Big Shots, Business the Richard Branson Way: 10 Secrets of the World's Greatest Brand Builder by Des Dearlove

Product Description

Richard Branson, the international powerhouse entrepreneur, is an opportunist with an uncanny knack of sniffing out great deals where others hesitate or fear to tread. Branson is the ultimate brand builder and never before has a single brand been so successfully deployed across such a diverse range of goods and services. So how does he do it?The Unauthorized Guide to Doing Business the Richard Branson Way draws out the universal lessons from Richard Branson's remarkable success and identifies 10 strategies that can be applied to any business or career:
1. Pick on someone bigger than you
2. Do the hippy, hippy shake
3. Haggle: everything's negotiable
4. Make work fun
5. Do right by your brand
6. Smile for the cameras
7. Don't lead sheep, herd cats
8. Move faster than a speeding bullet
9. Size does matter
10. Never lose the common touch
Want to be the best? The secrets of phenomenal success are in your hands.

From Library Journal

Is there anything new to say about the four high-profile corporate executives featured in this series? The work of Dearlove and Crainer, two British business writers, suggests that there is not. Their texts consist of quotes from previous books and articles held together by statements that appear to have little to legitimize them. The authors give no indication of the source of their opinions, facts, and speculation. For each executive, there are ten "secrets" on which the analysis of his management style is based. Although the other three executives are referred to in each book, there is no attempt at comparative analysis. For example, for Murdoch, ruthlessness is cited as a secret of success, with the belief that "nice guys finish second." But Branson's common touch with customers and staff alike is the key to his popularity and success. Go figure. The quality of the writing is uneven and frequently repetitious, but there is an easygoing approach that makes all four books appealing for a quick read. Undergraduate term-paper writers and casual readers who have heard these names may appreciate the one-stop biography/management style content. Graduate students, businesspeople, and other specialists will pass on these books in search of more solid content.ASusan DiMattia, "Library Journal"
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description

He once drove a tank down Broadway to demolish a wall of cola cans. He tried to circumnavigate the globe in a hot air balloon. He dangled Ivana Trump upside down over a pool during a posh party. Who is this guy, and what drives him to do these things?Readers will find out in this fast, fun, and probing new book, Business the Richard Branson Way. It uncovers the 10 key business secrets of this flamboyant entrepreneur and ultimate brand-builder.
As founder of Virgin airlines, Virgin records, Virgin retail stores, soft drinks, financial services, and more, Branson has boldly used the Virgin label to take on market leaders and shake up complacent industries. This book charts his spectacular career and examines how his unique abilities--savvy negotiator, dazzling newsmaker, creative leader, and others--have made him one of the most successful businessmen in the world.
Business the Richard Branson Way is part of a new series that charts the rise of business superstars Branson, Bill Gates, Jack Welch, and Rupert Murdoch. The Business Way Series looks at their deals, schemes, and dreams, revealing how each planned his career, crushed his competitors, and ended up on top. It supplies both a valuable insight into the ingredients of success and a concise source of important lessons for the next generation of winners.

The Bald Truth: Secrets of Success from the Locker Room to the Boardroom by David Falk

The Bald Truth: Secrets of Success from the Locker Room to the Boardroom by David Falk

About the Book:-

Hardcover, 371 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group, Feb 2010
ISBN-13: 9781416584391
ISBN: 1416584390



Firnando Chau Review


Table of Contents:-

Foreword Michael Jordan
Introduction 
I'd Rather Have a Good Enemy than a Neutral Friend, and Other Lessons from Chairman John
It's a Long Horse Race 
Blunt Is Beautiful-Stay True to You
See the Whole Court 
A Man's Got to Know His Limitations 
Goodwill Hunting 
The Customer Isn't Always Right 
Know When to Hold 'Em, Know When to Fold 'Em 
The Godfather Theory: I'd Like to Make You an Offer You Can't Refuse 
Get Out Ahead of the Curve 
Afterword 
--



Synopsis
Superagent David Falk — the man who called the shots for some of the greatest heroes in the history of basketball — reveals the innovative business secrets that catapulted him to the top of his game.
David Falk is the most successful agent in the game of basketball. He has represented more NBA first-round draft selections, lottery picks, Rookies-of-the-Year, and All-Stars than anyone else in the business. He changed the NBA's entire salary structure with a unique approach to negotiations that garnered some of the biggest contracts in league history, including Alonzo Mourning's $100-plus million contract with the Miami Heat — the first ever in professional sports. His groundbreaking Nike deal for Michael Jordan, the most successful endorsement relationship in history, revolutionized basketball by creating the game's first commercial superstar.
Basketball Digest called Falk one of the sport's most influential people, second only to NBA commissioner David Stern. In The Bald Truth, Falk, respected throughout the industry as an innovator, candidly unveils the business secrets that have fueled his extraordinary success. For the first time, he shares the fascinating insider details of how he negotiated lucrative contracts, learned from his mistakes, and branded and marketed not only the greatest basketball stars in history but also other elite athletes and coaches.
Falk is blunt, he's fair, and he looks at the long run rather than the short-term gains. To make a great deal, he believes, both sides have to win. He adheres to steadfast principles, some of which he learned from the celebrated champion athletes and revered coachinglegends — like Georgetown's John Thompson and Duke's Mike Krzyzewski — who have been long-standing clients and lifelongfriends.
Since Falk began representing athletes more than thirty-five years ago, basketball has grown from a fledgling team sport to a multibilliondollar business with celebrity players, powerful endorsement deals, salary caps, and ever-evolving free agency rules. He has made millions of dollars for himself and his clients, but today he remains in the business for one reason: love of the game — on and off the court.


