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Ferran: The Inside Story of El Bulli and The Man Who Reinvented Food
By Colman Andrews. 2010
More than just the most influential chef of the late- twentieth and early-twenty-first centuries, Ferran Adrià is arguably the greatest…
culinary revolutionary of our time. Hailed as a genius and a prophet by fellow chefs, worshipped (if often misunderstood) by critics and lay diners alike, Adrià is imitated and paid homage to in professional kitchens, and in more than a few private ones, all over the world. A reservation at his restaurant, El Bulli, is so coveted that scoring a table is harder than nabbing fifty-yard-line tickets for the Super Bowl. In his lively, and unprecedented, close-up portrait of Adrià, award-winning food writer Colman Andrews traces this groundbreaking chef's rise from resort hotel dishwasher to culinary deity, and the evolution of El Bulli from a German-owned beach bar into the establishment voted annually by an international jury to be "the world's best restaurant. " Taking the listener from Adrià's Franco-era childhood near Barcelona through El Bulli's wildly creative "disco-beach" days and into the modern-day wonderland of Adrià's restaurant kitchen and the workshop/laboratory where his innovations are born and refined, Andrews blends sweeping storytelling with culinary history to explore Adrià's extraordinary contributions to the way we eat. Through original techniques like deconstruction, spherification, and the creation of culinary foams and airs, Adrià has profoundly reimagined the basic characteristics of food's forms, while celebrating and intensifying the natural flavors of his raw materials. Yet, argues Andrews, these innovations may not be his most impressive achievements. Instead, Adrià's sheer creativity and courageous imagination are his true genius-a genius that transcends the chef's métier and can inspire and enlighten all of us. Early in 2010, Ferran stunned the food world by announcing that he plans to close El Bulli at the end of the 2011 season for a two-year hiatus. Chefs, critics, and food-lovers everywhere are asking what that means for this legendary chef and his groundbreaking restaurant. Andrews reveals the inside story, from Ferran himself. Entertaining and intimate, Ferran brings to life the most exciting food movement of our time and illuminates the ways in which Adrià has changed our world-forever altering our understanding of and appreciation for food and cooking.Nothing to Lose, Everything to Gain
By Don Yaeger, Ryan Blair. 2013
The New York Times bestseller by a former gang member turned multimillionaire entrepreneur Like many entrepreneurs, Ryan Blair had no…
formal business education. But he had great survival instincts, tenacity, and, above all, a "nothing to lose" mind-set. His middle-class childhood came to an abrupt end when his abusive father succumbed to drug addiction and abandoned the family. Blair and his mother moved to a bad neighborhood, and soon he was in and out of juvenile detention, joining a gang just to survive. Then his mother fell in love with a successful entrepreneur who took Ryan under his wing. With his mentor's help, Blair turned himself into a wildly successful businessman. He started his first company, 24/7 Tech, at the age of twenty-one, and since then has created and sold several companies for hundreds of millions of dollars. Now Blair shows readers how to start and grow their own profitable businesses. Sharing lessons from his mentors and advice from his own life-changing experiences, Blair provides an inspirational guide for people willing to put in the hard work, time, and dedication needed to achieve entrepreneurial success.You Can Get There from Here
By Bob Knowling. 2011
"Not just another business autobiography, this is a fascinating and uplifting look into one man's leadership journey through poverty, hardship,…
racism, and betrayal to becoming one of the most inspirational business leaders of our time. "-Jane Marvin, former SVP human resources, Ross Stores, Inc. Bob Knowling is respected by many of America's most admired executives, from Jack Welch to Michael Bloomberg. He has led large organizations through periods of dramatic transformation; management guru Noel Tichy calls him "a change agent's change agent. " But even more impressive than Knowling's résumé is the road he took to the top. He grew up as one of thirteen children in Indiana, shuttling between the homes of his divorced parents, surrounded by crime, poverty, drug abuse, and racism. Later he lived and worked on his grandparents' farm in Missouri. No one encouraged him to have big ambitions or even bothered to ask, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" But Knowling used his athletic and academic talents to earn a college scholarship and later an MBA. He became an expert at leading change-helping others see a better future, then work hard to make it real. Knowling's story proves that almost any disadvantage can be overcome with persistence and a passion for excellence. And it teaches us how to embrace change