Biography: business and industry Books

Book Synopsis''The definitive account of a sensational trade'' Michael Lewis, author of The Big ShortAutumn 2008. The world''s finances collapse but one man makes a killing.John Paulson, a softly spoken hedge-fund manager who still took the bus to work, seemed unlikely to stake his career on one big gamble. But he did - and The Greatest Trade Ever is the story of how he realised that the sub-prime housing bubble was going to burst, making $15 Billion for his fund and more than $4 Billion for himself in a single year. It''s a tale of folly and wizardry, individual brilliance versus institutional stupidity.John Paulson made the biggest winning bet in history. And this is how he did it.''Extraordinary, excellent'' Observer''A must-read for anyone fascinated by financial madness'' Mail on Sunday''A forensic, read-in-one-sitting book'' Sunday Times''Simply terrific. Easily the best of the post-craTrade ReviewSimply terrific. Easily the best of the post-crash financial books -- Malcolm GladwellGreg Zuckerman was the first to tell the world about John Paulson's sensational trade . . . He's written the definitive account of a strange and wonderful subplot of the financial crisis * Michael Lewis, author of Liar's Poker *A must-read for anyone fascinated by financial madness * Mail on Sunday *A forensic, read-in-one-sitting book * Sunday Times *Extraordinary, excellent * Observer *Compelling * Economist *Zuckerman takes us to Wall Street's heart of darkness, where mushroomed a $1 trillion subprime mortgage market that only the few, the brave, the smart dared short. This is at once a great page-turner and a great illuminator of the market's crash. * John Heylar, co-author of Barbarians at the Gate *Much, much more than a brilliant account of Paulson's trade of the century; this book also provides a highly enjoyable and lucid journey through the analytical and emotional maze that constituted the financial markets on the eve of the Great Recession. Compulsory reading. * Mohamed El-Erian, CEO of Pacific Investment Management Co and author of When Markets Collide *A magnificent insider look at how Paulson and others profited off of subprime's demise... insightful and gripping. * Marketfolly.com *

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Book SynopsisSchumpeter made his mark as the prophet of incessant change. Drawing on all of Schumpeter’s writings, including many intimate diaries and letters never before used, this biography paints the full portrait of a magnetic figure who aspired to become the world’s greatest economist, lover, and horseman—and admitted to failure only with the horses.Trade ReviewThis well-paced and beautifully written book explains not only Schumpeter's work but also the fast-changing phenomenon of modern capitalism. McCraw brings out Schumpeter's energy and charisma as well as the power of his ideas, quite skillfully linking the economist's colorful and adventurous personal life with the development of his views. This book is a fine tribute to a great thinker. -- Harold James, Princeton UniversityA welcome book—a truly penetrating biography of the most influential theorist of finance capitalism. -- Edmund S. Phelps, 2006 Nobel Laureate in EconomicsA most compelling portrait of a complex man who has had a profound influence on how we think about entrepreneurship. -- Amar Bhidé, Columbia University[Schumpeter's] private life was no less fascinating than his public message. In Prophet of Innovation, Thomas McCraw--emeritus professor of history at the Harvard Business School--artfully weaves the two together. -- Dan Seligman * Wall Street Journal *In this biography, Pulitzer Prize winner McCraw neatly divides his emphasis between Schumpeter's professional and personal life. He portrays his subject as a somewhat self-absorbed insatiable scholar not entirely comfortable with his contemporaries, which might explain marriages and affairs with much older and younger women, as well as his affinity with students and often-strained relations with colleagues of his own generation. McGraw lucidly addresses Schumpeter's economic theories through an examination of his letters, lectures, addresses, articles, and major works...[An] insightful and highly readable biography. -- Lawrence R. Maxted * Library Journal (starred review) *[A] persuasive and eloquent biography. -- Jay Hancock * Baltimore Sun *Much honored as an economic prophet, Joseph Schumpeter has had to wait half a century after his death for this splendid full-dress biography covering his ideas, life, and times...[This is] a fat, learned biography by Thomas McCraw, one of America's most respected business historians, the author of a Pulitzer prize-winning history of the rise of regulation. He has found the perfect subject in Schumpeter. He succeeds in getting inside the economist's head, explaining not just what he thought but why he thought it. Beyond this, he also succeeds in painting a portrait of his times. Fin de siècle Vienna, Weimar Germany, Harvard University before and after the first world war: all come to life on these pages. * The Economist *Prophet of Innovation: Joseph Schumpeter and Creative Destruction is a well-written and entrancing look at one of the twentieth century's most important economic and political thinkers. McCraw's book may rightly take its place as one of the two or three best biographies of an economist ever written...[It] is so splendid because it succeeds on so many different levels. If the book were simply an account of the Harvard economics department, it would stand as a lasting and significant contribution to the history of economic thought. Alternatively, it is one of the best treatments of what it was like for European intellectuals to migrate to the United States. Or are you interested in why Austria fell apart during the 1920s, and how someone with as little real world experience as Schumpeter became Minister of Finance? The book is also a love story, and an account of how a possibly dysfunctional man can nonetheless find romantic happiness after repeated failures and tragedies. Last but not least it is an intellectual history...Every year there are three or four non-fiction books that have to be read, and this is one of them. -- Tyler Cowen * American.com *McCraw...frames his narrative confidently and writes beautifully...Best of all, McCraw is an extremely good interpreter of Schumpeter's published work. -- David Warsh * economicprincipals.com *An extraordinary new biography. Prophet of Innovation by Thomas K. McCraw chronicles the life of one of the 20th century's most original and insightful scholars...Like his contemporary and frequent rival John Maynard Keynes, Schumpeter makes for a rich biographical subject. Keynes received the treatment he deserved from Lord Robert Skidelsky's magisterial multi-volume biography. McCraw's effort, similarly, is worthy of Schumpeter. -- Nick Schulz * National Review *McCraw's triumph is to tell...readers quite as much as we need to know about Schumpeter in a lucid and well-paced narrative, while also supplying, for more rigorous scholars, no fewer than two hundred pages of endnotes...McCraw successfully passes off the life of a professor of economics as a story that fully complements its undoubted intellectual significance with a tantalizing human interest. -- Peter Clarke * London Review of Books *McCraw doesn't get lost in the baroque details of Schumpeter's story--how many economists ever fought a duel?--or in the arcana of his theories, achieving a balance that his brilliant and restless subject rarely did in life. * New Yorker *A thinker as multifaceted as Schumpeter demands much of a biographer, and in Prophet of Innovation: Joseph Schumpeter and Creative Destruction, Thomas McCraw delivers...McCraw not only excels at conveying the innovation and excitement in Schumpeter's work, he keeps readers riveted to the story of the economist's life, and some of the twists are almost novelistic...[An] outstanding biography. -- Daniel McCarthy * American Conservative *It's no small feat to make a jaunty read out of the life of an economist dead more than 50 years, and Thomas K. McCraw has done just that in his impressive new biography of Joseph Schumpeter. -- Kevin R. Kosar * Weekly Standard *[Schumpeter] deserves more recognition and McCraw's book is to be welcomed on that account. -- Pat McArdle * Irish Times *Prophet of Innovation is an immensely entertaining read. -- Marisa Morrison * Washington Times *Although Schumpeter died in 1950, McCraw is right to insist that his contributions to our understanding of the economies in which we live are still vital today. -- Peter Timlin * Harvard Magazine *Books on the lives of the great economists might not, at first blush, set the blood coursing. Yet Robert Skidelsky's masterly three-volume biography of John Maynard Keynes proved how engrossing such a life could be. It is high praise to say that Thomas McCraw's biography of Joseph Schumpeter, Prophet of Innovation, has some of the same quality and appeal...McCraw, who has written the definitive biography of his subject, supplies many testimonials to Schumpeter's genius and influence from both his day and our own. -- Robin Blackburn * The Nation *[McCraw] has written an impressive and thoughtful biography of one of the most significant economists of the 20th century. Although widely regarded as a man of no small ego, Schumpeter can justifiably lay claim to effecting considerable scholarly debate in a wide range of academic backgrounds. Schumpeter’s analysis of economic development and business cycles, his notion of the process and significance of creative destruction, and his views on entrepreneurial activities continue to influence generations of economists and social scientists. McCraw’s thorough, insightful biography draws on an array of public and private papers to explain Schumpeter’s scholarly development and increasing sway, from his early years in Vienna to Bonn and later to his tenure at Harvard. This engaging scholarly work provides substance and context and is well worth a close read by both students and faculty. -- T.E. Sullivan * Choice *McCraw’s book on Schumpeter is an absorbing read, with short chapters, lots of personal detail and historical scene setting, and an important anti-Galbraithian economic theme. -- Deirdre McCloskey * Reason *An excellent, thorough and smoothly written biography of Joseph Schumpeter, the greatest economist of the 20th century. Too bad most politicos--and economists--don't fully grasp his insights. -- Steve Forbes * Forbes *Those seeking some escape from the deluge of "Keynes the Comeback Kid" will enjoy a refresher on that other brilliant economist of his generation, Joseph Schumpeter. Thomas K. McCraw's brilliant biography of the economist who best understood the turbulence of markets and "creative destruction" is all the more relevant as a credit crisis-induced recession unfolds. This biography is the clearest and most comprehensive guide to Schumpeter's life and work and the turbulence of his time which has, like the classic business cycle, come round again. -- Bill Jamieson * The Spectator *It's the lively and penetrating prose of the book itself that make its appearance in paperback a cause for rejoicing. Reading it is certainly time well-invested. -- Abraham Benrubi * openlettersmonthly.com *Although he died 60 years ago, Schumpeter's ideas about capitalism still resonate, including the belief that no business, no matter how successful, should assume it will be around forever. * Worth *As Thomas McCraw’s comprehensive and well-written biography convincingly shows, Schumpeter succeeded in becoming the ‘prophet of innovation’ by pioneering the vision of a superproductive world of continuing competitive struggle in a nexus of more or less open financial and economic markets. It’s never easy to make economics come alive on the page, particularly for readers not steeped in the discipline, but McCraw does his best to balance rigor and accessibility. He gives careful attention to the various elements of Schumpeter’s life, focusing, naturally, on his work… McCraw’s biography is a major step toward Schumpeter’s restoration in the pantheon of modern economists. -- Victor Zarnowitz * Conference Board Review *Table of Contents* Preface * Part I: L'Enfant Terrible, 1883--1926: Innovation and Economics * Prologue: Who He Was and What He Did *1. Leaving Home *2. Shaping His Character *3. Learning Economics *4. Moving Out *5. Career Takeoff *6. War and Politics *7. Gran Rifiuto *8. Annie *9. Heartbreak * Part II: The Adult, 1926--1939: Capitalism and Society * Prologue: What He Had Learned *10. New Intellectual Directions *11. Policy and Entrepreneurship *12. Between Two Worlds *13. Harvard *14. Suffering and Solace * Part III: The Sage, 1939--1950: Innovation, Capitalism, and History * Prologue: How and Why He Embraced History *15. Business Cycles, Business History *16. Letters from Europe *17. To Leave Harvard? *18. Against the Grain *19. The Courage of Her Convictions *20. Alienation *21. Capitalism, Socialism, and Democracy *22. War and Perplexity *23. Introspection *24. Honors and Resurgence *25. Toward the Mixed Economy *26. History of Economic Analysis *27. A Principle of Indeterminateness *28. L'Envoi * Epilogue: The Legacy * Notes * Acknowledgments * Illustration Credits * Index

