Book Description

Over six months on the New York Times bestseller list, Barbarians at the Gate is the definitive account of the largest takeover in Wall Street history. Bryan Burrough and John Helyar's gripping record of the frenzy that overtook Wall Street in October and November of 1988 is the story of deal makers and pulicity flaks, of strategy meetings and society dinners, of boardrooms and bedrooms, giving us not only an unprecedentedly detailed look at how financial operations at the highest levels are conducted but also a richly textured social history of wealth at the twilight of the Reagan era. As compelling as a novel, Barbarians at the Gate is must reading for everyone interested in the way today's world really works.

Reviews (59)

Descriptive
Barbarians provides a detailed look into the biggest LBO in history - RJR Nabisco. The author does any amazing job of describing the events, people, industry and money involved in this transaction. The author paints a perception of what drives men in the LBO industry - ethically and economically. He doesn't try to sway your opinion one way or the other. The chain of events, themselves, makes this book worth reading - no player in this transaction is left untouched. I recommend anyone interested in LBOs to pick and read this book. Tremondous insight into the LBO/power player industry

One of the Best of the Subject
This book is a description of the largest leveraged-buy out of the 80's. The book covers the management buy out of RJR and all the financial moves that took place to get it done. It covers the winners and losers and the tactics they used. The authors are investigative reports so they have the ability to provide the reader with a very well constructed and easy to understand story. They really bring the reader into the negotiations and all the high pressure and tension is coved to the reader. The most fun was when the authors took to describing all the financial players involved, their egos and ways of life and doing business. The excesses of some of the companies detailed are really something.
If you are interested in this topic then I would suggest you also read "Den of Thieves" and "Predator's Ball", both of which cover the 80's M&A and Junk Bond world. To get a better understanding of KKR, I would suggest "Masters of Debit" and if you are looking for more info on this particular deal I would suggest "True Greed".

Okay, Okay, But Why Is The Book Great?
To start explaining this book you must understand that the book has been written by two investigative reporters, so it reads like a well written novel. In fact with some of these books you must remind yourself that it is not fiction.

The other thing is that the authors emphasize the people and what they think, their motivations, their egos and their vulnerabilities. It is not a financial book. It is more of a novel. When you combine the writing plus with the emphasis on the people you get a best seller - as we have.

Here is the situation. The CEO's of some of these corporations get greedy and decide that making millions per year and having a fleet of their own jets - is not enough. They want to borrow money and buy the whole company. That is what we had here. The CEO Ross Johnson proposes a leveraged buy out (LBO) of RJR-Nabisco, which had previously merged. His idea is to borrow money and buy all the stock. So it is really a story about Ross Johnson and whether or not he could pull of this (theft) purchase from the shareholders by borrowing enough money. He is abetted by bankers and investment people, and they all want a piece of the action and large fees. It is all quite fascinating stuff.

But he hits a snag. The prize is too big and draws other people into the fray.

Like sharks smelling blood in the water he attracts KKR runs by Henry Kravis - a New York based LBO company. It decides it wants to get involved. The book takes us like a suspense novel through various negotiations and heavy duty meetings in Manhattan until it is finally settled. It makes for a fascinating read.

Recently I read another book that I thought was quite different but just excellent. Ross Johnson in the present book RJR-Nabisco was the CEO of a large public company and he became such by working his way up through the ranks. To me a more fascinating book is Losing my Virginity by Richard Branson also at Amazon.com. Branson starts his career by himself selling a magazine as a teenager, starts Virgin Records, takes on and beats back British Airways with Virgin Airways, and does it all with a flair for the dramatic - and often he owns the companies.

Jack in Toronto

A Classic Tale of Wall Street and Greed
This book became the basis for a paper I wrote in school and by the time I finished the book and the paper, I was actually surprised by my conclusions.

Leveraged Buy Outs (LBO) and Management Buy Outs (MBO) were all the rage in the eighties, and this book chronicles what is good about them as well as what is bad. In the general public's opinion, the bad far outweighs the good, but from a maangement standpoint, they can be a good idea.

The leveraged buyout of the RJR Nabisco Corporation for $25 billion, recounted in this book, is a landmark in American business history. Ross Johnson, CEO of RJR Nabisco, is is just one of the colorful cast of characters involved in the midst of this book, as he sets in motion whagt would become the basis for the events chronicled in "Barbarians."

Should be required reading for all business students and busienss leaders.

fascinating account of the 1980s merger mania
It reads like a thriller. Once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down. It is the story of the RJR Nabisco buyout through the eyes of two journalists and it shows that a real world story can be just as dramatic as fiction. This book is one of the most important documentaries of the 1980s. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Goldman Sachs brings you inside the rarefied boardrooms of one of the most secretive Wall Street banking giants. Begun by a German immigrant in the late 1800s as a small family-run business, Goldman Sachs rose to become the world's top investment bank in the 1990s, even without selling stock to the public. It attracted some of the best talent in the business and cultivated an image of superiority and exclusivity. "The Goldman Sachs mystique was born of secrecy and success. Nothing like it exists on Wall Street," writes the author, Lisa Endlich, a former vice president at the firm. But behind that mystique lie tales of being swindled by British media tycoon Robert Maxwell, multimillion-dollar losses on bad trades, and the on-again, off-again attempts to go public. The book begins and ends with the firm's efforts to go public and get greater access to capital. Most other brokerages are already publicly traded, but internecine conflict and financial turmoil always seem to prevent Goldman from joining the action. In September 1998, for instance, Goldman stunned investors when it dropped plans for a stock offering amid a plunge in the market. A management shakeup soon followed. Goldman Sachs is an intriguing history of the company that invented such financial tools as block trading, commercial paper, and risk arbitrage. The book can sometimes be critical, but is largely a favorable portrait by a former employee. --Dan Ring ... Read more

Reviews (37)

factual throughout but too much emphasis on the 1990's.
I spent 30 years at Goldman Sachs as a senior risk arbitrage trader in the equities division. I retired in 1995. The information contained in the volume has been carefully and thoughtfully researched and the result is a wonderful historical analysis of Goldman Sachs. The book is eminantly readable and easily understandable, even for those uninitiated in the banking business. My only negative criticism refers to the excessive space given to the recent history of the firm. There was a clear change in the firms' culture after the greedy portion of the 1980's. The author is right on the mark when she tells how important the people (not only the partners) were to the creation of the special atmosphere that pervaded the firm and how very special it was to be a part of it. Although profitability was always a clear motive, it surely was not the sole purpose for which the firm existed. To profile a few bond traders and enumerate their spectacular successes (and failures) in the 1990s clearly indicates how things have changed from previous decades. I worked with Gus Levy for 10 years and Bob Rubin for 20 years and from a trader's point of view these were the spectacular people at least in the Equities Division. I doubt that the client interest is foremost in the culture of Goldman Sachs today as it was for the first 125 years. Although the importance of the client remains high today, it is profitability and risk taking that are the motivating forces.

Interesting, Readable, But Lacking Focus
I enjoyed Lisa Endlich's book about Goldman Sachs but I felt like there was alot left to be desired.

