Customer Reviews:
Great study read for promotional testing.......2005-09-25
This is a must read for those studying for promotional exam.
Book Description
This book was developed to assist paid and volunteer firefighters in the quest to become fire officers. Based on NFPA 1021, Standard for Fire Officer Professional Competency, 2003 Edition, this updated book features vital information for those who seek certification as Fire Officer I or II. Comprehensive coverage not only satisfies the operational requirements of NFPA 1021 levels I and II, but also addresses the all-important 'soft skills' that are essential to quick mastery of the fire officer position. Human resource management, communication, leadership, community and government relations, administration and management, fire prevention, inspections and investigations, and safety issues are all addressed for proficiency on the job. In this regard, the book is also useful for members of rescue squads, emergency medical response agencies, and other similar emergency organizations.
Customer Reviews:
Company officer.......2007-06-28
A must for Fire Officers preparing for certification or testing.
The book is layed out good. Covers many aspects of management, communication and "people skills".
If you are freezing to death, burn this book!.......2007-04-07
This is the second worst fire service text I've ever been exposed to; filled with misinformation, bad grammer, and sloppy prose. From mislabeling Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs to misnaming FDNY's Squad 252, calling it Squadron 252 (I don't think the FDNY deploys any fighter planes), this book offers no practical and very little academic advice for the aspiring company officer.
In regards to the student workbook, most workbooks usually reflect their source text in both content and syntax - not here! Several of the questions in the chapter quiz sections use language that is so radically different from the text book, it is difficult to find an answer. This inconsistency forces the student to infer an answer, which often occurs during an exam, but shouldn't be part of studying. The lack of an answer key renders the book useless.
needed for classroom - but is a good read.......2007-03-20
as text books go this read well. easy to condense with highlighted boxes with key points.
Company Officer.......2006-11-05
I purchase this text for a class I was taking but will keep it as a reference to use as a future resource.
Average customer rating:
- A Good Book But I Prefer Jack's Own
- Disappointing
- Author Paid By The Word
- Absurd
- Obsolete
|
Jack Welch & The G.E. Way: Management Insights and Leadership Secrets of the Legendary CEO
Robert Slater
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill
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ASIN: 0070581045 |
Amazon.com
A recent Fortune poll cited General Electric Company as America's most admired company. Much of the credit went to Jack Welch, GE's chief executive for the past 17 years. During his tenure, GE's revenues and profits have grown enormously. Its share price has soared, making GE the world's most valuable company. And the key to GE's success, according to Jack Welch and the GE Way, is Welch's fanatical devotion to a personal philosophy of leadership. Author Robert Slater has made a growth industry of his own out of Welch, penning two previous books on him, The New GE in 1992 and Get Better or Get Beaten! two years later. The same territory was plowed in 1993 by Noel M. Tichy and Stratford Sherman in Control Your Destiny or Someone Else Will.
In this book, Slater draws extensively on Welch's own words to deliver his now familiar message: keep it simple; face reality; embrace change; fight bureaucracy. Bromides these may be, but Slater's account of Welch's fierce efforts to lead a global, multifarious organization of 270,000 people does inspire admiration, even if it does not enable emulation. The book provides fresh insights into GE's shift toward service businesses, as with its takeover and transformation of NBC. Most timely are Welch's closing thoughts on trends in the global economy. Jack Welch and the GE Way is a must for the legions of "Welch-heads" out there and for anyone else interested in this brilliant leader's perspective on the future of business. --Barry Mitzman
Book Description
Behind the scenes with the legendary CEO
Jack Welch’s innovative leadership strategies revived a lagging GE, transforming it into a powerhouse with a staggering $300 billion-plus market capitalization. In writing Jack Welch and the GE Way, author Robert Slater was given unprecedented access to Welch and other prominent GE insiders. What emerged is a brilliant portrait that tells you what makes Jack Welch tick. Learn how to work the Welch magic on your own company as you find out how he dismantled the boundaries between management layers, between engineers and marketers, between GE and its customers to streamline the process of getting products and services to market.
Get details on Welch’s far-reaching Six Sigma quality initiative, and discover how its principles and standards can save billions of dollars...how and why he has made GE a truly global company (and why you must think global as well)...and all the other Welch "midas touch" strategies you can put to work in your organization, at every level!