About the Author


David Falk has long been recognized as one of the sports industry's leading figures and most talented innovators. He began his career representing professional athletes with ProServ in 1974, rising to Vice Chairman of the company. In 1992, he formed Falk Associates Management Enterprises (FAME) to provide specialized and personal representation service to the company's elite clientele of NBA superstars. 
During his career, Falk has represented more NBA first-round draft selections, lottery picks, Rookies-of-the-Year, and All-Stars than anyone else in the athlete management business. In 1985, he negotiated Michael Jordan's ground-breaking deal with Nike—the most successful endorsement relationship in history—and in the process coined the nickname ?Air Jordan.? Falk negotiated the highest contracts in NBA league history for Patrick Ewing in 1985 and Danny Ferry in 1990. He also negotiated professional sports' first $100 million contract in 1996 for Alonzo Mourning as part of an unprecedented free agency period in which FAME changed the entire salary structure of the NBA, negotiating over $400 million in contracts for its free agent clients in a six-day period.  

In 1998, Falk sold FAME to SFX Entertainment, serving on SFX's Board of Directors and in the Office of the Chairman. As Chairman of SFX Sports Group, Falk oversaw the acquisition of a dozen sports agencies that enabled SFX to represent approximately 20 percent of MLB and NBA players. Falk stepped down as Chairman in 2001 to pursue other interests. In January 2007, Falk re-launched FAME and currently serves as its Founder and CEO.
He and his wife, the former RhondaFrank, live in Rockville, Maryland, and have two daughters, Daina, and Jocelyn.

The HP Way: How Bill and I Built Our Company by David Packard

The HP Way: How Bill and I Built Our Company by David Packard

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Collins; 1st edition (May 24, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0887307477
• ISBN-13: 978-0887307478

Amazon.com Review

In a dry fashion, Packard tells the true story of the mighty Hewlett-Packard Company: Two college buddies begin a partnership by producing an audio oscillator in a Palo Alto garage in 1938 and wind up 60 years later with a $25-billion-dollar electronics company on their hands. He wraps the book up tidily 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 ("The HP Way"), which champions openness, honesty, and flexibility throughout the organization. Entrepreneurs and technologists alike will be interested in this journey of an American giant. Packard's tone sometimes veers toward the self-congratulatory, but in this case, it somehow seems justified. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

From Library Journal

Hewlett-Packard is a high-tech company with over $25 billion in sales; the Hewlett-Packard way has obviously been quite successful. Here, one of the company's founders tells the story of its growth. Packard frequently becomes nostalgic, such as when talking about his first vacuum tube. He explains why Hewlett-Packard follows strong management practices: management by objectives, educational subsidies for employees, profit sharing, and giving authority to employees closest to the customers. Packard also served as a Defense Department official and in doing so chose to give $20 million to charity to avoid ethical conflicts. The company history Packard relates is, however, an uncritical review. The cassettes, narrated by Martin Bookspan, are of limited use because they offer little discussion of ideas that a person in business might adopt. Not an important purchase.?Mark Guyer, Stark Cty. Dist. Lib., Canton, Ohio
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

From Booklist

More than 50 years ago, when California's Santa Clara Valley was known by the mountains that formed it rather than by the silicon-based technology utilized by the many companies that proliferated there, electronics giant Hewlitt-Packard was born in a Palo Alto garage. As the company expanded, founders David Packard and Bill Hewlitt maintained their management style, which was influenced in part by a laid-back California culture and came to be known as the "HP way." Elements of their "way" are included in much of today's popular management philosophies: listening to customers, trusting employees, decentralizing, being sensitive to social responsibility, etc. Here Packard offers reminiscences of how, as his subtitle indicates, Bill and he built their company. Much more personal than standard corporate histories, Packard's book provides insights into managing and motivating people and inspiration for would-be entrepreneurs. David Rouse --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"An unswerving chronology of the life and most good times of Hewlett-Packard, from its notional beginnings . . . to its luminous present." -- New York Times Book Review --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description