rather than cling to the past. It is easy to lose sight of our potential in a time of economic turmoil, joblessness, and confusion. Knowling reminds us that none of those conditions is permanent and, more important, that none of them excuses us from making a concerted effort at whatever we try to do. As he puts it, "You turn around organizations, in most cases, by turning around individuals. . . . The real lesson of transformation is that it happens not in companies and not in offices, but in lives. " Knowling believes that we do not define ourselves by our upbringing or the external conditions of our lives. It's our response to those conditions that counts. It's not where you came from; it's what you do with your potential. You'll be amazed to learn where Knowling came from and how he got from a really distant "there" to a very inspiring "here. " .Trading Bases
By Joe Peta. 2013
An ex-Wall Street trader improved on Moneyball's famed sabermetrics and beat the Vegas odds with his own betting methods. Here…
is the story of how Joe Peta turned fantasy baseball into a dream come true. Joe Peta turned his back on his Wall Street trading career to pursue an ingenious--and incredibly risky--dream. He would apply his risk-analysis skills to Major League Baseball, and treat the sport like the S&P 500. In Trading Bases, Peta takes us on his journey from the ballpark in San Francisco to the trading floors and baseball bars of New York and the sportsbooks of Las Vegas, telling the story of how he created a baseball "hedge fund" with an astounding 41 percent return in his first year. And he explains the unique methods he developed. Along the way, Peta provides insight into the Wall Street crisis he managed to escape: the fragility of the midnineties investment model; the disgraced former CEO of Lehman Brothers, who recruited Peta; and the high-adrenaline atmosphere where million-dollar sports-betting pools were common.In My Shoes: A Memoir
By Tamara Mellon, William Patrick. 2013
A juicy true story about sex, drugs, money, power, high heels, and overcoming adversity. Tamara Mellon used her business savvy,…
creative eye, and flair for design to build Jimmy Choo into a premier name in global fashion. But despite her eventual fame and fortune, Mellon didn't have an easy road to success. Her seemingly glamorous beginnings were marked by a tumultuous family life, battles with anxiety and depression, and a stint in rehab. Now Mellon shares the whole larger-thanlife story--from her time as a young editor at Vogue to her partnership with cobbler Jimmy Choo to her very public relationships. In creating the shoes that became a fixture on Sex and the City and red carpets around the world, Mellon relied on her own impeccable sense of what her customers wanted. What she didn't know at the time was that success would come at a high price: struggles with an obstinate business partner, a conniving first CEO, a turbulent marriage, and a mother who tried to steal her hard-earned wealth.Money Talks, Bullsh*t Walks
By Ben Johnson. 2009
'The challenge is, how do we get somebody 126 years old to get it up?' This was Sam Zell's unique…
way of saying hello to a large gathering at the Los Angeles Times shortly after taking charge of Tribune Company. 'I'm your Viagra, OK?' Even for Sam Zell, one of the greatest contrarian investors, buying Tribune Company was a risky and controversial move. Many saw the purchase of the Chicago Tribune and Los Angeles Times by a man who had made his fortune in cargo containers, real estate, fertilizer, and plumbing to be a sign of the coming media apocalypse. Maybe they were frightened by Zell's nickname, 'the Grave Dancer. ' The move didn't seem to make sense for Zell either. Why would an epithet-slinging, motorcycle-riding scrapper-who had started with nothing and worked his way up to a $5 billion real estate fortune-be interested in a declining media company (it would have been another story if Zell had taken over Playboy, issues of which Zell had bought and resold for profit to friends around town when he was a teenager)? Ben Johnson has the answers in this fascinating biography of a uniquely colorful mogul, who is fond of blunt declarations and bold business moves. Johnson also tells the real story of Zell's adventure at the Tribune, that feverish year between his purchase of the ailing company and its declaration of bankruptcy. Between the story of Zell's rise to astounding riches and previously untold details of his conflicts with his employees and investors, Money Talks, Bullsh*t Walks will keep readers alternately laughing and on the edge of their seats. The Quotable Sam Zell 'If you're the biggest kid on the block, you can throw your weight around. Of course, I never was the big kid, but I've made up for it over the years. ' 'The true test of an entrepreneur is someone who spends his life constantly testing his limits. The definition of an idiot is someone who has reached their goals. ' 'I don't do business with anybody who's not afraid, and I won't hire anybody who is confident to the point where fear is not very close