History of specific companies / corporate history Books

Book SynopsisBryan Burrough is a reporter for the Wall Street Journal in New York. In 1987 he won the John Hancock Award for Excellence in Business and Financial Journalism. John Helyar worked for the Wall Street Journal for nine years. He is now a senior editor of Southpoint, a business magazine based in Atlanta, Georgia.Trade ReviewAll the suspense of a first-rate thriller - one of the finest, most compelling accounts of what happened to corporate America and Wall Street in the 1980s. * New York Times Book Review *One of the greatest business books ever written * New York Times *It's hard to imagine a better story * Chicago Tribune *The most bizarre financial mock-epic of our age. Read it open-mouthed; wonder and shudder. * Independent *

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Book Synopsis‘Essential for any leader in any industry’ – Kim Scott, bestselling author of Radical CandorWorking Backwards gives an insider’s account of Amazon’s approach to culture, leadership and best practices from two long-time, top-level Amazon executives.Colin Bryar and Bill Carr joined Amazon in the late 90s. Their time at the company covered a period of unmatched innovation that brought products and services – including Kindle, Amazon Prime, Amazon Echo and Alexa, and Amazon Web Services – to life. Through the story of these innovations they reveal the principles and practices that drive Amazon’s success.Through their wealth of experience they offer unprecedented access to the ‘Amazon way’ as it was refined, articulated and proven to be repeatable, scalable and adaptable. Working Backwards shows how success is not achieved by the genius of any single leader, but rather through commitment to and execution of a set of well-defined, rigorously executed principles and practices that you can apply at your own company, no matter the size.‘Working Backwards should be read by anyone interested in the real thing – the principles, processes and practices of twenty-first-century management and leadership’ – Forbes‘Gives us the story as it developed at the time – and that is probably worth the cover price of the book in itself’ – Financial TimesTrade ReviewColin Bryar and Bill Carr dive deep into how Amazon has become the company to study if you want to succeed in 21st-century business. -- Tim O'Reilly, owner of O'Reilly MediaFor those looking to change the world in ways (very) large and small via innovation and business, my strong recommendation is to dive deeply into Working Backwards . . . I anticipate Working Backwards to quickly become required reading in board rooms and classrooms around the world -- Jason Kilar, CEO of WarnerMediaColin Bryar and Bill Carr have operationalized the core management practices that lie behind Amazon's success . . . You'll want to have your highlighter ready and keep this book close at hand for quick reference. -- Kim Scott, bestselling author of Radical CandorLeaders who want to foster customer obsession and drive operational excellence within their organizations should read this book. -- Jim Whitehurst, President, IBMA must-read for every entrepreneur or business leader focused on driving growth. -- Mariana Garavaglia, Chief People & Business Operations Officer, PelotonColin and Bill have captured the essence of what it means at Amazon to start with the customer and work backwards. -- Serguei Netessine, Vice Dean and Dhirubhai Ambani Professor of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at The Wharton SchoolWorking Backwards should be read by anyone interested in the real thing – the principles, processes and practices of 21st-century management and leadership * Forbes *Rather like a potted business school case-study, this book gives us the story as it developed at the time – and that is probably worth the cover price of the book in itself -- Financial TimesThis book reads like a how-to guide, which perhaps is by design? -- Associated PressRather than offering a dull catalog of the company’s 14 Leadership Principles and three implementation mechanisms, Mr Bryar and Mr Carr provide concrete and accessible examples of how these are put into practice across a range of functions, from hiring and communications to organizational and product design. -- New York Times

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Book SynopsisDecline can be avoided.Decline can be detected.Decline can be reversed.Amidst the desolate landscape of fallen great companies, Jim Collins began to wonder: How do the mighty fall? Can decline be detected early and avoided? How far can a company fall before the path toward doom becomes inevitable and unshakable? How can companies reverse course?In How the Mighty Fall, Collins confronts these questions, offering leaders the well-founded hope that they can learn how to stave off decline and, if they find themselves falling, reverse their course. Collins' research project-more than four years in duration-uncovered five step-wise stages of decline: Stage 1: Hubris Born of SuccessStage 2: Undisciplined Pursuit of MoreStage 3: Denial of Risk and PerilStage 4: Grasping for SalvationStage 5: Capitulation to Irrelevance or DeathBy understanding these stages of decline, leaders can substantially reduce their chances of falling all the way to the bottom.Great companies can stumble, badly, and recover.Every institution, no matter how great, is vulnerable to decline. There is no law of nature that the most powerful will inevitably remain at the top. Anyone can fall and most eventually do. But, as Collins' research emphasizes, some companies do indeed recover-in some cases, coming back even stronger-even after having crashed into the depths of Stage 4.Decline, it turns out, is largely self-inflicted, and the path to recovery lies largely within our own hands. We are not imprisoned by our circumstances, our history, or even our staggering defeats along the way. As long as we never get entirely knocked out of the game, hope always remains. The mighty can fall, but they can often rise again.

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Book SynopsisCEO Louis V. Gerstner Jr.'s memoir about the extraordinary turnaround of IBM and his transformation of the company into the industry leader of the computer age the great American business story of our time.When Louis V. Gerstner became CEO of IBM in 1993, shares had slumped and the company was on the verge of collapse. Hired for his successful management of RJR Nabisco and American Express, Gerstner had no background in technology, but during his seven-year chairmanship, he transformed the company into the leading force of the computer age. In his frank, direct voice, Gerstner recalls the obstacles he faced: the plans to fragment the company, the inconsistent global policies, the stodgy white-shirt hierarchy and inter-departmental competitiveness and the rapidly declining sales. Within months of joining IBM, Gerstner presented his bold and controversial business strategy. Punitive towards office politics, he revolutionised the company from within, altering an entire corporate culture,

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Book SynopsisMichael Aldous and John Turner reconstruct the evolution of British CEOs over the past century. From gentleman amateurs to professional managers, entrepreneurs, frauds, and fat cats, they reveal the characters who have made it to the top, how they get there, and the lessons from their successes and failures.

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Book SynopsisSince the invention of the iPhone and App Store, Apple has built a near unassailable market power, controlling not only commerce, but also culture, and - increasingly - the flow of ideas. In response, a loose rebel alliance of tech entrepreneurs has formed to lay siege to Apple, bringing together X's Elon Musk, WeChat's Pony Ma, Spotify's Daniel Ek and Epic Games' Tim Sweeney. In the trenches of popular opinion and now in the courtrooms of Europe and the United States, this rebellion aims to tear down Apple's walls and dismantle its monopoly. The Siege of Apple weaves together the story of Apple's rise and reign with the political and international forces arrayed against it in the fight over control of the global digital economy. The stakes couldn't be higher.

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Book SynopsisFrom twice-Pulitzer-Prize-winning author Steve Coll comes Private Empire, winner of the FT/GOLDMAN SACHS BUSINESS BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD 2012The oil giant ExxonMobil makes more money annually than the GDP of most countries; has greater sway than US embassies abroad; and spends more on lobbying than any other corporation. Yet to outsiders it is a mystery. In Private Empire, award-winning reporter Steve Coll tells the truth about the world''s most powerful and shadowy company.From the Exxon Valdez accident in 1989 to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, via Moscow, the swamps of the Niger Delta and the halls of Congress, he reveals a story of dictators, oligarchs, civil war, blackmail, secrecy and ruthlessness. Drawing on hundreds of interviews and newly declassified documents, this is a chilling portrait of unchecked power.Reviews:''Magisterial ... a revealing history of our time'' New York Review of Books''Meticulous, multi-angled and valuable ... Coll''s prose sweeps the earth like an Imax camera'' Dwight Garner, The New York Times ''Jaw-dropping reading'' Kirkus Reviews''The definitive work on its subject ... at every stop there are vivid anecdotes, sharp insights and telling details'' Ed Crooks, Financial TimesAbout the author:Steve Coll is the author of the New York Times bestseller The Bin Ladens. He is president of the New America Foundation, a nonpartisan public policy institute headquartered in Washington, D.C., and a staff writer for The New Yorker. He won a Pulitzer prize for explanatory journalism while working at the Washingon Post. He is the author of six other books, including the bestseller Ghost Wars, which won him a second Pulitzer prize. He lives in Washington and New York.Trade ReviewMagisterial ... a revealing history of our time -- Bill McKibben * New York Review of Books *Meticulously researched and elegantly written, it is likely to be the definitive work on its subject for many years to come. Steve Coll ... is honest about Exxon's strengths as well as its flaws, and presents both sides of the arguments with scrupulous even-handedness ... At every stop there are vivid anecdotes, sharp insights and telling details -- Ed Crooks * Financial Times *Masterful ... Coll's in-depth reporting, buttressed by his anecdotal prose, make Private Empire a must-read ... [His] portrait of ExxonMobil is both riveting and appalling... Yet Private Empire is not so much an indictment as a fascinating look into American business and politics * San Francisco Chronicle *Meticulous, multi-angled and valuable ... Coll's prose sweeps the earth like an Imax camera -- Dwight Garner * New York Times *A thorough, sobering study of the pernicious consolidation of Big Oil ... jaw-dropping reading * Kirkus Reviews *