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Book SynopsisSteve Jobs, adopted in infancy by a family in San Francisco, packed a lot of life into fifty-six short years. In this Who Was…? biography, children will learn how his obsession with computers and technology at an early age led him to co-found and run Apple, in addition to turning Pixar into a ground-breaking animation studio. A college dropout, Jobs took unconventional steps in his path to success and inspired the best and the brightest to come with him and “change the world.”

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Book SynopsisThe moving, gripping and tell all autobiography of Traci Lords, a former child porn queen, electronica maven and cult movie and TV star.Trade Review"Frank, opinionated, intelligent, drenched in emotion...Will have readers cheering Lords on as they speed through its gritty, big-souled pages." -- Publishers Weekly

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Book SynopsisIn just a decade and half Jack Ma, a man who rose from humble beginnings and started his career as an English teacher, founded and built Alibaba into the second largest Internet company in the world. The company’s $25 billion IPO in 2014 was the world’s largest, valuing the company more than Facebook or Coca Cola. Alibaba today runs the e-commerce services that hundreds of millions of Chinese consumers depend on every day, providing employment and income for tens of millions more. A Rockefeller of his age, Jack has become an icon for the country’s booming private sector, and as the face of the new, consumerist China is courted by heads of state and CEOs from around the world.Granted unprecedented access to a wealth of new material including exclusive interviews, Clark draws on his own first-hand experience of key figures integral to Alibaba’s rise to create an authoritative, compelling narrative account of how Alibaba and its charismatic creator have transformed the way that Chinese exercise their new found economic freedom, inspiring entrepreneurs around the world and infuriating others, turning the tables on the Silicon Valley giants who have tried to stand in his way. Duncan explores vital questions about the company’s past, present, and future: How, from such unremarkable origins, did Jack Ma build Alibaba? What explains his relentless drive and his ability to outsmart his competitors? With over 80% of China’s e-commerce market, how long can the company hope to maintain its dominance? As the company sets its sights on the country’s financial and media markets, are there limits to Alibaba’s ambitions, or will the Chinese government act to curtail them? And as it set up shop from LA and San Francisco to Seattle, how will Alibaba grow its presence and investments in the US and other international markets?Clark tells Alibaba’s tale within the wider story of China’s economic explosion—the rise of the private sector and the expansion of Internet usage—that haver powered the country’s rise to become the world’s second largest economy and largest Internet population, twice the size of the United States. He also explores the political and social context for these momentous changes. An expert insider with unrivaled connections, Clark has a deep understanding of Chinese business mindset. He illuminates an unlikely corporate titan as never before, and examines the key role his company has played in transforming China while increasing its power and presence worldwide.Trade Review"Anybody who thinks the Chinese just copy or steal technology from the West should read this book and think again. Jack Ma is part Bill Gates, part Steve Jobs, part Larry Page, part Sergei Brin, and part Mark Zuckerberg all rolled into one." -- Sir Martin Sorrell, CEO of WPP "Useful, business-minded reporting on an unconventional corporate magnate, containing both corporate and human-interest perspectives." -- Kirkus "This absorbing and well-written portrayal of Ma's character, and his role in Alibaba's development will appeal to a wide range of readers." -- Library Journal "A clean and compelling narrative...[Clark] tells the story with flair." -- Wall Street Journal "A fascinating new book." -- The Economist "A must-read for anyone hoping to navigate China's new economy". -- Financial Times

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Book SynopsisA half-century of Wall Street history as seen through the lives of its most illustrious family This compelling new narrative from bestselling author John Rothchild tells the story of three generations of the legendary Davis family, who rank among the most successful investors in the history of the Street. With a novelist''s wit and eye for telling detail, Rothchild chronicles the financial escapades of this eccentric, pioneering clan, providing a vivid portrait of fifty years of Wall Street history along the way. Rothchild shadows the Davis family''s holdings through two lengthy bull markets, two savage and seven mild bear markets, one crash, and twenty-five corrections and, in the process, reveals the strategies behind the family''s uncanny ability to consistently beat the markets. The Davis Dynasty begins in 1947, the year Shelby Davis quit his job as a state bureaucrat and, armed with $50,000 of his wife''s money, took the plunge into stock investing. By the time he died in Table of ContentsIntroduction. Chapter 1. Davis Meets His Bankroll. Chapter 2. From the Great Depression To the Hitler Crisis. Chapter 3. Beyond the Rear-View Mirror. Chapter 4. A Last Hurrah for Bonds. Chapter 5. A Crib Course in Coverage. Chapter 6. From Bureaucrat to Investor. Chapter 7. The Bullish 1950s. Chapter 8. Davis Shops Abroad. Chapter 9. Wall Street a Go-Go. Chapter 10. Shelby Gets Funded. Chapter 11. The Inheritance Flap. Chapter 12. Cool Trio Runs Hot Fund. Chapter 13. The Worst Decline Since 1929. Chapter 14. Davis on the Rebound. Chapter 15. Shelby Buys Banks—Davis Buys Everything. Chapter 16. The Grandsons Get in the Game. Chapter 17. The Family Joins Forces. Chapter 18. Chris Inherits Venture. Chapter 19. Investing à la Davis. Source Notes. Index.

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Book SynopsisThe second volume of the legendary ';Gonzo Papers' collects columns from Hunter S. Thompson's 1980s tenure at the San Francisco Examinerfeaturing a new introduction by musician and artist Alison Mosshart.Here, against a backdrop of late-night tattoo sessions and soldier-of-fortune trade shows, Hunter S. Thompson is at his apocalyptic best: covering emblematic events such as the 19871988 presidential campaign; detailing the GOP's obsession with drugs and drug abuse; and capturing momentous social phenomena such as the rise of 24 hour-TV news. Showcasing Thompson's inimitable talent for social and political analysis, Generation of Swine is eerily prescient, incisive, and enduring.