As for the good points, the writing is very clear and the coverage of the 1990s is outstanding. It did give me a bare bones understanding of the history of the firm up until the 1990s, especially about the times of Sidney Weinberg, Gus Levy, and John Weinberg and John Whitehead. But, on the negative side, what this really is is a HISTORY OF GOLDMAN SACHS IN THE 1990S. 155 of 274 pages are devoted entirely to the 1990s and only 88 pages cover 1869-1990 (29 are about the discussion about going public in 1986; and the book starts on page 3). If there is a theme to the book it is Goldman Sach's existing as a partnership and the increasingly intense consideration of going public from 1986 until it finally did in May 1999. There are interesting anectdotes about IPOs (such as Ford) and more about huge trading gains and losses made by the firm. But it didn't read like a book to me but more like a series of articles. She just kind of recaps the highlights from various times, focusing mainly on the 1990s.

It was not a bad book but I have read many business books that I consider to me much better such as "Barbarians at the Gate" and "Monkey Business". This one is more comparable to solid but less outstanding efforts such as "Liar's Poker" and "Eboys", in my opinion.

....

Great Historical Review
Although it is clear from Ms. Endlich's tone that she nearly workships everything about Goldman Sachs, this is a well researched and competently written book. It covers in detail the history of the bank, paints portraits of some of the key players in some detail and presents a compelling overall picture of the bank's history.

Where the book falls short is in its financial and overall business details (compare to "The House of Rothschild" by Niall Ferguson). Overall, and interesting and insightful read.

Another Great Book
This is a great book too, just like the one on Sandy Weill's ascent. The book shows why Goldman is great... and bad. Sometimes it glorifies GS too much (yawn at the richest and most powerful people in America allusions) but is certainly an interesting read.

I give it two thumbs up!

GOOD PICTURE, CHANGING SINCE IPO
I read this book right before joining Goldman Sachs and was tremendously excited about it. I joined in 1999, right after the IPO (yes, I missed out). Despite the apparent glorification of the company, I did feel like its culture of teamwork and "long term greed" was present in everything my teams did, which the book does a good job of portraying.

It is clear the author appreciates the company very much and that this is a somewhat endorsed biography of the firm, yet I enjoyed reading it nonetheless. It is refreshing to see a former employee write a positive book after so many recent cases of employees leaving only to criticize their former employers. ... Read more

Book Description

"If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle."–Sun Tzu, The Art of War, 511 b.c.

How do companies like IBM, Xerox, Motorola, Procter & Gamble, and NutraSweet dominate the competitive situation in their markets year after year? Each of these market leaders relies on an effective, well-organized competitive intelligence (CI) strategy to help them outwit, outmaneuver, and outperform the competition at every turn.

Proven Strategies in Competitive Intelligence presents the best thinking and most successful techniques from these and other leading firms on how medium- to large-sized companies can strategize and implement a competitive intelligence program across a wide range of business functions. Readers will learn the secrets of the best business intelligence operations as corporate CI leaders explain:

• How to demonstrate the value of CI to management
• How to get your sales force and other "troops" to bolster CI efforts
• Why competitive technical intelligence (CTI) is vital to technology-driven firms
• How to set up a CI resource center on the corporate intranet
• Why identifying key intelligence topics (KITS) can lead to competitive advantage

Proven Strategies in Competitive Intelligence is an indispensable resource for any organization that wants to take the lead in its market, maximize performance, and keep the competition wondering, "How do they do that?" ... Read more

Reviews (2)

The Best Here is Amazingly Good
As with any anthology, some of the contributions are better than others. But the best case studies in this collection are of real value. In particular, I'd point to the case studies from Shell and other companies that describe how corporate intranets can be used to both collect competitive information from within your firm (sales reps, etc.) and then to make it availalbe firmwide, so that no one gets "blindsided." Any company that's not doing this doesn't understand, as one of the chapters puts it, the overriding importance of CI/Knowledge Management convergence.

I was also amazed by how forthright some of the contributors were, expecially the description of the organizational CI structures at firms such as P&G, Xerox and IBM. I don't know why they're sharing this, but these descriptions are worth the price of the book. Not that you'd want to copy them exactly, but it's vital to know how others organize their efforts in this regard.

And even the more "philosophical" contributions, include Robert Galvin's piece on CI at Motorola, were helpful.

No, it's not a really "how to" book, but it does reveal just how important CI now is to companies in the know, and why others should get onboard.

Nice Assortment of Articles, But Seen Them Before
This book is a decent one for your library shelf. It includes a fair variety of articles, quite often featuring widely known names in the CI field. The idea of "proven" and "strategies" may be a bit misleading however, as some of these so-caled proven strategies were really philosphies, tactics or concepts that worked for a short time but were shown to be difficult to sustain. Witness the recent public difficulties at Procter & Gamble or Daimler Benz for example and you'll understand this.

For those people who read or have seen the CI Review, you'll recognize that these chapters first appeared as articles in that venue. Some of the chapters are now several years old, stale, and the individuals, departments or companies involved have undergone major shifts in their approaches to CI and to the topics of these articles. I should note that this doesn't mean that the information is invalid, indeed, it is helpful more often than not. However, "proven" strategies are enduring... some of the ones highlighted here were "practiced" for sure, but "proven" may be a bit of a marketing stretch. I'd still recommend this book to those individuals new to the field, and those who haven't accessed this material before in its other forms. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Book Summary of "Concept of the Corporation"
Business primarily functions to make a profit. However, due to the permanent and integral role that the corporation plays in modern industrial society, there exists a corresponding level of duty and responsibility toward society at large. Peter Drucker's goal is to articulate the management practices that made General Motors so successful. In this manner GM's efforts could be communicated and duplicated to ensure continued success for American industry and capitalism in general.

After World War II capitalism and communism began to compete for the hearts and minds of the world. This placed an onerous burden on capitalist countries. This burden largely fell upon America. America must demonstrate that capitalism is in fact the best economic system in terms of both efficiency and social equity. Drucker also realized that only an objective yardstick for measuring success would prove the intrinsic worth of capitalism. Conceding that perfection is unattainable, Peter Drucker nonetheless maintains that the harmonious integration of the corporation into the social fabric depends at the very least on its ability "to realize society's promises and society's beliefs" (117).

In America, this means that the corporation must appeal to and in some degree satisfy the basic American beliefs in individuality and opportunity. Those duel beliefs later served and were substantiated by historian John Kindgon. For the capitalist system to succeed it is imperative for the corporation to parallel these beliefs by promoting the role of justice as the means for recognizing equality of opportunity. This notion differs from communism's belief in equality of rewards.

The economic growth experienced during the early 20th century became possible only through improvements in business organization modeled after Henry Ford's assembly line, which efficiently organized and combined the efforts of different specialists into one cohesive effort. The general message was that the whole was in fact worth more than the sum of its parts. This accomplishment was primarily attributable to improvements in organization and marshalling talent and resources. Drucker describes the new decentralized model of corporate success, "The teamwork organization of management, the assistance rendered by the service staffs, and the constant check against base price, market quota, and consumer's opinion make it possible for ordinary human beings to run this enormous machine" (79). This approach necessarily focuses on the preeminence of human capital, and the need for greater social organization to maximize profits.