to the surface. I've often said that fear and courage are cousins and very closely related. ' 'Extremism in the pursuit of opportunity is not a vice. If you've seen me step over the edge, it's only to get you to take a few steps toward the line. ' 'The eleventh commandment is Thou shalt not take oneself seriously. ' 'The best thing to have in the world is a monopoly, and if you can't have a monopoly, you want an oligopoly. I'm more than willing to leave all the rest of the highly competitive world to everybody else. ' 'To create an enormously successful corporation that provides both opportunity and sustenance for employers today and a future for them tomorrow, that's the challenge. That's what everybody should be talking about. Not my f*cking language because it doesn't matter. ' 'I think it was Confucius who said that 'Money talks and bullshit walks. 'The Billionaire Who Wasn't
By Conor O'Clery. 2007
Chuck Feeney was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, to a blue-collar Irish-American family during the Depression. After service in the…
Korean War, he made a fortune as founder of Duty Free Shoppers, the world's largest duty-free retail chain. By 1988, he was hailed by Forbes Magazine as the twenty-fourth richest American alive. But secretly Feeney had already transferred all his wealth to his foundation, Atlantic Philanthropies. Only in 1997 when he sold his duty free interests, was he "outed" as one of the greatest and most mysterious American philanthropists in modern times. After going "underground" again, he emerged in 2005 to cooperate on a biography promoting giving while living. Now in his mid-seventies, Feeney is determined his foundation should spend down the remaining $4 billion in his lifetime.I'd Rather Be in Charge
By Charlotte Beers. 2012
Charlotte Beers is proof that women can achieve power, pride, and joy at work--despite the odds. In the highly competitive…
and often cutthroat world of advertising, Charlotte became the first female ever to head two giant, multinational advertising agencies. In serving her demanding clients, she helped build many of the most important brands around the world. Today, Charlotte rates her current title--teacher--her most satisfying, as she travels through the United States and Europe educating women on how to ignite their own strengths, in what she calls "the era of forging ahead for women." Her pioneering experiences have been captured in I'd Rather Be in Charge, creating a blueprint for women as they face their own challenges and strive to achieve the positions of leadership and influence they deserve. Told in an intimate and honest style, I'd Rather Be in Charge is part personal history, part pragmatic guide, as Charlotte describes her own experiences, lessons from her peers such as Martha Stewart and Suze Orman, as well as stories of her students' transformations. By chronicling both successes and mistakes, Charlotte proves that finding your own personal style of leadership is the only way to take charge, find satisfaction, and gain confidence in the ever-evolving workplace of today. I'd Rather Be in Charge is a breakthrough book. It is a master class for women who are ready to shatter their own glass ceilings.The Power of Boldness: Ten Master Builders of American Industry Tell Their Success Stories
By Robert Galvin, John F. Taplin, Ralph Landau, Elkan Blout, Gordon E. Moore, George N. Hatsopoulos, William M. Haney, Thomas D. Cabot, Stephen D. Bechtel, Edward C. Johnson, Alfred D. Chadler. 1996
Whatever you dream, begin it, for boldness has genius, power and magic in it. -Goethe What qualities brought America to…
its dominance of world industry? How will American technology fare in the new global marketplace? What upbringing, education, and personal traits are required to produce leaders who can succeed in this new world? Scan the bookstore shelves and you'll see dozens of attempts by authors to capture the essence of leadership and entrepreneurial success. In The Power of Boldness, the answers come from original sources: ten of the country's most successful business leaders, who share their experiences and insights in individual essays that are remarkable for their directness and personal detail. Six of the writers are inventors who created the enterprises to commercialize their ideas--four assumed management of their fathers' companies and moved into new industrial and geographic markets. Born between 1897 and 1962, these outstanding figures collectively chronicle America's industrial rise since World War II--and share their perspectives on what lies ahead in the age of technology. In engaging and often humorous terms, these men describe how they managed to make the most of the economic and social ups and downs of the past decades--how boldness, clear thinking, and a willingness to learn saw them through the bad times and paved the way to their success. No other book gathers so distinguished a group of business figures-- Stephen D. Bechtel, Jr., of Bechtel Group describes the rise, decline, and rise again of the world's largest heavy construction company. William