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Book SynopsisHumanitarian, philanthropist, and campaigner for Jewish emancipation on a grand scale, Sir Moses Montefiore (1784-1885) was the preeminent Jewish figure of the nineteenth century - and one of the first truly global celebrities. This title presents his portrait.Trade ReviewAbigail Green is without doubt the most brilliant rising star in modern European Jewish history. Her biography of Moses Montefiore, one of the great torch-bearers of Jewish emancipation, redefines the role played by Jews in the prehistory of globalization, as well as the history of philanthropy. She is a profound historical thinker and a marvelous writer into the bargain. This is a masterpiece of scholarship and historical imagination. -- Niall FergusonAn absolutely first-rate biography of the nineteenth-century champion of imperiled Jews. Green's account of Montefiore's faith and his attachment to the land of Israel is especially compelling. Written in a lively manner, this book will have broad appeal. -- Todd Endelman, author of The Jews of Britain, 1656-2000This magisterial biography illuminates the life of one of the most important, yet least understood, figures in modern Jewish history. Green shows that European religious sensibility, liberal humanitarianism, and Great Power politics were indispensable preconditions for Jewish emancipation and twentieth-century Jewish politics. Gracefully written, yet supported by massive erudition, Green's book deserves a wide readership. -- Derek Penslar, author of Shylock's ChildrenAn elegant, accessible, and intellectually impressive book. Sir Moses Montefiore was a dominant presence in Anglo-Jewish society, a towering figure pressing Jewish interests on the international stage. Green explores Montefiore's public work as well as his family life and religious beliefs, and provides an innovative account of Jewish politics in nineteenth-century Europe. -- David Feldman, author of Englishmen and JewsGreen offers a perceptive, solidly researched biography with expressive period illustrations attesting to Montefiore's global celebrity. * Publishers Weekly (starred review) *It would be hard to find words grand enough to describe Abigail Green's history of her relative Sir Moses Montefiore. "Admirable," "dignified," "comprehensive": all of them are true and so much more. -- Rabbi Brian Fox * Jewish Telegraph *Abigail Green (an Oxford don who is also a Sebag-Montefiore) has brilliantly synthesized a wealth of other sources, many of them never before used by Montefiore scholars. The picture that emerges is sombre and in some respects shocking. -- Geoffrey Alderman * Jewish Chronicle *Deeply impressive...Green never allows the reader to lose sight of Montefiore's truly pioneering achievements, or of his courage, generosity, and farsightedness. In writing about this incomparable life, Green has produced an incomparable book. More than a biography, Moses Montefiore takes its place as one of the essential works on modern Jewish history. -- Adam Kirsch * Tablet Magazine *Green's account is often entertaining...Green, herself a twig on the Sebag Montefiore family tree, is more interested in historical themes she thinks have been neglected: how Montefiore used piety, philanthropy and publicity to rally sympathy on a global scale, paving the way for today's campaigns and interventions on behalf of humanitarian causes. * The Economist *[A] mammoth warts-and-all account of Montefiore and his times. -- Priscilla S. Taylor * Washington Times *The name [Moses Montefiore] alone conjures up story-book images of a horse-drawn carriage from which a pious Victorian benefactor alights to bribe a local official, endow an orphanage, or dedicate a windmill. Abigail Green's brilliant new biography--elegantly conceived, exhaustively researched, crisply written--presents a far more complicated and fascinating picture. * Jewish Ideas Daily *Green writes deftly and tells Montefiore's story with an admirable thoroughness...Moses Montefiore is mercifully free of academic theory. It is exactly what a good biography should be--fair and illuminating without ever descending to hagiography. -- Walter Laqueur * Wall Street Journal *[An] erudite, intelligent, and graceful biography of Moses Montefiore...A daughter of a Sebag-Montefiore herself, [Green] has had access to some family archival sources not available to her scholarly predecessors, but her kinship to her subject is never uncritical. When Moses Montefiore waxes pompous in his proconsular grandeur (a not infrequent occurrence); when he dons rose-tinted glasses about the prospects of his Palestinian enterprises; when he fails to treat his underlings with the consideration and remuneration they merited; when he intolerantly slams the door of acceptance against those, including members of his own family, who wanted to reform contemporary Judaism; when the trail of the great patriarch leads to extramarital dalliances--Green tells it like it most certainly was. The result of this sympathetic candor is a portrait rich in human complexity from which Montefiore's profound importance for the history of the Jews rises at last above mere ritual veneration...Green's book is a rich gift to history--and not just Jewish history--for its account not just of what Moses Montefiore did or did not do, but also of what he was. Her pages are most memorable when they simply bring the old boy to vivid life amid all the complexities and perplexities of his great self-imposed calling. -- Simon Schama * New Republic *[An] intriguing and well-researched book. -- Leslie Mitchell * Literary Review *This massive and absorbing biography by Abigail Green does [Montefiore] full justice. In a brief review, however, it is impossible even to enumerate all the issues in which Montefiore was deeply committed. The sheer range of his activities in many countries made him one of the first truly global superstars, and it is astonishing that no full biography of him has previously been written. -- Robert Wilson * Canberra Times *[An] extensive and engaging biography...Moses Montefiore's remarkable life is both a Jewish story and an international one, even if today, Montefiore, if he is remembered at all, is remembered almost exclusively in Jewish circles. -- Shalom Goldman * Haaretz *The most impressive book I've read this year is Moses Montefiore: Jewish Liberator, Imperial Hero...Green's book, however, is not just the biography of a Jewish worthy: it is a wide-ranging study of Britain's liberal imperialism at the zenith of its moral influence, and of the emergence of a modern Jewish consciousness. -- Adam Kirsch * Times Literary Supplement *The achievement of this book is in combining sumptuous production, with over five hundred large format pages; especially the fascinating illustrations and quality of content, given the meticulous scholarship, delving into dusty archives in many languages, the clear empathy with and celebration of her subject's warmth and self sacrifice stylishly described. As a scholar of early humanitarianism, Abigail Green has risen to the challenge of describing the life of the man who molded what was then a novel idea. -- Yerachmiel Rubin * Jewish Tribune *A well-researched and beautifully written biography, Abigail Green's Moses Montefiore: Jewish Liberator, Imperial Hero presents for the first time the full story of the preeminent champion of Jewish emancipation on a global scale. Green illuminates Montefiore's life in the UK and his engagement in European and Middle Eastern diplomacy on behalf of his Jewish brethren in all its complexity. * Jewish Book World *If one of the most famous men of his age is now barely a name, that may in part be because his astonishing life's story has never been properly told before; as Abigail Green's splendid biography shows, it is as rich, complex and absorbing as a nineteenth-century novel...This is a marvelous book, as absorbing as it is learned. -- Geoffrey Wheatcroft * Times Literary Supplement *

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Book SynopsisIn his rich and nuanced portrait of the remarkable, elusive Rothschild family, Oxford scholar and bestselling author Niall Ferguson uncovers the secrets behind the family''s phenomenal economic success. He reveals for the first time the details of the family''s vast political network, which gave it access to and influence over many of the greatest statesmen of the age. And he tells a family saga, tracing the importance of unity and the profound role of Judaism in the lives of a dynasty that rose from the confines of the Frankfurt ghetto and later used its influence to assist oppressed Jews throughout Europe. A definitive work of impeccable scholarship with a thoroughly engaging narrative, ''The House of Rothschild'' is a biography of the rarest kind, in which mysterious and fascinating historical figures finally spring to life.Trade Review"A stupendous achievement, a triumph of historical research and imagination."—Robert Skidelsky, The New York Review of Books"Niall Ferguson's brilliant and altogether enthralling two-volume family saga proves that academic historians can still tell great stories that the rest of us want to read."—The New York Times Book Review"Superb ... An impressive ... account of the Rothschilds and their role in history."—Boston Globe

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Book Synopsis''This is a riveting book, with as much to say about the transformation of modern life in the information age as about its supernaturally gifted and driven subject'' - Telegraph Based on more than forty interviews with Steve Jobs conducted over two years - as well as interviews with more than a hundred family members, friends, adversaries, competitors, and colleagues - this is the acclaimed, internationally bestselling biography of the ultimate icon of inventiveness. Walter Isaacson tells the story of the rollercoaster life and searingly intense personality of creative entrepreneur whose passion for perfection and ferocious drive revolutionized six industries: personal computers, animated movies,music, phones, tablet computing, and digital publishing. Although Jobs cooperated with this book, he asked for no control over what was written, nor even the right to read it before it was published. He put nothing off limits. He encouraged the people he knew to speak honestly. And Jobs speaks candidly, sometimes brutally so, about the people he worked with and competed against. His friends, foes, and colleagues provide an unvarnished view of the passions, perfectionism, obsessions, artistry, devilry, and compulsion for control that shaped his approach to business and the innovative products that resulted.Trade ReviewThe attention to detail is astounding, and this is an encyclopaedic record of Jobs's life right up to his battle against cancer and death . . . a fitting legacy to a flawed genius - Evening StandardIsaacson has done an outstanding job. He keeps a sturdily detached perspective about Jobs' many eccentricities. His biographer has written a captivating account of this digital visionary whose products have enthralled millions of people - SpectatorThis is a riveting book, with as much to say about the transformation of modern life in the information age as about its supernaturally gifted and driven subject - TelegraphA must read - Sunday Times