Much more personal than standard corporate histories, David Packard's The HP Way provides insights into managing and motivating people and inspiration for would–be entrepreneurs. This bestselling classic joins the Collins Business Essentials line–up with a new Note from Steve Jobs.
From a one–car–garage company to a multibillion–dollar industry, the rise of Hewlett–Packard is an extraordinary tale of vision, innovation and hard work. Conceived in 1939, Hewlett–Packard earned success not only as a result of its engineering know–how and cutting–edge product ideas, but also because of the unique management style it developed – a way of doing things called 'the HP way'.
Decades before today's creative management trends, Hewlett–Packard invented such strategies as 'walk–around management', 'flextime', and 'quality cycles'. Always sensitive to the needs of its customers and responsive to employee input, Hewlett–Packard earned massive steady growth that far outshone its competitors' vacillating fortunes, even with radically different products from those responsible for its initial boom.
For entrepreneurs and managers alike, the wisdom found in these pages is invaluable if they want their businesses to gain steady growth and consistent success.

About the Author

With Bill Hewlett, David Packard was cofounder of the Hewlett-Packard Company. In September 1993, he retired as chairman of the board and was named chairman emeritus. He served in that position until his death on March 26, 1996.

Firnando Chau Review

Suharto: The Life and Legacy of Indonesia's Second President by Retnowati Abdulgani-KNAPP

Suharto: The Life and Legacy of Indonesia's Second President by Retnowati Abdulgani-KNAPP



About the Book:-
Hardcover, 376 Pages
Marshall Cavendish, 2007 
ISBN 9812613404, 9789812613400


Firnando Chau Review


Table of Contents:-
Authors Note
1 Distant Dreams in Kemusuk
2 Building the Nation
Photo Section
3 Sailing Into the Sunset
4 The Foundations
5 Reflections
Timeline
Abbreviations
References
Index
---


Synopsis (2007)


This book offers a unique perspective on the human side of the former president of Indonesia. Written while in close personal and professional contact with the president and his family, it is a rare glimpse of how Soeharto's faith in himself and in his country remained unshaken through is meteoric rise and dramatic fall from power.

Iacocca - An Autobiography by Lee Iacocca with William Novak (Hardcover - 1985)

The Education of an Accidental CEO: Lessons Learned from the Trailer Park to the Corner Office by David Novak and John Boswell

The Education of an Accidental CEO: Lessons Learned from the Trailer Park to the Corner Office by David Novak and John Boswell

Hardcover: 320 pages

Publisher: Crown Business; 1 edition (October 9, 2007)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0307393690

ISBN-13: 978-0307393692

Review
"The Education of an Accidental CEO is a wonderful journey tracking the aspects of leadership. David Novak is a classic type-A personality who possesses the insatiable desire to improve and make those around him rise to new levels. Everyone is in search of the secret. You'll find it in this book. A motivational must"
--Rick Pitino


"David Novak is a great business leader and a wonderful guy. Our companies have very little in common, yet I have learned a lot from Dave. He is great with people, an innovator and one of the best global thinkers I have met. This book is filled with the 'little things' that authentic leaders do every day to build a great business. The best leaders are the best learners. Dave's 'journey' brings the skill of learning to life."
--Jeffrey R. Immelt, chairman and CEO of General Electric


"An entertaining, humorous, honest and inspiring message from an extraordinary person who engenders trust and instills self-confidence. Throughout this book David Novak brightens your mood and improves your outlook."
-Larry Bossidy, retired chairman and CEO of Honeywell International and co-author of Execution and Confronting Reality

"If CEOs were selected like NFL quarterbacks, David Novak would be a first-round draft pick. I would certainly like to have him running a Berkshire company. After you read this book, you will know why."
--Warren Buffett

“Just plain fun to read....More important, though, is the message—no matter whether you are a CEO or just starting out—that each and every day provides the opportunity to learn and get better at what you do, because as David says ‘you never know what you’re capable of.’ His book is smart with heart and you’ll see how far openness and honesty can get you. In short, very far.”
—Jamie Dimon, chairman and CEO of JPMorgan Chase

“David Novak is completely authentic and means every word....What a great lesson for anyone striving for real success.”
—Patrick Lencioni, author of The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, and president of the Table Group

“David has always had the natural leadership gift of ‘taking people with him,’ but he has never stopped learning, always valued others no matter what their background, and always stayed true to who he is. His great personal story provides lessons to anyone who has the privilege of leading.”
—Brenda Barnes, chairman and CEO of the Sara Lee Corporation
Product Description
David Novak—one of today’s most engaging, unconventional, and successful business leaders—lived in thirty-two trailer parks in twenty-three states by the time he reached the seventh grade. He sold encyclopedias door to door, worked as a hotel night clerk, and took a job as a $7,200-a-year advertising copywriter with the hopes of maybe one day becoming a creative director. Instead, he became head of the world’s largest restaurant company at the ripe old age of forty-seven.

