from inside the late Bubble
This is a funny and insightful book. It may seem like a bunch of breezy anecdotes told cleverly about some big name Wall Street names, and it has plenty of those, but it is much more than that. This is a book that should be read by everyone interested in Wall Street, who has money invested there, or is thinking about putting money there, and any MBA interested in finance. Mr. Kessler worked on Wall Street for many years as an analyst for Paine Webber and then Morgan Stanley. Later, he left to work as a portfolio manager at Velocity Capital Management, which means he was and is still working with the same folks, but now as an investor.

His stories, escapades, and perspectives will lift the veil for those still innocent enough to believe that salesmen and account managers for the big trading houses have their clients' best interest at heart. I know we learned in b-school about the Random Walk, and arbitrage theory. All of that and the other stuff we learned is important to know. However, more valuable are the real world insights he provides about the structural changes and unintended consequences of the Small Order Execution System and its effect on liquidity and price volatility, Sarbanes-Oxley and the closing off of information to investors, ECNs and the erosion of trading income and the change to emphasis on fees and deals to provide income, momentum investing (momos), and more.

I am also very glad that he does not let individual investors off the hook for their own foolishness with their retirement and investment income. Remember, the greater fool theory cannot work without new people volunteering for the job. In the afterword the author also briefly demonstrates why all of the popular theories for the bubble and its popping are all true and none true. All contributed, but none we alone sufficient. Like most disasters, the likely cause is a confluence of little events combined into something no one much caused or could stop.

There is an obvious comparison to Michael Lewis's wonderful "Liar's Poker" and I would recommend this book just as highly. Mr. Kessler's career spanned a long enough time to chronicle the change from his being afraid to recommend a stock that could drop in price to Henry Blodget being afraid to downgrade a stock that could still go up in price. An amazing journey indeed and we are the better for his having chronicled it for us in such an entertaining way.

Bitterness and sour grapes
A sad book by an even sadder man who for all his protestations is clearly bitter that he didn't make out like the ones in the book's sub title that we all have heard of (unlike him). Throughout the book he keeps trying to show how he was one of that elite bunch of names (idiots though they may be) and yet he disparges them throughout. If that isn't a bitter wannabe I don't know what is. No meat in this book at all unfortuantely, just sour grapes...and a hell of a lot of typos. I guess whoever was charged with proof reading the thing fell asleep with regularity! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Bill Gates
I would give this book a five-star rating. The title is Bill Gates and the author is Jeanne M. Lesinski. Bill Gates had a dream. His dream was to create his own computer. Bill does complete his goal. On different kinds of computers he created, he did them with other friends. Throughout the story, it tells about his life, his wife, and three kids. Read the book and find out about his life and the start of Microsoft.

An excellent read.
A & E produces a daily Biography show about famous people in all categories, this book is based on that series. Bill Gates is more than a story about the richest man in the world, is an accounting of where this fame and fortune came from and the vision of the future of the software giant.

While the book is only about 100 pages there is enough information about Gates' roots, his ride to the top of the software industry and his recent battles with the Justice department to give this reader a new look into the man himself.

The author gives you pictures from early childhood to his start with Microsoft in Albuquerque to his work with the Bill Gates Library Foundation. I must admit most of the photos have already been seen, however they're a few new and interesting ones, especially his new house.

I personally liked the way the author put together the story, not running over of boring you with details in any one are. The storyline flows from start to finish. Granted there is a lot more that could have gone into the book, however this one was an excellent read. ... Read more

Reviews (20)

Good book about the personality behind the company
The book traces his downfall at Ford to his rise at Chrysler. The other reviewer was right, this isn't so much a book about being a CEO as it is about a person struggling through a very difficult time in their life.

I personally found the book to be fascinating (I'm a car nut) and inspirational because of his ability to triumph in the end.

A good read!

A fine read although most of it is dated now.
I remember back when this book hit the best seller list and everybody was reading it. Alot has changed since then, especially in the auto industry. Now this book will be taken more for it's historic value than how business currently operates. Management techniques have changed drastically and Iaccoca is no longer head of Chrysler, but he is an interesting man and tells us quite a good story. This is also a fine study of what was wrong with American car companies and why they couldn't seem to compete in the 70's and 80's. Car buffs will especially be attracted to this book, but it definitely has universal appeal.

Lessons to be learned...
This book is very much readable by car-fanatics and non-car-fanatics alike. It gives a pretty disconcerting depiction of how tuff it can get at the top positions of big businesses. But most of all, there are plenty of lessons to be learned from the the account of his life much of which is learned through experience and not through class-room lectures.