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Book SynopsisThe S&P futures pit is the ultimate arena for traders. It is a place where trading titans make split-second decisions on huge amounts of money, and fortunes appear and vanish with the blink of an eye. Successful day traders are brilliant, aggressive-and lucky. Lewis J. Borsellino is all three. And now he is telling his story. The nation''s top S&P futures trader, Borsellino takes you inside the world of the day trader. Chronicling Borsellino''s incredible run on the floor of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, The Day Trader offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at his everyday strategies and tactics. Raised to be a fierce and fearless competitor, Borsellino felt at home the first day he walked into the chaos and excitement of the Merc. In The Day Trader, he offers both a compelling story as well as an inside look at day trading and the S&P market. Borsellino outlines exactly what contributed to his unparalleled success-a rare blend of discipline, drive, intelligence, and an uncanTrade Review"A legendary S&P floor trader has written a powerful, brutally honest chronicle of his determined rise to the top of his profession. Touching and insightful, this riveting account is one of the best trading memoirs ever." -Nelson Freeburg, Publisher, Formula Research "The Day Trader provides a rare look into the events that shaped the extraordinary character of one of the most unique people to ever put on a trading jacket. Most compelling are the glimpses into Borsellino's Italian-American upbringing. It comes as no surprise that Borsellino places himself at the center of the maelstrom surrounding electronic trading versus open outcry and provides a truly balanced, intelligent, and unemotional view of the momentous transformation occurring in the financial markets. It is imperative that anyone involved in trading the markets - either traditionally or electronically - read this story and benefit from the insights of one of the great traders of our lifetime."-Mario Alberico, Former Senior Vice President, Electronic Trading, Chicago Mercantile Exchange "The Day Trader is must reading for anyone in the market. Lewis Borsellino is an Italian American hero who climbed the mountain with guts and honor." -Dominic Di Frisco, President Emeritus, Joint Civic Committee of Italian-Americans "...the most honest road map to a succesful trading career ever written....generously salted with genuine insight into the workings of the market."-Worth MagazineTable of ContentsPreface. Acknowledgments. High Times. The Trading Life. Combat. A Competitor's Heart. The Down Times. The Sting. The Metamorphosis. Trading Goes Electronic. Politics, Trading, and the Futures Exchange. From Grassroots to the Global Economy. From the Pit to the PC.

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Book SynopsisIn praise of Charlie D. "Falloon's eloquent explication of the life of the legendary Charlie D delivers a good read while exposing that most under-publicized commodity of them all-a mega-trader with a low public profile whose superhuman trading abilities were exceeded by only one thing-the extended reach of his heart and soul. " -Patrick H.Table of ContentsCigar Smoke. Larger than Life. Unstung by the Sting. Lotto. Caddyshack. God Doesn't Trade Bonds. Super Bowl MVPs. Atlas Shrugged. The Other Side of Vegas. 308 East Roberta. Full Throttle. Bozo Bonds. Epilogue. Acknowledgments. Permissions Acknowledgments.

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Book Synopsis"In this. often hilarious new book, Bethune tells how he approached his turnaround challenges. "-Fortune ". in an age where managing seems increasingly complicated, some of Bethune's prescriptions are refreshingly straightforward. "-BusinessWeek.Trade ReviewIn his new book FROM WORST TO FIRST, Continental Airlines CEO Gordon Bethune tells how he led Continental's transformation into an award-winning carrier after years as an unprofitable airline that angered employees and customers.-USA Today "Some of Bethune's prescriptions are refreshingly straightforward... Bethune includes some fresh examples of his plain-spoken management style."-Business WeekTable of ContentsHOW WE CLIMBED FROM WORST TO FIRST. Is This Any Way to Run an Airline? The Last Suppers, or Whose Problem Is It? Fly to Win, or You Can Make a Pizza So Cheap Nobody Wants to Eat It. Fund the Future, or If There Ain't No Funds, There Ain't Gonna Be No Future. Make Reliability a Reality, or It's Time to Act Like a Real Airline. Working Together, or Which Part of This Watch Don't You Think We Need? Success Has No Autopilot. A FLIGHT PLAN FOR SUCCESS. How the Sickest Patients Need the Best Doctors, and Concerning Tapeworms. Nobody Loses When the Whole Team Wins. Keeping the Lines of Communication Open. Predictability, or the Value of a Zippo. What Gets Measured Gets Managed. Crop Duster's Son. Why You Just Read This Book. Acknowledgments. Index.

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Book SynopsisKen Segall put the ''i'' in iPad. Now he explains why simplicity is the secret of Apple''s success in Insanely Simple.To Steve Jobs, Simplicity wasn''t just a design principle. It was a religion and a weapon. The obsession with Simplicity is what separates Apple from other technology companies. It''s what helped Apple recover from near death in 1997 to become the most valuable company on Earth in 2011, and guides the way Apple is organized, how it designs products, and how it connects with customers. It''s by crushing the forces of Complexity that the company remains on its stellar trajectory.As creative director, Ken Segall played a key role in Apple''s resurrection, helping to create such critical campaigns as ''Think Different'' and naming the iMac. Insanely Simple is his insider''s view of Jobs'' world. It reveals the ten elements of Simplicity that have driven Apple''s success - which you can use to propel your own organisation. Reading InsanelyTrade ReviewA blueprint for running a company the Steve Jobs way ... should be required reading for anyone interested in management and marketing * The Times *Punchy ... Segall gets inside Apple's branding and marketing to explain its directness and power * Financial Times *Required reading * Observer *An entertaining perspective on how Apple typically gets it right... Candid and insightful. Insanely Simple should be required reading for any boss with a Byzantine organisation and a shrinking business * The Guardian *In this captivating book, Segall has succeeded in distilling what made Steve Jobs succeed in ways no one would have imagined - simplicity. The idea of going simple, and Jobs's obsession with it, is neither a set of rules nor a goal, but a worldview of how things should be. . . More practical than theoretical, this essential book is about using the power of Simplicity to set a company apart * Publishers Weekly *Intriguing insights from someone who worked closely with Jobs on some of Apple's most successful ad campaigns * Forbes *A few pages in, I was hooked. . . [A]n amusing and revealing book about the company's extraordinary leader, Steve Jobs, and the guiding principle that made him one of the great businessmen of the age * The Boston Globe *Ken Segall has literally captured lightning in a bottle. Insanely Simple reveals the secret of Steve Jobs's success with such clarity, even we non-geniuses can make use of it. Ken shows us how to cut through the cobwebs of fuzzy thinking, bureaucracy, and mediocrity, and clearly see what's most essential - and therefore most important -- Steve Hayden, former vice chairman, Ogilvy, and author of Apple’s legendary 1984 Super Bowl commercialAs the man who came up with the iconic iMac name that launched one of the most successful product lines in history, Segall played a pivotal role in reviving Apple from near-death. His close working relationship with Jobs allows him to provide insight into how Jobs's obsession with simplicity became the driving force that informs every decision the company makes to this day * Booklist *Reveals a fresh insight into Steve Jobs's mind and how his obsession with simplicity drove Apple to success * Macworld *This book provides industry insight that many other books on Steve Jobs and Applelack. . . Recommended for those looking for advice on running a successful corporation and readers interested in all things Apple * Library Journal *A fascinating glimpse behind Apple's famously closed doors, taking the reader inside the inner sanctum and sneaking a peek at the marketing meetings presided over by Jobs * PC Advisor *

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Book SynopsisBilly, Alfred, and General Motors is the tale not just of the two extraordinary men of its title but also of the formative decades of twentieth-century America, through two world wars and sea changes in business, industry, politics, and culture. The book includes vivid portraits of the legends of the golden age of the automobile.