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Book SynopsisOn the evening of 18th March 1925, a devastating fire ripped through the Marylebone premises of Madame Tussaud’s. By the time the fire was extinguished the following morning, little was left of the world-famous waxworks beyond a few grotesquely distorted models and a pile of scrap iron, which was the remnants of one of Napoléon’s carriages. Those who now visit the waxworks probably assume that what was lost in 1925 was no very different to the present displays. However, the catalogues pre-dating the fire tell a very different story, for there was so much more to Madame Tussaud & Sons’ Exhibition than wax representations of the famous and the notorious. The fact is that the French model maker, and the three generations of her family who managed the business after her, were avid collectors of works of art, memorabilia and trivia relating to their displays: Madame Tussaud’s was, in fact, more of a cabinet of historical curiosities than a wax works. This is evidenced by the lost collection, which ranged from the bloodstained shirt of King Henri IV, worn when he was assassinated in 1610, to the blade of the original guillotine, via a large collection of 18th and 19th century pictures and sculptures by many of the leading artists of their day, furniture, clothing, and a priceless collection of Napoléonica from the Emperor’s tooth to three of his own carriages. Using contemporary accounts, the pre-fire catalogues, insurance inventories, and with unique access to the Madame Tussauds archives, Christopher Joll’s and Penny Cobham’s new illustrated book describes in chronological order the extraordinary items that were lost in 1925, set in the context of Madame Tussaud’s own story and the historical events surrounding the items in the lost collection – and, along the way, uncovers many fakes and forgeries, as well as a wealth of irreplaceable and priceless historical treasures.Trade Review“Today Madame Tussaud’s is one of the most successful and well-known brands in the location-based entertainment industry with 23 attractions spanning four continents.… But in many ways this is something of a miracle – for Madame Tussaud’s is a great British survival story… Penny and Christopher have brought our lost collection back to life. In so doing, they have also filled in much of the missing historical background relating to the collection and have uncovered some uncomfortable truths about the authenticity of some of the items that were on display.” Sir Nick Varney, founder of Merlin Entertainments Group – owners of Madame Tussaud.Table of ContentsForeword by Nick Varney 9; Preface by James Tussaud 11; Acknowledgements 13; Authors’ Note 14; Introduction 19; Prologue 23; 1. The Great Illusionist 31; 2. From Pharaohs to the Renaissance 45; 3. Stuart Sovereigns and French Fakes 57; 4. King George I to the French Consulate 75; 5. Napoléon and the Imperial Family 95; 6. Napoléonica 115; 7. The Paintings by Jacques-Louis David 131; 8. Elba, Waterloo and Wellington 145; 9. St Helena 167; 10. The Bourbon Restoration & the Second French Empire 179; 11. King George IV to Queen Victoria 195; 12. A Cabinet of Curiosities 217; Epilogue 225; Index 228; About the Authors 239.

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Book SynopsisThe fall of Enron was much more than a business scandal. Not only did the events of October 2001 have a more damaging effect on the markets than 9/11 but, like Watergate, it was an event that sent shivers throughout the whole world. This is an in-depth investigation of the fall of Enron.Trade Review...the most comprehensive picture yet of how the company went off the rails. The sheer accumulation of detail makes it possible for the first time to understand how Enron got away with its blend of hubris and incompetence for so long. . . This is more than a business story. It is also about what can happen to any institution when weak and complacent leadership allows itself to be swept along by strong vested interests and the mood of the times. * Richartd Lambert, ex editor of Financial Times and member of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee *

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Book SynopsisAn epic true story of ambition, greed and hubris – the collapse of Greensill Capital is a billion pound scandal that shredded the reputation of a British Prime Minister.'The British version of Bad Blood . . . [but] better' – The Sunday Times'Terrific' – The Observer, Book of the WeekPyramid of Lies charts the meteoric rise and spectacular downfall of Lex Greensill and his company. He had a simple idea that disrupted a trillion dollar industry and drew in Swiss bankers, global CEOs, and world leaders, including former British Prime Minister, David Cameron. But a staid business model concealed dubious practices, as Greensill made increasingly risky loans to fraudulent companies using other people’s money.Financial journalist Duncan Mavin, who helped expose Greensill, tells the incredible story of how a former sugar-cane farmer became one of the world’s richest men before falling back to earth. With a globe-circling narrative full of scandal and intrigue, Pyramid of Lies reveals how the grubby world of shadow banking really operates.‘Forensic and riveting’ – The New Statesman‘Meticulously researched’ – The Daily TelegraphTrade ReviewUnputdownably delicious . . . the British version of Bad Blood . . . [but] better * Sunday Times *Terrific . . . shows the emptiness behind the bombast -- Nick Cohen, Observer, Book of the WeekA meticulously researched and enjoyably lively account * Daily Telegraph *Forensic and riveting * The New Statesman *An incredible book, transforming a complex financial scandal into a rich character drama -- Bradley Hope, co-author of New York Times bestseller Billion Dollar WhaleQuite simply one of the best books of investigative journalism I have ever read. Duncan Mavin is a natural storyteller and a brilliant sleuth -- Matthew d’Ancona, author of Post-TruthLeaves little doubt that much is indeed wrong in the excessively close relationship between some financiers and politicians . . . [who] stood to gain millions of pounds -- Simon Clark, author of The Key ManMavin expertly demystifies the rise and fall of Greensill Capital and weaves an intriguing tale at the cross section of sleaze, power and greed at the heart of UK politics and global finance. A fascinating – and prescient – read -- Karl Holbrook, Executive Editor, Daily ExpressThe extraordinary story of Greensill’s rise and collapse is a microcosm of global finance in the last decade . . . a keen eye for the colourful – and at times absurd – human drama -- Peter Thal Larsen, EMEA Editor Reuters BreakingviewsThe definitive account of Greensill Capital’s rise and spectacular meltdown . . . and a searing inquisition into the political connections that make it all possible -- Mary Childs, cohost of NPR's Planet Money and author of The Bond KingA classic cautionary tale, as fun to read as it is disturbing. Meticulously reported and brilliantly narrated -- Katherine Bell, formerly Editor in Chief, Quartz and Barron’sMavin expertly unfolds a searing, unflinching, incisive, and definitively reported narrative on one of the great financial scandals of our time and the wreckage left in its wake . . . a must-read cautionary tale -- Sean Silcoff, co-author, Losing the Signal: The Spectacular Rise and Fall of BlackBerryA keen eye for the colourful and at times absurd human drama * Reuters *

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Book SynopsisHill & Smith, a stalwart of the UK's West Midlands industrial scene, is today a leading provider of sustainable infrastructure products and services to a wide range of sectors in multiple international markets. This short history traces its 200-year journey, starting in 1824 as a family-owned ironworks in the heart of the Black Country, the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution. It continues through the highs and lows of the 20th century with two World Wars, a listing on the London Stock Exchange, the stark impact of the UK steel industry's decline, and latterly diversification through a series of acquisitions. Finally, it describes the business's 21st century transformation into a major international group, still based in the West Midlands but employing almost 4,500 people worldwide and valued at close to GBP1.5bn. The book looks at the events that have shaped Hill & Smith's story, the enduring qualities and values that have underpinned its success, and the key people that have made