A Story of Larger Then Life Success, Failure, and Success
If Business Executives had a Hall of Fame, Iacocca would probably have a floor dedicated to him.

Iacocca life was a wilder then a roller coast, his failures made headlines across the nation and his successes were larger then life. He spent eight years as the running Ford only to fired in his prime, only to enjoy revenge in an almost truly capitalistic way by taking an another company out of bankruptcy and making it succeed again.

It's the story of an ordinary guy who wanted to design cars and instead decided to sell them. Along the way he ended up as President of one company and Chief Executive at another one and became a household name all the while.

Iacocca is interesting and inspiring, a great book for Business men and women and even better book for ordinary folk just like he was.

Timeless truths, but some dated data
This is one of three autobiographies I feel all educated Americans should read at least once (the other two are Benjamin Franklin and Malcolm X).

When reading this book, you must take some dated information with a grain of salt, e.g. predictions of Japanese dominance of world markets and certain management methodologies. Even so, Iacocca's book contains many timeless truths about management and all-around survival and success in business, e.g. simpler is better and honesty is the best policy. ... Read more

Book Description

Media visionary and business titan Michael Eisner presents a candid look back at one of the most formative experiences of his life--the time he spent at summer camp.

For the millions who enjoyed childhood summers spent away from home at camp, that time is recalled with everything from dismay to nostalgic bliss.For Disney CEO Michael Eisner, the time he spent at Keewaydin summer camp, nestled in the mountains of Vermont, served as a cherished and invaluable starting point for an adult life that would include a career and family life filled with unparalleled success. From the first time his father took Michael to Keewaydin at the age of seven, he realized it would become an important part of his life. Over the years, as a camper and a counselor, Michael absorbed the life lessons that come from sitting in the stern of a canoe or meeting around a campfire at night. With anecdotes from his time spent at Keewaydin and stories from his life in the upper echelons of American business that illustrate the campís continued influence, Eisner creates a touching and insightful portrait of his own coming-of-age, as well as a resounding declaration of summer camp as an invaluable national institution. ... Read more

Book Description

THE CONSUMMATE DEAL MAKER

THE ULTIMATE DEAL

"Sandy Weill is probably the best deal maker on the planet. He is truly one of the leading business titans of our times."
–Maria Bartiromo

"Sandy’s record speaks for itself. I can only dream of where Bear Stearns would be if he had stayed with us."
–Ace Greenberg
Chairman to the Executive Committee, Bear Stearns

"King of Capital is about the extraordinary achievement of a man who climbed the highest pinnacles of the world of finance. Sandy Weill recognized early the transformation that was taking place in the financial markets and was able to capture many of the opportunities in them. This book is deftly written and provides many insights into today’s financial markets."
–Henry Kaufman
President, Henry Kaufman & Company, Inc.
author of On Money and Markets: A Wall Street Memoir ... Read more

Reviews (11)

An Eye-0pening Book
"King of Capital" is a must read for every investor who wants to learn more about how to be "Wall Street Smart," and how to chose effectively and honestly managed companies. Sandy Weill's clear vision, while not always apparent to those who work with him, becomes very apparent to the readers of this intriguing, reader friendly, and well-researched book by Stone and Brewster. Sandy is smart, competitive, and clean. How he became "King of Captial" should inspire future corporate leaders as they embark on their journeys which will be under closer scrutiny than ever before. However, even if you are not an investor or future CEO, this timely book is packed full of so much information about the deal makers of past few decades, that it makes for thoroughly enjoyable reading for those who desire just to be informed.

Sandy Weill: Rockin & Rollin on Wall Street
This book captures the very essence of the famous (and infamous)king of Wall Street..Sandy Weill. From his humble beginnings to his staggering success in the world of business and finance, this book leaves no stone unturned in detailing fascinating facts and trivia on both his personal and professional life.

This is a must read for any Sandy Weill fan, businessmen and businesswomen alike, or simply a CEO star in the making.

Fascinating...once you pick this book up, you won't be able to put it down!

Dealmaker
Sandy Weill's story make for a good read. The dealmaker produced much larger, much more efficient and profitable business by successfully merging with one new company after another - all the while swallowing a company larger than his current. After leaving American Express, many would have though his CEO days were over. The story of the building of Citigroup is fascinating. By beginning with a troubled company, he turned it around and began the acquisition game again. When Travellers and Citicorp merged to form Citigroup it was a personal triumph for Sandy. The story in the book ends with Sansy still in charge at Citigroup and leaves the readear wondering the future hold for boy Weill and his company. Those stockholders who tagged along for the ride with Mr. Weill were very well rewarded.