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Book SynopsisIn the tradition of bestsellers such as Shoe Dog, Authentic is a surprisingly candid, compelling memoir by a high school dropout who went on to establish one of the world's most iconic brands. You may not have known their creator, but you certainly know the shoes: for more than four generations, Vans shoes have been synonymous with cool. Now in Authentic, a memoir written by Paul Van Doren and published just before his May 2021 death, the charismatic founder of Vans shares his story of heading West and capturing the American dream. Authentic is a celebration of Van Doren’s remarkable life and the iconic brand he built, beloved by skateboarders, creatives, and fans everywhere for its laid-back, colorful SoCal vibe, and famous for its people-oriented company culture. In Authentic, he shares his unlikely journey from high-school dropout to sneaker-industry legend. A blue-collar kid with no higher education and zero retail experience, Van Doren started out as a 16-year-old “service boy” at a local rubber factory. Over the next few decades, he leveraged a knack for numbers, a genius for efficiency, and the know-how to make a great canvas tennis shoe into an all-American success story. What began as a family shoe business has today evolved into a globally recognized brand with billions of dollars of annual revenue. Van Doren is not just an entrepreneur, he’s an innovator. In 1966, when the first House of Vans store opened, there were no stand-alone retail stores just for sneakers. Paul’s bold experiments in product design, distribution, and marketing (Why not sell custom shoes? Single shoes?), aided by legions of fans — skateboarders, surfers, even Sean Penn wearing Vans’ famous checkerboard slip-on shoe in the film Fast Times at Ridgemont High — made Vans a household name. But there was also back-breaking work, a shocking bankruptcy, family turmoil, and a profound shift in how customers think about athletic shoes. The book details Van Doren’s personal life, but also hard-won business lessons learned over six turbulent decades in the shoe trade: the importance of deep-rooted values, of improvisation, of vision (and revision), and above all, of valuing people over profits. Authentic is Paul Van Doren’s written legacy and his lessons for the innovators of tomorrow. Bracingly forthright and totally entertaining, Authentic is a business memoir by an American original.

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Book SynopsisA wildly entertaining biography of the British fashion designer who set the trends for rock royalty from the Beatles to Mick Jagger to Elton John.Tommy Nutter was a visionary tailor in the bespoke tradition who dressed everybody from Lord Montagu of Beaulieu to Twiggy, who outfitteds three of the Beatles for the cover of Abbey Road (George Harrison preferred jeans), who put Mick Jagger in a white suit for his wedding to Bianca and who dressed Elton John for years, using the singer as his muse for his signature outrageous style. Nutter was alluring for his ambiguity -- a chameleon who could rub shoulders with Princess Margaret and then dance with the drag queens at Last Resort -- and his clothes were the physical expression of a sharp, audacious wit.House of Nutter charts Tommy Nutter’s dramatic career that spanned barely 23 years, ending in 1992 with his untimely death. It is a history of London during an era of economic and cultural upheaval, a celebration of the methods and traditions of Savile Row; and an elegy for what was lost during the worst days of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. With archival access to photos, letters and interviews from Tommy Nutter's sole living relative, his brother, David, Lance Richardson takes us behind the '70s glamour to explore the public face and private life of one of Britain's most respected yet rule-breaking bespoke clothiers and the celebrities he dressed.Trade ReviewRichardson has created a pattern-perfect double-breasted biography of two gay brothers, who, in an unlikely rags to riches story, were brought up in north London and went on to shape the social and sartorial side of life in the 1960s -- Helen Davies * Sunday Times, **Books of the Year** *Captivating ... an engaging analysis of the British class system and the fashion industry, gay liberation and the Aids crisis, which plays out like a binge-worthy Netflix series -- Mark C O'Flaherty * Financial Times *Splendidly readable and gossipy ... a gripping read that is as much social history as it is biography ... House of Nutter, Richardson's first book, is a fine match of author and subject. He writes with flair and erudition, making extensive use of interviews with David, and bringing something new to the evocation of an era that might seem overfamiliar ... it's hard to find fault with this thoroughly enjoyably glimpse into high fashion and low life -- Alexander Larman * The Observer *What makes Lance Richardson's biography so much more than a humdrum story of rags to riches -- or rather rags to bespoke -- is its illuminating and vividly drawn account of the milieu, both social and sartorial, in which Nutter moved, and the intriguing parallel history of his elder brother, David -- Mick Brown * Sunday Telegraph *Lance Richardson’s lively, affectionate, occasionally breathless book is a double narrative, the story of two brothers who rose from modest north London origins to the fringes of international stardom ... Compelling -- Anthony Quinn * The Guardian *

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Book SynopsisChina's economic rise and influence has been one of the most significant developments in the global economy of recent times. A driving force behind this expansion has been the private entrepreneurs and companies of China, some of which have literally redefined the economic and business landscape, both inside and outside of China. Dong Mingzhu is one such entrepreneur. Gree Electric is one of the powerhouses of the air-conditioning industry, and owes its success to the entrepreneurial and management tenacity of Dong. As a young widow, aged 36, she travelled south and began work at Gree as an ordinary salesperson. Four years later, in 1994, she became head of sales. By 1996, she was deputy president, and by 2001, president of Gree. During this time, Dong challenged and transformed industry norms through her innovations in sales, service and employee policies. This is the story of one of China's most inspiring and innovative business leaders.

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Book SynopsisFrom Ben Mezrich, the New York Times bestselling author of The Accidental Billionaires and Bringing Down the House, comes Bitcoin Billionaires - the fascinating story of brothers Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss''s big bet on crypto-currency and its dazzling pay-off.Ben Mezrich''s 2009 bestseller The Accidental Billionaires is the definitive account of Facebook''s founding - and the basis for the Academy Award-winning film The Social Network. Two of the story''s iconic characters are Harvard students Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss: identical twins, Olympic rowers, and legal foils to Mark Zuckerberg. Bitcoin Billionaires is the story of the brothers'' redemption and revenge in the wake of their epic legal battle with Facebook - and the first great book from the world of bitcoin.Planning to start careers as venture capitalists, the brothers quickly discover that no one will take their money for fear of alienating ZuckerTrade ReviewBitcoin Billionaires takes us right inside the Winklevoss brothers' wild chase for redemption through a global maze of big money and backroom deals. Ben Mezrich delivers a tense, propulsive story of ambition and success * Matthew Pearl, New York Times bestselling author of The Dante Club and The Dante Chamber *The book is written with a slick beauty . . . As an introduction to the rise of cryptocurrencies and the modern tech world generally, it is as painless and novelistic as could be imagined * Guardian *A page turner. Sensibly, Mezrich opts to focus on action. He makes sense of bleeding-but-baffling-edge technology by following the human accessories: early-adopters, a rat pack of weed-smoking coders, dark-web pirates, libertarian philosophers and boy-wonder investors who wouldn't feel out of place in a Thomas Pynchon novel - and like Pynchon, the thrill is in a wild chase for answers to a mystery that the layperson can only grope at * Evening Standard *An easily digested cryptocurrency primer * Financial Times *Gripping . . . Ben Mezrich is a gifted writer who could make a PTA meeting dramatic and exciting * The Times *

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Book SynopsisA Wall Street Journal BestsellerFormer IBM CEO Ginni Rometty delivers a powerful combination of memoir, leadership lessons, and big ideas on how we can all drive meaningful change.Ginni Rometty led one of the world's most iconic companies, and in Good Power she recounts her groundbreaking path from a challenging childhood to becoming the CEO of IBM and one of the world's most influential business leaders. With candor and depth, Rometty shares milestones from her life and career while redefining power as a way to drive meaningful change in positive ways for ourselves, our organizations, and for the many, not just the few—a concept she calls "good power."Rometty's "memoir with purpose" combines the experiences that defined her life—personal hurdles, high-stakes decisions, passionate advocacy—with the actionable advice of a coaching session to highlight lessons that shape authentic leadership. Behind-the-scenes stories and practical guidance offer us a blueprint for how we can all use good power to advance our careers, inspire our teams, improve our companies, and create healthier societies.The book begins with raw, vivid memories from Rometty's youth and early professional years as she recalls the trauma and the role models that formed her belief that how we lead is as important as what we achieve. She learns early on that good power is a choice available to everyone, even to those without money, status, or impressive titles.Rometty then shows us how her concept of good power evolved as she grew from a first-time manager to a transformative CEO. Stories told through the lens of five principles—be in service of others; build belief; know what must change and what must endure; steward good tech; be resilient—reveal tools that anyone can apply to achieve real change at any stage of their life and work.Rometty also encourages us to use good power at scale to bring about urgent societal change. She shares insights from her own journey to create a more equitable world by leading the SkillsFirst movement, which connects underserved populations with family-sustaining jobs by transforming hiring, education, and training.With heart, humility, and conviction, Good Power offers an inspiring, compelling guide to creating meaningful change in our lives.Trade ReviewNamed one of the Top 23 Leadership Books of 2023 by The Next Big Idea ClubNamed one of the best management books of 2023 by Børsen."By using a purposeful, practical approach to problem-solving, Rometty demonstrates how to blend authenticity, relationships, and curiosity with vision, rigor, and conviction as she did during her time as the first female CEO of an iconic global company." — INC magazineNamed one of "7 Books by Women Leaders That Will Accelerate Your Success" by CHIEF"An emotive journey of overcoming adversity in life and the exercising of ethical power in managing change." — Irish Tech NewsNamed one of "4 of the Most Anticipated Business Books You Need to Read in 2023" by Inc. magazineAdvance Praise for Good Power:"Rometty's practical wisdom is refreshingly honest and inspiring. Her book will change your definition of power, your relationship to it, and the path you take to earn and deploy it." — Mary Barra, Chair and CEO, General Motors"Ginni Rometty championed stakeholder capitalism, ethical tech, and inclusion years before they were movements. What will you champion? This book will inspire you to find out and act." — will.i.am, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and artist"Good Power is a wonderful read, revealing Rometty's personal journey and outlining a movement to reinvent education and create more inclusive and equitable economies." — Indra Nooyi, former Chairman and CEO, PepsiCo"Ginni Rometty is an inspiring leader who knows that you have what it takes to succeed and improve the world. Her story can be your playbook." — Ray Dalio, #1 New York Times bestselling author, Principles; founder, Bridgewater Associates"An insightful read that I recommend to anyone interested in how an individual can come to influence the world." — Walter Isaacson, author, Steve Jobs and The Code Breaker"In Good Power, one of the world's most admired leaders reveals pivotal principles that propelled her success. It's a refreshingly personal, resoundingly practical read on gaining power and using it to empower." — Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author, Think Again"Ginni Rometty made bold changes to reposition IBM for the future, reinventing 50 percent of the company's portfolio. She knows how to build, transform, and lead a successful life and a successful organization. In Good Power she provides the principles for doing just that." — Hank Paulson, 74th US Treasury Secretary; Chairman, the Paulson Institute"A fascinating book about overcoming disadvantage and claiming one's own potential. What makes Rometty a truly exceptional leader is her commitment to using her power to make a positive and lasting difference in others' lives." — Ken Frazier, former Chairman and CEO, Merck"A humble, authentic book about how to discover and expand the leader within yourself. Rometty's unforgettable story and her book's three-part structure are both a guide for emerging leaders and a call to action for CEOs and government leaders." — Marillyn Hewson, former Chairman, President, and CEO, Lockheed Martin