Download Description
Jack Welch is indisputably the most effective CEO in America today and has been for the past two decades. Robert Slater concentrates on Welch's present-day business strategies and his vision for the future in Jack Welch and the G.E. Way.
Customer Reviews:
A Good Book But I Prefer Jack's Own.......2005-12-24
I bought this book before reading Jack's "Straight from the Gut". When I read this book I thought it was 5 stars and I re-read this book at least once looking for clues to help my own business. Then I read Jack's book and realized his was better. In any case this covers all the basic aspects of Jack's methods including the educational meetings at the GE "university", cleaning house, picking winning companies, eliminating small market share companies, and promoting top performers and eliminating underperformers. It shows how he is hands on.
Good if you want to read two books on Jack Welch.
Disappointing.......2005-06-07
When I read a book I expect to learn something I don't already know or at least revisit something I already know from a new perspective or explain it in a uniquely articulate way. This book fails on all three measures. Walsh shares no secret insights -- he only discusses his introduction of a number of standard business practices to GE. This include 6-Sigma, downsizing, A-B-C rating of managers, etc. -- The usual mix of management science, art and business fad typical in pop management books. And even the discussions of how these management tools were implemented at GE is filled with extrainious details about the meetings at which these policies were introduced and other non-value added story telling. This only leads me to believe that it was added as filler to get the page count up to the size required for a book.
For all of Jack Welsh's insistence that his business units be 1st or 2nd in a market it is pure hypocrisy for him to be publishing this book. Your time and money is better spent reading Peter Drucker.
Author Paid By The Word.......2004-04-06
Good overview of the Jack Welch way, including a variety of innovative business ideas that brought GE forward.
However, as a book goes, it would appear the author was paid by the word. Each of the "secrets" is presented, reviewed, repeated, and presented again in a 300+ page book that would better be summarized in about 20. I kept reading after the first two chapters thinking I would learn somthing new, but honestly, save your money, read chapter one at the library, and go home with just as much insight.
To the publisher, I'd recommed an "executive summary" version for the next edition.
Absurd.......2003-10-06
I've worked as an engineer for GE under Jack Welch and I have also worked as a (civilian) naval engineer.
GE's bureaucracy makes the government look like a paradigm of efficiency. GE is probably the most politicized, bureaucratic, inefficient and bloated organization on the planet.
Jack Welch is incompetent. Read a comic book instead: You'll find more truth in one.
Obsolete.......2003-02-21
This book has some nuggets but you do have to overcome some meandering. The author jumps from format to format sometimes turning the book into a Jack Welch biography and at other times acting as if the book were a serious business analysis of GE and the changes Welch brought. It fails as a biography and the business analysis is lightweight at best. It's not clear what this book is trying to deliver but what I got out of it were a cursory understanding of the challenges that GE faced and some sense of why Jack Welch succeeded. Now that Jack Welch is retired and has an autobiography "Straight from the Gut" this book is almost obsolete.
Amazon.com
Penzler Pick, March 2002: Robert Littell, long known as one of the best writers of fiction about the Cold War, is not as well known as John le Carré or the great Charles McCarry, but nevertheless has a devoted following among serious aficionados of the literary spy novel. His latest book, which runs close to 900 pages and covers the years 1950 to 1995, is an ambitious one that is destined to become the definitive novel about the CIA.
The historical events of that crucial period are well known to most of us. The end of World War II and the division of Germany into sectors by the Allies laid the groundwork for the Cold War and the rise of the OSS, a wartime branch of the American government, into one of the most powerful tools of intelligence.
The involvement of that agency in the defection of Burgess and MacLean from Britain to the Soviet Union; the Suez Canal crisis, which ended Britain's role as a superpower; the Bay of Pigs fiasco and the Cuban Missile Crisis; the arming of rebels in Afghanistan to repel the encroaching Soviet forces; the Gulf War--all are well documented here.
All these events, which had such major consequences for our own history and that of the world, were well known to, organized by, or played out with the full cooperation of the CIA. These, as well as such minor events as defections on both sides, are the backdrop to this novel which stars a large cast of characters who we get to know as young men and women recruited while still in college. Their personal and public lives are followed as they rise through the ranks of the Company, and we know that one of them is a mole. We don't know who it is any more than the CIA does, and it will take years to unmask the traitor.