Weill rules!
From his humble beginning, Weill has done everything from a runner to a billionaire! Winning the power struggle against Robinson, Dimon, and Reed, makes Weill the king.

Now that the US Justice Dept is examining the roles that Citigroup played in Enron, Worldcom and other collapsing companies, the story is not over yet.

It is a must read for any CEO!

inspirational story
I can't believe I haven't seen more reviews or information about this book. It is so easy to read and so packed with interesting business anecdotes about Sandy Weill. These reporters did a great job and offer a lot of insight about Weill. This is one of the better books (especially for a business book) that I've ever read. ... Read more

Book Description

NEW BOOK ON CARSON CITY MINT
AND ITS COINS SURE TO INSPIRE READERS

Carson City coin specialist Rusty Goe has just released his new book,"The Mint on Carson Street". Shoppers in the author's local coin store expressed delight and wonderment when the book was unveiled on Saturday December 20, 2003.

Never before has a book been written on the Carson City Mint that not only provides the history of the venerable institution, but also a study of all the coins minted there, with profiles of the many collectors who have come to adore them during the past century or more. It was the author's goal to bring the legacy of this Nevada coinage facility to life by interweaving stories of everyone and everything even closely related to it.

This goal has been achieved, in living color. Whether readers are curious about the activities leading up to the establishment of the Carson City Mint, or the provocation of its closing, they will not be disappointed. Collectors wishing to hear about $500,000 "CC" dimes, or how many of any of the 111 dates and denomination produced at Carson City are estimated to survive, will have well documented statistics at their fingertips. History buffs will be intrigued by the well chosen events discussed in each chapter, detailing the background of Nevada's emergence as a state to be reckoned with, as well as what was happening on a national level during the era the Carson City Mint was in operation. Even introductory coverage of the battle over monetary standards during the late 19th century is interwoven into the narrative. How and why the Carson City Mint's survival hinged on the outcome of whose monetary policies were adopted at the time are explained in the context of the central theme of the book. Silverites in Nevada and other mineral rich states were leading the charge to get the nation back on a silver standard, which would have been advantageous for the mint located in the "Silver State". The drama of this battle spanned the entire lifetime of the Carson Mint's years of operation.

Readers will be drawn to the biographical sketches portrayed in this massive 537 page volume. Familiar names such as Mark Twain and President Grover Cleveland are joined by so many other fascinating ones such as Carson City founder Abraham Curry; Nevada senators John Percival Jones and William M. Stewart; Carson Mint superintendents James Crawford, H. F. Rice and Annie Martin; Nevada Judge Clark Guild; collectors Dr. S. L. Lee, Harold M. Budd, and E. A. Carson, and distinguished Nevada developer Norman Biltz. Dozens of other interesting people who were in some way connected to the epic saga of the Carson City Mint, or were of notable reputation during its years of operation are profiled as well. Just reading about some of these individuals will surely inspire further exploration.

Of course coins are central to the story and well researched data and thought provoking information is provided on them. From the most common dates to the rarest, readers will come to appreciate the significance of coins with the "CC" mintmark within the broader spectrum of numismatics as a whole. Two chapters, one "The Silver Coins", and the other, "The Gold Coins", lists every date and denomination minted at Carson City, providing mintage, survival and pricing analysis, as well as the author's personal reflections on each one. Charts, tables, reports and lists, offer current population data, "Top 25" breakdowns, and 70 year price histories. Dozens of wonderful pictures of the coins highlight the text. All and all it is a virtual smorgasbord of collecting treasures.

For those interested in beginning a collection of "CC" coins, or adding to sets already in progress, a wonderful and enlightening chapter entitled, "Collecting Opportunities" is at the end of the book. This chapter provides so many alternatives to collecting "CC" coins readers will enjoy making their selections. Scarcity levels for each set are provided, as well as checklists to measure progress.