Drucker believes that business is ultimately about people, not resources, and managing people so that they give forth their greatest potential effort. Promotion should be based on performance, ability, and character. Management may use price elasticity to determine what proportion of profits should be divided into wage increases or decreases in pricing. Drucker believes that leadership must be cultivated from within the corporation, and whose facilitation should include early testing and training glued together with a cultural espirit. Most importantly, imagination and a great understanding of the big picture in regards to the corporation's functioning must be taught. Finding common grounds for self-interest and building from that best solves conflict, such as that between management and worker's unions.

In conclusion, Drucker believes that the corporation is here to stay in the service of mankind, "The central problem of all modern society is not whether we want Big Business but what we want of it, and what organization of Big Business and of the society it serves is best equipped to realize our wishes and demands" (18). Drucker's uniqueness stems from his belief that the social and political components of modern industrial society are just as important than the much-touted economic component. The responsibility placed on modern industrial society is to create harmony by correlating our political beliefs with what is best for the corporation and the individual. The corporation's role to play is big, as it is the "representative institution of American society." Ultimately, government must create policy that encourages capital expenditure, rather than consumer consumption, resulting in a harmonious balance between increased corporate profits and maximum social good through high employment.

Historically Very Important - Still Relevant, Parts Outdated
REVIEW: This book has had a tremendous impact on management thinking and practice worldwide. As the first book to take an analytical study of a business corporation (GM) from the inside, many consider it to be the catalyst of the management boom that followed. It is certainly the first book to examine the business corporation as a social structure that brings together human beings for economic and social needs. The book is also a sort of bridge from Drucker's more political and social writings in "The End of Economic Man" and "The Future of Industrial Man" to his later more managerial writings. It is credited with having established management of organizations as a discipline and a distinct field of study. However, as a book originally published in 1946, is it still relevent and worth reading today? Yes, but not for everyone.

Drucker raised many new issues and concepts basic to organizations. For example, he touched upon: dignity and status of the worker, corporate purpose, corporate contribution to and harmonization with community, management compensation and succession, worker training and development, workers as resources not costs, etc. Since new ideas will tend to seep into the popular consciousness over time, many of the ideas he introduced have long since become popularized and accepted (e.g. the benefits of decentralization, suggestion plans, and reengineering). However, there are also a number the concepts which are not fully appreciated today or which we tend to just give lip service. For example, the basic concept of corporations as both economic and social institutions is still not fully appreciated or understood (neither by those on the "right" or the "left"). For me, the book was worth the read for these insights alone. In summary, I very much recommend this book if you've read some of Drucker's other writings and are interested in reading Drucker's founding writings on the corporation as both an economic and social organization. One option you may want to consider is to skip Part II which mostly discusses GM decentralization as a model.

STRENGTHS: Great thinking and understanding from Drucker on corporations as social structures. First thorough analytical look at a business corporation from the inside. Important economic concepts explained too (e.g. monopoly, profit motive).

WEAKNESSES: Some parts are rambling and others more concise. Part II of the book (more specific to 1940s GM and decentralization) is more outdated. Never a graph or equation to help understanding.

WHO SHOULD READ THIS BOOK: Those interested in understanding corporations as both economic and social organizations.

FOR SIMILAR/RELATED TOPICS, CONSIDER: Any of Peter Drucker's other books still in print. "My Years with General Motors" by Alfred Sloan. "Maslow on Management" by Abraham Maslow. "First Break All the Rules" by M. Buckingham & C. Coffman.

[feedback welcome]

worth to be read
Since it has only words, no graphics. it is really hard to read through. but I have to say, i's opion is great ... Read more

Amazon.com

In a dry fashion, Packard tells the true story of the mighty Hewlett-Packard Company: Twocollege buddies begin a partnership by producing an audio oscillator in a Palo Alto garage in 1938 andwind up 60 years later with a $25-billion-dollar electronics company on their hands. He wraps the book uptidily with a timeline of the company's development milestones. Packard chalks up success to many things,including government contracts during wartime, but mostly to the company's management outlook ("TheHP Way"), which champions openness, honesty, and flexibility throughout the organization. Entrepreneursand technologists alike will be interested in this journey of an American giant. Packard's tone sometimesveers toward the self-congratulatory, but in this case, it somehow seems justified. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

It's Very Simple: The HP Way
Considering that an electrial engineer like David Packard could have written a, boring, detailed account of how he and Bill Hewlett pieced together their very first piece of equipment in the now famous Pal Alto, California garage. This book surprises you with its simple down to earth account of how it all began and how they built this tiny garage shop into the multi billion dollar company that it is today. They did it not only with a strong belief in new and innovative products, but in the people that helped build the company. This simple belief built the foundation into the HP way of corporate greatness.

The book was simply written, but it is this style that allowed me to understand the friendship between David Packard and Bill Hewlett and the corporate culture that they developed at HP. I would recommend this book to anyone that is a manager or executive to benchmark the corporate culture that HP established or applaud yourself if you have already embraced the HP Way. I trully believe, as David Packard and Bill Hewlett did, that you need a strong belief in people to make a company succeed.

Bill and Davids Excellent Adventure
If you thought that companies become admired by magic then think again - or better still, read the book.

Bill Hewlett and David Packard created one of the worlds most admired companies and it has never stopped going from strength to strength, now with the likes of Carly Fiorina who has taken HP forward into the new millenium by going back to HPs roots.

This book describes the start-up HP company and some of the aspects of its rapid growth and global expansion. There's not too much detail in this book but it does make for interesting reading - although the style is rather dry - for someone who holds up HP as a benchmark against which other companies can and should be measured. If you like me, like HP, then buy the book.

Carly Fiorina has been quoted as saying "in this new world we must always remember that technology is only as valuable as the use to which it is put. In the end, technology is ultimately about people." - that, in a nutshell, is the HP Way. Regards,

martyn_jones@iniciativas.com

The proper way to manage a company
All major computing companies have a set of myths, legends and facts that collectively form a unique mystique, but that of Hewlitt-Packard(HP) is truly different from the rest. Some of the unusual aspects of that mystique came to the forefront when the merger between HP and Compaq was reaching the final stages. One of the children of a founder launched a lawsuit against the merger because, among other things, it would lead to large number of layoffs, and that was "not the HP way." Good corporate citizenship and care for the workers are fundamental principles laid down and practiced by Bill Hewlitt and David Packard as they grew from a garage to a multi-billion dollar company.
This book is the story of that growth in the words of one of the founders. It is a tale of challenges, management strategies that were and still are unusual, corporate honesty (imagine that as a management strategy), opportunities seen and tenaciously pursued, occasional mistakes, but always remaining focused on success. The strategy of management by walking around is still one of the most successful tactics that can be used to manage people. Even a few minutes spent observing and conversing with an employee can show you more than any above the fray approach could possibly do and is an incredible morale booster for the entire staff.
Over the years, I have heard many of the stories associated with HP, and after a time, began relegating some of them into the area of company "myth." However, after reading this book, I came away even more impressed with Bill Hewlitt and David Packard. Books on how to manage companies are far too numerous to mention and many are thick enough to be of use to a bodybuilder. Small enough to be lifted by a toddler, this book contains more practical knowledge about how to start and manage a company than the majority of the heavyweights.