In the meantime, we have become involved not only with Littell's fictional characters, but also with some of the real people who inhabited that world: William F. Buckley Jr., G. Gordon Liddy, William Casey--and we are privy to conversations in both the Kennedy and Reagan Oval Offices.
We also know by the end of this exciting story that the fight is not always the good fight. Compromises are made, mistakes happen, and pragmatism wins out over idealism. We do not live in a perfect world, but it's the only one we have and it is that way because of the events in this book. Don't let its size deter you. This is nothing less than a stunning historical document. --Otto Penzler
Book Description
This critically acclaimed blockbuster from internationally renowned novelist Robert Littell seamlessly weaves together history and fiction to create a multigenerational, wickedly nostalgic saga of the CIA-known as "the Company" to insiders. Racing across a landscape spanning the legendary Berlin Base of the '50s, the Soviet invasion of Hungary, the Bay of Pigs, Afghanistan, and the Gorbachev putsch, The Company tells the thrilling story of agents imprisoned in double lives, fighting an amoral, elusive, formidable enemy-and each other-in an internecine battle within the Company itself. A brilliant, stunningly conceived epic thriller, The Company confirms Littell's place among the genre's elite.
Customer Reviews:
Intriguingly Informative.......2007-09-13
This author quite clearly has inside connections and information from the intelligence community - he almost certainly interviewed or is acquainted with people who are or were active agents in their field. One impression I am left with is the scene of the midnite assasination of a high-ranking member of the (Catholic) clergy in recent times. Anyone with memory of recent (20 yrs.)historic headlines should be able to figure out what the implication of this scenario is. Think two Popes back.
Adequate historical espionage novel.......2007-07-11
As a fan of Le Carre's earlier spy novels (the Cold War ones), I am always looking for something comparable. The Company is not it. It is perfectly adequate historical fiction, but does not rise to the level of art that the Le Carre novels achieve. Most of the characters are two dimensional, and the plot twists are foreseeable if you are paying attention.
If you are looking for a summer spy novel to pass the time, The Company is acceptable, but it is unlikely to leave a lasting impression. Ludlum fans may enjoy it, but I doubt many Le Carre fans will.
cartoonish and implausible.......2007-06-27
I can't understand all the reviews lauding The Company as a great spy novel. Folks, this book is hardly in a class with John Le Carre. Not even close. There is very little suspense in its 900 pages: the outcomes of the events described (Bay of Pigs, Hungary 1956 and so on) are well known to history, and once you clue into the novel's overriding idea -- the heroic CIA is the Savior of the Planet -- then there's very little to keep you guessing as to how it will all work out.
There are good guys (us), bad guys (russkies), and go-to guys (Israelis); all the wives are beautiful; all the children are perfect; and there's always plenty of whiskey on hand. Even crazy James Jesus Angleton is fully vindicated in the end.
Much of the dialogue is of cartoon strip quality; some of it is just preposterous. For example, Mikhail Gorbachev, under house arrest in August 1991, is depicted as some kind of Russian Patrick Henry.
The identity of the KGB mole inside the CIA is easy to guess. Trust your first instinct on this, it will turn out to be correct.
Entertaining and enchanting.......2007-06-09
I never thought I'd enjoy a spy novel this much - I could not put this book down and was very sad to reach the end. There should be a sequel!
Even though the plot twists didn't really surprise me, the characters were really well done and have stayed with me evr since I've read the book.
Fascinating Company.......2007-06-02
"The Company" by Robert Littell came to us as a gift (an autographed hardback copy no less). It is the author's historically-based account of nothing less than the history of the CIA, from its birth just after World War II to recent involvements at the end of the Cold War. A daunting 900-page tome, "The Company" kept me going my focusing on the CIA and KGB's role in real historical events--the Hungarian revolt against Soviet domination in 1956; the outing of Soviet agent Kim Philby in the British MI6 spy organization; the Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961; the death of Pope John Paul I; the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan; and the breakup of the Soviet Union under Gorbachev and Yeltsin; along with the expected tradecraft of the spy vs. spy world. Historical characters also pepper the book--William Casey, the Kennedys, Allen Dulles, G. Gordon Liddy, and others, though some "historical" stories might be written off as conspiratorial speculation (i.e. an attempt to assassinate Castro, and the "unnatural" death of the Pope after his 40-day reign in 1978). Littell carries the story from event to event by following the careers of three young officers who all join the CIA out of Yale in 1951--each with his own style and motivation. Some of the other fictional characters (the Sorcerer from the U.S and the shadowy "Starik" from the Soviet Union) are deliciously drawn. (I thought U.S. counterespionage ace James Jesus "Mother" Angleton was one of these, but it turns out that he's a real character--no one is exactly who they seem to be). This is the best spy book I've ever read, though I'm not much a fan of the genre. I might try some more, particularly of Littell's books after reading "The Company."