If the subject of the Carson City Mint and "CC" coins piques your interest, this book is for you. When you first lay hands on it you will be awed by the size of this four pound piece of literature. Immediately, you will probably be caught up with the artwork, both on the front cover and the pages inside. This might prompt you to simply thumb through it in the beginning as you see the breadth of this work in pictures. Then you may desire to begin reading it cover to cover, or skip to the chapters or appendices that immediately grab your attention. However you proceed, you will most assuredly come away from your experience with this incredible book enriched and entertained. Rarely will a volume on the subject of coins bring as much pleasure to readers as "The Mint on Carson Street". ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Book is about much more than coins from Carson City
There are books on mint products from the Carson City Mint and there are books on the history of Nevada but there has never been a book that so expertly weaves together the stories of the people who made significant events come to pass, the political climate of the post-Civil War United States and territories that were not yet states, Congressional action and reaction to the economy and the contentious matter of money backed by either precious metals or paper, the trials and challenges of a start-up assaying and coining operation, all in the exciting context of the Comstock Lode phenomenon and the mining industry that changed the west.

This book is written with unmistakable passion for the benefit of Comstock and Carson City enthusiasts. But it will be highly regarded by historians, numismatists, coin and memorabilia collectors, scholars, and every investor who may want to become acquainted with the pleasurable pursuit of a truly scarce and sought after tangible collectible. The book also contains statistical information and insights into surviving populations of coins in relation to the quantities originally minted. It has taken a place of prominence among the books I own.

Great Read and Great History
I received this book as a gift and was only expecting it to be a synopsis of Carson City coins. I was not expecting all of the wonderful history! It is a fascinating read as well as being so informative. I really enjoyed reading about so many of the people who influenced not only Carson City and Nevada history, but United States history, as well. In the back is a complete guide to all of the coins minted in Carson City.
The book itself is quite beautiful, inside and out. It contains many pictures of historical people and places. The cover is so nice, you will not want to stash it in your bookcase, but place it on the coffee table for others to enjoy (and envy!)
Thanks again, Mom and Dad, for the beautiful book!

Treasure in a Time Capsule
The Carson City coinsthat intrigue us today serve to memorialize the prominent--and not so well known--deeds which occurred between the Civil War and the turn of the century. During this era of giant personalities, the growing pains of the nation created both hardship and jubilant excess in a brand new Nevada (Halloween, 1864).
This phenomenon of the old west is lovingly presented by Rusty Goe in THE MINT ON CARSON STREET. Though little-known outside numismatic circles Rusty has delved into every cranny of the period, all the while becoming one of the supremely knowledgeable and formidable operatives in U.S.coins. His colleagues and trading competitors will attest to his skill and high integrity.
The book (tome,really), Rusty's memorial to an incomparable time and place, is not merely to read, but to dive into and swim around. Some of its delights: recapturing an obscure but haunting part of our exuberant national adolescence, demystifying many of the intricacies in the rare coin market, and serving as a permanent and valuable resource reference. The manner of presentation is that of a veteran of many adventures and well-fought battles lovingly sharing his most prized experiences with those who are disposed to value and appreciate the accounts.
THE MINT ON CARSON STREET has pride of place in my book collection. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

"60 Recipes for Success" apply to all service businesses
In the '60s, America was on the go like never before, and wherever people went, fast food followed. But in a growing world of hot dog stands and copycat burger joints, one name stood out from the rest: Taco Bell. Yet Taco Bell strained the patience and pocketbook of its founder, year after year. A menu with no buns or mustard was challenge enough. Add the fact that lenders and investors called Mexican fast food a fad.

And few people outside the Hispanic community knew what a taco was. "I'll have two TAKE-OHS, please." Clearly, this was a concept ahead of its time. Most men would have quit, but Taco Bell's founder refused to abandon his dream. With grit and determination, he made himself and those who shared his vision millionaires, and turned his little walk-up restaurant concept into one of the most popular brand names in America.

This is the story of Glen W. Bell, Jr.

As a young man, Glen had no money. During the '30s, he rode the rails and went door to door in search of honest work and a hard-earned dollar.

From these hardscrabble root grew the passion and desire of a tireless entrepreneur. A man who understood the customer and worked day and night to build a business backed by little more than the proceeds from the sale of a used refrigerator. A man who poured his own concrete and fried his own tortillas. The business grew, in part because the food was good and different and priced right. But in largest part because Glen--in his quiet, confident manner--had a way of attracting a breed of people who understood his vision. As a result, he helped employees, managers and franchisees carve out their own pieces of the American dream. Today, Taco Bell has some 7,000 restaurants, more than 175,000 employees, and serves millions of customers weekly.

Savory, crunchy "TAKE-OHS" have become mainstream American food. Yet Taco Bell remains a rebellious, hard-working, entrepreneurial company that loves to battle the burger, just like its founder taught it to. This compelling portrait by award-winning writer Debra Lee Baldwin includes insights from a self-professed "unremarkable man" who overcame the odds to achieve a remarkable thing. His story and his "60 Recipes for Success" are not reserved for a select few. Rather, a treasure awaits anyone with the passion and determination to pursue his or her dream.