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Book SynopsisA BOOK OF THE YEAR FOR THE FINANCIAL TIMES AND FORTUNE MAGAZINE. The epic story of how a young social climber from Malaysia pulled off one of the biggest financial heists in history. In 2015, rumours began circulating that billions of dollars had been stolen from a Malaysian investment fund. The mastermind of the heist was twenty-seven-year-old Jho Low, a serial fabulist from an upper-middle-class Malaysian family, who had carefully built his reputation as a member of the jet-setting elite by arranging and financing elaborate parties for Wall Street bankers, celebrities, and even royalty. With the aid of Goldman Sachs and others, Low stole billions of dollars, right under the nose of global financial industry watchdogs. He used the money to finance elections, purchase luxury real estate, throw champagne-drenched parties, and bankroll Hollywood films like The Wolf of Wall Street. Billion Dollar Whale reveals how this silver-tongued con man, a ‘modern Gatsby’, emerged from obscurity to pull off one of the most audacious financial heists the world has ever seen, and how the financial industry let him. It is a classic harrowing parable of hubris and greed in the financial world.Trade Review‘An extraordinary tale … richly woven … with dogged reporting … Like all good business stories, Billion Dollar Whale is bigger than the immediate one it tells. It is a story of emerging markets crippled by corruption and cronyism and comes from the era of egregious — and mostly punishment-free — banking … One thing is clear. If ever Hollywood gets round to telling the story on screen, here is perfect material for the script.’ * Financial Times *‘If you like global intrigue, financial crime, wealth porn, and absurdity, Billion Dollar Whale, by Tom Wright and Bradley Hope, is for you … It almost seems made up. Still, anyone who has followed the news out of Malaysia will know that the story is all too real.’ * The New Yorker *‘As Bad Blood is to biotech, Billion Dollar Whale is to international finance … a wonderful read … Thrilling.’ -- Bill Gates‘An impeccably researched book.’ -- Matthew Valencia * The Economist *‘One of the best business books in a long time.’ * Brian Sullivan, CNBC *‘What a blast to read! A true life thriller that reads like a Hollywood movie, Billion Dollar Whale traces the exploits of the most mercurial, mysterious big player in history. Jho Low is Gatsby with twice the bank account and ten times the ambition, and the stories surrounding his exploits leap right off the page!’ * Ben Mezrich, New York Times bestselling author of The Accidental Billionaires and Bringing Down The House *‘I couldn’t put it down.’ -- Pete Tong * The Times *‘One of the most important books of 2018.’ * MoneyLaundering.com *‘Wright and Hope deliver a scintillating and prodigiously reported tale of a globe-spanning modern Gatsby and his audacious fraud.’ * Jesse Eisinger, Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter for ProPublica and author of The Chickenshit Club *‘This story of a Wharton graduate who carried out the $5 billion swindle known as 1MDB offers a textbook case of financial fraud in the modern age.’ * New York Times *‘A rip-roaring case in kleptocracy.’ * The Economist *‘An incredible story … If you need some billionaires to despise—look no further than these charlatans.’ * Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of Reddit *‘Even the most skilled fiction writer would have trouble conjuring the corrupt and colorful protagonist of Billion Dollar Whale. Bradley Hope and Tom Wright's gripping portrait of Jho Low and his enablers throughout the global financial system will both fascinate and enrage you.’ * Sheelah Kolhatkar, staff writer at The New Yorker and New York Times bestselling author of Black Edge *‘The story of a massive international financial scandal … As the authors amply prove, the scandal reaches far beyond Low. To succeed, he relied on the naivete, greed, and generally immoral conduct of huge banks as well as corrupt governments.’ * Kirkus *‘Wright and Hope transform their investigation of a mind-boggling financial fraud into a nonfiction thriller … This is an epic tale of white-collar crime on a global scale.’ STARRED REVIEW * Publishers Weekly *‘An amazing tale of greed … juicy and entertaining.’ STARRED REVIEW * Library Journal *‘Well-researched and well-documented … Reveals how Low used a bag of tricks, including financial fraud, to make himself seem more powerful, more influential, and more successful than he actually was … This is a must-read.’ * Booklist *‘Billion Dollar Whale does more than dissect a financial fraud of epic proportions; it takes the reader on a fascinating journey inside the heart of a con that was years in the making. Wright and Hope show how perception becomes reality in the hands of a consummate financial illusionist. Billion Dollar Whale proves once again that truth is stranger than fiction.’ -- Gregory A. Coleman, retired FBI Special Agent; Case Agent, ‘Wolf of Wall Street’ Investigation‘The authors strike a good balance between keeping Low’s story at the centre and making it clear that 1MDB was a scandal waiting to happen … they also provide some telling anecdotes.’ * Money Week *‘I highly recommend this rip-roaring story of brazen fraud … political corruption … and investment-banker callousness.’ * Adam Lashinsky, Fortune *‘Jaw dropping.’ -- Ed Needham * Strong Words *‘Gripping … The heist of the century.’ * Axios *‘Take one chubby Malaysian business school graduate. Mix with Middle Eastern sheikhs and greedy Southeast Asian politicians. Add Wall Street investment banks, law firms and Swiss wealth managers. Then mix in superyachts, five-star hotels, luxury apartments, nightclubs, models, A-list movie stars — and bathtubs of champagne … [This] richly reported page-turner is meticulously pieced together from interviews, documents and emails by Wall Street Journal reporters Tom Wright and Bradley Hope.’ * Peter Thal Larsen, Reuters *‘Compelling.’ * Minneapolis Star Tribune *‘A wonderful book … A rip-roaring, absolutely delightful account of one of the biggest financial cons in the history of the world … If you liked Bad Blood, you might well enjoy Billion Dollar Whale … An incredible story of a con artist at the height of his game.’ * David Plotz, Slate “Political Gabfest” *‘A cracking read.’ * Unreserved Media *‘An incredible story.’ * Knowledge@Wharton *‘Just finished reading Billion Dollar Whale and was blown away. I thought I had seen it all with Russian kleptocracy, but the story of the money stolen in Malaysia in 1MDB and all the enthusiastic Western enablers was unbelievable.’ -- Bill Browder, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Red Notice‘This thrilling true story reads like a Hollywood movie.’ * Sheerluxe Man *

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Book SynopsisWhat can you learn from a Silicon Valley legend and a pantheon of iconic leaders? The key to scaling a successful business isn''t talent, network or strategy. It''s an entrepreneurial mindset - and that mindset can be cultivated.Behind the scenes in Silicon Valley, Reid Hoffman (founder of LinkedIn, investor at Greylock) is a sought-after advisor to heads of companies and heads of state. On his podcast Masters of Scale, he sits down with an all-star list of visionary founders and leaders, digging into the surprising strategies that power their growth. In this book, he draws on their most riveting, revealing stories - as well his own experience as a founder and investor - to distil the counterintuitive secrets behind the most extraordinary success stories of our times.Here, Hoffman teams up with Masters of Scale''s executive producers to offer a rare window into the entrepreneurial mind. They share surprising, never-before-told stories from leaderTrade ReviewMasters Of Scale is about more than scaling. At its core, it's a book about how wildly successful people have noticed what others haven't, what they did with those ideas and what they learned along the way despite various setbacks. It's also about how curiosity, perseverance, humility and risk have helped turn seemingly impossible ideas into lucrative businesses. * Forbes *A book to take with you into battle as you build a company or a career. It's full of enjoyable stories, but the killer feature is the sharp insights Reid draws out - specific, memorable, actionable mindsets. -- Reed Hastings, co-founder and CEO, NetflixWhether you're at a startup or working to drive change within a large organization, the business principles in this book will help you deploy your strategy with creativity, integrity and realism. -- Satya Nadella, CEO, MicrosoftReid Hoffman has a talent for getting right to the heart of a business case and turning it into an unforgettable lesson. If you're scaling a company - or if you just love a well-told story - this is a book to savour. -- Bob Iger, executive chair, Walt Disney Co.To lead with vision and heart, start by listening and learning from others. Using stories to teach lessons, this book is full of solid (and sometimes surprising!) advice that will help accelerate your journey. -- Angela Ahrendts, former CEO, Burberry, and former head of Apple Retail

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Book SynopsisThis re-fuelled edition of our bestselling Harley-Davidson book features 32 new pages and several updated chapters, honouring the Harley in all its facets. Ride through the history of the Milwaukee legend, get up close to its pristine design, and explore the Harley-Davidson lifestyle that sees riders on the beach, the ice, or in the mountains. A must-have book for all who agree with the grandson of company founder, Willie G. Davidson: “On the eighth day, God created Harley-Davidson.” Text in English, French, and German.

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Book SynopsisLEGO is one of the world's best-loved and most familiar brands, adored by generations of children. What is less well known, though, is how close this iconic company came to total collapse in 2003.Brick by Brick is the compelling story of a Danish family-owned company that enjoyed decades of success before its inability to keep in step with a rapidly changing market brought it crashing to earth. It's also the story of an extraordinary recovery. As disaster stared them in the face, the management of LEGO embarked on an audacious and innovative plan to turn their fortunes around, and then painstakingly implemented it. Today, the company is riding high once again, and enjoying results that are the envy of their competitors. Granted unprecedented access to every part of the LEGO Group, David Robertson not only charts each twist in the company's story but explains precisely what went wrong and how it was fixed. His clear-sighted analysis will prove invaluable to all those who want to understand how companies can not only ride the storm of change, but benefit from it.Trade ReviewThe raw material he deals with is every bit as durable and grip­ping as Lego bricks. . .Robertson’s take on Lego’s success holds plenty of lessons for companies pondering how to remain innovative in a fast-changing world. * Financial Times *A nuanced and readable case study. * Wall Street Journal *

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Book SynopsisThe "HP Way" has attained a kind of mythological status for anyone familiar with the company’s history of phenomenal growth and innovative culture. It’s a different way of thinking about business, of managing people, of integrating the broader interests of society—a way that not only sparked Silicon Valley, but impacted the entire world. Trope Publishing Co.’s The Evolving Way celebrates HP’s storied history and examines how the HP Way evolves to meet each moment, each challenge, and how its principles continue to shine the light forward.Table of Contents The Garage: An icon of entrepreneurialism that has inspired generations of inventors, innovators and startups The Next Bench: A progenitor of human-centered design principles that today are the heart of best-in-class products and software Human Potential: A respect for the individual and an enterprise-wide imperative to make a contribution – to the business and for the world Technology for All: A definition of continuous improvement that always means both more affordable and better A Greater Responsibility: From cradle to cradle, a commitment to planet, people, and community

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Book SynopsisThe key to rising to the top of your company lies in a simple message and philosophy. The ultimate inspirational story for ambitious innovators, market-disruptors, and global business entrepreneurs. Celebrating DHL’s fiftieth anniversary as a world-leading delivery company, global CEO Ken Allen tells the unique story of his journey to the top of the industry. In this business memoir, he shares the strategies and skills he has developed throughout his career, drawing on both his core values and extensive experience. This book is an inimitable guide to succeeding in any business, focusing on strategy and practical advice while revealing the simple lessons you need to learn to excel in life and work. It is an accessible read for entrepreneurs and managers at any stage of their career, packed with motivational material and no-nonsense tips. This simple and honest book is a must-have for anyone looking to reach the top of their field.