Average customer rating:
- Some Useful Information but not much business insight
- Surprisingly readable
- How the Computer Industry Was Born
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John Chambers and the Cisco Way: Navigating Through Volatility
John K. Waters
Manufacturer: Wiley
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ASIN: 0471008338 |
Book Description
John Chambers and the Cisco Way gets to the heart of a phenomenon that has taken center stage of world business. Through expert analysis and insight acquired through extensive interviews with venture capitalists and Cisco executives, customers, and competitors, author John Waters skillfully explains the management style of CEO John Chambers and his role in Cisco Systems' success in the volatile technology sector.
Beyond exploring his key business strategies and management philosophy at Cisco, this book chronicles Chambers' amazing journey from IBM salesman to Cisco CEO. In just a few short years, Chambers has presided over the creation of more than $480 billion in stockholder value, and has expanded his company into nearly every part of the networking industry. John Waters gives readers an inside look at one of the most successful managers in history and places his story within the current business landscape and market environment, offering new insight into Chambers' innovative leadership.
Customer Reviews:
Some Useful Information but not much business insight.......2007-06-14
This book covers some of Cisco's corporate and Chambers' personal history. However the book does not present any detailed analysis of either. Instead it relies on press-release and newspaper excerpts to document parts of the Cisco and Chambers story. It does not appear that the author had much direct access to John Chambers.
In places, the book presents analysis which is either naive or false. For example, the book claims that Cisco viewed Sycamore as a "big-eight" competitor at one point. I am sure Cisco viewed Sycamore as a competitor, but it could not have viewed it as an imminent threat - Sycamore was a tiny startup born in the late 90s around the same time as Juniper. Sycamore was always a much smaller threat than Juniper was and both companies were (probably) 1/100th the size of Cisco (or smaller) in terms of revenue.
All in all, this book is suitable for somebody who wants to get a broad view of cisco's evolution. It is not suitable for somebody looking for precise facts or for deep business analysis.
Surprisingly readable.......2002-05-01
I was given this book as a present. I warmly thanked the giver for her thoughtfullness, but secretly, I dreaded reading the book. These unauthorized bios are generally either full of senseless/salacious details, or they're dry as an annual report. Most of them are suitable as torture devices. Why do I bother you ask? Knowledge is power, and I invest in stocks.
Well, big surprise.
This book reads with an almost perfect balance of translated tech talk and personal detail about Chambers. This is no simple feat for the author, as Cisco's core business is anything but easy to explain, but you will be amazed at how much you painlessly learn about the innards of the net and how / where Cisco fits.
I could go on, but your time is better spent buying and reading this book.
I hope Waters has another of these in the hopper.
How the Computer Industry Was Born.......2002-04-13
This book is interesting, packed with facinating facts and I love the way it explains in "real people" language just how the whole computer industry got started. It also offers insight into the character and effective management practices of John Chambers, without being a flattery piece. The book communicates the fast-paced life in Silicon Valley and extends beyond the Cisco experience to in-depth explanations of how the computer industry giants grow, compete and sometimes die. A wealth of knowledge with an insightful look at a manager who has worthwhile practices to share with any of today's managers.
Book Description
In Leading the Way, Hewitt Associates’ business leaders Robert Gandossy and Marc Effron present their findings from the largest research project ever conducted on leadership, the "Top Companies for Leaders." Using data from more than 600 companies around the globe and interviews with senior executives at the top companies, they present a compelling business case for investing in growing leaders. Their stories, examples, and tactics provide tangible, practical tools for leaders everywhere.