As a literary agent, I feel privileged to have worked closely with Mr. Bell and Ms. Baldwin to get this book published.

A great role model!
When I was developing my business plan for my brokerage firm, I looked up various autobigraphies of others in the financial industry to get inside their head. One day I stumbled across this book. I was not convinced by the cover to read it, but I grabbed it anyway. Boy was I NOT disappointed!

From reading Glen Bell's story I discovered a lot of trivia about the taco business, like Glen Bell's invention of the taco ;)

But more importantly I took away five guiding points for my life and more importantly for my business.

1. Stay ultimately focused on your vision.
2. Keep expanding on your vision, as you grow so should it.
3. Don't be afraid to scream from the rooftops by promoting your business big.
4. Never let a little thing like money get in your way.
5. Those that can't see your vision, needn't be in your vision.

Great book for entrepreneurs who think they have it bad and can't see the light at the end of the tunnel, its there, Glen Bell proves it.

A tribute to tenacity
This was an inspiring read to me. Glen Bell like Wendy's founder Dave Thomas did not have an easy childhood. Both developed and appreciated the values of hard work at an early age and this book shows that nice guys do finish first. While it is a very light fast read unlike a book about someone like Dr. Linus Pauling. This book teaches one that if you have an idea you should pursue it relentlessly and deal with everyone fairly as Glen did. Glen Bell never started out to be the richest or most famous person in the fast food business but he made major contributions to the industy with his ideas and simple honest values. While I continue to eat at upscale mexican restaurants frequently I do confess to eating at Taco Bell on a weekly basis. Thank you Glen Bell!

More than a business book
This is much more than a book about a business. It's the story of a likeable man whose remarkable success parallels that of American capitalism during the 20th century.

The Bell behind Taco Bell is an outstanding role model. Like Horatio Alger's rags-to-riches novels, Glen Bell's life illustrates the virtues of honesty, diligence and perseverance.

This book has the potential to positively influence thousands of young people. It takes something they like and are familiar with, and shows why and how it all began. Taco Titan belongs in libraries across America, especially those frequented by high school and college students.

Unlike dry business books, Taco Titan puts the founder's life in the context of America's most challenging and prosperous century. We follow Bell from the Depression, through World War II, and his remarkable entrepreneurial achievements with Taco Bell, to his creative response to an enviable dilemma: What should a newly made multimillionaire do with all that money?

Taco Titan details every step Bell took, from initial concept to national franchising. We experience his decision making process, step-by-step, including the cloak-and-dagger details of the sale of Taco Bell to PepsiCo.

Bell's "Recipes for Success" would make a good Hippocratic Oath for managers and entrepreneurs. They're a basic blueprint for ethical business practices.

Taco Titan is entertaining even if you don't care about fast food or starting a business. It illustrates how the principles that made America great can be put into practice. But beyond that, it's fun and easy to read. You follow Bell into a different place and time, one less complex and more innocent, and once there, you don't want to leave.

Well written and a great read
Who knew? The founder of Taco Bell grew up in poverty, rode the rails during the Great Depression, and had dreams of founding his own theme park (which he eventually did, in Southern California - Bell Gardens.)

Bell could have been a celebrity, but he's on the shy side. He never went to college, but ended up wealthy beyond his wildest dreams.

Bell's Recipes for Success are the reason he succeeded, and would work for anyone. (For example: "It's tempting to blame circumstances for your problems, but it's a waste of time. Instead, reach inside yourself. You'll come up with ways to cope and take pride in meeting the challenge.")

It's refreshing to read about a CEO who refused to compromise his ethics or step on people on his way up. Even Bell's competitors -- including founders of Del Taco and Wienerschnitzel -- recommend this book.

Bell's biography details the founding of Taco Bell and the chain's early days, but it is NOT primarily a business book. If you want the nuts and bolts of building a fast-food business, read "Behind the Golden Arches" about McDonalds.

What "Taco Titan" IS, is a great read. It's the story of an ordinary guy who, against all odds, did extraordinary things. You're right there with Bell, back in the 1940s and '50s, watching him sweat his way through one seemingly insurmountable challenge right after another.

Memorable characters add depth and interest to Bell's story: The the first franchisee, who quit the LAPD because his store took off. Bell's first wife, who insisted Mexican food was a waste of time. An early partner who happened to be Bing Crosby's son. Even Mac and Dick McDonald make a cameo appearance.