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Book Synopsis''The ultimate takedown'' New York Times''The problem of Facebook is Zuckerberg. And the question posed by this splendid book is: what are we going to do about him?'' Observer''A comprehensive account . . . drawn from first-hand testimonies. Thoroughly engaging'' The Times''What marks this book out is how it gets under the corporate bonnet . . . to build a picture of astounding corporate arrogance and irresponsibility'' Sunday Times''An explosive new book'' Daily Mail__________________________________________Award-winning New York Times reporters Sheera Frenkel and Cecilia Kang unveil the tech story of our times in a riveting, behind-the-scenes exposé that offers the definitive account of Facebook''s fall from grace. Once one of Silicon Valley''s greatest success stories, for the past five years, Facebook has been undTrade Review[Frenkel and Kang] have produced the ultimate takedown via careful, comprehensive interrogation of every major Facebook scandal. An Ugly Truth provides the kind of satisfaction you might get if you hired a private investigator to track a cheating spouse: it confirms your worst suspicions and then gives you all the dates and details you need to cut through the company's spin. * New York Times *A comprehensive account . . . drawn from first-hand testimonies. Thoroughly engaging * The Times *An explosive new book * Daily Mail *A detailed dismantling of what happened at the highest levels of the company as it pursued a policy of deny, deflect and obfuscate. * New Statesman *Better sourced than all of its predecessors in the genre . . . makes for gripping as well as depressing reading. One of the book's striking revelations is that there is more anxiety inside the company than we realised. Many Facebook employees have been anguished, frustrated or angry about what their employer has been doing in its relentless quest for growth. Some have tried to alert their superiors to their concerns. But time and again the bad news hasn't persuaded those bosses because they didn't sync with the overriding imperative of endless corporate growth . . . The problem of Facebook is Zuckerberg. And the question posed by this splendid book is: what are we going to do about him? * Observer, Book of the Week *Drawing on more than 1,000 hours of interviews with hundreds of Facebook associates, [Kang and Frenkel's] fly-on-the-wall exposé shows a company that often looks the other way . . . What marks this book out is how it gets under the corporate bonnet, using information from mostly disgruntled former Facebook staff to build a picture of astounding corporate arrogance and irresponsibility. * Sunday Times *The definitive history of what has happened to the social network since its inception . . . a great read * Times Radio *Impeccably researched through interviews with the company's present and former employees, investors and even enemies, [An Ugly Truth] examines how the social network is used to spread disinformation and its role in the Cambridge Analytica scandal and Donald Trump's 2016 presidential victory. * Sunday Times, Business Books of the Year *

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Book SynopsisEli Black was the immigrant rabbi-turned-CEO who transformed the notoriously corrupt United Fruit into a model of ethical business. Then he died by suicide. How did it all go wrong? Matt Garcia traces Black’s own descent into corruption and despair—the unraveling, and the deliberate forgetting, of one of America’s most enigmatic business leaders.Trade ReviewAn engaging chronicle of an idealistic but flawed businessman as well as a dissection of the postwar merger craze with no small relevance to today. -- Roger Lowenstein * Wall Street Journal *Eli and the Octopus focuses on one individual to tell a story that is emblematic of an era. In this story, readers learn about Eli Black, but we learn more about migration, divisions within American Judaism, meatpacking, lettuce transportation, unions, sunglasses production, and mergers and conglomerates. -- Courtney J. Campbell * History Today *Garcia’s portrayal of Black is sympathetic and somewhat rueful, finding pathos in the disconnect between Garcia’s ‘good intentions’ and the inevitability that the ‘imperatives of turning a profit and serving investors’ would outweigh ‘any virtuous impulse.’ The result is a plaintive study of the challenges of trying to change a system from within. * Publishers Weekly *Eli and the Octopus is a deeply informed study of one of the most enigmatic figures to arise in the Mad Men era of merger mania and conglomerate-building. Beyond its inherent tragedy, this story adds richly to our understanding of how corporate America became what it is today. -- Diana B. Henriques, author of The Wizard of Lies: Bernie Madoff and the Death of TrustPiecing together the Shakespearean saga of rabbi-turned-business tycoon Eli Black, Matt Garcia offers a compelling, cautionary tale on the limits of corporate social responsibility. The unvarnished—but not unsympathetic—portrait is a history with great current relevance. -- Miriam Pawel, author of The Crusades of Cesar Chavez: A BiographyA gripping story worth telling. In this deeply researched book, Garcia weaves together American Jewish history, American business history, and American labor history, all through the many lives of a remarkable and ultimately tragic individual. -- Hasia R. Diner, author of Julius Rosenwald: Repairing the WorldA marvelous book that embodies the inherent tension between our religious and ethical senses and the compromised and corrupt business of our daily lives. Eli Black's rise and fall is but an exaggerated illumination of the human condition. -- Nelson Lichtenstein, author of State of the Union: A Century of American LaborIn this riveting tale of United Fruit's Eli Black, Garcia walks right into the center of business history, adds union power into the mix, and shows the impossibility of pursuing both corporate profits and social responsibility. Black wanted to believe that his private machinations were for the public good, in keeping with his Jewish faith. But meatpacking workers in the Midwest, the United Farm Workers in California, and banana workers in Honduras—all of which Garcia links in a seamless narrative—paid the price for Black's market-driven policies. Eli and the Octopus is a powerful and cautionary tale of the true nature of corporate strategy, however well-meaning the outrageously wealthy who pursue it. -- Dana Frank, author of The Long Honduran NightA revelatory exploration of Eli Black and his struggle to remake modern business into a vehicle for positive social change. In a moment of growing inequality and corporate power, Eli and the Octopus could not be more timely or more important. -- Karl Jacoby, author of The Strange Career of William Ellis: The Texas Slave Who Became a Mexican Millionaire

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Book SynopsisThe fizzy, “marvelously entertaining” (Los Angeles Times) story of the world’s favorite beverageFor God, Country & Coca-Cola is the definitive history of the great American soft drink and the company that makes it. From its origins as a patent medicine in Reconstruction Atlanta through its rise as the dominant consumer beverage of the American century, the story of Coke is as singular, appealing, and effervescent as the drink itself. Mark Pendergrast recounts more than a hundred years of the Coca-Cola Company with verve and a historian’s eye for the telling detail, aligning Coke’s success with the emergence of that other great American innovation—modern capitalism.    With vivid portraits of the colorful cast of entrepreneurs, hustlers, swindlers, ad men, and con men who have made Coca-Cola the most recognized trademark in the world—and with a new afterword bringing the story up to to

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Book SynopsisOne of the Pictorial History series, this book gives a full run-down of all Mercedes-Benz models produced between 1950 and 1998. Starting with a brief description of the pre-war cars, which continued on when production restarted, the book continues in chronological order with all model class ranges and individual models right up to 1998, when model designation and design changed. With model-by-model descriptions and detailed technical information, this book will be a great resource for all Mercedes-Benz enthusiasts. Featuring hundreds of photographs, obtained by the author from club and historical archives visits, the book also describes detailed model-by-model comparisons; changes in model production; body and interior styling identification and differences, along with colour schemes where possible; technical information and specifications; standard and optional equipment; dashboard instrument illustrations; and production figures as a total for each individual model where available.Table of ContentsLuxury to S-Class W187 Luxury Convertible (1951-1955) Luxury Saloon (1951-1955) Luxury Coupe (1953-1955) W186/ 189 Grand Tourer (1951-1962) W188 Luxury Saloon (1951-1958) Luxury Coupe (1951-1958) Luxury Convertible (1952-1958) W180, W128, W105 Luxury Saloon (1954-1959) Luxury Convertible (1956-1959) Luxury Coupe (1956-1959) Executive Convertible (1958-1960) W100, Full-size luxury Limousine (1963-1981) W111, W112 Luxury Saloon (1959-1971) Luxury Convertible (1961-1971) Luxury Coupe (1961-1971) W108, W109 Luxury Saloon (1965-1973) W116, S-Class Full-size luxury Saloon (1972-1980) W126, Full-size luxury Saloon (1979-1985) (1985-1992) Full-size luxury Coupe (1981-1985) (1985-1991) W140 S-Class, Full-size luxury Saloon (1991-1994) (1994-1998) Full-size luxury SEC Coupe (1992-1996) CL Coupe (1996-1998) The SL Series W198 300SL Grand Tourer (1954-1963) W121 190SL, roadster (1955-1963) W113, SL roadster (1963-1971) R107, SL-class Roadster (1971-1985) (1985-1989) SLC Coupe (1971-1981) R129 SL-Class, Grand Tourer roadster (1989-1995) (1995-1998) (1998-2001) Mid-Size to E-Class W120, W121, (Ponton) Mid-size Executive Saloon (1953-1959) (15 Models) (1959-1962) (18 Models) W110, Mid-size Luxury Saloon (1961-1968) (17 Models) W114, W115 Mid-size executive Saloon (1968-1973) (16 Models) (1973-1976) (16Models) Mid-size Coupe 250C, 280CE (1968-1973) (1973-1976) 'Stroke Eight' W123, Mid-size executive Saloon (1975-1985) Mid-size ESTATE (1978-1985) Mid-size Coupe (1977-1985) W124 Mid-size executive Saloon (1984-1989) (1989-1993) Mid-size Coupe (1987-1989) (1989-1993) Mid-size Estate (1985-1989) (15 Models) (1989-1993) (22 Models) Mid-size Convertible (1991-1993) E-Class Convertible (1993-1997) E-Class, mid-size Coupe (1993-1996) E-Class, mid-size ESTATE (1993-1996) (14 models) W210 E-Class, Mid-size executive Saloon (1995-1999) Mid-size ESTATE (1996-1999) (19 Models) Compact to C-Class W201 Compact executive Saloon (1982-1988) (1988-1993) W202 C-Class, Compact executive Saloon (1993-1997) (13 Models) (1997-2000) (14 Models) Compact Estate (1996-1997)