While David never went to business school, he did learn from the greatest of teachers—experience—and plenty of other very smart people as well: Magic Johnson on the secret to teamwork, Warren Buffett on what he looks for in the companies he buys, John Wooden on ego, and Jack Welch on one thing he’d do over. Now he wants to share with you what he discovered about getting ahead and getting noticed; motivating people and turning businesses around; building winning teams and running a global company of nearly one million people; and always staying true to yourself.

The Education of an Accidental CEO is filled with David Novak’s street-smart wisdom:

From his formative years...
• Walking through your anxieties
• Avoiding the poison of stereotypes
• Staying “right-sized”
• Breaking through the clutter

From his years as an ad executive and chief marketing officer ...
• How not to roll over like Fluffy the dog
• Seeing yourself as a brand
• When to pull the plug on the Super Bowl

As the COO of Pepsi Cola and then as president of KFC and Pizza Hut ...
• Why a gold watch can have less value than a floppy rubber chicken
• Knowing when “the answers are in the building”
• Knowing when to do nothing
• What it takes to revitalze a company

And as CEO of Yum! Brands, Inc. ...
• How to “shock the system”
• How to avoid the slow-no’s
• Managing two up and two down

David Novak’s ideas for building an entire culture around reward and recognition—getting everyone from division presidents to dishwashers to buy into recognizing the achievements of others—is studied by other companies and discussed here in great detail. Whether you are the CEO of a global conglomerate or a budding entrepreneur, there is something here that will help you get where you want to go.

The Secret of Success is Not a Secret: Stories of Famous People Who Persevered by Darcy Andries

• Paperback: 376 pages
• Publisher: Sellers Publishing Inc.; 1st edition (March 21, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1569069972
• ISBN-13: 978-1569069974

Product Description

This inspiring collection features the stories of more than 300 people who faced failure or setbacks in their fields before going on to phenomenal success. The persevering individuals profiled include those from a wide range of disciplines, backgrounds, and time periods. From Katharine Hepburn to J.K. Rowling, from Elvis Presley to Michael Jordan, readers will find all the motivation they need to create their own secret to success.

About the Author

Darcy Andries spent several years teaching English and special education before turning her full attention to research and writing. As a way to motivate her students, Andries began collecting and sharing the stories of well-known individuals who failed at first but who ultimately triumphed.

Obama: From Promise to Power by David Mendell

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Harper Paperbacks; Reprint edition (April 15, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060858214
• ISBN-13: 978-0060858216

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Since his speech at the Democratic National Convention in 2004, Obama has captured attention as reporters, politicos, and ordinary citizens have wondered if he might be the nation's first black president. Chicago Tribune reporter Mendell argues that although Obama's rise to the national stage might seem unplanned, it is the outcome of a carefully calculated strategy by an ambitious man. Mendell chronicles Obama's personal evolution, from Barry, a biracial adolescent growing up in Hawaii, to Barack, the Harvard law school graduate. Obama's complex background—white midwestern mother and Kenyan father—has been both an asset and a liability to his search for acceptance among African Americans and voters in general as they have had to assess who he is and what he stands for. Mendell tracks Obama's rise through the frustrations of community organizing and the rough-and-tumble world of Chicago politics to the rarefied, if no less brutal, world of the U.S. Senate. Mendell draws on interviews with Obama, his wife, family, friends, aides, and rivals, as well as his own extensive coverage since Obama's days in the Illinois Senate, to offer a nuanced, compelling look at a man of idealism and ambition intent on making history. Bush, Vanessa --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

The single best source of background information on our new president. (National Review )

Product Description

Barack Obama is arguably the most dynamic political figure to grace the American stage since John F. Kennedy. His meteoric rise from promise to power has stunned even the cynics and inspired a legion of devout followers. For anyone who wants to know more about the man who would be president, David Mendell's Obama is essential reading. Mendell, who has covered Obama for the Chicago Tribune since the beginning of Obama's campaign for the Senate, had far-reaching access to the senator, the details of which he shares in this compelling biography. Positioning Obama as the savior of a fumbling Democratic party, Mendell shows how Obama conquered Illinois politics and paved the way brick by brick for a galvanizing, historic presidential run. With exclusive contributions by family members and advisers, and details on Obama's voting record, this is a complete, complex, and revealing portrait, a must read for anyone interested in American politics in general and Senator Barack Obama in particular.

About the Author

David Mendell, author of Obama: From Promise to Power, has been writing about politics and urban issues for the Chicago Tribune since 1998. Mr. Mendell lives in Oak Park, Illinois.

From AudioFile

This timely biography by a hard-bitten reporter from the generally conservative CHICAGO TRIBUNE covers the personal and political life of the man who may be president. The remarkable thing about Illinois Senator Barack Obama is--no doubt about it--charisma. People who encounter him react enthusiastically with statements such as: ÒI think he might be the one!Ó ObamaÕs main message, that people should come together for the common good, resonates with liberal and conservative alike, says the author. When quoting Obama, reader Dion Graham slips easily into a doppelganger-like vocal cadence and timbre, eerily accurate and compelling. In between quotes he reads with a measured, expressive intonation, sounding personally neutral and yet warm at the same time. D.R.W. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Who Says Elephants Can't Dance? by Louis V. Gerstner, Jr.