M. Haney, III, of Molten Metal Technology--a strong believer in Goethe's maxim--overviews the opportunities in ecotechnology. Edward C. Johnson 3d, of Fidelity writes on the adventures of a "contrarian" in the financial arena. Gordon E. Moore of Intel explains how his firm became one of the world's largest producers of microprocessor chips and forecasts the future of the electronics industry. John F. Taplin, master inventor and founder of a number of companies, writes on the education of an inventor/entrepreneur. Thomas D. Cabot of Cabot Corporation, Robert Galvin of Motorola, George N. Hatsopoulos of Thermo Electron Corporation, and Ralph Landau of Halcon International, round out this group of master builders of America's industrial power. In an introduction and summing-up, Alfred Chandler, Jr., Pulitzer Prize-winning business historian, explores some of the themes that emerge from the personal essays. Capturing the spirit of innovation as well as the practicalities of business decision making, The Power of Boldness will be required reading for business executives, students of business, and anyone interested in the individual success stories behind America's technological leadership.John Ilhan: A Crazy Life
By Stephen Dabkowski, Annie Reid. 2010
John Ilhan: A Crazy Life tells the fascinating story of John Ilhan -- a working-class immigrant who overcame incredible odds…
to become one of the richest men in Australia. Founder of phenomenally successful mobile telephone company Crazy John's, Ilhan tragically passed away in 2007 at the age of forty-two. As told through the eyes of his family, friends and colleagues, this poignant biography reveals new insights into the man behind Crazy John's, the wife and four children he left behind and his David and Goliath battle with Telstra. Ilhan's inspirational journey shows how self-belief, passion and a never-say-die attitude can see you achieve your dreams. "When you share your life with a true achiever it's hard to fully comprehend the impact they can have on the broader community. Unfortunately for my family, I learned about that impact the day John passed away. " -Patricia Ilhan, co-founder, Ilhan Food Allergy Foundation "When John passed away we lost a truly wonderful person who was a giant at everything he did and a truly free spirit. The amazing thing was he'd only just started to make his mark on the wider community. " -Brendan Fleiter, Chief Executive Officer, Crazy John's ". . . he was a migrant from Turkey who grew up in Broadmeadows and rose to a very senior position in our community. To my mind John lived until he was 100; he just did it in forty-two years. " -Eddie McGuire, President, Collingwood Football ClubThe New Prophets of Capital
By Nicole Aschoff. 2015
A deft and caustic takedown of the new prophets of profit, from Bill Gates to Oprah As severe environmental degradation,…
breathtaking inequality, and increasing alienation push capitalism against its own contradictions, mythmaking has become as central to sustaining our economy as profitmaking. Enter the new prophets of capital: Sheryl Sandberg touting the capitalist work ethic as the antidote to gender inequality; John Mackey promising that free markets will heal the planet; Oprah Winfrey urging us to find solutions to poverty and alienation within ourselves; and Bill and Melinda Gates offering the generosity of the 1 percent as the answer to a persistent, systemic inequality. The new prophets of capital buttress an exploitative system, even as the cracks grow more visible.From the Trade Paperback edition.eir way out of poverty; how corporate philanthropy, as espoused by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, promotes the idea that political change happens from above; how Sheryl Sandberg's plea for women to "lean in" supposes that gender inequality can be solved, if women simply allow themselves to be more burdened with more responsibilities and work; and how philosophies of conscious capitalism, like the one promoted by Whole Foods CEO John Mackey, distracts from poor working conditions and low pay.Birdfinding in British Columbia
By Richard Cannings, Russell Cannings. 2013
From Canada's top birding team comes the definitive guide to finding birds in British Columbia.Veteran naturalist and birdfinder Richard Cannings…
and his son, Russell, a gifted birder in his own right, use their combined knowledge and expertise to guide readers to the best birding sites in the province. The book is divided into eleven regions, from Vancouver Island to the Far North, providing bird lovers with detailed information about how to reach the best sites to look for birds, when to look for them, and what they might find.Packed with descriptions of the natural history, ecosystems, and diverse landscapes of British Columbia and accompanied by numerous maps, this thorough guide is enhanced by Donald Gunn's charming line drawings and the authors' infectious enthusiasm, making it a must-have for novice and expert birders alike.The Bruce Beckons
By W Sherwood Fox. 1952