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Book SynopsisIt seems incredible that a mere 33 years separates the maiden flights of the Barnes Wallis-designed R.100 airship from the beautiful VC10 airliner. It is also remarkable that, in 2013, the latter is still in service, albeit in dwindling numbers, but still representing a company that was formed 102 years ago! Although the VC10 was prefixed with BAC by the time of its entry into service, the aircraft represents the rapid rise of Vickers, which actually embarked on its first aeronautical project in 1908, before establishing an official aviation department in 1911. Vickers produced over 70 different types of aircraft during a 49-year period, not including a host of sub-variants, the Wellington, for example, having 19 alone. Not all were successful, but every one contributed, however small, another nugget of experience, which was either ploughed into the next aircraft or stored away for the future. An ability to think outside the box', was another of Vickers' fortes. A good example of this was not only employing Barnes Wallis, but having such faith in his ideas, which must have seemed quite radical at the time, especially his perseverance and ultimate success with geodetic construction. Wallis had no shortage of critics and many dyed in the wool' employees of Vickers, during the early days, left the company because of his ideas. However, history has shown us that he was right about geodetics, and like Hawker with its Hurricane and Supermarine with its Spitfire, only God knows what the RAF would have done without the Wellington at the beginning of the Second World War. This book gives readers an insight into the aircraft produced by Vickers, as well as a history of the aircraft company itself.

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Book SynopsisWhen André de Ruyter took over as Eskom CEO in January 2020, he quickly realised why it was considered the toughest job in South Africa. Aside from neglected equipment, ageing power stations and an eroded skills base, he discovered that Eskom was crippled by corruption on a staggering scale. Fake fuel oil deliveries at just one power station cost Eskom R100 million per month; kneepads retailing for R150 a pair were purchased for R80 000; billions of rands of equipment supposedly housed in the company’s storerooms was missing. Faced with police inaction, he was compelled to plunge into a world that was foreign to him – a world of spies and safe houses, of bulletproof vests and bodyguards. In Truth to Power, De Ruyter tells the behind-the-scenes story of how he launched a private investigation that exposed at least four criminal cartels feeding off Eskom. While fighting this scourge, he had to deal with political interference, absurd regulations, non-paying municipalities, unfounded accusations of racism, wildcat strikes, sabotage and a poisoning attempt. De Ruyter takes the reader inside the boardrooms and government meetings where South Africa’s future is shaped, with ministers often pulling in conflicting directions. He explains how renewable energy is the cheapest and quickest solution to our power crisis, in spite of fierce opposition from vested coal interests. De Ruyter candidly reflects on his three years at the power utility, his successes and failures, his reasons for leaving and his hopes for the future. As someone who worked at the highest levels of the state but is not beholden to the ruling party, he is uniquely placed to speak truth to power.

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Book SynopsisA major work of economic, social and political history, Niall Ferguson's The House of Rothschild: The World's Banker 1849-1999 is the second volume of the acclaimed, landmark history of the legendary Rothschild banking dynasty.Niall Ferguson's House of Rothschild: Money's Prophets 1798-1848 was hailed as a great biography by Time magazine and named one of the best books of the year by Business Week. Now, with all the depth, clarity and drama with which he traced their ascent, Ferguson - the first historian with access to the long-lost Rothschild family archives - concludes his myth-breaking portrait of once of the most fascinating and power families of all time.From Crimea to World War II, wars repeatedly threatened the stability of the Rothschilds' worldwide empire. Despite these many global upheavals, theirs remained the biggest bank in the world up until the First World War, their interests extending far beyond the realm of finance. Yet the Rothschilds' failure to establish themselves successfully in the United States proved fateful, and as financial power shifted from London to New York after 1914, their power waned.A stupendous achievement, a triumph of historical research and imagination.—Robert Skidelsky, The New York Review of BooksNiall 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 ReviewSuperb ... An impressive ... account of the Rothschilds and their role in history.—Boston GlobeNiall Ferguson's new book The Square and the Tower: Networks and Power, from the Freemasons to Facebook will be published in January 2018. 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 SynopsisVauxhall cars have been central to motoring in Britain for over a century. The company built a formidable reputation in its early years with notable machines like the Prince Henry, the 30/98 and the 1914 Grand Prix cars, and then moved into a more mainstream area of the market, remaining in the forefront of innovation during the 1930s. The post-1945 years saw the company as one of the foremost in Britain, catering for family needs with cars like the Velox, the Cresta, and the Victor, and then building the highly successful Viva range of smaller models. Closely aligned with its German cousin, Opel, Vauxhall relied increasingly on Opel’s designs after the mid-1970s. Astra, Cavalier, Nova and Carlton were among the best-loved cars of their era, and no-one can forget the giant-killing 176mph Lotus Carlton. This illustrated introduction explores the history of Vauxhall cars from its beginning in 1903 to the city cars and SUVs that have led the Vauxhall product lines, as the company continues to excel in the twenty-first century.Table of ContentsEarly Days A Change of Approach Brave New World Transatlantic Designs Germany Triumphant Globalisation Winds of Change Further Reading Places to Visit Index

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Book SynopsisFrom Victoria Glendinning, winner of the Duff Cooper Prize, the James Tait Black Prize and (twice) the Whitbread Prize for Biography.It'sSuccessionin tailcoats and spats This is a vivid and eye-opening group biography, backgrounded by the rise of supermarket moguls from humble beginnings' Sunday TimesWho was John Lewis? What story lies behind the retail empire that bears his name? Behind the glass windows and displays of soft furnishing, this book reveals the family that founded the shops in all their eccentricities, and whose relationships became blighted by conflicts of epic proportions as their wealth bloomed.Born into poverty, John Lewis was orphaned at the age of seven when his father died in a Somerset workhouse. Dreaming of a better life, the young man travelled to London at the start of what would become a retail revolution. From early years as a draper's apprentice, we see how Lewis's first pokey little business opened on Oxford Street in 1864, and expanded as an emerging midTrade Review‘The store that changed shopping was built by a dynasty whose secrets, fights and feuds would have made gripping TV drama … Victoria Glendinning is an eminent literary biographer whose subjects include Vita Sackville-West and Edith Sitwell. So what possessed her to write about a 157-year-old commercial enterprise famous for affordable haberdashery, wedding-list glassware and cute Christmas TV commercials? The answer lies in the subtitle: Glendinning’s story of the Lewis dynasty is extremely “intimate” — a saga of family fights and obsessions, epic stand-offs and wild ambitions, stressed-out womenfolk and unhappy children. It’s Succession in tailcoats and spats … This is a vivid and eye-opening group biography, backgrounded by the rise of supermarket moguls from humble beginnings’John Walsh, Sunday Times ‘You’ll never look at John Lewis in the same away after reading this compelling survey of the family behind the department store … Glendinning’s fascination is contagious, and she blends in the ingredients of a family saga with insights into the partnership’s ethical underpinnings, acknowledging the romance of golden-age bricks-and-mortar retail as well as its uncertain future’Observer ‘She brings the Lewis family to life with wry commentary and telling detail’Financial Times ‘Lucky John Lewis. As company histories go, nobody could wish for a more skilful chronicler than Victoria Glendinning, who has a slew of biographies to her name. She calls her work an ‘intimate history’, and indeed it is full of domestic rows, curious relationships … [It offers] careful documentation of a remarkable retail experiment’Literary Review

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Book SynopsisIn the 1970s, while their contemporaries were protesting the computer as a tool of dehumanization and oppression, a motley collection of college dropouts, hippies, and electronics fanatics were engaged in something much more subversive. Obsessed with the idea of getting computer power into their own hands, they launched from their garages a hobbyist movement that grew into an industry, and ultimately a social and technological revolution. What they did was invent the personal computer: not just a new device, but a watershed in the relationship between man and machine. This is their story. Fire in the Valley is the definitive history of the personal computer, drawn from interviews with the people who made it happen, written by two veteran computer writers who were there from the start. Working at InfoWorld in the early 1980s, Swaine and Freiberger daily rubbed elbows with people like Steve Jobs and Bill Gates when they were creating the personal computer revolution. A rich story of colorful individuals, Fire in the Valley profiles these unlikely revolutionaries and entrepreneurs, such as Ed Roberts of MITS, Lee Felsenstein at Processor Technology, and Jack Tramiel of Commodore, as well as Jobs and Gates in all the innocence of their formative years. This completely revised and expanded third edition brings the story to its completion, chronicling the end of the personal computer revolution and the beginning of the post-PC era. It covers the departure from the stage of major players with the deaths of Steve Jobs and Douglas Engelbart and the retirements of Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer; the shift away from the PC to the cloud and portable devices; and what the end of the PC era means for issues such as personal freedom and power, and open source vs. proprietary software.