Who Says Elephants Can't Dance?: Inside IBM's Historic Turnaround by Louis V. Gerstner, Jr.

About the Book:-

Format: Paperback, 304pp

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers, Dec 2003

ISBN-13: 9780060523800

ISBN: 0060523808

Firnando Chau Review

Table of Contents:-

Foreword           

Introduction      

Pt. I        Grabbing Hold  

1              The Courtship   

2              The Announcement

3              Drinking from a Fire Hose            

4              Out to the Field               

5              Operation Bear Hug       

6              Stop the Bleeding (and Hold the Vision)               

7              Creating the Leadership Team  

8              Creating a Global Enterprise       

9              Reviving the Brand         

10           Resetting the Corporate Compensation Philosophy        

11           Back on the Beach          

Pt. II       Strategy              

12           A Brief History of IBM   

13           Making the Big Bets       

14           Services - the Key to Integration              

15           Building the World's Already Biggest Software Business

16           Opening the Company Store     

17           Unstacking the Stack and Focusing the Portfolio               

18           The Emergence of e-business   

19           Reflections on Strategy

Pt. III     Culture

20           On Corporate Culture   

21           An Inside-Out World     

22           Leading by Principles     

Pt. IV     Lessons Learned             

23           Focus - You Have to Know (and Love) Your Business

24           Execution - Strategy Goes Only So Far   

25           Leadership Is Personal  

26           Elephants Can Dance

Pt. V      Observations    

27           The Industry     

28           The System       

29           The Watchers   

30           Corporations and the Community           

31           IBM - a Farewell              

App. A: Employee Communications        

App. B   The Future of e-business

App. C: Financial Overview         

Index

Synopsis (2003)

In 1990, IBM had its most profitable year ever. By 1993, the computer industry had changed so rapidly the company was on its way to losing $16 billion and IBM was on a watch list for extinction -- victimized by its own lumbering size, an insular corporate culture, and the PC era IBM had itself helped invent.

Then Lou Gerstner was brought in to run IBM. Almost everyone watching the rapid demise of this American icon presumed Gerstner had joined IBM to preside over its continued dissolution into a confederation of autonomous business units. This strategy, well underway when he arrived, would have effectively eliminated the corporation that had invented many of the industry's most important technologies.

Instead, Gerstner took hold of the company and demanded the managers work together to re-establish IBM's mission as a customer-focused provider of computing solutions. Moving ahead of his critics, Gerstner made the hold decision to keep the company together, slash prices on his core product to keep the company competitive, and almost defiantly announced, "The last thing IBM needs right now is a vision."

Who Says Elephants Can't Dance? tells the story of IBM's competitive and cultural transformation. In his own words, Gerstner offers a blow-by-blow account of his arrival at the company and his campaign to rebuild the leadership team and give the workforce a renewed sense of purpose. In the process, Gerstner defined a strategy for the computing giant and remade the ossified culture bred by the company's own success.

The first-hand story of an extraordinary turnaround, a unique case study in managing a crisis, and a thoughtful reflection on the computer industry and the principles of leadership, Who Says Elephants Can't Dance? sums up Lou Gerstner's historic business achievement. Taking readers deep into the world of IBM's CEO, Gerstner recounts the high-level meetings and explains the pressure-filled, no-turning-back decisions that had to be made. He also offers his hard-won conclusions about the essence of what makes a great company run.

In the history of modern business, many companies have gone from being industry leaders to the verge of extinction. Through the heroic efforts of a new management team, some of those companies have even succeeded in resuscitating themselves and living on in the shadow of their former stature. But only one company has been at the pinnacle of an industry, fallen to near collapse, and then, beyond anyone's expectations, returned to set the agenda. That company is IBM.

Lou Gerstener, Jr., served as chairman and chief executive officer of IBM from April 1993 to March 2002, when he retired as CEO. He remained chairman of the board through the end of 2002. Before joining IBM, Mr. Gerstner served for four years as chairman and CEO of RJR Nabisco, Inc. This was preceded by an eleven-year career at the American Express Company, where he was president of the parent company and chairman and CEO of its largest subsidiary. Prior to that, Mr. Gerstner was a director of the management consulting firm of McKinsey & Co., Inc. He received a bachelor's degree in engineering from Dartmouth College and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

The New York Times Book Review

The book leaves the reader thinking that a few more Gerstners around in the '90s might have prevented the bubble from swelling so large -- and popping with such a bang.

