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As promised, here are the second part of Rich Karlgaard’s book review on history and heroes.

History and Heroes

9. Losing My Virginity: How I’ve Survived, Had Fun, and Made a Fortune Doing Business My Way –by Richard Branson;

Some reviews:

• For a start he’s pretty modest - he’s not afraid to discuss his mistakes (currency smuggling, for example) and failures. He’s full of praise for his subordinates, many of whom went on to great successes elsewhere (like Don Cruikshank, now chairman of the London Stock Exchange, and Ken Berry, the music head of EMI)
• “Few people in contemporary business are as colorful, shrewd, and irreverent, and probably no one’s nearly as much fun to be around. . . . Branson embodies America’s cherished mythology of the iconoclastic, swashbuckling entrepreneur.”
  – GQ
• That’s the genius of this book - Branson shows us the method he’s used to succeed and admits that there’s no great genius involved, but a heck of a lot of perserverance, determination…and a fair degree of flair!

10. Bowerman and the Men of Oregon: The Story of Oregon’s Legendary Coach and Nike’s Cofounder–by Kenny Moore;

The reviews:

• Bill Bowerman stands as one of the most pivotal and least heralded figures in American sport, having coached a University of Oregon track team to national championships, world records, and Olympic medals; inspired a jogging phenomenon in the U.S. that continues to this day;
• Kenny Moore has written an OUTSTANDING book about an EXTRAORDINARY man. Bill Bowerman coached the University of Oregon track and cross country teams for 25 years. He led them to National Championships in both sports. He led an extaordinary life.

11. Bill & Dave: How Hewlett and Packard Built the World’s Greatest Company–by Michael S. Malone;

Some reviews:

• What we have in Michael S. Malone’s biography, Bill & Dave, includes a thorough (at times obsequious) account of how Hewlett and Packard led their company’s growth until their successor, John Young, became president in 1977 and CEO the following year. In later chapters, Malone shifts his attention to events which resulted in Carleton S. (”Carly”) Fiorina’s appointment as president and CEO in 1999 and then as chairman in 2000. She was forced to resign in 2000.
• I especially enjoyed the beginning sections about Bill & Dave’s childhoods and the early years at Stanford. I didn’t know Bill was dyslexic and that was the source of both his genius and his shyness. I wish Malone had provided some more information about Lucille Packard and Flora Hewlett (both of whom were very important to HP — especially during the early years) and their family lives.

12. Gates: How Microsoft’s Mogul Reinvented an Industry–and Made Himself the Richest Man in America–by Stephen Manes and Paul Andrews;

Some reviews:-

• After reading this book I felt I understood the essential Bill Gates. He never is going to quite grow up, and he is always going to be a bit of a mystery to those who did not become forever fascinated with computers by age thirteen.

13. Buffett: The Making of an American Capitalist –by Roger Lowenstein;

Some reviews:-

• Whatever one might think of Buffett, it is a rare pleasure to find so well-written and thoughtful a book as Lowenstein’s biography amongst the sensationalized and poorly edited biographies of late.
• it appears to be Lowenstein’s essential thesis that it is Buffett’s firmness of character, as much as his intellectual acumen, which makes him such a fine investor.
• Lowenstein recognizes Buffett for the remarkable man that he is, and analyzes Buffett’s character in a way that, if you pay attention, actually explains how to “win” like Buffett has.

14. Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination–by Neal Gabler;

Some reviews:-

• Neal Gabler’s Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination is a very speical book. Every aspect of Disney’s life is covered in detail. It is a vivid, acurate book about one of Hollywood’s only geniuses.
• This book is far better than the soapy Bob Thomas book that made Disney to look like a saint. Although Walt Disney was a considerate, good person, he did have a darker side. This book is an absolute must read for any Disney or Hollywood fan AND for anyone who just wants to read a great story about a great man.
• As one other animator told me, Disney was remarkable because ‘he was the only man in the world who ever got 500 artists to work together in one building without KILLING each other!”

15. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin: Second Edition (Yale Nota Bene)–by Benjamin Franklin;

Some reviews:-

• In many ways, this is, to someone coming to it for the first time, a very surprising book. For one thing, it is amazingly incomplete. Franklin is, of course, one of the most famous Americans who ever lived, and his accomplishments in a wide array of endeavors are a part of American lore and popular history.
• Franklin wrote this autobiography as a letter of instruction in the ways of the world to his youthful and illegitimate son of 40. It only covers the first half or so of his incredible life, so the things that really made him well-known are not covered, but there is plenty here anyway.
• Well, Ben Franklin’s life was not incomplete, but his autobiography is. This is partly because Franklin never intended his book for publication.

16. The House of Morgan: An American Banking Dynasty and the Rise of Modern Finance–by Ron Chernow;

Some reviews:-

• Ron Chernow is truly awe-inspiring. This is one of several, incredibly complete biographies that he has written. Although, it can be a bit of a slog at times, if you are interested in the world of banking and finance, or the history of the 19th and 20th century, this is an excellent book.
• It is a book you might think you’d have no use for, but when you’re done, you’ll think you’ve read a great biograhpical novel and, like me, realize with deep satisfaction that you just read something…true.
• Remarkable, straight forward and Highly recommended

17. The Forgotten Man: A New History of the Great Depression–by Amity Shlaes.

Some reviews:-

• his is a remarkable book which will forever change your understanding of the Great Depression, Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s role and the lessons to be learned from government intervention. This is a superb book well worth reading, studying and then thinking about for a long time.
• Amity Shlaes has written an enormously important book. She offers abundant evidence that both the Republican Hoover and the Democrat Roosevelt unwittingly worsened the Great Depression. The Forgotten Man deserves three cheers. You should obtain a copy immediately.

Here end the second part of book reviews from Rich Karlgaard. I sincerely hope you enjoy and find something you like here. and find all these reviews useful. Stay tune with the third book reviews tomorrow with the category “how capitalism works today!”

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