American Dream In Action
Bill Hewlett and David Packard created one of the worlds most admired companies in the world. Today Hewlett-Packard is also well known company in Russia. More than twelve years ago I wrote my first books on the HP Vectra PC/AT compatible machine.

This book is a good overview. Its interesting to read how Hewlett Packard has grown from the little garage workshop (like Apple Computer was created a little later) to the large corporation it is today. This book is a simple, yet profound, guide to cultivating a healthy corporate culture. Extraordinary story.

Very good
Very good history of HP and what made its success in the early days. David Packard and Bill Hewlett have build a truly amazing organization basically from scratch; this book will outline the major steps that led to this success. A more recent edition with comments on current issues and technological challenges would be very valuable. ... Read more

Book Description

When Corporations Rule the World explains how economic globalization has concentrated the power to govern in global corporations and financial markets and detached them from accountability to the human interest. It documents the devastating human and environmental consequences of the successful efforts of these corporations to reconstruct values and institutions everywhere on the planet to serve their own narrow ends. It also reveals why and how millions of people are acting to reclaim their political and economic power from these elitist forces and presents a policy agenda for restoring democracy and rooting economic power in people and communities. This new edition is expanded with new information, including a new preface, a new introduction, a new chapter on The Global Democracy Movement, and a new epilogue. ... Read more

Reviews (49)

Thank you David Korten
No book or university course has provided me such a concise description with compelling examples, measures and details of the workings and history of the global economy.

The title could have been simply "Corporations Rule the World".

First and foremost, the book provides a foundation for thinking about sustainable business, ones' role in society, day-to-day habits and our collective need to create a future for our children.

Take note, however, that the book is worth a read in a very pragmatic and personal way, as a primer for investors.

I was given the book on Aug 17 '98 and finished it by the 22nd. In recent years, I had placed all of my hard earned cash, and some inheritence from hardworking grandparents -- for convenience sake -- in the hands of fund managers dealing in "blue chip" companies in the global equity markets. Understanding something from Kortens' book, and his apt description of the world now around us...I sold all of those equities and funds on the 24'th. The markets collapsed on the 25'th. I'll go back to directing my own investments with the cash I've saved -- thanks to a timely reading of Korten's informative book.

Kortens' work is as brilliant as a Hitchcock movie -- providing space for the reader to fill in the "gaps", to "get" his global picture in a personal way. Korten avoids confronting readers with the simple statement that WE ARE corporations. We ARE government and we ARE civil society -- however healthy or sick...

Having said that, Korten's book is entertaining and frightening because he is fact-based and truthful.

Unlike other Amazon.com book reviewers, I generally accept and enjoy pondering Korten's ideas.

I volunteer and commit to spend my rare time on this planet to forward Korten's kind of agenda for people-centered development. There's no point having kids and no way to sleep at night, without wisdom and change.

I'll invest in new forms of global business opportunity, based on Korten's wisdom and call for change. I'll start by changing myself, to make my actions consistent with my words, to make my words consistent with such wisdom as Korten's and to make my business work towards a healthy tomorrow.

Thank you, David Korten.

When Corporations Rule the World
Author David C. Korten addresses some of the main issues affecting the global environment today. In my opinion, anyone who considers him/herself an environmentally conscious person should read this book to broaden his or her sense of environmental thinking. Korten touches upon the issues and concerns that have driven the thoughts and arguments of many people in the past that are concerned with the future. These are such things as human population numbers increasing at such a high rate, which Paul Erlich has written about in the past, to a new line of thinking dominated by the notion that corporations, and more importantly money, is at the root of all environmental problems.
He mentions that only the rich countries can focus on economic growth. I think there is a lot of truth to that. If you can put yourself in a poor and developing country and see what they see and do, and do what they do to survive, there is no way that your main concern is going to be economic growth when it is difficult just to put food on the table. Korten gets at the root of the problem by blaming corporations that are just seeking money. Many of the big global corporations today make most of the pollution today, especially in developed nations like those of Europe and the U.S. These developed and commercialized corporations produce their excessive amount of waste and force underprivileged nations and environmentally concerned citizens to clean it up because it is more economically advantageous to do so.
The leaders of these corporations are also in a tight spot. The CEOs of these big companies are put there for only one reason and that is to further the company by making as much money as they can for the board members and stockholders. If these CEOs fail to come up with new and innovative ways to make money they get fired and are out of luck. In a way the positions of the CEOs and citizens of poorer countries show an unusual similarity. The CEOs are considered some of the wealthiest people in the world but in their civil society they are doing what they have to in order to keep their job and maintain a certain way of life. The citizens of developing countries care about the environment but, in their situations, it is one of the only expendable things they have access to. They are also doing what they have to in order to survive in their respective civil society.
So if environmental problems like deforestation and overpopulation are to be solved, these two very different, but somewhat similar, civil societies must come to each other's aid and work together. Right now the only thing that is really happening is that poor nations are using up their natural resources and destroying ecosystems in order to supply companies like Chiquita Bananas with enough product to make a profit. While doing this, the workers of the poor nations barely get enough money to live off of and often times are forced to make their children work at a young age in order to eat. The idea of globalization is often thought of as a bad thing because people say that the rich countries are forcing their way of life on to others. That is true, but if globalization can be changed to mean that the entire globe works together to solve the environmental drama facing this planet today, it is a step in the right direction towards a healthy Mother Earth.

The Long Road to Democracy
By far, the most comprehensive, well-researched, incisive documentation of systemic corporate abuse available. When Corporations Rule is not simply a litany of profligate corporate excess, though. Korten explains the dysfunctional logic of our system, outlines the horrendous consequences for community and environment, and provides clear, cogent plans of action to create real democracy and awaken culturally.

We always harangue socialism as an "extreme ideology," but as Korten makes clear capitalism is also an extreme ideology. Socialism concentrates power in a centralized government, creating unsupportable social and environmental costs. Capitalism concentrates power in huge private institutions (the modern multinational corporation), which also have enormous social and environmental costs. Both advance the concentration of rights of ownership without limit, to the exclusion of the needs and rights of the many who own virtually nothing. And as Korten shows, the impoverished many are growing.

As of 1992, the richest 20 percent of the global population received as much as 82.7 percent of the total world income. The poorest 20 percent received 1.4 percent. These figures indicate growing economic inequality, which is has become even more pronounced in the last decade. In 1998, the world's top three billionaires totaled more assets than the combined GNP of all the least developing countries and their 600 million people. Of the world's 6 billion people, 2.8 - that is, nearly half - were living on less than 2 dollars a day. Some 1.2 billion of that half lived on less than a dollar a day.

Inside America - the global economic trendsetter - this growing inequality that we see between nations is mirrored in microcosm. In fact, inequality and hardship is even more exaggerated in the Land of the Free. The wealthiest 10 percent now own almost 90 percent of all business equity, 88.5 percent of all bonds, and 89.3 percent of all stocks. In 1999, the total compensation of U.S. corporate CEOs was 475 times the average production worker's pay; and 29 percent of all U.S. workers were in jobs paying poverty level wages, defined as an hourly wage too low to meet the needs of a family of four. Moreover, with each new mega-merger and corporate takeover, more capital, power and control are concentrated in these already mammoth institutions. What ever happened to the anti-trust laws?