But the best character is Bell himself, the former hobo who, after he sold Taco Bell, bought an antique railway (complete with several steam engines) and turned it into a family fun park.

Bell's biography is encouraging, inspiring and entertaining. It gives a fascinating behind-the-scenes tour of a little known slice of American culinary history.

And although "Taco Titan" is not a how-to book, it's a must-read for anyone starting out in business, because it's about what REALLY counts: a CEO's character, ethics and never-quit attitude. ... Read more

Book Description

The Untold Story of the American Entrepreneur Who Helped Build the Atomic Bomb and Defeat the Nazis.

Legendary financier, philanthropist, and society figure Alfred Lee Loomis gathered the most visionary scientific minds of the twentieth century -- Albert Einstein, Werner Heisenberg, Niels Bohr, Enrico Fermi, and others -- at his state-of-the-art laboratory in Tuxedo Park, New York, in the late 1930s. He established a top-secret defense laboratory at MIT and personally bankrolled pioneering research into new, high-powered radar detection systems that helped defeat the German Air Force and U-boats. With Ernest Lawrence, the Nobel Prize-winning physicist, he pushed Franklin Delano Roosevelt to fund research in nuclear fission, which led to the development of the atomic bomb.

Jennet Conant, the granddaughter of James Bryant Conant, one of the leading scientific advisers of World War II, enjoyed unprecedented access to Loomis' papers, as well as to people intimately involved in his life and work. She pierces through Loomis' obsessive secrecy and illuminates his role in assuring the Allied victory. ... Read more

Reviews (29)

Fascinating portrait of a brilliant man of science &business
The subject of Tuxedo Park, Alfred Loomis, is an absolutely fascinating individual whose life story is so unique and so amazing that, were this book fiction, the reader would likely not believe it. Loomis, who undoubtedly was a brilliant left-brained rational thinker, was educated as a lawyer, rose through the ranks of a law firm, then quit to become one of the wealthiest bankers on Wall Street. He foresaw the 1929 stock market crash and cashed out beforehand, and then gave up his finance career to educate himself so that he could work on the very leading edge of scientific research in multiple fields, including biology, physics, astronomy, and (at the very end of his life), computer science. Because he possessed immense wealth, brains, and leadership qualities, as well as patriotism and a savvy understanding of geopolitics, he became a key individual who put together the multiple scientific labs and projects that helped the Allies win World War II.

Jennet Conant succeeds admirably in the primary objective of her book: to describe the many technical and leadership contributions Loomis made to the scientific efforts, especially the development of radar systems, that ultimately produced victory for the Allies in World War II. She makes a very strong case that without Loomis's leadership, the development of both radar and the atomic bomb would have been delayed, endangering the Allies' chances of success and resulting in many more lives lost. Loomis's World War II efforts and achievements occupy half the book; the remainder covers the rest of his biography.

Besides being a fascinating, engrossing story, Tuxedo Park has much to teach the reader. The common impression is that the development of the atomic bomb was the greatest scientific achievement in the Allies' victory; however, as one of the scientists says, "radar won the war, and the atomic bomb ended it". Radar was the weapon the Allies used to defeat the Germans' submarines, superior air force, and rocketry. Tuxedo Park also shows the interconnected web of relationships at the pinnacles of the worlds of science, academia, government, and business in the mid twentieth century. Rational thought alone does not produce results; all accomplishments involve humans, and Loomis was able to navigate these worlds and relationships with remarkable aplomb. The book also shows the negative side of Loomis and genius in general: the toll it exacts on family life, and the depression and suicide that plagues certain families.

I have only minor quibbles with Tuxedo Park. Loomis's pre-World War II achievements were so impressive and interesting that I would have enjoyed more detail about those years. When Conant describes the many inventions of Loomis and others, I often had difficulty visualizing them; some line drawings would have helped. And there are a few errors in the book, such as referring to the RAF when the author means the USAF.

I would recommend Tuxedo Park to anyone interested in biographies of scientific figures, as well as anyone who would appreciate a history lesson on the role science played in winning the last major world war.

Tuxedo Park is an impressive achievement
Tuxedo Park is a factual history lesson, in a vein similar to The Devil in the White City, only without the serial killer.

Tuxedo Park takes place a bit later, pre-World War II. It starts with the death of one of the scientists who used to visit Tuxedo Park, a veritable fortress of technology and leisure. The suicidal scientist posthumously published a fictionalized book about the goings on there and sold it as science fiction. It was so bizarre that of course, nobody suspected, although the primary subject of the novel, Alfred Loomis, knew better.