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Book SynopsisFromthe Wall Street Journal's Tripp Mickle, the dramatic, untold story inside Apple after the passing of Steve Jobs by following his top lieutenantsJony Ive, the Chief Design Officer, and Tim Cook, the COO-turned-CEOand how the fading of the former and the rise of the latter led to Apple losing its soul.Steve Jobs called Jony Ive his spiritual partner at Apple. The London-born genius was the second-most powerful person at Apple and the creative force who most embodies Jobs's spirit, the man who designed the products adopted by hundreds of millions the world over: the iPod, iPad, MacBook Air, the iMac G3, and the iPhone. In the wake of his close collaborator's death, the chief designer wrestled with grief and initially threw himself into his work designing the new Apple headquarters and the Watch before losing his motivation in a company increasingly devoted more to margins than to inspiration.In many ways, Cook was Ive's opposite. The product of a small Alabama town, he had risen through the ranks from the supply side of the company. His gift was not the creation of new products. Instead, he had invented countless ways to maximize a margin, squeezing some suppliers, persuading others to build factories the size of cities to churn out more units. He considered inventory evil. He knew how to make subordinates sweat with withering questions.Jobs selected Cook as his successor, and Cook oversaw a period of tremendous revenue growth that has lifted Apple's valuation to $3 trillion. He built a commanding business in China and rapidly distinguished himself as a master politician who could forge global alliances and send the world's stock market into freefall with a single sentence.Author Tripp Mickle spoke with more than 200 current and former Apple executives, as well as figures key to this period of Apple's history, including Trump administration officials and fashion luminaries such as Anna Wintour while writing After Steve. His research shows the company's success came at a cost. Apple lost its innovative spirit and has not designed a new category of device in years. Ive's departure in 2019 marked a culmination in Apple's shift from a company of innovation to one of operational excellence, and the price is a company that has lost its soul.Trade Review“Mickle penetrates the veil of secrecy shrouding one of the great dramas of modern business history: how Apple not only survived but thrived after the death of its brilliant, charismatic founder – and at what personal cost to his successors, Tim Cook and Jony Ive. After Steve is both a feat of reporting on what may be the most secretive company in the world and a gripping narrative that brings readers inside the “Spaceship,” Apple’s futuristic headquarters.” – James B. Stewart, author of New York Times bestsellers Den of Thieves, Blood Sport and DisneyWar “Pulls off the rare feat of illuminating Apple's spiritual misdirections through the life and times of Jony Ive before and after Steve Jobs's death. This extraordinary book has a lot of heart, but also lessons on how a visionary company can lose its soul in search of even greater profits." – Bradley Hope, co-author of the New York Times bestseller Billion Dollar Whale “Mickle pierced Apple's culture of omerta to deliver an intimate portrait of how Steve Jobs's top disciples – Tim Cook, the inscrutable operator, and Jony Ive, the passionate artist – grappled with the loss of their master and their own differences to bring his creation to unprecedented success.” – Sara Gay Forden, author of House of Gucci and editor at Bloomberg News “A thrilling account of the characters, intrigues, and decisions that drove Apple to become the world’s most valuable corporation. After Steve is sure to become the definitive account of the post-Jobs era at Apple.”– Bhu Srinivasan, author of Americana “A fascinating look at Apple in the post-Jobs era. Mickle highlights the link between professional dynamics and personal relationships and how large-cap companies need different skills as they scale. A master class in how creatives and operators work together to build value.” – Scott Galloway, best-selling author of The Four and Post Corona

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Book SynopsisThe William E. Boeing Story - A Gift of Flight is the first-ever full-length biography of William E. Boeing; the father of commercial aviation. Boeing’s story is an exciting one complete with bootleggers, kidnappers and a disastrous run-in with President Franklin Roosevelt and future Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black. Boeing’s story covers every aspect of early aviation starting with his first ride in a balloon in 1896 to the christening of the revolutionary jet-powered Dash-80 / 707 in 1955. Along the way, Boeing developed some of the world’s most iconic airplanes including the P-26 Peashooter, the Boeing 247, the B-17 Flying Fortress and the mighty B-29 Superfortress. The Boeing Family gave author David D. Williams unprecedented access to the Boeing Family Archives which contained thousands of never before seen photos, diaries, and personal letters. This treasure trove of primary sources allowed Williams to create an extraordinarily vivid and accurate portrait of this influential yet private man.Table of ContentsIntroduction; Prologue Bombs Away, 1915; Part I: The Beginning, 1889-1910: 1 Taconite; 2 Boarding School; 3 Wheel, Heels and Sand; 4 Wood Smoke and Rain; 5 Taking Wing; 6 A City Built of Wood; 7 In the Wake of the Great White Fleet; 8 Imposter!; 9 Rancho Dominguez; 10 The Oxbow Plant; Part II: Aeroplanes Are Your Best Defense, 1914-1918: 11 First Flight; 12 Preparedness; 13 Soloing; 14 Raided!; 15 Lawyers; 16 Mallard and Bluebill; 17 Pacific Aero Products Company; 18 University of Washington; 19 The Patent War; 20 The Zimmermann Telegram; 21 Telegram for Mr Boeing; 22 Spanish Flu; Part III: Growing Pains, 1919-1928: 23 The Hard Struggle; 24 Weaving Spiders Come Not Here; 25 Tell the Junk Man to Cart It All Away; 26 B-1; 27 Wet vs Dry; 28 Airplanes Not Cement Sidewalks!; 29 Dearly Beloved; 30 Whispering Wires; 31 Round Up!; 32 The Engine is the Machine; 33 Mr Boeing Goes to Washington; 34 Meeting the President; Part IV: The Great Depression, 1929-1933: 35 Near Death!; 36 Painful Progress; 37 A Million Angles; 38 Pratt & Whitney; 39 Depression; 40 The Monomail; 41 The Silent Queen on the Upper Deck; 42 Dangers at Home; 43 FDR; 44 Model 247; 45 Nitroglycerin; Part V: The Break Up, 1933-1938: 46 Money Matters; 47 Senate Hearing; 48 Not Worth a Nickel; 49 Project A; 50 Gone Fishing; 51 Flying Fortress; 52 Aloha; 53 The Sport of Kings; Part VI: The War Years and After, 1939-1956: 54 The Failure of Peace; 55 In God’s Good Time; 56 Boeing Bombers Blast Battleship!; 57 A Day That Will Live in Infamy; 58 Back in the Fight; 59 This Terrible Game of War; 60 Superfortress; 61 Farm Life; 62 Aftermath; 63 Run for the Roses; 64 The Boeing Brand; 65 Bombing the Stadium (Again); 66 “Festung Europa”; 67 Another Empty Chair; 68 Silverplate; 69 VE-Day and VJ-Day; 70 Blue Skies and Tailwinds; Epilogue; Appendix Bill Boeing and Race; Endnotes; Bibliography; Index.