These are just a few of the statistics sited in the book, but When Corporations Rule offers more than statistical analysis. With laser precision, Korten essays economic and political history, uncovering the reasons for these global trends: including the illusion of growth, the loss of governmental oversight in the affairs of corporations, the rise of the Newtonian mechanical worldview and its subsequent devaluation of spiritual values, etc. His critique of globalization is absolutely stunning: including the effects of NAFTA, and the general policies of the WTO, the WB and the IMF. Finally, his call for localism, activism, spiritualism and an ecological awakening are inspiring and timely.

Not a stone goes uncovered. The failure of development strategies for the Third World (his stated specialty), critical discussion of traditional economic theory, the rise of PR, global poverty, currency speculation and corporate raiding, downsizing, contracting labor, automating, the loss of the small farm, the effects of Walmart and the like, ecological collapse, the coming Ecological Revolution, sustainability, socially responsible investment, systems theory, urban design, history of the current globalization protest movement, a detailed agenda for democratic change - these and so many other important issues are weaved together in a remarkable argument that will shock, sober and move you. I cannot think of a more important book for those who still have faith in the global economy. This troubled planet needs more Kortens. Bravo!

Pulling the props from under the propaganda
This very succinct and very clear account of global capitalism run wild does the job where most leftist accounts of their subject too often suffer addled brain syndrome due to Hegelian brain rot. All it takes is a few pokes. Gosh, I had no idea the limited liability joint stock corporation was a problem, like the now passe institution of monarchy. The regime of mass media is so constant in its effect that we are already filled with sound bite refutations of the obvious facts of the case. And conventional economists are usually in recovery from their neo-classical college degree. At first sight the treatment appears lightweight and the text doesn't seem to amount to much, but within a few pages the relatively loose argument does its job. Take as a vitamin supplement for couch potato syndrome, or the daily newsspeak. Nice.

It's not When, they do. Good overview of the concerns.
The fact that transnational corporations and their agendas have come to dominate cultural, political, and economic life on a global scale can hardly be disputed. These powerful corporations have used national governments and government-created international bodies to create a legislative and institutional regime that accedes to and actively promotes and implements a "free-market" ideology. This book is largely concerned with detailing the tremendous costs to the political, economic, and social fabric of the entire global community as corporations have become ever more capable under this ideological regime in extracting wealth and generating huge profits on a worldwide basis. The author sees poverty, social and political disintegration, and environmental degradation as the main consequences of this global corporate ascendance.

The ability of corporations to penetrate the political and cultural sectors of our society is hardly a late twentieth century phenomenon. Despite the founders' efforts to contain corporations by explicit and revocable state charters, emerging industrialists in the post-Civil War era became powerful enough to sway legislators and the judiciary to act in their behalf. Not only did corporations generally gain rights to perpetuity, but the Supreme Court declared corporations to be legal persons entitled to the same rights as ordinary citizens, in addition to limited liability. By the late 1920s capitalism had largely emerged triumphant over worker and community interests. Consumerism was instilled as the only legitimate avenue for realizing individualized "freedom."

According to the author, a form of democratic pluralism existed among the civil, governmental, and market sectors of society in the post-WWII era, but any such sectorial accommodation was mostly an aberration that came about only because of the necessity to solve the twin crises of the Great Depression (caused by corporate-led economic excess) and WWII. Any social accord that may have existed was shredded as corporations, backed by the Reagan administration, renewed their assault on the working class and relentlessly pursued self-interested global strategies. Over the last two decades, middle-class jobs have been lost, median pay has stagnated, and austerity has been imposed on the less fortunate as a profound upward redistribution of wealth and income has occurred.

Globally, the structural adjustment measures forced upon developing nations by the World Bank and the IMF to qualify for loans, ripped the fabric of those societies and have actually increased indebtedness to First World bankers. Trade agreements and administrative bodies, such as the NAFTA and the WTO, are designed to eliminate local restrictions on investments by international firms and barriers to the free movement of goods between nations. The freedom for capital to move freely among nations has also fueled rampant financial speculation unrelated to productive investment. Unconscionably, American taxpayers have been forced to bailout those engaged in extracting wealth from the developing world.

Free market ideology is used to justify the gutting of the social and legal structures of nations. But it is a disingenuous view. Free market activities posited by Adam Smith involve local, individual economic actors, none of whom have the power to control the marketplace. Unregulated market activities by huge economic entities can result in market coercion. For example, monopolistic firms can externalize costs, that is, they are powerful enough to force societies to pay for the social and environmental side-effects of their activities. For example, labor and environmental regulations are often ignored with impunity with society picking up the pieces.

The impact of corporations acting as legal persons cannot be overemphasized. Corporations overwhelm actual citizen political participation and free speech by the extent and intensity of their political lobbying and media controlling efforts. Corporations and the rich, in a form of legalized bribery, basically fund political campaigns. They also heavily sway public opinion through public relations front organizations, conservative think-tanks, and the control of the major media. The dependency of the media on advertising dollars virtually guarantees presentation of views that are compatible with corporate interests, not to mention the fact that the huge media empires are themselves transnational corporations with no interest in harming broader corporate interests.

As the author indicates, corporations have largely "colonized" the common culture. Television is the main media outlet for the inculcation of business-friendly values, which emphasizes the avid pursuit of consumption. Even political activity has become mostly the marketing of pleasing candidates. The message is incessantly and subtly delivered that a free market system is self running and stabilizing and needs little or no political interference. Of course, the reality is far different. Corporations have infiltrated government at all levels with the sole purpose of ensuring that governments take an active role in supporting the corporate agenda, or pro-business regulation. In addition, governments are left to deal with the unprofitable aspects of society or side-effects of corporate actions. The net effect is a democracy hardly worthy of the name.

The author's principal approach to this regime of corporate hegemony is to call for a rollback to self-sustaining local communities. Such recommended measures as land reform (breaking up corporate farms) and urban agriculture seem almost quaint. The author confuses his message of a return to pre-consumption-dominated life by calling for high tech solutions, such as video-phones, to link local communities. Where does he think high tech products come from other than corporate development labs? A hard-hitting analysis seems to be getting waylaid by some fuzzy spirituality.

But the most practical approach is contained in the book. Free market propaganda has to be countered and a regime of regulating big business through governmental controls must be instituted. Is there any hope for this? The Seattle protest and other citizen demonstrations show that the democracy-killing initiatives of the WTO have not gone unnoticed. In addition, it has been claimed that 25 percent of the population belongs to a cultural grouping called "Cultural Creatives," who can be expected to oppose insensitive corporate agendas. And the author takes no note of minority interests that are generally opposed to the conservative business agenda. The author wants to see a cultural transformation, but a heightened awareness of class will be needed to combat the class warfare being perpetrated on the non-elites of the world. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Hard Drive charts Gates's missteps as well as his successes: thefailure of OS/2 and the embarrassing delays in bringing Windows to themarketplace; the highly publicized split with IBM, which then forged analliance with Apple to battle Microsoft; the public relations falloutover various exploits of Gates; and the investigations bythe Federal Trade Commission. Wallace and Erickson also examine thecombative, often abrasive side of Gates's personality that has alienatedmany of Microsoft's rivals and even employees, and led to his beinglabeled "The Silicon Bully" by Business Month Magazine. They report:

In the early 80's, Microsoft's Multiplan lost out to Lotus 1-2-3 in themarketplace. According to one Microsoft programmer, a few of the keypeople working on DOS 2.0 had a saying at the time that "DOS isn't doneuntil Lotus won't run." They managed to code a few hidden bugs into DOS2.0 that caused Lotus 1-2-3 to breakdown when it was loaded. "Therewere as few as three or four people who knew this was being done," theemployee said. He felt the highly competitive Gates was the ringleader.