About the Author (2003)

Lou Gerstner, Jr., served as chairman and chief executive officer of IBM from April 1993 until March 2002, when he retired as CEO. He remained chairman of the board through the end of 2002. Before joining IBM, Mr. Gerstner served for four years as chairman and CEO of RJR Nabisco, Inc. This was preceded by an eleven-year career at the American Express Company, where he was president of the parent company and chairman and CEO of its largest subsidiary. Prior to that, Mr. Gerstner was a director of the management consulting firm of McKinsey & Co., Inc. He received a bachelor's degree in engineering from Dartmouth College and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

The 10 Rules of Sam Walton: Success Secrets for Remarkable Results by Michael Bergdahl

The 10 Rules of Sam Walton: Success Secrets for Remarkable Results by Michael Bergdahl

The 10 Rules of Sam Walton: Success Secrets for Remarkable Results - Paperback (June 11, 2007) by Michael Bergdahl and Rob Walton


From getAbstract.com

• What 10 rules Sam Walton followed to build the Wal-Mart international retail empire
• How to apply those rules to your business, career and life
• How Sam Walton's personal outreach and communication with individual employees helped build the world's largest retail operation
• What impact Walton's policies and practices have had on the retail industry worldwide

This book is clearly an endearing, uncritical testimonial about Sam Walton, founder of Wal-Mart. Author Michael Bergdahl, a former employee, has written two books on Walton and Wal-Mart. He was a favorite of Sam Walton, who gave him the nickname "Bird Dawg," because Bergdahl drove a pickup truck. Walton was an avid hunter who also had an old truck and owned several bird dogs – appropriately the book's cover shows him patting one. S. Robson Walton, Sam Walton's son and the chairman of the board of Wal-Mart, wrote the foreword, and the author remains close to the Walton family. Thus, it is not a surprise that this content-approved book is effusive in its praise for Walton. Still, the advice is solid, and getAbstract suggests it to anyone who enjoys learning about successful companies and their leaders.

About the authors

Michael Bergdahl worked with Sam Walton as Wal-Mart’s director of the Home Office People Division. He worked with other retailers, and is now a full-time speaker and business coach. He also wrote What I Learned from Sam Walton: How to Compete and Thrive in a Wal-Mart World.

Firnando Chau Review

The Wolf of Wall Street by Jordan Belfort

 

iCon: Steve Jobs, the Greatest Second ACT in the History of Business by Jeffrey S. Young & William L. Simon

iCon: Steve Jobs, the Greatest Second ACT in the History of Business [ICON UPDATED/E] - Paperback (Apr. 30, 2006)

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (April 14, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471787841
• ISBN-13: 978-0471787846

Product Description

iCon takes a look at the most astounding figure in a business era noted for its mavericks, oddballs, and iconoclasts. Drawing on a wide range of sources, Jeffrey Young and William Simon provide new perspectives on the legendary creation of Apple, detail Jobs’s meteoric rise, and the devastating plunge that left him not only out of Apple, but out of the computer-making business entirely. This unflinching and completely unauthorized portrait reveals both sides of Jobs’s role in the remarkable rise of the Pixar animation studio, also re-creates the acrimony between Jobs and Disney’s Michael Eisner, and examines Jobs’s dramatic his rise from the ashes with his recapture of Apple. The authors examine the takeover and Jobs’s reinvention of the company with the popular iMac and his transformation of the industry with the revolutionary iPod. iCon is must reading for anyone who wants to understand how the modern digital age has been formed, shaped, and refined by the most influential figure of the age–a master of three industries: movies, music, and computers.

From the Inside Flap

According to F. Scott Fitzgerald, there are no second acts in American life. Apparently he forgot to tell Steve Jobs.Jobs rose from an outcast high school electronics nerd to become the driving force behind Apple and avatar of the computer revolution, only to be driven from the company in failure and disgrace. Then, having endured repeated personal and professional disasters, he went on to make an indelible mark on the entertainment industry, reclaim the throne at Apple, and, with the extraordinary success of the iPod, regain his reputation as arguably the greatest innovator of the digital age.
iCon takes a look at the most astounding figure in a business era noted for its mavericks, oddballs, and iconoclasts. Drawing on a wide range of sources in Silicon Valley and Hollywood, Jeffrey Young, author of the first-ever Jobs biography, and coauthor William Simon provide new perspectives on the legendary creation of Apple in a Silicon Valley garage and detail Jobs's meteoric rise as the prototypical digital wunderkind and the devastating plunge that left him not only out of Apple, but out of the computer-making business entirely.
Act two begins with Jobs displaying his talent for bedeviling business associates and making enemies along the way. Still stinging with embarrassment after his crash from the heights, he waged a tough negotiation with George Lucas for the purchase of the legendary filmmaker's computer animation business—at one-third of the asking price—and pressured his "partners" into settling for a modest percentage of what would become Pixar, keeping the remainder for himself.
This unflinching and completely unauthorized portrait reveals both sides of Jobs's role in the remarkable rise of the Pixar animation studio, from Toy Story and the string of hit movies that delighted audiences around the world to his rocky alliance with Disney. It also re-creates the acrimony between Jobs and Disney's Michael Eisner, which ended the once-close relationship between the two companies.
The most dramatic, and, no doubt, most satisfying of Jobs's achievements during his rise from the ashes was his recapture of Apple, ten years after being booted out of the company, in a coup that only he could have orchestrated. The authors examine the takeover and Jobs's reinvention of the company with the very popular iMac and his transformation of the industry, and again the culture, with the revolutionary iPod.
Complete with a preview of Jobs's third act, iCon is must reading for anyone who wants to understand how the modern digital age has been formed, shaped, and refined by the most influential figure of the age—a master of three industries: movies, music, and computers. It is about understanding the future by understanding the past and present of the Digital King, Steve Jobs. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From the Back Cover