Download Description
As companies recognize the value that superior leaders deliver, they're fighting harder than ever to recruit and retain the best. The combination of changing demographics and economic challenges means that companies no longer have the luxury of taking a trial-and-error approach-or of having no approach at all-to building leadership quality and depth. They want fact-based, tested methods and tools that fit with their organization's culture and support their business goals. They need clear guidance on how to build a diverse, highly qualified leadership team today and how to sow the seeds for great leadership tomorrow. Based on the world's largest study of the best approaches for building leaders, Leading the Way, provides this guidance. Through anecdotes and case studies from companies such as IBM, GE, Honeywell, The Home Depot, and many more, the book illustrates what Top Companies do to develop leadership talent, and suggests ways that organizations can implement the programs and practices that will ensure a holistic approach to sustaining capability and growing great leaders.
Robert Gandossy (Redding, CT) is a Global Leader for Hewitt Associates' Talent and Organization Consulting.
Marc Effron (Darien, CT) is the Global Leader for Hewitt Associates' Leadership Consulting Group, in which capacity he guides Hewitt's research and consulting efforts on leadership.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent description on how leading companies develop leaders.......2006-03-20
Well organized, "Leading the Way" describes how leading companies develop their leaders. In particular, I valued the analysis on Total Return to Shareholders (TRS) increase that the participation of CEOs on leadership development can have. Very useful in communicating why leadership development is important. Highly recommended.
A useful book on developing leadership capabilites.......2004-04-21
"Leading the Way: Three Truths from the Top Companies for Leaders" by Robert Gandossy and Marc Effron, deals with the three leadership truths which they believe provides "critical foundation" to build strong leaders. The three leadership truths are: 1) The CEO and Board of Directors should provide leadership and inspiration (actively involved in leadership processes) , 2) A maniacal focus on high-potential leaders (identify the best talent and providing challenging assignment for them) and 3) Doing the right programs the right ways (developing programs that would help enhance leadership skills). However there are other "Little Things" that organizations should also considered in terms of building leaders such as communication, paving the way for social networks, fostering reciprocity and others which are seemingly unimportant issues or frequently overlooked, but are actually crucial for organizations. These are explained in great details in the book. Finally, the authors feel that leadership programs in general should be link directly to the organization's business strategy.
The last chapter in "Leading the Way" deals with future trends that organizations need to face in order to be successful and five rules that the authors feel were curcial to develop leadership capabilities. I think overall, this is a useful book to learn and understand about developing leaders as the authors provided examples, and anecdotes which are useful in terms of illustrating the authors' point of view. My only criticism of this book is that I wish the authors had structured it better within each chapters. There are many subtopics within each chapter which can be a little confusing and can be combined. However, I do find the short summary in each chapters helpful. Anyone who is interested to know more about developing leaders should definitely read this book.
Book Description
Who knows what it really takes to be an effective leader in today's business world? The most successful CEOs do. They are the men and women who run the #1 or #2 corporation in their industry or market niche.
Leadership is such a vital skill that four out of ten U.S. corporations now have some sort of formal leadership training program in place, says public relations executive Eric Yaverbaum. His new book, Leadership Secrets of the World's Most Successful CEOs, consists of exclusive interviews with top executives discussing the proven strategies, philosophies, and tactics they use to help their organizations succeed.
Each chapter features a top CEO who reveals in quick-read fashion his or her most powerful leadership technique. Readers will discover the proven management principles of the CEOs of Absorbine, 7-Eleven, Domino's Pizza, Grumman, Nabisco, Radio Shack, Staples, Xerox, and dozens of other companies in all industries, large and small.
Each interview includes a summary and explanation of the CEO's most powerful ""leadership secret,"" and each section can be read-and its leadership secret learned-in less than five minutes. Readers can either skim the secrets that interest them or read the entire book to learn and apply the leadership principles that are most relevant to their daily business practices.
Customer Reviews:
Leadership Secrets of the World Most Successful CEOs:.......2007-07-14
Great book for other CEOs to read. It is not a guide for aspiring corner offfice types. Enjoy reading some insights, but was looking for hard facts on what it takes to stay on top.
great management book!!.......2007-02-11
a very good read for any supervisor or manager at any level!!
Leadership Secrets of the World's Most Successful CEOs: 100 Top Executives.......2006-11-03
Super book! Super Advice! For anyone trying to become a CEO or just trying to understand the thinking and logic behind a CEO.