The first two female executives hired at Microsoft in 1985 wererecruited to meet federal affirmative action guidelines so that thecompany could qualify for a lucrative Air Force contract. One sourcesays,"They would say, 'Well, let's hire two women because we can pay themhalf as much as we will have to pay a man, and we can give them all thisother crap work to do because they are women.' That's directly out ofBill's mouth...." Gates treated one of these executives so badly thatshe asked to be transferred away from him.

Microsoft managers used the company's e-mail system tosecretly spy on employee work habits. Only those employees who workedweekends could collect bonuses. In time word got out and some employeeslogged into their e-mail on weekends with a modem from home so it wouldappear they had come in. ... Read more

Reviews (31)

The Definitive History of Microsoft
(By Edward Trimnell, author of "Why You Need a Foreign Language & How to Learn One," ISBN:1591133343)

This book is required reading for anyone who is interested in:

1) Computers and software
2) Microsoft
3) Entrepreneurship

Hard Drive is as readable as a novel. The book covers the history of Bill Gates' rise to power with expert thoroughness. There are numerous insights into the man and company--not all of which are flattering.

If you have ever wondered how the current PC software market reached its current state, then you will find the answers within these pages. The authors portray the struggles between Microsoft, Lotus, IBM, and Apple from the technical, commercial, and human perspectives.

The book is also balanced in its handling of one of the business world's most controversial personalities. Gates admirers and detractors alike will find ammunition in Hard Drive.

A great book written by two very talented journalists
I had heard a lot about this book and I finally got around to reading it a while back and have to say that it was time well spent. Not only the book is a well versed discussion of how to succeed through hard drive, it is also a reflection and warning on how ambition, when unchecked, and an unbalanced life can turn into greed, complete paranoia and life driven by fear rather than the excitement of accomplishment. The book tries to be balanced and shows the evolution of a boy genius to a driven shrewd industry leader to a completely paranoid ego maniac. Not having any opinions of Gates when I started to read the book, besides the fact that he was a successful and driven person worthy of examination, I could not help but to admire him in his youth for his dedication and drive. By the middle of the book when Microsoft finally establishes itself in Bellevue, one sees the transformation of a workaholic and challenge driven person, to a paranoid almost parasitic individual, who surrounds himself with technologically unaccomplished little demons -- such as Steve Ballmer and Mike Maples -- who will do his dirty job for him and will fetch/steal and confiscate other people's hard earned technologies such as C-U-SeeMe, Go, Inuit, Borland technologies and even DOS etc. Paul Alan by this point is out of the picture suffering from cancer (probably from the guilt of being part of it all) and shunned by his old partner Bill. When one reads the account of Microsoft's attitude toward Lotus (putting bugs in DOS allegedly to break Lotus 123), one understands why Chairman Bill -- like Chairman Mao -- is being credited for transforming/destroying a culture, and according the the founder of Lotus creating a kingdom of the dead. By this time pity turns into complete dislike. Following Microsoft's recent attitude toward Java/Netscape/Inuit/3COM one is left but to wonder 1). where the heck has the justice department been upto now! and 2). will Xanadu be Citizen's Gates last place in history.

A Must Buy About the #1 Guy at the Pinnacle
Should I Buy This Book?

The story is starting to get a bit dated but the book still has 95% of the Gates story warts and all. He is one of the most compelling and admired and maybe feared business leaders today.

Unlike Jack Welch, another great leader and manager, he started from zero or near zero in a new field and (largely) owned the company. I remember seeing the personal computers for sale in the 70's - just pre Microsoft - that did not come with anything other than a very rudimentary software. He was one of the first people to recognize the dollar value of the software and to charge for its use in the hobby market. Since then he has dominated the market. Now there is a computer in virtually every office and home using his (expensive high margin) software. Now he has the resources to buy anything he wants, or to support any charity or university, or buy a sizeable portion of the stock in almost any company that he wishes. And of course he has no debt. He used no risky leverage or tricks. He took the software and generated billions of dollars in cash and securities on hand. It is quite the story.

This is a relatively short book and an easy read. Frankly it is a must read for anyone running their own business and or in the Tech field. Gates is the statistical anomaly who sits at the very pinnacle. He is perched even above Warren Buffet the financial guru who is at least 20 years older than Gates. But Gates was astute enough to buy DOS for $50,000. and then had the business smarts and drive to market and sell the product. He was a hands on manager working long hours and a technical leader. He was (is) as smart or smarter than anyone else in the field. He did not invent any major new invention but he had the practical ability to take the product to market and make it work, make it better, and build a winning business. He hired great people and built a team that literally crushed the opposition including IBM and all foreign competitors in that area. It is only now two decades later that people are (seriously) starting to consider alternatives such as Linux, and these still have a lot of catch up to do.

Still a great book and a great yarn. A must buy 5 stars.

Jack in Toronto

Hard Drive and the GENIUS BILL GATES
Hard Drive: Bill Gates and the Making of the Microsoft Empire is a great book. James Wallace and Jim Erickson gives us an insight as to how Bill Gates really is as a person. The genius Bill Gates at the mere age of 13 was completely different from any ordinary 13 year old. He had ideas that would once lead world into future. If anyone really wants to know as to how the future billionare thought, then I recommend this book.

An Accurate Account of How It All Started
I fine myself re-reading this novel from time to time. It's that good. From the time Bill Gates recited passages from the bible to win a dinner at Seattle Space Needle to becoming the riches man in world has led many people including myself to "emulate" this figure's work ethics if not his flaws. In some small way, we can be just as sucessful as a billionaire as long as we stay away from the "Darkside". It's how Microsoft got the contracts to support the Altair; the flourishing program language business; they're plan for oversea expansion with Kay Nishi; what they did with the money that rolled in and yes, Bill's hygene problem.(LOL) This is how it happen - not how Pirates of SV wrongfully portrayed events for the sake of entertainment. ... Read more

Book Description

Starting in colonial times, Barons of Business looks at some of the most ambitious merchants, industrialists, and financiers in American history as they master a new economic world of textiles, railroads, oil, and steel. With the 20th century come fresh opportunities in automobiles, movies, broadcasting, and retailing. By the end of that century, high tech has become the field of choice. Barons of Business profiles the major business personalities in all these eras, from the merchant princes of early New England to the robber barons of the Gilded Age to the software moguls of today. With such comprehensive details as photos and architectural drawings of their impressive homes, the book includes John Hancock, Boston’s "limousine liberal"; George Eastman, the photo mogul happier at home baking pies; and more recent pioneers such as Jim Clark and Larry Ellison. This is a richly illustrated that looks at three centuries of innovators for whom "the business of America" was business. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Extremely informative.
My professor assigned The Book Publishing Industry as a textbook for a graduate-level international publishing course. This book discusses the characteristics of the US book industry, channels of distribution, mergers and acquisitions, business operations, editing, marketing, role of the consumer, intellectual property and censorship, and the effect of electronic development and multimedia. There are plenty of facts and figures in the forms of charts and tables for those who need them. There are samples of book order forms, invoices, and job descriptions in the publishing field. This book also contains chapter notes, a bibliography, glossary, and index. So, while there is plenty of information, it's not too hard to find and understand.