Now updated to cover the acquisition of Pixar by Disney
"An interesting and engaging tale. Warts and all, for better or worse, Steve Jobs is undisputedly an American business icon."
—The Miami Herald
This unflinching and completely unauthorized portrait reveals how Steve Jobs staged the greatest second act in the history of business. Taking us back to the heady days of Silicon Valley in the 1970s, iCon shows how Jobs achieved his first great success, rising from an outcast high school electronics nerd to become the driving force behind Apple and avatar of the computer revolution, only to be driven from the company in failure and disgrace. It then takes us behind-the-scenes as Jobs works his way toward an astounding comeback, revolutionizing the entertainment industry with Pixar, reclaiming the throne at Apple, and, with the extraordinary success of the iPod, regaining his reputation as arguably the greatest innovator of the digital age. As the book ends, Disney has just acquired Pixar, making Jobs Disney's largest shareholder—and setting the stage for act three.
"Provides insight into inner business strategies and power plays between larger-than-life personalities such as Disney boss Michael Eisner."
—USA Today
"A fascinating tale of an imaginative genius."
—BookPage
"One of the most captivating business biographies of recent years. Young and Simon have done a masterful job."
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram

About the Author

JEFFREY S. YOUNG, one of the founding editors of Macworld magazine, first met Steve Jobs in 1983. He is the author of the classic unauthorized biography Steve Jobs: The Journey Is the Reward. Young worked for Forbes in the 1990s as its contributing editor from Silicon Valley, writing profiles and business pieces, and, in 1997, he cofounded Forbes.com. He is also the author of Forbes® Greatest Technology Stories (Wiley).
WILLIAM L. SIMON is the coauthor of Kevin Mitnick's The Art of Deception and The Art of Intrusion (both published by Wiley) as well as the award-winning author of more than twenty other books.

From AudioFile

Alan Sklar's skills as an actor and professional narrator rescue Young and Simon's glossy tribute to Steve Jobs, founder of Apple Computers. Sklar's polished delivery and familiar voice keep the listener interested in the recording. Without a trace of sarcasm, he is able to deliver the fawning prose sculpted by the authors. While the doting praise heaped on the entrepreneur is excessive, the book is an entertaining, nostalgic review of the pre-Internet computer industry. Sklar gives a performance superior to the quality of the text. R.F. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine -

Soaring Like Eagles - ASM's High-Tech Journey in Asia by Patrick Lam and Edmund Lam

Soaring Like Eagles - ASM's High-Tech Journey in Asia by Patrick Lam and Edmund Lam (Hardcover - Mar 13, 2006)

• Hardcover: 250 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (March 13, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470821973
• ISBN-13: 978-0470821978

Product Description

An in-depth look at ASM Pacific Technology, the world's top company in the semiconductor assembly and packaging equipment industry. Started in Hong Kong thirty years ago, it had to face many unfavorable conditions for high-tech in Asia (such as the lack of infrastructure and resources), the volatility of its industry, and severe competitions from companies in the U.S., Europe, and Japan throughout its history. Nevertheless, it maintained profitability for all thirty years, grew organically and consistently, and today is significantly larger than any of its competitors.


This book reviews the history of ASM's growth, examines its success from differentiated strategies, leadership and culture, innovative practices, technologies and products. The management lessons along these dimensions are also explored in detail. The book also covers Asian-specific context, such as the establishment of an advanced manufacturing operation in mainland China, and explains its unique culture, challenges, and opportunities.

Microsoft First Generation by Cheryl Tsang

Microsoft First Generation: The Success Secrets of the Visionaries who launced a Technology Empire by Cheryl Tsang

• Hardcover: 254 pages
• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons; 1 edition (October 4, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471332062
• ISBN-13: 978-0471332060

Amazon.com Review

If a company's soul is defined by its employees, Cheryl Tsang's Microsoft First Generation offers the definitive look at the way one of the world's top corporations has really been shaped. In straightforward but perceptive profiles, Tsang introduces a dozen key individuals hired by Bill Gates and Paul Allen before 1990--when the primary focus was creation and development, rather than growth and maintenance. They are mathematician-programmer Bob O'Rear (hired two years before Microsoft relocated from Albuquerque to Seattle), technical writer Russell Borland, programmer Richard Brodie, senior vice president Scott Oki, chief information officer Neil Evans, CPA Dave Neir, Ida Cole (the first female VP), CD-ROM author Min Yee, technical manager Ron Harding, publishing-systems manager Russell Steele, Asian-business-development manager Paul Sribhibhadh, and senior diversity administrator Trish Millines Dziko. "The people who comprised Microsoft's first generation were exactly right for their time. They were the pioneers," Tsang writes. "The founders of Microsoft were shrewd to have hired them, for the company's monumental and continuing success would not have been possible without [their] exceptional work and passion." --Howard Rothman