A good book on leadership aphorisms.......2006-10-27
Eric Yaverbaum's title of this book is a bit of misnomer. This book is missing many key CEO's past and present such as Bill Gates and William Buffett (of course they are selling their own books and would not consent to a collection themed book) and not every CEO has been that successful (Carleton Fiorina of HP). Also these leadership "secrets" are not concealed from the world like an illuminati's handbook, but have been mentioned many times in many other books. Compare what is said here to what was written in Jim Collins "Good to Great" and you will find many repeating issues (this is actually a good thing since it reinforces good leadership criteria). And for fun you can read what each CEO has to say and see where each CEO fits in the Level 5 leadership hierarchy (or ignore this sentence if you have not read "Good to Great").
It is advantageous to read a multitude of CEO's opinion on leadership though. These aphorisms have been ignored by many, many leaders who are bent on total annihilation of a company due to their Dilbertesque politics (and/or misconceptions of reality) as opposed to a Machiavellian pragmatism. How many CEO's take the advice of Dr. Thomas F. Frist (HCA) of "Surround yourself with good people..."? I especially like Sy Sperling's "realize my own shortcomings" who made much with his shortcoming. This book is filled with tidbits of sage advice.
There is no easy way to achieve success in business and reading this book will not reveal a depth of salient information. However, it will put you or keep you on the correct path though with what should be considered business truisms about leadership (I always think of Voltaire's and Will Rogers quote about common sense not being common) that are obviously ignored by too many CEOs and company presidents.
A Waste.......2006-09-24
Maybe the world's most successful as described by the title, however, this book is not in the same category. A dull, uninspired effort to translate an uninspiring message. A waste of your $'s.
Book Description
This book is a comprehensive and authoritative guide on when and how to build a working board of directors to serve as a tool to assist small, family, and entrepreneurial businesses. Mr. Ford has combined years of research with his extensive personal board room experiences to discuss all the key issues concerning the use and role of the board by privately owned businesses. He describes thoroughly the functions and contributions of boards from all angles, including situations where boards can be detrimental to company health and should be avoided. The book also provides detailed strategies for developing an effective board, from goal setting and recruiting, to training, educating, and managing directors. Special chapters also include information specifically for directors and case studies. Following a brief introduction to the unique role and importance of privately owned businesses to the U.S. economy, the author reviews the literature and current theories on the advantages and disadvantages of boards of directors. He then offers guidelines for managers and business owners who are trying to decide if they would benefit from a working board. The following sections offer strategies for developing boards, choosing and recruiting directors, board management and organization, and control, cost, and overall board assessment. A chapter specifically for directors is also included. Finally, the author includes an executive summary of his study on the Inc. 500 boards, and three detailed case histories.
Average customer rating:
- Winning Blend of Corporate Intrigue and Crime Fiction
- A Great Read
- Company Man
- company man
- Being CEO isn't All it's Hyped Up to Be
|
Company Man
Joseph Finder
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Press
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ASIN: 0312319169
Release Date: 2005-03-31 |
Book Description
The exciting new thriller from the international bestselling author Peoplemagazine hailed as 'a new John Grisham' W ith his breakout novel Paranoia, Joseph Finder hit bestseller lists around the country, won a legion of new fans, and was proclaimed one of the finest in the field. Company Man, a deft mix of compelling story, distinctive narrative voice and full-bodied characterization, once again proves Finder to be a master of the modern thriller.
Customer Reviews:
Winning Blend of Corporate Intrigue and Crime Fiction.......2007-10-24
Company Man combines Joseph Finder's patented corporate thriller subject matter with that of a murder-based thriller. Finder's protagonist, Nick Conover, is refreshingly human for books of this sort. Although he has a painfully-familiar golden-boy pedigree (high school hockey star and BMOC) and now serves as CEO of the largest business in town, Stratton Corporation, Nick is a troubled man. As if the recent death of his wife, the challenges of raising two adolescent kids, and the local ostracism caused by laying off thousands of the town's residents weren't enough, Nick has to contend with a threatening stalker and a clandestine attempt by the Board of Directors to sell the company to overseas investors.
While certain readers may condemn Nick for his choices, I appreciated the moral ambiguity in which Finder places his hero. All in all, Company Man may be Finder's most complex and fully-realized novel, yet no sacrifices were made in pacing or suspense quotient.