First published in 1952, The Bruce Beckons was immediately acclaimed as a delightful guide to a uniquely beautiful and fascinating…
part of Ontario. Separating Georgian Bay from Lake Huron, the Bruce Peninsula's remarkable natural history and richly varied wildlife today continue to draw thousands of visitors every year. W. Sherwood Fox, a distinguished scholar who was for twenty years president of the University of Western Ontario, knew and loved the Bruce?s history and its folklore throughout his life. During his retirement he served several years as honorary president of the Federation of Ontario Naturalists.Patriot Hearts
By John Furlong, Gary Mason. 2011
A riveting behind-the-scenes account of the transformative 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games-an extraordinary story of visionary leadership, love of…
country and the ability to dream boldly.When John Furlong emigrated from Ireland in 1974, the customs officer greeted him with "Welcome to Canada. Make us better"-an imperative that has defined Furlong's life ever since. A passionate, accomplished athlete with a track record of community service, Furlong was a volunteer for Vancouver's Olympic bid movement when it began in 1996 and then spent the next 14 years living and breathing the Olympics. Furlong and his organizing team, including 25,000 volunteers and many partners, orchestrated a remarkable Winter Games. Patriot Hearts is the story of how they did it.Working with Globe & Mail columnist Gary Mason, Furlong recounts the leadup to the Games and describes how he handled seemingly insurmountable setbacks-such as the death of Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili, a global recession and the washedout snow at Cypress Bowl - to achieve a runaway success and, ultimately, a pivotal moment of nationhood.One Family's Journey
By Peter Bentley. 2012
Peter Bentley recounts the exciting journey shared with his esteemed father, Leopold "Poldi" Bentley, and his uncle in the building…
of a major forest products company.Bentley has a unique perspective on the rise and fall - and the subsequent reinvention - of western Canada's forest industry in all its complexity. He does not avoid controversy in his accounting of political shenanigans, nor does he shy away from the challenge of staring down the deep well of environmental issues. His views are those of a passionate citizen who, like his father before him, has given much of his life to the improvement of business and culture in British Columbia and Canada.An unflinching leader and a respected philanthropist, Bentley describes a colourful business career punctuated by small failures and enormous success. These thoughts are his thanks to those who inspired him and an invaluable legacy to those who follow.A Capitalist in North Korea
By Felix Abt. 2014
Business in North Korea: a paradoxical and fascinating situation is interpreted by a true insider.In 2002, the Swiss power company…
ABB appointed Felix Abt its country director for North Korea. The Swiss Entrepreneur lived and worked in North Korea for seven years, one of the few foreign businessmen there. After the experience, Abt felt compelled to write A Capitalist in North Korea to describe the multifaceted society he encountered. North Korea, at the time, was heavily sanctioned by the UN, which made it extremely difficult to do business. Yet, he discovered that it was a place where plastic surgery and South Korean TV dramas were wildly popular and where he rarely needed to walk more than a block to grab a quick hamburger. He was closely monitored, and once faced accusations of spying, yet he learned that young North Koreans are hopeful-signing up for business courses in anticipation of a brighter, more open, future. In A Capitalist in North Korea, Abt shares these and many other unusual facts and insights about one of the world's most secretive nations.mes even for weeks if an urgent project needed to be finished." According to your experience, how well do you think the North Korean people would adapt to the capitalistic system?Since the Public Distribution System largely collapsed in the crisis years of the nineties, most people have survived with a host of mostly unofficial private business activities. So they have already gone through a capitalist apprenticeship of sorts. If more reforms accompanied with institution building are carried out even more people will get used to a market economy and to responsible capitalism.In your book, you wrote: "But when people became so keen on getting a USB to watch foreign movies, I stopped offering expensive presents and gave them those tiny electronics." In North Korea, watching foreign movies is strictly banned. However, in your description, the North Korean people appear to freely enjoy foreign culture and materials. What are your thought on the censorship and government control in North Korea?Despite censorship, many people have been watching foreign movies and materials. And they liked USB as these tiny electronics, unlike CDs and DVDs, would not get stuck in a DVD-player or a computer in case of a power cut and an inspection.In your book, you