Alfred Loomis is the star of the story, a rich entrepreneur with an all-consuming, frightening intellect. He applies his own cold, nearly inhuman methodology to business and science and excels at both. Loomis is also charismatic and connects with people in a way that makes him irresistible. A veritable human whirlwind, he swept people up and sometimes left them broken and lost behind him, most notably his wife whom he tried to have committed and left for a younger woman.

Loomis invented electrocardiograms (those brainwave doohickeys that draw jagged lines as a patient sleeps) and radar and made fantastic leaps in refining the science of sonics and magnetics. If the book has a moral, it's that money brings freedom, and Loomis was the freest man on Earth. He developed what he wanted, hosted who he wanted, encouraged projects he felt had vision, and had enough influence to determine the course of events in World War II.

What's so striking is that the world needed Loomis. The author, Jennet Connant, makes striking connections that identify just how significant Loomis' contributions (and machinations) were in ensuring victory over the Axis powers. From the atom bomb to the British radar systems, Loomis' fingerprints are on them all. And it was through sheer force of will, coupled with his massive wealth that made things happen.

The book suffers from the same problems as Devil in the White City - some parts are more boring than others. It's entertaining to read about Loomis' inventions, but I had difficulty distinguishing between the various scientists. There are so many intellects that are hosted by Loomis that they start to run together; on the other hand, the book features a lot of familiar faces like Albert Einstein, Enrico Fermi, and others. Still, the physics and complexities of the inventions, along with the internecine squabbling drag in some places.

Perhaps the most exciting part of the book is when one British physicist embarks on a journey to bring all the technological advances of Britain to America with just himself and a trunk full of highly classified documents and devices. The thought of what could happen to that trunk (and how it nearly gets lost a few times) is nerve wracking and the makings of an excellent short story or role-playing adventure. It's the kind of scenario that is usually considered to be bad form by a writer - but it really happened.

Fortunately for us, the trunk made its way safely to America. The book really picks up as the devices Loomis raced to invent are finally implemented in the war. And then, when the action finally gets going, the book is over. There is definitely a feeling of the passing of something great that people could only look at indirectly and never touch - just like the intentional destruction of the Chicago World's Fair, Loomis Tuxedo Park is abandoned, his "rad lab" of scientists disbanded, only to backstab each other during McCarthy's "Un-American" committees. Worse, Loomis' divorce left his family sharply divided - like all things, Loomis treated his relationships with an intellectual clarity that was less a romance and more calculated odds. When Loomis felt his wife was not measuring up, she was discarded along with his other failed experiments. It dims, but cannot diminish completely, Loomis' personality.

Tuxedo Park is an impressive achievement. It manages to record the origin of the American scientist, the belief that technology is inherently good, and sharply frames the slow, lumbering bureaucracies that run everything from medical achievements to military advancements. In comparison, Loomis and his teams are breathtakingly nimble at a time when the world needed speed and decisive action most. It is an important part of history and a sharp reminder that rich men, should they choose, could do great good or terrible harm. Loomis was that rare combination of brilliance and wealth that creates freedom - an aberration not likely to be seen again in my lifetime.

Life changing....what a life this man lived.
Never have I read something so exciting, meaty, romantic and adventurous. This is the life I can only imagine living. Loomis had it all, good looks, intelligence, but most of all...class and style. His way of life gives insight into what good breeding is all about. More than that, his ability to use common sense in dealing with business, and science and every aspect of his life and relationships gave me the confidence to venture out a little further and try and reach for the apple way up at the top of the tree. Reading this book forever changed my life and I tried to find a way to send the author, Jennet conant, a letter telling her that but I could not find her address on the website, so I guess this will have to do.

Jennet, even after death, Alfred Loomis continues to succeed, your story is worthy of his calibre. Beautiful.

Conant fails to tell the truth about Loomis: uncritical
Nowhere in the book does Conant talk about how Loomis used his regulated utility holdings to subsidize the unregulated holdings... and he charged regulated customers for the subsidiaries' huge profits. The Public Utilities Holding Companies Act (PUHCA) of the 1930's was enacted and made illegal the very things that Loomis made his fortune on. Check out the SEC for PUHCA. But there is no mention of this. Conant writes a biased and uncritical account of one of her relatives. Bad.
Also, many scholars attribute the Public Utility Holding Companies with causing the Stock Market Crash of '29. And Loomis was at the head of this. Nowhere does Conant mention this.
Also poorly written. Incoherent writing style that blends scientific writing with prose. makes for muddled and unnatural reading. Also fails to describe sufficiently, important scientific advances discussed in the book, namely the Cyclotron, which I had to go look up what it was. bad