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Book SynopsisFrom the birth of modern industry to winning WWII to Japan''s Economic Miracle, W. Edwards Deming helped shape some of the most profound moments in modern history. Deming, an American engineer and statistician, is widely recognized for his contributions to the field of quality management. But his teachings go beyond quality management; they influence not only how we work today, but also how we can continue to succeed in the future. Part business history, part biography, part journey into deep business sense, bestselling author John Willis captures the full picture of Deming''s life and influence. Most importantly, Willis reveals the experiences that led to Deming''s greatest discovery: the System of Profound Knowledge, a collection of fundamental truths that show how any system or process can be transformed into something greater.From the real-life Rosie the Riveter to a hacker writing US cybersecurity law, Deming''s ingenuity and system of thinking changed how we think in the modern world. This book shows how we can take that influence and continue to apply it our own future.

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Book Synopsis''Manual for success'' The AthleticWith an opening chapter by Sir Jim RatcliffeTo mark the 25th Anniversary of the founding of INEOS in 1998, seven leading specialist authors explore the main strands of INEOS''s business, including its core chemical business to its ventures into sport, automotive, consumer goods, sustainability, next generation and philanthropy.* Dominic O''Connell on INEOS'' core petrochemicals and energy business* Patrick Barclay on INEOS''s involvement in sport from the America''s Cup to cycling, athletics to Formula 1 and football* Quentin Willson on the building of the Grenadier from scratch in response to the demise of the Land Rover Defender* Steph McGovern on INEOS'' move into the consumer goods sector with brands such as Belstaff and INEOS Hygienics, so vital during the pandemic* Sean Keach on INEOS'' journey to Net Zero and sustainable investment* Lord Sebastian CoeTrade ReviewThe book tells us more about why Ratcliffe wants to buy Manchester United, how he would fund it and what an INEOS-run United would look like than anything produced in the past eight months of best-intentioned guesswork. * The Athletic *

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Book SynopsisOn October 28th, hours after completing a $44 billion takeover of Twitter, Elon Musk Tweeted to his millions of followers ''The bird is freed.''Musk''s takeover of Twitter was one of the most audacious and remarkable deals in tech history. The Battle for Twitter takes readers back to the very beginning and how we reached this point. It looks at the origins of the platform, the vision of its co-founder Jack Dorsey, and how it became a battleground for ideas, controversies, and viral moments that shaped the world we live in today.With meticulous research and unprecedented access, author Kurt Wagner paints a vivid portrait of power struggles, bitter rivalries, and ground-breaking decisions that have shaped the evolution of Twitter. From Musk''s audacious tweets to Dorsey''s enigmatic persona, The Battle for Twitter uncovers the depths of their involvement, revealing the forces that have propelled them to the forefront of global attention. In this grippin

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Book SynopsisGambling Man is the biography of one of the world's least known but most consequential investors.Japan's Masayoshi Son has made and lost several fortunes, investing or controlling assets worth $1 trillion in the past two decades through his media-tech giant, SoftBank. He bankrolled Alibaba, China's internet colossus, before the world had heard about it; plotted with Steve Jobs to turn the iPhone into a wonder product; and financed hundreds of tech start-ups, fuelling the biggest boom Silicon Valley has ever seen. This book takes you on Son's wild ride, from his birthplace in a Korean slum in post-war Japan to the modern-day temples of power. It speeds through Donald Trump's golden skyscraper in Manhattan, the royal palaces of Riyadh and the throne rooms of China's Marxist rulers; all places where Son has deployed his unique blend of financial engineering and crazy risk-taking. Son's story captures a 25 year-span of hyper-globalisation in which money, technologies and ideas flowed freely. From the launch of the microchip to the advent of artificial intelligence, he has ridden the technological wave which has created extraordinary wealth and economic change. His topsy-turvy business career is testimony to the power of optimism, daring to dream, ever in search of the Next Big Thing. As an ethnic Korean in Japan, Son has overcome adversity and discrimination to become Japan's best-known businessman and empire-builder but he remains an elusive, intensely private figure. This book, by a former editor of the Financial Times, contains a wealth of new information and has had the co-operation of many of the key participants, including Son himself. Written with a verve appropriate to its subject, Gambling Man reveals the man behind the money, what drives him, why he matters, and what he plans for his next act.

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Book SynopsisFifteen years after Bernie Madoff’s arrest, renowned investigative journalist Richard Behar delivers the definitive account of history’s largest—and longest-running—financial fraud.Some $68 billion evaporated during Bernie Madoff’s epic confidence game. Two people were driven to suicide in the wake of the Ponzi Scheme’s exposure. Others went to prison. But there has never been a satisfying accounting for how Bernie got away with so much, for so long. Until now. Richard Behar’s relationship with Madoff began in 2011 with a simple email request from the inmate. By the time Madoff died in 2021, he had sent Behar more than 300 emails and dozens of handwritten letters, participated in some fifty phone conversations, and sat for three in-person jailhouse interviews—a level of access provided to no other reporter. Behar also established relationships with hundreds of regulators, prosecutors, FBI agents, investors,

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Book SynopsisThe son of a meat market porter and an office cleaner, Peter Cruddas left Shoreditch Comprehensive School at the age of fifteen with no qualifications and a part-time job as a milkman. Today he's Lord Cruddas of Shoreditch, the founder of a GBP1.5 billion financial trading company and a distinguished philanthropist, giving to over 200 charities through his foundation, which helps young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. Fed up with Labour's economic mismanagement, Cruddas began his foray into politics, becoming a key Conservative Party donor. But after being elevated to treasurer in 2011, he fell victim to a Sunday Times sting in which he was falsely accused of breaking the law on party donations. With unflinching honesty, he reveals the full story of his successful libel battle and opens a Pandora's box of profound wider questions about newspaper dark arts and the power of the British press over the judicial system. Refusing to be scared off from the political world, Cruddas co-founded the winning Vote Leave campaign. Here, he gives a detailed insider view of the real reasons behind the victory and contemplates how Britain can now thrive outside the EU. Filled with heartbreak and elation, this is the extraordinary story of Cruddas's epic rise from an east London council estate to a Mayfair mansion - and includes plenty of tips for budding billionaires.

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Book SynopsisThe gripping and shocking story of three generations of the Sackler family and their roles in the stories of Valium, OxyContin and the opioid crisis. The inspiration behind the Netflix series Painkiller, starring Uzo Aduba and Matthew Broderick.The Sunday Times BestsellerWinner of the 2021 Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-FictionA BBC Radio 4 'Book of the Week'Shortlisted for the 2021 Financial Times/McKinsey Business Book of the Year AwardOne of Barack Obama’s Favorite Books of 2021Shortlisted for the Crime Writers' Association Gold Dagger for Non-Fiction'I gobbled up Empire of Pain . . . a masterclass in compelling narrative nonfiction.' – Elizabeth Day, The Guardian '30 Best Summer Reads'‘You feel almost guilty for enjoying it so much’ – The TimesThe Sackler name adorns the walls of many storied institutions – Harvard; the Metropolitan Museum of Art; Oxford; the Louvre. They are one of the richest families in the world, known for their lavish donations in the arts and the sciences. The source of the family fortune was vague, however, until it emerged that the Sacklers were responsible for making and marketing Oxycontin, a blockbuster painkiller that was a catalyst for the opioid crisis – an international epidemic of drug addiction which has killed nearly half a million people.In this masterpiece of narrative reporting and writing, award-winning journalist and host of the Wind of Change podcast Patrick Radden Keefe exhaustively documents the jaw-dropping and ferociously compelling reality. Empire of Pain is the story of a dynasty: a parable of twenty-first-century greed.'There are so many "they did what?" moments in this book, when your jaw practically hits the page' – Sunday TimesTrade ReviewThere are so many "they did what?" moments in this book, when your jaw practically hits the page * Sunday Times *This is no dense medical tome, but a page-turner with a villainous family to rival the Roys in Succession, and one where every chapter ends with the perfect bombshell. * Esquire *The story of the Sacklers and OxyContin is a parable of the modern era of philanthropy being deployed to burnish the reputations of financiers and entrepreneurs . . . [A] tour-de-force * Financial Times *Put simply, this book will make your blood boil . . . a devastating portrait of a family consumed by greed and unwilling to take the slightest responsibility or show the least sympathy for what it wrought . . . a highly readable and disturbing narrative. -- John Carreyrou, author of Bad Blood * New York Times Book Review *An engrossing (and frequently enraging) tale of striving, secrecy and self-delusion . . . Even when detailing the most sordid episodes, Keefe’s narrative voice is calm and admirably restrained, allowing his prodigious reporting to speak for itself. His portrait of the family is all the more damning for its stark lucidity. -- Jennifer Szalai * New York Times *A true tragedy in multiple acts. It is the story of a family that lost its moorings and its morals . . . Written with novelistic family-dynasty and family-dynamic sweep, Empire of Pain is a pharmaceutical Forsythe Saga, a book that in its way is addictive, with a page-turning forward momentum. -- David M. Shribman * Boston Globe *Explosive . . . Keefe marshals a large pile of evidence and deploys it with prosecutorial precision . . . Keefe is a gifted storyteller who excels at capturing personalities. * Washington Post *An air-tight indictment of the family behind the opioid crisis . . . [an] impressive exposé -- Harriet Ryan * Los Angeles Times *A damning portrait of the Sacklers, the billionaire clan behind the OxyContin epidemic . . . [Keefe] has a knack for crafting lucid, readable descriptions of the sort of arcane business arrangements the Sacklers favored. -- Laura Miller * Slate *Keefe has a way of making the inaccessible incredibly digestible, of morphing complex stories into page-turning thrillers, and he's done it again with Empire of Pain . . . equal parts juicy society gossip and historical record. -- Seija Rankin * Entertainment Weekly *