mentioned how you had comparably more opportunities to meet the 'regular people' in North Korea than other foreigners. Did it seem like they actually believe the government-sponsored propaganda? Did they have faith in 'North Korean communism' or 'Juche (self-reliance)' idea? There are still a lot of people believing in North Korea's ideology. On the other hand there has been a strong trend to consumerism particularly among the emerging middle class but also among the children of the elite which would rather embrace Deng Xiaoping's credo: "To get rich is glorious!"You spent substantial amount of time in North Korea and also visited the South as well. What seems to be the major difference between the citizens? What is the task to be tackled in order to reduce the cultural gap between the countries after reunification?When I worked on joint North-South business projects (sand, mining, dairy production, mineral water production on Mount Paekdu etc.) I could feel a strong cultural gap and mistrust. Both sides felt the other side wanted to cheat them, but the misunderstandings had much to do with a lack of knowledge of the other side's thinking and motivations. I as a non-Korean saw myself in a strange position of explaining North Koreans the intentions of South Koreans and vice versa. Unfortunately, this sort of business diplomacy fostering mutual understanding and capacity building came to a complete halt when Lee Myung-bak was elected president.The Fast Times of Albert Champion
By Peter Joffre Nye. 2014
RACER. INNOVATOR. CELEBRITY. MOGUL. CHAMPION.This is the first biography of the short but exciting life of Albert Champion--record-setting bicyclist and…
motorcyclist, daredevil racecar driver, early automobile innovator, charismatic ladies' man, and celebrity of the Jazz Age. Though most Americans have heard of the companies Albert Champion founded--ACDelco and Champion Spark Plug--few know much about the charismatic man behind them. Like a Richard Branson of the early 20th century, or an Evel Knievel with a business degree, Champion was a powerhouse whose life was defined by both speed and success. Champion rose from poverty in Paris to great wealth and fame in both his native France and the United States. As a bicycle racer, Champion set more than a hundred world records. When the urban speed limit was 8 mph, he was the first ever to drive a motorcycle a mile under a minute. A car-racing crash snapped a leg bone that kept him in traction for eleven weeks. Undeterred, he hobbled out of the hospital on crutches and recovered to win the French national cycling championship. Champion invested his prize money to become a tycoon in the new and revolutionary American auto industry, working closely with the leading players and amassing thirty US. His contemporaries included Charles Lindbergh, who endorsed Champion's product by saying, "AC Spark Plugs kept my engine running perfectly."; Louis Chevrolet, whom Champion backed financially until it came out that he was trying to seduce Chevrolet's wife, which led to a fight and the end of their friendship; and William Durant, founder of a "new holding company" called General Motors. A notorious ladies' man, Champion's many dalliances were fodder for the papers and finally ended in a love triangle that resulted in his death under mysterious circumstances.From the Hardcover edition.A Master on the Periphery of Capitalism: Machado De Assis
By Roberto Schwarz. 2001
A Master on the Periphery of Capitalism is a translation (from the original Portuguese) of Roberto Schwarz's renowned study of…
the work of Brazilian novelist Machado de Assis (1839-1908). A leading Brazilian theorist and author of the highly influential notion of "misplaced ideas," Schwarz focuses his literary and cultural analysis on Machado's The Posthumous Memoirs of Brás Cubas, which was published in 1880. Writing in the Marxist tradition, Schwarz investigates in particular how social structure gets internalized as literary form, arguing that Machado's style replicates and reveals the deeply embedded class divisions of nineteenth-century Brazil. Widely acknowledged as the most important novelist to have written in Latin America before 1940, Machado had a surprisingly modern style. Schwarz notes that the unprecedented wit, sarcasm, structural inventiveness, and mercurial changes of tone and subject matter found in The Posthumous Memoirs of Brás Cubas marked a crucial moment in the history of Latin American literature. He argues that Machado's vanguard narrative reflects the Brazilian owner class and its peculiar status in both national and international contexts, and shows why this novel's success was no accident. The author was able to confront some of the most prestigious ideologies of the nineteenth century with some uncomfortable truths, not the least of which was that slavery remained the basis of the Brazilian economy. A Master on the Periphery of Capitalism will appeal to those with interests in Latin American literature, nineteenth century history, and Marxist literary theory.Tearing Down the Walls
By Monica Langley. 2003