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Book SynopsisThe concept behind this book is simple and brilliant: find out what makes companies that outperform their peers for decades enjoy that success - and then apply those lessons yourself. Written by multimillion-copy bestselling author, speaker and business management consultant Jim Collins and organizational theorist Jerry Porras, it's the only blueprint you need for sustained business growth.'Built to Last is an unusual business book - seriously researched, unconventional in its conclusions... [It] is well worth reading, particularly by those engaged in trying to reinvigorate our nation's largest enterprises.' -- Wall Street Journal'Outstanding from Jim Collins as always. A definite must-read' -- ***** Reader review'Blew my mind on how to run a business, every leader or business owner should read this book' -- ***** Reader review'Very enlightening!' -- ***** Reader review'This book among top 5 business book I ever read!' -- ***** Reader review*********************************************************************************************'This is not a book about charismatic visionary leaders. It is not about visionary product concepts or visionary products or visionary market insights. Nor is it about just having a corporate vision. This is a book about something far more important, enduring, and substantial. This is a book about visionary companies.'Drawing upon a six-year research project at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business, multimillion copy bestselling author, speaker and consultant focused on business management and company sustainability and growth Jim Collins and organizational theorist Jerry Porras took eighteen truly exceptional and long-lasting companies and studied each company in direct comparison to one of its top competitors. They examined the companies from their very beginnings to the present day - as start-ups, as midsize companies and as large corporations. Throughout, the authors asked: 'What makes the truly exceptional companies different from other companies?'Built to Last is the result of that research: filled with hundreds of specific examples and organized into a coherent framework of practical concepts that can be applied by managers and entrepreneurs at all levels, Built to Last provides a master blueprint for building organizations that will prosper long into the twenty-first century and beyond.Trade ReviewA huge inspiration for our business growth strategy over the years. -- Andy Lothian, CEO of Insights Group * Management Today *'One of the most eye-opening business studies since In Search of Excellence.' -- Kevin Maney * USA Today *'Built to Last is an unusual business book - seriously researched, unconventional in its conclusions...[It] is well worth reading, particularly by those engaged in trying to reinvigorate our nation's largest enterprises.' -- Richard J. Tofel * Wall Street Journal *'In Built to Last, Collins and Porras present a brilliant and lucid analysis and, yes, a blueprint for organizational excellence. It should be required reading.' -- Warren Bennis

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Book SynopsisA comprehensive pictorial history of all Vauxhall cars produced from 1945 up to and including models in production in 1995. This really is the ‘go-to’ publication if you need to compare your Vivas, Victors, Ventoras or Viceroys! Breaking down the many models into several chapters, this is a trip down memory lane for any postwar car enthusiast. Comprehensively illustrated, the book includes line drawings, black & white plus colour period photographs, together with interior detail. All models are covered along with sports derivatives, limited editions, vans, estates, coupes. It includes a section on motor sport achievements and TV/movie appearances. Contemporary factory advertising slogans used is key throughout. Complimenting the historical content, technical specifications, key production changes and build figures are also detailed. Trevor Alder has been driving Vauxhalls and Opels for many years and has previously written and compiled several Vauxhall/Opel publications from his massive self-indexed magazine archive. The research for this book suggests this a bookshelf-must for anyone interested in a slice of Britain's motoring heritage.Table of ContentsIntroduction Chapter 1. Early post-war cars: H, I, J & L-types Chapter 2. Ten years of Wyvern, Velox & Cresta: E-series & PAs Chapter 3. Twenty years of Victors, Ventoras & VXs: The F-types Chapter 4. Small family cars: Viva HA, HB & HC plus derivatives Chapter 5. 1960s opulence: PB & PC Cresta, Velox & Viscount Chapter 6. 1970s European influences: Chevette Chapter 7. The big V-cars: Carlton, Viceroy, Royale & Senator Chapter 8. 1976-1994 family wheels: Cavalier Mk1, 2 & 3 plus Calibra Chapter 9. Front wheel drive arrives: Astra Mk1, 2 & 3 Chapter 10. Small hatchbacks: Nova & Corsa Chapter 11. 1994 & towards the millenium: Tigra & Omega Chapter 12. Commercial & 4x4 vehicles: Frontera, Monterey & Brava Appendix 1. Key achievements in motor sport Appendix 2. Vauxhall on the screen, main TV & Movie appearances Comprehensive Index

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Book SynopsisThe best of W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne's articles on blue ocean strategy, all in one place. The seminal book Blue Ocean Strategy has sold over 3.6 million copies globally and is in print in 44 languages. But much of W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne's work on creating new market spaces was originally published in the pages of Harvard Business Review. This book brings the best of those articles together all in one place. Piece by piece, these articles explain the process of creating "blue oceans"--uncontested market spaces, untainted by competition. Kim and Mauborgne introduce tools for exploring and exploiting these markets, such as the Value Curve, the Strategy Canvas, the Price Corridor of the Mass, and the Business Model Guide--tools that have come to make up the blue ocean strategy framework. This collection also features the authors' latest Harvard Business Review article, "Red Ocean Traps." Whether or not you're familiar with blue ocean strategy, this book will give you a new perspective on this important framework--and help you implement it in your organization.Trade ReviewPRAISE FOR THE AUTHORS' BOOK BLUE OCEAN STRATEGY: "Blue Ocean Strategy is the most successful book on business master-planning in recent years." -- The Economist * A bestseller across 5 continents * More than 3.6 million copies sold worldwide * Now in 44 languages * A Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek, and Fast Company bestseller * Thinkers50 Strategy Award for Best Business Book of the decade * Inducted into the Fast Company Leadership Hall of Fame * Winner of the Carl S. Sloane Award for Excellence in Management Consulting

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Book SynopsisThe first history of a well-known and prolific Scottish boatbuilder

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Book SynopsisMergers, acquisitions, and alliances continue to be almost an everyday feature of the contemporary business scene, yet at least half prove to be unsuccessful. The authors show the contribution that psychology can make to our understanding of the merger phenomena - how it affects organizational performance, and how it affects the managers and employees involved. Mergers, Acquisitions and Strategic Alliances is intended as a guide to successful organizational marriage. Great emphasis is placed on the issue of cultural compatibility as it concerns partner selection, integration practices and venture outcomes. The book also focuses on cross-national mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures. With the increasing economic activity within the European Union and between the unions of other countries, there is a need to know more about the corporate and national cultures in these strategic alliances. The authors have drawn upon an extensive body of rTrade Review'This is a complex subject which this clearly written, well constructed guide tackles cogently and thoroughly.' - Personnel Today, January 1996 'The eleven chapters, each enhanced with a bibliography providing an invaluable guide to further reading, are excellent.'Table of ContentsIntroduction: mergers, acquisitions and strategic alliances, a people issue; Overview; Culture and performance; Stages of merger and acquisition; Appendices; Index.

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Book SynopsisIt's impossible to tell the story of Court Line without telling that of Autair, founded by helicopter pioneer William 'Bill' Armstrong. Autair itself was an offshoot of his global helicopter operation, but Bill also had his finger in many aviation 'pies' including a multitude of operations in Africa, where so many aircraft and airlines were created, bought and sold with such prolificacy that even he could not remember the names and how many there were! There is also the background to Court Line's shipping concerns and the Caribbean operations of the hotel chains and regional airline Leeward Islands Air Transport which Court owned for a while. Covered in detail is the introduction, demonstration and use of the Lockheed TriStar wide-bodied airliner, the first of the type used in the Inclusive Tour business. Court Line Aviation and Tom Gullick's Clarksons Holidays brought to the forefront the concept of value-for-money Inclusive Tour holidays following the 'vertical integration' business model whereby owning and controlling each step of the holiday allowed the company to make a small profit at every stage. The orange, pink, turquoise and yellow jets brought flashes of colour to dreary British airports, and quickly streamed a multi-coloured rainbow across European skies to Mediterranean destinations and even further afield. Truly they did indeed put Colours in the Sky!

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Book SynopsisWhen John Cadbury came to Birmingham in 1824, he sold tea, coffee and drinking chocolate in a small shop on Bull Street. Drinking chocolate was considered a healthy alternative to alcohol, something Cadbury, a Quaker, was keen to encourage. In 1879, the Cadburys moved to Bournville and created their 'factory in a garden' - an unprecedented move. It is now ironic that today's Bournville is surrounded by that urban sprawl the Cadburys were so keen to get away from. This book looks at some of the social impact this company has had since its inception, both on the chocolate and cocoa business in general and on the community at large, both within and without the firm of Cadbury. In 2024, Cadbury's will be celebrating 200 years of the first store opening. This is the story of how the company began, how it grew, and how they diversified in order to survive.

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Book SynopsisMohamed Mansour has spent his life fighting adversity. Born in Egypt in the post-war period, his childhood was halted abruptly when, aged ten, he almost lost a leg in a devastating car accident. At 18, he had to support himself through college in the US when his family's assets were seized by the Egyptian government. Aged 20, he fought cancer. Then, at 25, he returned to Egypt to help revive the fortunes of his family's once thriving business group as it steadily diversified into sectors from automobiles to construction equipment, fast food to venture capital.Almost five decades on, he and his family stand at the helm of some of the largest companies in North Africa and the Middle East. They have partnered with global brands from General Motors and Caterpillar to McDonald's and invested early in Silicon Valley successes such as Facebook, Uber and Airbnb. He also served as Egypt's Transport Minister from 2005 to 2009.Filled with hard-won wisdoms, Mohamed Mansour's inspirational story demonstrates the importance of learning from experience and never giving up in the drive to succeed.