Our class also read Michael Korda's Another Life, so it was interesting to contrast Greco's dry, precise history of Simon & Shuster (p.57-64) and the role of the editor (p.113-172) with Korda's more gossipy, narrative version. I appreciated that Greco remained objective when discussing controversial issues like the rise of the chain and it's effect on the independent bookstore. Greco supports various chapters with concrete examples and case studies. I recommend The Book Publishing Industry highly as a research tool for those persons interested in a thorough understanding of the publishing industry.

THE BUSINESS SIDE OF PUBLISHING
I am a college writing teacher and The Book Publishing Industry is used as a textbook in my classes. It's somewhat like a book for business school, and can be factual to an extreme, but it gives an excellent view of the financial underpinnings of this huge industry. ... Read more

Book Description

Doing for the airline industry what Den of Thieves did for Wall Street, this book exposes the machinations of the men's club that runs the world's major air carriers. At once a de facto primer in modern business practices and a riveting history of the world's largest industry, Hard Landing presents an unforgettable portrait of the jet age itself. Photos. ... Read more

Reviews (20)

Great but not an orderly comprehensive work
This is one of the best books to read among all the 'tell-all' novels about airlines and their managers. Unfortunately, Petzinger zig zags around characters and events that become confusing and annoying. Many of the significant facts are lost as a result and the reader must go back to truly understand particular concepts and processes of airline management.

Another problem is that the author does a tremendous job explaining the history and ramifications of what the airlines and their managers did, but only takes one small chapter at the end to explain the future of the airline industry and its new leaders.

For the size and comprehensiveness of the book, a few more pages devoted to his best estimates for the future would have only made it perfect.

Mr. Petzinger handles a complex subject very, very well.
As an airline professional with one of the carriers covered extensively in the book, I was skeptical as to whether any author could present a clear picture of the industry's inner workings. "Complex" is somehow an inadequate word when applied to the airline industry, especially since Deregulation. Mr. Petzinger, however, has succeeded not only in telling the story; he has done so in an entertaining style which makes for a fascinating and highly informative trip through all of the turmoil wrought by deregulation. The reader comes away with an understanding of the cause and effect of every relevant force affecting the airline business over the last few decades. This, combined with a comprehensive overview of the industry's formative years, makes this book a treasure. The book would be a 10 except for a couple of minor research errors. The content, however, is outstanding and compels me to use an overused cliche: this really is a must-read for everyone in the industry and anyone with even a passing interest in the airline business.

Perhaps even more relevant today
Petzinger's examination of the airline industry is must reading for anyone with an interest in that industry, and probably should be required reading for airline executives. The book essentially recounts the history of the airlines, but it also very much focuses a magnifying glass on many of the players in this industry.

But its more than a textbook history, it provides intimate details on the men who run the airlines and provides a great contrast of the various individuals' management styles.

I was enthralled by the history of Texas International and Eastern Airlines, in particular, and the recounting of the fall of Frank Lorenzo, a man so reviled that the mechanics union was willing to kill the airline just to defeat him.

While the book has been criticized by some for a perceived focus on airlines based in Texas, the fact of the matter is that even today three of the biggest players in the industry are based in Texas: American, Continental, and Southwest. And since they are three of the current survivors, and still three of the major players, the recounting of their histories is probably even more relevant.

The only suggestion I might have is that Petzinger update his book in light of airline history since his book was published.

I wish I hadn't read this book...
because I would love to go through the experience of reading it for the first time again.
I work in the Airline Industry in Australia in an operational role that has aspects of Industrial Relations associated with it. To read a book that relates so many interesting and insightful stories into the trials and tribulations of De-reg in the US and the power plays between the various airlines and the Unions was nothing but fascinating.
Well researched, well written and very enjoyable. I recomend it to anyone employed or aspiring to airline management

Stranger -- and better -- than fiction
This book was thoroughly engrossing, and the executives profiled are like actors in a Greek drama. The only downside to the book is that it stops in 1996, and so much has happened since then. But Hard Landing provides all the behind-the-scenes information that helps you understand the airline industry today -- the innovations such as reservations systems, frequent-flyer programs, discount pricing and hub-and-spoke route maps, which we all take for granted today. In his postscript, Petzinger notes that the industry was relatively stable when he concluded the book, but that he awaited its next crisis to see how its leaders respond. Well, I think it's safe to say we're there now. The Greek drama continues. ... Read more

Book Description

"In The Six Sigma Revolution, George communicates the principles of Six Sigma to audiences at every level and enables an immediate understanding of what is for many an intimidating field."–Ross Leher, Chairman and CEO RWI Interactive Information Services

"The Six Sigma Revolution is a powerful profit-building tool and an indispensable resource for leaders wanting to drive lasting improvement."–Mike Delaney, Senior Vice President Marketing and Strategic Planning Unifi, Inc. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Highly Recommended!
George Eckes' experience in quality control includes an instance where he had the temerity, just out of college, to ask W. Edwards Deming, then an octogenarian, to elaborate on his views about quality. "Those are the most stupid questions I have ever heard! Go read some of my books," the cantankerous quality czar responded. No one reading this volume can doubt that Eckes has done his homework ever since. His blend of experience, theoretical expertise and common sense make this a very effective Six Sigma manual, although it is a little light on case studies. One of the book's most valuable elements is Eckes' keen analysis of the pitfalls that can flush all your best Six Sigma intentions down the tubes, even as a row of consultants tell you it is a panacea for all your woes. We recommend this book to anyone who is about to call a consultant and venture into the Rasputin world of Six Sigma.

Powerful and Understandable
This book was not only helpful in understanding what Six Sigma is, but how to practically implement the initiative. George Eckes takes what could be a cumbersome and difficult concept of quality improvement and makes it understandable and down right exciting. The "Six Sigma Revolution" is certainly a must read for anyone who desires to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their organization.

5 Stars= Six Sigma
Having read or attempted to read an assortment of books on Six Sigma, I must say this one was an easy, informative read. The book reads like what it is, written by a person who has taught people Six Sigma skills for years. The author seems to have used Six Sigma tools on his teachings. He has found out what areas people have had trouble comprehending and has come up with easier ways of explaining it or provides examples.
Could you read this book and come away knowing everything about Six Sigma there is to know. No, but this book will keep you interested, give you an excellent start. You could accomplish quite a bit with the tools provided here.
I would strongly recommend this book to anybody interested in Six Sigma. If you are in business today and aren't aware of the ideas of Six Sigma you are missing out.
I do have to admit to being a follower of W. Edwards Deming management methods for years and have always had a problem with Six Sigma "gurus" not admitting to using many of his ideas. I'm sure it helped win me over to see George Eckes giving Dr. Deming credit where credit is due.