The very night that Sanford "Sandy" Weill, the chairman and chief executive officer of Citigroup, was being feted on the…
floor of the New York Stock Exchange as CEO of the Year, the television screens above the floor were flashing danger: A congressional panel was tearing into Jack Grubman, the $20-million-a-year telecommunications analyst who worked for Sandy. Had Grubman and Citigroup favored corporate clients at the expense of average investors? Was Citigroup recommending stocks of troubled companies to get their business? The worst scandal of Sandy Weill's long career was breaking around him. Here, from its very beginning, is the riveting inside story of how a rough-edged kid from Brooklyn overcame incredible odds and deep-seated prejudice to put together Citigroup, the world's largest financial empire, and to transform financial services in America -- for better or worse. Tearing Down the Walls provides an unprecedented look at how business and finance are conducted at the highest levels, with extraordinary insight into the character and motivations of powerful men and women. And it's the enthralling account of the interplay between power and personality. Sandy Weill, the son of an immigrant dressmaker, is a larger-than-life character, a legendary Wall Street CEO whose innovativeness, opportunism, and even fear drove him from the lowliest job on Wall Street to its most commanding heights. Over a span of five decades he has tangled with -- and usually bested -- some of the most prominent and powerful titans of finance, including the elitist financier John Loeb, the mutual-fund gunslinger and conglomerateur Gerald Tsai, the patrician American Express chairman Jim Robinson, and the cerebral banking visionary John Reed. A consummate deal maker, Sandy Weill amassed and then lost an astounding assemblage of securities firms, only to plunge ahead to rebuild his empire and ultimately create the modern American financial-services supermarket. At the center of Citigroup's recent crises, he's the mogul many are waiting to see topple, while many more are trying to figure out how he succeeded. Using nearly five hundred firsthand interviews with key players in his life and career -- including Weill himself -- The Wall Street Journal's Monica Langley brilliantly chronicles not only his public persona, but his hidden side: blunt and often crude, yet unpretentious and sometimes disarmingly charming. Tearing Down the Walls reveals Weill's tyrannical rages as well as his tearful regrets, the crass stinginess and the unprecedented generosity, the fierce sense of loyalty and the ruthless elimination of potential rivals -- even those he loves. Langley illuminates a climb to the top filled with class conflict -- Jew against WASP, immigrant against Mayflower descendant, entrepreneur against establishment -- and explores the volatile personality that inspires slavish devotion or utter disdain. By highlighting in new and startling detail one man's life in a narrative as richly textured and compelling as a novel, Tearing Down the Walls provides the historical context of the dramatic changes not only in business but also in American society in the last half century. Compulsively readable, it is also essential for understanding the forces that are reshaping the American financial system today.The Way of the Shark
By Donald T. Phillips, Greg Norman. 2006
"Sharks never sleep. You must be willing to do the hard work it takes to stay on top." With his…
trademark charm and eloquence, Greg Norman reveals the secrets behind his myriad achievements, tracing his journey from Queensland, Australia, to the World Golf Hall of Fame to chairman and CEO of a global business. Since the days in 1975 when he made thirtyeight dollars a week working as a trainee, Norman has won ninety-one professional tournaments around the world, including two British Opens and twenty U.S. PGA Tour titles, and he held the No. 1 World Ranking for an astonishing 331 weeks. Norman has brought the same competitive fire to the boardroom, building a business that reflects the diversity of his interests and the power of his brand. Norman has done something very few professional athletes have ever managed -- he has transcended the sport that made him famous. As head of Great White Shark Enterprises, Norman presides over a multimillion-dollar empire that ranges from golf course design to real estate to apparel to wine. An astute businessman with unmatched desire and drive, he has an unerring instinct for knowing what will work and what won't. He has combined a hands-on approach with an overall strategic vision to produce an internationally recognized and respected brand. In these pages, Norman illustrates the principles that are at the core of his successes and offers readers concrete advice for applying their own talents to successfully play both the "front nine" and the "back nine" of life. Practical, engaging, and incisive, The Way of the Shark shares the lessons Greg Norman has learned both on the course and off, demonstrating how anyone, at any stage of his or her career, can be a champion.