From Library Journal

How has mighty Microsoft, begun 25 years ago as a two-man (Bill Gates and Paul Allen) partnership of extremely bright "twentysomethings," amassed an estimated market value of nearly $500 billion and become the predominant computer company in the world? This is the focus of business journalist Tsang's collection of personal stories from 12 former "softies" and their fond reminiscences about their work in the very early days of the firm. Among the alums interviewed are Bob O'Rear, the original programmer of the first MS DOS program for the IBM machine, and Trish Maline, an early beta tester who became the advocate for the ethnic diversity movement inside the company. From these tales, Tsang summarizes keys to the unprecedented success of Microsoft, including its famous maniacal work ethic, an emphasis on risk taking, an unwavering drive to success, and the unique internal culture mainly influenced by the even more unique personality of CEO Gates. Throughout these fascinating inside scoops, listeners will be continually intrigued by the always crisp narration by Mary Woods, which reveals some of the truth about what it was really like to work for Microsoft in the beginning. While this is not a historical analysis of the company, a story yet to be told, these nostalgic recollections are important to the growing computer history genre and are essential for all university libraries supporting an information systems curriculum.ADale Farris, Groves, TX
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

From Booklist

Microsoft and Bill Gates are synonymous. Although Gates appears on the covers of news magazines and is treated as a celebrity, few are familiar with Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen. Allen, who left Microsoft in 1983, is nonetheless the third richest man in America, with $22 billion. Then there are the even more anonymous "Microsoft millionaires," the young workers hired by Gates and Allen because they were bright, willing to take risks, and possessed a "maniacal work ethic." In return, they collected stock options that were worth more when they left Microsoft and cashed them in than they could ever have dreamed. Tsang profiles 12 of those people, who represent a cross section of Microsoft's first generation of employees. Included are programmers, project managers, and individuals who worked in marketing and in accounting. Tsang conducted extensive interviews to find out the paths those men and women took to arrive at Microsoft, what life was like there, and what happened to them after they left the company. David Rouse

Product Description

What began as a modest start-up partnership only twenty-five years ago has already surpassed all the giants of contemporary capitalism, including General Electric and IBM, and has achieved a value estimated at nearly $500 billion. How did Microsoft achieve all of this in so short a time? What was the true nature of the Microsoft environment in the beginning, and what are the secrets behind its triumph?Find the answers here. With Microsoft First Generation, Cheryl Tsang skillfully renders recent history in bold, colorful strokes, highlighting each of the specific business qualities and entrepreneurial traits that turned Microsoft's dreams into reality. Meet the early builders of Microsoft, and step inside the famous culture of loyalty, the storied "maniacal work ethic," and the hardcore world of reckless risk-taking that remains so integral to the computer giant's matchless and ongoing success.
Here, up close and personal, Tsang introduces readers to twelve members of Microsoft's mythic first generation, each of whom has walked away from Microsoft as a multimillionaire. The collection spans a diverse collection of creative geniuses and business wizards, from Bob O'Rear, employee number seven, who joined the team in 1977 and wrote the original MS-DOS program on the first IBM PC; to bestselling author Russell Borland who, after innocently answering a help wanted ad for a technical copywriter in 1980, suddenly became the mouthpiece of an entire company, singlehandedly familiarizing the world with Microsoft products; to Trish Millines, who began as a software tester in 1988 and then blazed a trail and effected lasting change as a powerful advocate for ethnic diversity in the technological arena.
Featuring candid appraisals of the idiosyncrasies of software culture, fascinating portraits of the enigmatic Bill Gates, and rare photographs of the company's early days, Microsoft First Generation uncovers a range of surprising success secrets-and reveals, once and for all, exactly what makes Microsoft tick.

About the Author

CHERYL TSANG is an award-winning business journalist and fiction writer. She lives in Bellevue, Washington.

From AudioFile

Before Microsoft became an alleged monopoly, it was a group of smart young people working very hard on revolutionary software. The members of this founding generation were bright and aggressive people thrown together in a company in which ideas and competitiveness trumped protocols and procedures. Tsang managed to interview many of the key early employees; most have since "retired" as "Microsoft millionaires." These men and women opened up their life stories and shared a wealth of insights and anecdotes that help explain how Microsoft became what it is. Whether you love or hate Microsoft, this audiobook will hold your attention. Mary Woods's singsong voice is not suited to the production, but the material wins over the presentation. T.F. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine

Firnando Chau Review