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Book SynopsisAn insight into the man at the heart of the world’s most infamous maritime disasterTrade ReviewCliff Ismay has done a terrific job of telling Joseph Bruce Ismay's life story, and has thoroughly outlined the chairman's relationship with the White Star Line as well as his controversial survival of the Titanic disaster. In short, this is the Ismay biography we've all been waiting for. -- George BeheBeing the Great Granddaughter of Margaret (The Unsinkable Molly) Brown, I am no stranger to the many misconceptions that have been circulated about my ancestor. Cliff Ismay is also familiar with this regarding his famous ancestor, J. Bruce Ismay.This book is sure to educate and surprise you. Cliff will show you the Bruce Ismay to whom you have never been introduced. So, I encourage you to enjoy this very insightful look into the life of a man you only thought you knew. -- Helen BenzigerThe name J. Bruce Ismay summons strong feelings from many who have studied the Titanic story. Many see him as a villain while others see his efforts loading the lifeboats as a reason to view him differently. In Understanding J. Bruce Ismay, we are taken on a journey into Ismay’s life, giving insight to the man who became infamous during the early morning of April 15, 1912. Enjoy this different perspective of J. Bruce Ismay’s life. -- Bill Willard

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Book Synopsis In this New York Times bestseller, ayoung and successful entrepreneur makes the case that politics has no place in business, and sets out a new vision for the future of American capitalism. There?s a new invisible force at work in our economic and cultural lives. It affects every advertisement we see and every product we buy, from our morning coffee to a new pair of shoes. ?Stakeholder capitalism? makes rosy promises of a better, more diverse, environmentally-friendly world, but in reality this ideology championed by America?s business and political leaders robs us of our money, our voice, and our identity. Vivek Ramaswamy is a traitor to his class. He?s founded multibillion-dollar enterprises, led a biotech company as CEO, he became a hedge fund partner in his 20s, trained as a scientist at Harvard and a lawyer at Yale, and grew up the child of immigrants in a small town in Ohio. Now he takes us behind the scenes into corporate boardrooms and five-star conferences, into Ivy League classrooms and secretive nonprofits, to reveal the defining scam of our century. The modern woke-industrial complex divides us as a people. By mixing morality with consumerism, America?s elites prey on our innermost insecurities about who we really are. They sell us cheap social causes and skin-deep identities to satisfy our hunger for a cause and our search for meaning, at a moment when we as Americans lack both. This book not only rips back the curtain on the new corporatist agenda, it offers a better way forward. America?s elites may want to sort us into demographic boxes, but we don?t have to stay there. Woke, Inc.begins as a critique of stakeholder capitalism and ends with an exploration of what it means to be an American today?a journey that begins with cynicism and ends with hope.

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At the summit of his power, John Law was the most famous man in Europe. Born in Scotland in 1671, he was convicted of murder in London and, after his escape from prison, fled Scotland for the mainland when Union with England brought with it a warrant for his arrest. On the continent he lurched from one money-making scheme to the next - selling insurance against losing lottery tickets in Holland, advising the Duke of Savoy - amassing a fortune of some £80,000.But for his next trick he had grander ambitions. When Louis XIV died, leaving a thoroughly bankrupt France to his five-year-old heir, Law gained the ear of the Regent, Philippe D'Orleans. In the years that followed, Law's financial wizardry transformed the fortunes of France, enriching speculators and investors across the continent, and he was made Controller-General of Finances, effectively becoming the French Prime Minister. But the fall from grace that was to follow was every bit as spectacular as his meteoric rise.John Law, by a biographer of Adam Smith and the author of Frozen Desire and Capital of the Mind, dramatises the life of one of the most inventive financiers in history, a man who was born before his time and in whose day the word millionaire came to be coined.

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Book SynopsisChina's economic rise and influence has been one of the most significant developments in the global economy of recent times. A driving force behind this expansion has been the private entrepreneurs and companies of China, some of which have literally redefined the economic and business landscape, both inside and outside of China. With a $15,000 loan from his father, the former high school dropout and factory worker Wang Wei started up his courier delivery service, SF Express, in 1993. This book is a classic rags-to-riches story of a young entrepreneur who grew SF Express into a logistics empire with revenues of $7 billion and 400,000 employees by 2015. The phenomenal rise of Wang and his company was further propelled by a $30 billion public listing in Shanghai in 2018. By any standards, this is one of the most remarkable entrepreneurial stories of recent times.

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Book SynopsisChina's economic rise and influence has been one of the most significant developments in the global economy of recent times. A driving force behind this expansion has been the private entrepreneurs and companies of China, some of which have literally redefined the economic and business landscape, both inside and outside of China. Born in a small fishing village in 1967 to a poor family, Guo Guangchang's break came when the Chinese government began to encourage business enterprise. He and four university friends set up their own company in 1992 to advise foreign companies that were entering into China. Fosun International eventually became the largest private enterprise in China by expanding into insurance, pharmaceuticals, property, mining, retail and finance. Today, Guo is the Chairman of Fosun International and this book provides a unique, inside examination of Guo and his company's remarkable global expansion.

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Book SynopsisThe book behind the Netflix series, starring Octavia Spencer'One of the most fabulous African-American figures of the twentieth century' Ishmael ReedMadam Walker was the first free-born child in her family, growing up in abject poverty in post-Civil War America. From humble beginnings, she overcame societal prejudice, family betrayals and epic business rivalries to pioneer cosmetics that revolutionised black hair care, build a beauty empire, and become one of the wealthiest self-made women in America. Not only an astute businesswoman, but a passionate activist and philanthropist, Madam Walker provided jobs and training for thousands of African American women across the country, and used her wealth to fight for equality, forming friendships with important civil rights voices such as W. E. B. Du Bois, Booker T. Washington and Ida B. Wells-Barnett along the way. Drawn from more than two decades of research by her great-great-granddaughter, journalist and historian A'Lelia Bundles, Self Made is the definitive biography of Madam Walker's inspirational life and an illuminating insight into the larger African American struggle in the early twentieth century.'An important piece of history' Washington Post'A fascinating portrait of an astonishing woman' Kirkus ReviewsPreviously published as On Her Own GroundTrade ReviewA fascinating book about a fascinating woman . . . a wonderful story of an entrepreneur, but also a story about a dedicated African-American woman who was committed to giving her time and money to her community - USA TodayBundles tells the tale with obvious affection and impressive scholarship . . .Walker's fable comes up fresh and inspirational - Chicago TribuneWell-paced and well-written . . . as much social history as biography, filled with the detail and texture of culture and politics - New York TimesVivdly recounts the rise of the washerwoman who would light the way for other black businesswomen, bankroll YMCAs and lead an anti-lynching campaign all the way to the White House - People magazine

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Book SynopsisIn an industry littered with great characters and extraordinary personalities, Joe Hobbs stands out as one of the whisky world's most colourful and interesting entrepreneurs, a man who packed more into each decade of his life than most people manage in a lifetime. Whilst individual episodes and activities of his life are quite well known, his fascinating and wide-ranging full life story has not been told before, despite the fact Joe features in Whisky Magazine's list of Top 100 Most Influential Whisky Figures' of all time. Not Your Average Joe tells the fascinating story of how the son of a bankrupt English farmer rose to be one of the leading figures in the history of the Scotch whisky industry, making two fortunes and losing one along the way. The book explains Joe's pioneering exploits as one of the first military aviators during WW1; his controversial rum-running activities into the USA during Prohibition in the 1920s; his leading role in designing and building the city of Vancouver's first skyscraper; his rise as one of the leading Scotch whisky barons'; and his pioneering transformation of a derelict 10,000 acre Scottish Highland estate into the UK's first cattle ranch during Britain's battle for beef' in the lean years after WW2.

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