A Great Read.......2007-09-24
A tightly written novel that kept you thinking all the way through. I enjoyed the build up of tension on the personal and business side of the lead mans life. I think the last hundred pages just got quicker and quicker as you then seen the end coming and could feel the surprise we all would encounter. I think he has done a great job researching his story and give great credit to that in forming such a fine novel. I again will look forward to reading his next work.
Company Man.......2007-09-21
I really like Joseph Finder, but this book just seemed to take forever to get into. I finally had to put it aside. I will probably pick it up later, but right now, I am eager to start Power Play.
company man.......2007-08-25
This author is a true genius in many ways. This story kept me going through the night into daylight. I ordered all of Finders books and know just by the way he writes that I won't be dissapointed.
Thanks and please keep giving us these top notch reads.
JAS
Being CEO isn't All it's Hyped Up to Be.......2007-08-17
In this novel Joseph Finder has posited the question; who is responsible for a company's failure? management or ownership? Nick Conover, is the local boy who has made good. He is the CEO of the Stratton Corporation, in the small town of Fenwick, Mich. It's a company town and has been for over seventy years. When things were going well (until two years ago) he was the toast of the town (Man of the Year three years ago), now he's just toast.
The company was sold to a venture capitalist, and ever since, there has been pressure to reduce expenses to the point where even CEO Conover questions why. He has had to fire half of the company's 10,000 employees at the bidding of new ownership in Boston. As a result, much of Fenwick hates Nick. He has a stalker who has been breaking into his mansion (in an exclusive gated community) and scribbling "No Hiding Place" on the walls. The police haven't done much because most of them have family or friends who have lost their jobs.
When the stalker kills the Conover family dog, leaving it eviscerate and floating in his pool, the policeman at his door asks Nick, "do you have any enemies?". Nick's old hockey teammate, Eddie has been serving as the company's Security Chief and recommends that Nick put in a high-tech security system with cameras and motion detectors. Eddie also scans the community's security tapes and "finds" the stalker-presumably he is Andrew Stadler, a fired employee and erstwhile mental patient.
When Stadler sets off the motion detectors one night, Nick, panicking, shoots him dead (with a gun supplied by Eddie), and then, under the influence of his Eddie, covers up the crime. The two cops assigned to the murder prove dogged, sending Nick into a generally beleaguered state that's slightly alleviated by his new romance with, the daughter of Stadler.
All the pressure on Nick is increased ten fold when at a Board meeting a new member is added along with his CFO, neither of which were run by him for his approval as Board Chairman. Nick then discovers that his Boston masters intend to sell Stratton to Chinese government interests (in fact its the PLA-Peoples Liberation Army). Nick now has to prevent this corporate murder while dodging the detectives who are getting closer to the truth of the murder. The ensuing story is both plausible if not way too drawn out. The finding of the actual stalker, and the lengthy psycho- logical explanations take alot away from the tension of the story.
Book Description
"If management is an art, then surely Jack Welch has proved himself a master painter." - BusinessWeek
Boardroom legend Jack Welch is widely regarded as one of the most effective CEOs in business history. Welch’s groundbreaking programs—including Six Sigma and Work-Out—along with his numerous strategies on business leadership have helped transform GE into the global benchmark for maximized productivity and labor efficiency.
Now, The GE Way Fieldbook explains how you can implement the same programs that helped turn GE into a $100 billion juggernaut. Drawing from his unprecedented access to GE’s top-level corridors of power—including a never-before-published full-length interview with Jack Welch—veteran business author Robert Slater packs innovative strategies, easy-to-use diagnostic exercises, detailed questionnaires, and more into the most hands-on, applications-oriented book ever written on General Electric. Only in The GE Way Fieldbook will you find:
*"The Boca Raton Speeches"—Never-before-seen excerpts taken from Jack Welch’s internal speeches to GE employees
*More than 100 exercises, overheads, and exhibits from the files of Jack Welch and GE
*The most complete treatment of GE’s Six Sigma program ever published
*Step-by-step action plans that are blueprints for implementing Six Sigma and Work-Out—and creating the boundaryless organization
The fieldbook has become one of today’s most popular, effective teaching tools—but never before has one focused on the inner workings and strategies of a specific company. Let The GE Way Fieldbook give you an inside look at the stunningly successful Jack Welch era at GE, provide the techniques and tools you need to focus every worker in your organization on progress and growth, and outline a strategic roadmap for implementing GE’s business practices—and removing the boundaries to success—within your own organization.