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Book SynopsisThe charitable sector is one of the fastest-growing industries in the global economy. Nearly half of the more than 85,000 private foundations in the United States have come into being since the year 2000. Just under 5,000 more were established in 2011 alone. This deluge of philanthropy has helped create a world where billionaires wield more power over education policy, global agriculture, and global health than ever before. In No Such Thing as a Free Gift, author and academic Linsey McGoey puts this new golden age of philanthropy under the microscope-paying particular attention to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. As large charitable organizations replace governments as the providers of social welfare, their largesse becomes suspect. The businesses fronting the money often create the very economic instability and inequality the foundations are purported to solve. We are entering an age when the ideals of social justice are dependent on the strained rectitude and questionable generosity of the mega-rich.Trade ReviewThe charitable model represented by the Gates Foundation is failing to address the root causes of inequality and ecological crisis. This path-breaking book is a sorely needed, historically grounded investigation into the difference between philanthropy and justice. -- Naomi Klein, author of This Changes Everything and The Shock DoctrineFierce . provocatively examines the power imbalances and ambiguities of charitable giving . a clear-eyed and much-needed study. -- Andy Beckett * Guardian *On both the left and the right, social critics sense that there is something deeply corrupt in the way we live now . With extraordinary insight and original investigation, Linsey McGoey understands how this twenty-first century mess was made. Her voice is reasoned and never shrill, her research is solid, and her courage is remarkable. Rather than spin far-fetched conspiracy theories, she simply shows what the oligarchs are doing in plain sight, which is frightening enough. -- Jonathan Rose, author of The Intellectual Life of the British Working ClassesMcGoey correctly questions whether Big Government would, in fact, be more efficient than Big Philanthropy in addressing the rise of inequality. * New Republic *It's worth hearing what she has to say, because it's not said enough . we give too little scrutiny to people like Gates, and too much credence to the idea that philanthrocapitalism can 'save the world.' * Fast Company *Picking up the cudgels wielded by Ida Tarbell and her fellow trustbusters, McGoey produces a startling report. * Kirkus *A timely criticism of a society that allows an individual to accumulate such a distorting amount of financial power; it is an indictment of unaccountable power. * Maclean’s *A brave, intelligent and important book that raises vital questions about the full impact of a key source of the world's public health funding. As the book shows the drive to do good can raise a host of ethical and policy questions-many of which have not been considered or even acknowledged prior to this book. -- Arthur Caplan, New York UniversityA book that is by equal measure provocative and compelling that finally gives a voice to concerns that many have silently harbored ... charts the speed of the Foundation's emergence and influence with conceptual fluency and historically referenced gusto that in parts left me gobsmacked. -- Dr. Sophie Harman, Queen Mary, University of LondonImpeccably researched and beautifully written, Linsey McGoey's book is the best and most complete examination of the Gates Foundation and the workings of big philanthropy. A must-read for anyone concerned with where the world is heading. -- Michael Edwards, Distinguished Senior Fellow, DemosIn this valuable, dense, but accessible book, McGoey illuminates a major cultural shift in leadership and control of power in the US. Highly recommended. * Choice *A lively and well-argued antidote to the comfortable but superficial assumption that giving money away is, by definition, good: it helps you understand why things are more complicated than that. * Third Sector *Essential reading for any scholar interested in contemporary development issues . McGoey convincingly shows that contemporary philanthropic thinking abides by the same underlying ideology than that of the so-called robber barons. * Review of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Studies *

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Book SynopsisWhite Star Line was originally founded in Liverpool in 1845 for travel to Australia but was eventually purchased by Thomas Ismay and transformed into the successful Oceanic Steam Navigation Co. Cleverly merging with Harland & Wolff, the line focussed on luxury over speed, developing many of the world's favourite vessels. Finally merging with its great rival Cunard in the 1930s depression, the companies continued to operate separately while flying one another's flags. This evocative book explores the colourful history of White Star Line, from personal postcards with messages from passengers, crew and troops, to the careers of her vessels in peacetime and at war, all from Patrick Mylon’s impressive collection. It includes ships with alternative identities, unusual stories like the planned escape of Dr Crippen, and showcases a wide variety of interior views, adverts and 'proof', silk and Company Issue cards, conveying the glamour, drama and history of this world-renowned line.

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Book Synopsis'A penetrating portrait of one of the most significant companies in the world' Ronan Farrow, author of Catch and Kill'With the skill of an award-winning journalist, Horwitz details the inner workings of the tech giant and their outcomes...A must-read.' Scott Galloway, bestselling author of The Four Facebook had a problem. Along with its sister platforms Instagram and WhatsApp, it was a daily destination for billions of users around the world, extolling its products for connecting people. But as a succession of scandals rocked Facebook from 2016, some began to question whether the company could control, or even understood, its own platforms.As Facebook employees searched for answers, what they uncovered was worse than they could've imagined. The problems ran far deeper than politics. Facebook was peddling and amplifying anger, looking the other way at human trafficking, enabling drug cartels and authoritarians and allowing VIP users to break the platform's supposedly inviolable rules.It turned out to be eminently possible to isolate many of Facebook's worst problems, but whenever employees offered solutions their work was consistently delayed, watered down or stifled by a company that valued user engagement above all else. The only option left was to blow the whistle.In Broken Code, award-winning Wall Street Journal reporter Jeff Horwitz tells the riveting inside story of these employees and their explosive discoveries, uncovering the shocking cost of Facebook's blind ambition in the process.Trade ReviewIn trying to connect the world, Facebook tore at the fabric of society. With the skill of an award-winning journalist, through fascinating personal angles, Horwitz details the inner workings of the tech giant and their outcomes — misinformation, teen depression, and political division. A must-read. -- Scott Galloway, bestselling author of The FourA dogged and meticulous reporter, Jeff Horwitz is at the height of his powers in Broken Code, a penetrating portrait of one of the most significant companies in the world and of one of the great new challenges of this technological era. -- Ronan Farrow, Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist and bestselling authorA well-researched, disturbing study of a tech behemoth characterized by arrogance, hypocrisy, and greed * Kirkus *Jeff Horwitz has written a blockbuster expose of Facebook, the notoriously secretive social media giant whose benign mission—connecting people—masked a growing propensity towards some of humanity’s worst impulses. Populated by concerned, brave employees who defied their employer and leaked thousands of pages of internal documents to Horwitz, with the imperious, remote Mark Zuckerberg and his top lieutenants at the center, Broken Code is brilliant reporting and a page-turning narrative of immense importance -- James B. Stewart, Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist and New York Times bestselling author

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Book SynopsisBorn out of the Sankey Commission’s identification of the appalling living and working conditions of coal miners, the Miners’ Welfare Fund was established by the Mining Industry Act 1920 to improve the social conditions of colliery workers. Administered by the Miners’ Welfare Committee, it was totally dependent on a levy on the ton of the national output of coal and, from 1926, the levy on mineral rights for its income. Despite industrial unrest, world economics, parliamentary legislation, parliamentary enquiries and world conflict, the Committee and, from 1939, the Commission, in collaboration with the twenty-five District Committees, doggedly pursed their statutory remits of recreation, pit and social welfare, mining education and research into safety in mines. With such a geographically dispersed organisation and a fund without precedent, there were mistakes and ‘misunderstandings’ but, despite these, there were great achievements, including the Architects’ Branch winning international recognition for its designs of pithead baths and the Rehabilitation Service for injured miners gaining national recognition for its quality of care. With the passing of the Coal Industry Nationalisation Act and the National Health Service Act in 1946, the rationale for the Miners’ Welfare Commission became less clear and a decision was taken in June 1951 that it be terminated. The Miners’ Welfare Act 1952 brought the fund to an end. During the thirty-one years of the fund, nearly £30,000,000 had been allocated.

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Book Synopsis'An explosive new book' Daily Mail '[A] careful, comprehensive interrogation of every major Facebook scandal. An Ugly Truth provides the kind of satisfaction you might get if you hired a private investigator to track a cheating spouse: it confirms your worst suspicions and then gives you all the dates and details you need to cut through the company's spin' New York Times __________________________________________ Award-winning New York Times reporters Sheera Frenkel and Cecilia Kang unveil the tech story of our times in this riveting, behind-the-scenes expose that offers the definitive account of Facebook's fall from grace. Once one of Silicon Valley's greatest success stories, for the past five years Facebook has been under constant fire, roiled by controversies and crises. It turns out that while the tech giant was connecting the world, they were also mishandling users' data, allowing the spread of fake news, and the amplification of dangerous, polarising hate speech. In a period of Trade Review[Frenkel and Kang] have produced the ultimate takedown via careful, comprehensive interrogation of every major Facebook scandal. An Ugly Truth provides the kind of satisfaction you might get if you hired a private investigator to track a cheating spouse: it confirms your worst suspicions and then gives you all the dates and details you need to cut through the company's spin. * New York Times *A comprehensive account . . . drawn from first-hand testimonies. Thoroughly engaging * The Times *An explosive new book * Daily Mail *A detailed dismantling of what happened at the highest levels of the company as it pursued a policy of deny, deflect and obfuscate. * New Statesman *Better sourced than all of its predecessors in the genre . . . makes for gripping as well as depressing reading. One of the book's striking revelations is that there is more anxiety inside the company than we realised. Many Facebook employees have been anguished, frustrated or angry about what their employer has been doing in its relentless quest for growth. Some have tried to alert their superiors to their concerns. But time and again the bad news hasn't persuaded those bosses because they didn't sync with the overriding imperative of endless corporate growth . . . The problem of Facebook is Zuckerberg. And the question posed by this splendid book is: what are we going to do about him? * Observer, Book of the Week *Drawing on more than 1,000 hours of interviews with hundreds of Facebook associates, [Kang and Frenkel's] fly-on-the-wall exposé shows a company that often looks the other way . . . What marks this book out is how it gets under the corporate bonnet, using information from mostly disgruntled former Facebook staff to build a picture of astounding corporate arrogance and irresponsibility. * Sunday Times *The definitive history of what has happened to the social network since its inception . . . a great read * Times Radio *Impeccably researched through interviews with the company's present and former employees, investors and even enemies, [An Ugly Truth] examines how the social network is used to spread disinformation and its role in the Cambridge Analytica scandal and Donald Trump's 2016 presidential victory. * Sunday Times, Business Books of the Year *