The best book on Six Sigma
I like the explanations and the format of this book. Sometimes authors try to help by including strange diagrams that confuse you. This book is simple and to the point, from a person who knows how to explain things. Other books I have seen just describe what Six Sigma is or try to show why the discipline works but nothing more. I would have liked a bit more technical definitions and procedures. I hope this author makes an expanded 6Sigma book with more technical stuff, clear color charts , better paper quality, and to follow a project though from begining to end. Another great book (although with similar limitations) is Design for Six Sigma, by Subir Chowdhury.
Buy them both and compare the two disciplines.

Real-Life Success Stories are Through-Out the Book
The six sigma benefits are process management, improvement, and measurement implemented daily. Top company leaders recognize the six sigma is synonymous with constant reinvention of their business and gain success through sustained customer satisfication both internally and externally. Six Sigma business are held the highest standards of 3.4 defects per million opportunities. The belief that tool usage used for measuring results should be easy and simple. The silo-breaking effort produces strong communication and collaboration throughout the company. Core competence is improved as the company makes a strong commitment to learning and training as the standard. The six sigma way involves increase expense for training, resource, and employee time allocation; but numerous case studies suggest the end result is increase productivity. Increased productivity can apply effectively to both service and manufacturing businesses.

What is six sigma? 1. A focus on the customer 2. Fact based management style 3. Process focus and improvement 4. Proactive management 5. Boundaryless Collaboration 6. The drive for perfection but tolerance of failure 7. 3.4 defects per million opportunities performance standard.

What is the improvement Cycle? DMAIC (define,measure, analyze, improve, and control) 1. Identify the problem and define requirements 2. Redefine the problem and measure key steps 3. Analyze the root causes of the problem 4. Develop improvement ideas to remove root causes and create standards of performance measurement. 5. Establish control measures to maintain performance and correct problems as needed.

How does a company determine whether six sigma is right for them? The authors expand that six sigma is a company cultural change. Case studies indicate the change can be profitable but requires tremendous commitment, resources, and time to implement effectively. The authors assess readiness with three questions: 1. Is change a critical business need now 2. Can the company come up with a strong rationale for applying six sigma to their business 3. Will the existing improving systems be capable of achieving the change needed. A deeper understanding of what six sigma can do for the organization is requested. Scope analysis answers the question of what is feasible in terms of resources, attention, and acceptance. A timeframe analysis answers the question of how long will management be willing to wait for results.

Where to go from here. 1. Develop a strong rationale supporting six sigma methodology in your organization 2. Management plans and actively participates in implementation 3. Create a vision and market plan 4. Become a power advocate of the process improvement cycle 5. Set clear objectives 6. Hold yourself and others accountable 7. Demand solid measurements of progress and results 8. Communicate results and setbacks to the organization. 9. Organize roles (black belts, green belts, and master black belts) 10. Select the project with the biggest impact on the organization.

In short, The six sigma way is a big improvement over Total Quality Managment. It signifies a much higher standard of quality and connects management closer to the improvement effort. A ranking structure of black belts and master black belts brings the best expertise to facilitate improvement in the project. Accountablity and communication increase learning, cooperation, and leverage creativity and focus, in the problem solving stages. Because management is actively participating training, resources, and individual talent is effectively configured. The focus on the customer helps identify how to bring value and increase competitiveness. ... Read more

Book Description

On a beautiful spring day, March 25, 1911, workers were preparing to leave the Triangle Shirtwaist factory in New York's Greenwich Village when a fire started. Within minutes it consumed the building's upper three stories. Firemen who arrived at the scene were unable to rescue those trapped inside. The final toll was 146-123 of them women. It was the worst disaster in New York City history until September 11, 2001. Harrowing yet compulsively readable, Triangle is both a chronicle of the fire and a vibrant portrait of an entire age. Waves of Jewish and Italian immigrants inundated New York in the early years of the century, filling its slums and supplying its garment factories with cheap, mostly female labor. Protesting their Dickensian work conditions, forty thousand women bravely participated in a massive shirtwaist workers' strike that brought together an unlikely coalition of socialists, socialites, and suffragettes. Von Drehle orchestrates these events into a drama rich in suspense and filled with memorable characters. Most powerfully, he puts a human face on the men and women who died, and shows how the fire dramatically transformed politics and gave rise to urban liberalism. ... Read more

Reviews (36)

Good historical analysis
One of the questions my students always ask me is, "When did the Democratic and Republican Parties switch constituencies?" "Triangle: The Fire that Changed America" is a journalistic/historical hybrid of a book that gives a good answer to this question.
"Triangle" is a gripping book for most of its pages. It tells the story of the disastrous fire in a journalistic style that occasionally gets tedious but for the most part dramatizes and humanizes the event so as to make it more meaningful and interesting. Very often books written in this style sacrifice significance for drama and substance for style. However, Von Drehle does not do this. He carefully links the background of the fire to various progressive reformers and movements within the progressive movement. He goes from tenement houses to Fifth Avenue mansions. He further goes on to suggest that the Triangle Shirtwaist fire, and the resulting political turmoil, is one cause of the shift of the Democratic party from a party that served its rural constituents and used its urban constituents to a party that actively challenged big business and pushed for urban reform. He connects Tammany Hall politics to the New Deal. He suggests that the fire did more than change the laws about fire safety; he suggests it paved the way for the Democratic coalition that would finally develop in the 1930s. His logic is compelling as is his book.

A Part of History most never knew of
Just off Wahsington Square the building still stands.A building seen by millions on a daily basis but so few know the tragidy that occured in this building now owned by NYU.A disaster that never should have happened. A fire and tragic loss of life that was completely proventable...yet it happened.This is a fantastic piece of history.Caused by the owners of the shirtwaste factory, their immigrant employees, young girls and women, worked as slaves in this time when labor laws were few if any.A major part of New York and U.S history.The aftermath was the beginning of labor laws that effect us today.No longer can you be locked in your building!That is just the start.

Good History Lesson---Good Read
I enjoyed this book very much though at times it drags a bit.It seems a little disjointed in places.I found it hard to follow the actual events that transpired with the actual fire----just my opinion.The political background was very interesting to me and probably the most intellectually beneficial part of the story.Some chapters were very gripping, some a bit tedious. The author draws, of course, on known information so sometimes there is more background on characters than I wanted---the lawyers for example----and less info in victims.

In all, it's a great book and a good read but be prepared to slog through some detail.

Chris

Reached peak early, then slowed down...
This was one of those books I've had in mind for years to read, but never got around to it until now. I wanted not just to read the sensationalism surrounding this horrific tale. I have not made it a habit to read all the disaster books. I've probably read 4 or 5. I tend to stick with epidemiology and disease, such as the 1918 influenza pandemic. But I read about this disaster over 28 years ago, when I worked as a librarian and had to shelve the books dealing with this. I only got a glimpse, but as I read more history it became clear that this was a fire that changed much in theU.S., and I wanted to know why this one specifically had an impact.