Download Description
Strategic tools and techniques for implementing GE leader Jack Welch's innovative business practices--and removing the boundaries to success--within your own organization.
Customer Reviews:
Jack Kills the GEnie.......2005-05-06
Those who think Jack Welch is such a visionary should think again since in my opinion he cost the company billions. In the eighties I was involved in General Electric's GEnie which was the #3 online system online community with a very loyal customer base. AOL had not existed at the time. GEnie had a chance to dominate the online market because it had the knowledge and expertise at the time and a very loyal community. I remember one infamous meeting when I stood up and said basically "it's the Internet stupid." My comments went over like a lead balloon and basically the executives said ok any other questions and went on as if I had not made a statement at all. With just a few thousand dollars GEnie could have been one of the first to emphasize Internet access but GEnie was short-sighted with little or incorrect guidance from Jack Welch who supposedly was engaged in GEnie. With a very small capital infusion GEnie could have been the #1 online system. Where was Jack's six sigma? Make a long story short, GEnie never got real support from Jack just talk. The death knell for GEnie was when one infamous weekend the online resources were pulled to run some back office accounting program and thus denying online access to its GEnie customers. The customers weren't even informed why they couldn't access their email and never any apology. Where was Jack Welch? GEnie quietly faded away after that. Why haven't the hotshot investigated reporters reported this part of GE and Jack's history?
Bad ideas made simplistic.......2001-12-20
This book is quite simply, horrible. I could overlook the fact that it assumes the reader just graduated first grade, if the ideas, methods and tools were any good. Reading this book, I have to believe GE got where it did in spite of Jack Welch, not because of him. These are not the concepts that revolutionize a business. The first great idea offered? An employee suggestion program. Wow, thanks. An entire book could be written on the futility of such efforts. Employees can't change the bad systems they are trapped in. Then we get the 4 E's. This is Jack Welch's idea that all managers in the organization must posess four ingredients: energy, be an energizer, edge, execution. Anyone familiar with Myers-Briggs, or True Colors personality type methodologies will see that Welch is basically saying he's after one personality type (I'll let you guess which one). This is nuts. The strive should be for diversity in personality types, especially on a leadership team. A good mix of idea people, action people, detail people, people who care about people, etc. And on that topic - caring about people, I hope the Jack Welch way doesn't become "the way". The ideas presented here about performance appraisals and forced distributions are not only stupid they are inhumane. I would refer you to the fine book "Abolishing Performance Appraisals" by Tom Coens and Mary Jenkins for a more enlightened view on people and performance.
The stuff about six sigma is not bad, although I'm not a big believer that you can problem-solve your way to excellence. It is possible to make entirely defect-free that which you should not be making at all.
In short, skip this book. The ideas are nothing new, and in many cases wrong, and the tools and illustrations are too simplistic to be of value.
For those who need training wheels.......2001-08-25
The text of this book could be reduced to 20% its original size if the author addressed the reader as a competent, intelligent manager. Instead, it's filled with cute pictures and 'how to's' I've heard the GE Way is good; don't opt for the Fieldbook.
The Jack Welch Way is the Only Way.......2001-03-10
I have read everything that has ever been written about the golden boy of corporate america - Jack Welch. He is a genious for our times and this book is just another example of his legendary managerial style. An easy read that is filled with key information to turn any company into an industry leader and any manager into a corporate leader. This book details everything a manager will ever need to know. A MUST BUY !!!!!!
Microsoft Reader makes this title a mistake.......2001-01-09
I wish I had purchased the hardcopy. Ebooks have a long way to go! I have a laptop and a desktop but there is no way to share this between the two devices. Also, I can't tell how to back this up and restore it if my hard drive crashes. When I'm done with it, I can't give it to someone else. The bookmarking and highlighting is kind of cool, but nothing you can't do with a paper copy. I'm very unimpressed. I'm really regretting that I bought this in electronic format!
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- Go Put Your Strengths to Work: 6 Powerful Steps to Achieve Outstanding Performance
- Great Jobs for English Majors, 3rd ed. (Great Jobs Series)
- Head First PMP: A Brain-Friendly Guide to Passing the Project Management Professional Exam (Head First)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- How to Get the Teaching Job You Want: The Complete Guide for College Graduates, Teachers Changing Schools, Returning Teachers and Career Changers
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