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Book SynopsisThe definitive history of the Porsche 981-series Boxsters and Caymans, with all major markets looked at in detail to cover all variants and to put the story into perspective. Illustrated throughout with contemporary photography sourced from the factory, this book serves as the perfect guide to this generation of open and closed cars in all its forms. Written by an acknowledged Porsche expert, with the full co-operation of the factory.Table of Contents1. Boxster & Cayman Heritage 2. Birth of a New Generation 3. The Early Production Models 4. Expanding The Range 5. End of the Line A1. Year-by-Year Range Details A2. Engine Specifications A3. Chassis Numbers A4. Production Figures

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Book SynopsisA comprehensive pictorial history of Volvo cars produced from 1945 up to and including models in production in 1995. This really is the 'go-to' publication if you need to compare specific models. The many models are categorised and detailed across several chapters. This book is a trip down memory lane for any post-war car enthusiast with fantastic illustrations from several sources, including line drawings, black & white plus colour period photos including interior detail. All models are covered including saloons, sports derivatives, limited editions, estates and coupes. A section on motor sport achievements and TV/movie appearances is included, along with contemporary advertising headlines, complementing the historical content, technical specifications, key production changes and build figures. Trevor Alder learned to drive and passed his driving test in a 145E, and has previously written and compiled several motoring publications from his massive self-indexed magazine archive. This is a bookshelf-must for anyone interested in a slice of Volvo motoring heritage.Table of ContentsIntroduction Chapter 1. PV444 & PV544 Chapter 2. Amazon series Chapter 3. P1800 series Chapter 4. 140 & 160 series Chapter 5. Early Dutch Volvos: 66 & 340 series Chapter 6. 240 & 260 series Chapter 7. 740, 760 & 780 series Chapter 8. Later Dutch Volvos: 440,460 & 480 series Chapter 9. 940 & 960 series Chapter 10. 850 & T-5R series Chapter 12. Commercial & Military vehicles Appendix 1. Key achievements in motor sport Appendix 2. Volvo on the screen, main TV & Movie appearances Comprehensive Index

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Book SynopsisFor almost a hundred years from the 1860s, the City of London''s overseas banks financed the global trade that lay at the core of the British Empire. Foremost among them from the beginning were two start-up ventures: the Standard Bank of South Africa, which soon developed a powerful domestic franchise at the Cape, and the Chartered Bank of India, Australia and China. This book traces their stories in the nineteenth century, their glory days before 1914 - and their remarkable survival in the face of global wars and the collapse of world trade in the first half of the twentieth century.The unravelling of the Empire after 1945 eventually forced Britain''s overseas banks to confront a different future. The Standard and the Chartered, alarmed at the expansion of American banking, determined in 1969 on a merger as a way of sustaining the best of the City''s overseas traditions. But from the start, Standard Chartered had to grapple with the fading fortunes of its own inherited franchise - badly dented in both Asia and Africa - and with radical changes in the nature of banking. Its British managers, steeped in the past, proved ill-suited to the challenge. By the late 1980s, efforts to expand in Europe and the USA had brought the merged Group to the brink of collapse.Yet it survived - and then pulled off a dramatic recovery. Standard Chartered realigned itself, just in time, with the phenomenal growth of Asia''s ''emerging markets'', many of them in countries where the Chartered had flourished a century earlier. In the process, the Group was transformed. Trebling its workforce, it brushed aside the global financial crisis of 2008 and by 2012 could look back on a decade of astonishing growth. Recent times have added an eventful postscript to a long and absorbing history.Crossing Continents recounts Standard Chartered''s story with a wealth of detail from one of the richest archives available to any commercial bank. The book also affords a rare and compelling perspective on the evolution of international trade and finance, showing how Britain''s commercial influence has actually worked in practice around the world over one hundred and fifty years.Trade Reviewexcellent ... Duncan Campbell-Smith's sparkling new account of Standard Chartered Bank ... is a door-stopping, desk-breaking heavyweight tome ... of patient text and brilliantly evocative photographs. Campbell-Smith, a former banker and journalist, had access to Standard Chartered's rich archive, and what emerges is work of painstaking scholarship. Multiple sources are woven together into a compelling record of imperial and post-imperial banking -- Philip Augar * Financial Times *

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Book SynopsisA comprehensive and informative guide to allRiley cars (1953-1969) and Wolseley cars (1948-1975). Wolseley cars are easily recognised by their illuminated radiator badges and unique front grilles, while Riley cars often combined the technical features of MG models with the equipment levels of Wolseley models. Illustrated with original colour photographs, and with detailed information including colour schemes, optional equipment and technical specifications, this book provides a complete history of the Riley and Wolseley cars of the of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s to the end of their production in 1969 and 1975 respectively, These classic British cars are rarely covered in other books, and never in as much detail as you will find here - this is the ultimate guide for all Wolseley or Riley enthusiasts!Trade Reviewpacked with info. - Classic Car WeeklyTable of ContentsChapter 1 A History of Wolseley Chapter 2 Nuffield cars from 1948 Chapter 3 Palmer designed cars Chapter 4 Issigonis inspired cars Chapter 5 The Farina cars Chapter 6 The last Wolseleys Chapter 7 A History of Riley Chapter 8 Palmer designed cars Chapter 9 Issigonis inspired cars Chapter 10 The Farina cars

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Book SynopsisThey helped invent the bar code. They revolutionized business schools and created the corporate practices that now rule our world. McKinsey employees are trusted and distrusted, loved and despised. They are doing behind-the-scenes work for the most powerful people in the world, and their ranks of alumni include the chairman of HSBC and William Hague. Renowned financial journalist Duff McDonald uncovers how these high-priced business savants have ushered in waves of structural, financial, and technological shifts but also become mired in controversy across the years. Discover how the firm celebrated Enron’s disastrous corporate structure and how they’ve been instrumental in the government’s controversial NHS reforms. Are they worth their astronomical fees? And what do firms and governments actually get for their money? Based on exclusive interviews with key McKinsey players and written in gripping prose, this is a revealing window onto one of the most secretive and powerful companies in the world.Trade Review'Quickly, McDonald gets into his stride... a rattling good read.' * The Times *'At a stroke, McDonald sums up the attraction of McKinsey to the world’s largest companies, the mystique surrounding its methods, the envy it inspires in competitors and the anger it sometimes incites… a very readable account.' * Financial Times *'[An] admiring book that nevertheless asks hard questions about the organization’s future.' * The Economist *'Thought-provoking… offers a fascinating look behind the company’s success.' -- Andrew Ross Sorkin * New York Times *‘Is this a good book? Yes. It is meticulously researched, well-written, and comprehensive and balanced. Is it enjoyable? Yes.’ * Management Today *'An up-to-date, full-blown history, told with wit and clarity…' * Wall Street Journal *'This is critical reading for anyone who wants to understand how the world of business really works.' -- Bethany McLean, coauthor of the New York Times bestseller All the Devils Are Here'Revealing… McDonald combines a lucid chronicle of McKinsey’s growth and boardroom melodramas.' * Publishers Weekly *'Timely.… A fast-paced account of a key business institution, its deeds and misdeeds.' * Kirkus Reviews *'Fascinating. If you want to know what it is about the culture of the firm that sets it apart and has made it so successful, read this book.' -- Liaquat Ahamed, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Lords of Finance'A superb examination of one of the most powerful, secretive, and least understood organizations on the planet.' -- William D. Cohan, bestselling author of Money and Power: How Goldman Sachs Came to Rule the World

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Book SynopsisBuy now with one-click. Amazon''s business model is deceptively simple: make online shopping so easy and convenient that customers won''t think twice. Yet Amazon''s success is largely down to CEO and founder Jeff Bezos, a man described as both a ''happy-go-lucky mogul'' and a ''notorious micromanager''. His high energy, passionate approach to retailing has driven Amazon to the top.Jeff Bezos is smart. Originally a computer geek, he had the vision to capitalise on the untapped online market for books. He''s also a calculating machine who creates ''deal-flow'' charts for every major decision, from what business to create to how to choose a spouse. One Click explores what makes Bezos Bezos. Through detailed research and interviews with Amazon employees, competitors and observers, Richard Brandt has deciphered how Bezos thinks, what drives his actions and how he makes his business decisions.Amazon.com was waiting to be discovered. It took Bezos''s u

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