THE LAST GREAT AMATEUR
Today with university and industrial labs conducting research using multi-million dollar grants and government contracts, it is amazing that in before the 1930s a brilliant banker had established, financed and staffed a private research lab that was superior at the time to university laboratories. This book by Jennet Conant is the story of Albert Lee Loomis who not only established his lab in Tuxedo Park, NY, he also personally conducted research there. Outstanding scientists such as Albert Einstein, Enrico Fermi, Neils Bohr, etc. visited his lab with Einstein describing the lab as a "place of science."

Loomis while interested in science at Yale nevertheless when to Harvard Law School and upon graduation entered the New York law firm of Winthrop & Stimson; Stimpson was a cousin of Loomis. During WWI, Loomis jointed the army, received a commission and was sent to Aberdeen Proving Ground where he struck up a friendship with Robert Wood of Johns Hopkins University, considered America's most brilliant experimental physicist, who later became Loomis' mentor. One year after WWI Loomis went to work in the investment business and later with his brother-in-law as partner purchased their employer. Recognizing the approaching financial crisis of 1929, the partners took appropriate action, with Loomis making $50 million during the first years of the Depression.

Loomis had established his lab at Tuxedo Park in the 1920s leaving the day-to-day running of the lab to a lab manager. Loomis worked in the lab evenings and on weekends, working alongside accomplished scientists. In 1934 he quit Wall Street for good devoting fulltime to his lab. The text notes "He played a major role in the development of the electroencephalograph, which went on to become an extremely valuable diagnostic tool and is used routinely in hospitals to detect epilepsy as well as many other diseases."

Loomis and other scientists became concerned about reports of German advanced weaponry; and aided by MIT, Tuxedo Park, devoted its work to the development of secret war-related radar systems to detect airplanes. When the 1940 British technical mission came to America, they brought their magnetron oscillator; Loomis immediately recognized that a major breakthrough had occurred in radar development. Loomis lead the establishment of a secret radar lab at MIT, closed his lab and shipped his valuable equipment to MIT. "For the next four years, he would drive himself and his band of physicists almost without break to develop the all-important radar warning systems based on the magnetron." Also, Loomis conceived the basis for and directed the development of the Loran navigation system, a system critical for accurate aircraft navigation during bombing missions.

In 1941 Loomis's involvement with the MIT Lab, called the Rad Lab, became increasingly sporadic as he was pressed into service on uranium research. One leading scientist noted "...it was a great stroke of luck for the country that Loomis was involved in the uranium project from the beginning, not as an originator of ideas as much as an individual who knew how to exploit them..." contributing to "the remarkable lack of roadblocks experienced by the Army's Manhattan District, the builders of the atomic bombs."

By June 1943 nearly 6000 radar set based on the MIT Rad Lab designs had been delivered with production climbing past 2000 sets per month. In the opinion of many of his peers, Loomis' greatest contribution lay in the brilliant manner he and the Secretary of War, his cousin Henry Stimson, had overcome military resistance to the flow of innovative ideas and applications.... and the military's acceptance of new weapons and systems. The author does an excellent job narrating Loomis' wartime work outlining his contributions in many areas.

In 1945 Loomis divorced his wife and married his mistress, the wife of his former Tuxedo Park lab manager. This produced strong reverberations in his elite financial and social circles. In 1947 he completed his administrative duties associated with radar and almost from the moment that the MIT Rad Lab ceased, Loomis began to disappear. In 1948 he was awarded the highest civilian award, the Presidential Medal of Merit. The book closes with an EPILOGUE which gives brief accounts of the post WWII lives of the key scientists and others with whom Loomis was associated during his active career. Loomis died in 1975 at age eighty-seven.

My main criticism is the account of Oppenheimer's opposition to the H-bomb in the EPILOGUE which concludes with the statement "Oppenheimer was ousted from power and publicly disgraced" leaving the impression Oppenheimer spent the rest of his life in disgrace. The text fails to tell that later the Atomic Energy Commission cleared Oppenheimer of all charges and in 1963 awarded him their highest honor the Enrico Fermi award. Oppenheimer served as director of the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton from 1947 to his retirement in 1966.

This was a difficult book to write, not only because of Loomis' countless activities, but because he destroyed his papers before his death. Consequently, the book does not always read smoothly. Nevertheless, the book provides valuable material not available from other sources. ... Read more