Book Description
John Perkins's sensational New York Times bestseller Confessions of an Economic Hit Man (more than 300,000 sold) revealed just the tip of the iceberg of the secret world of economic hit men and the web of global corruption. Now more economic hit men and investigators tell the whole shocking story.
Customer Reviews:
A Context the Opposite of What We're Told .......2007-08-17
As an ex-international banker who quit banking for the same reasons John Perkins quit being an Economic Hit Man, I can vouch for the truth of every essay in this fine book. The underlying truth is: the world is increasingly run by the corporatocracy, and it has negligible concern for either the poor countries it purports to help nor the environment in which it functions. The truth is the opposite of what we would like and pretend to be true. And the corporatocracy doesn't just behave as it does in foreign, underdeveloped countries, it behaves the exact same way here at home. The mortgage scandle is the same kind of hustle - selling bad debt to unsophisticated borrowers and investors. The only difference is that the poor people who default on their mortgages don't have natural resources the lenders can now take. Fascism redux.
This is a brilliant book. One can already see how the corporatocracy is ignoring it. It will be interesting to see how it plays out.
The Dark Underbelly of International Economics.......2007-06-27
In CONFESSIONS OF AN ECONOMIC HIT MAN, John Perkins outlined his 20-year career as agent of the government and multinational corporations as they attempted to (and succeeded in) exploiting lesser-developed countries. That book, published by Berrett-Koehler in 2004, painted a rather gloomy picture of the dark side of globalization - in theory, a worthy endeavor.
A GAME AS OLD AS EMPIRE, edited by Steven Hiatt with an introduction by Mr. Perkins, continues the story of this exploitation, abuse, and waste in the name of "globalization." Let me say - as an aside - that I remain a proponent of globalization within the context of responsible stewardship. Removing barriers to trade, offering educational, vocational, and economic opportunities to men and women of all nations, is a good thing. Done properly, economic development and stewardship offers the possibility of true societal progress, ennobling humanity, enriching lives, nurturing the environment and increasing business activity and profits.
Unfortunately, the reality is far different from the ideal. The shortsightedness and greed of political and leaders - focused only on personal enrichment or the next quarter's operating results - leads to a culture of global exploitation. The pattern is familiar: special interests descend like locusts, consume everything in their path, and then move on, leaving a wake of destruction, degradation, and despair.
The book presents a compelling exploration of these economic and human abuses through other voices, most of those voices from men and women that participated for a time in the dance of exploitation for their temporal masters. The individual essays focus on a number of issues ranging from the stranglehold of foreign debt, the culture of ineptitude and corruption in many aspects of international banking, and the unconscionable extraction of natural resources (as in the Congo) at the high cost of human life and economic prosperity.
A GAME AS OLD AS EMPIRE is expectedly one-sided in that it shows only the abuse and corruption of international economics. There are many businesses that operate with high-principles and integrity (while maintaining high earnings for both its management as well as other constituents). However, the book serves an important purpose in that it shows that all is not sunshine and roses in the global economy. There is corruption, waste, incompetence, and short-sightedness that is unacceptable from not only a human standpoint, but from a business valuation perspective as well. I would recommend this book to anyone who seeks to undertake an intelligent study of the state of international economics in the real world.
A revealing survey.......2007-05-10
A GAME AS OLD AS EMPIRE: THE SECRET WORLD OF ECONOMIC HIT MEN AND THE WEB OF GLOBAL CORRUPTION comes from the author of the best-selling CONFESSIONS OF AN ECONOMIC HIT MAN and expands upon the prior book's theme. Where CONFESSIONS was fueled by the author's revelations of economic secrets, A GAME AS OLD AS EMPIRE is joined by other journalists and investigators who tell their own stories of a world-wide web of deliberate corruption, even narrowing topics down to specific countries and how they've been subverted. The result is a revealing survey which expands well upon the popular theme of CONFESSIONS and which deserves a spot in any academic or community library's business, economics, or social issues collection.
A Story that Deserves to be Told.......2007-05-08
This book should be mandatory reading for college students. Through the various essays--written by real people involved in the various aspects of modern empire--the reader gains an understanding of the real work (and damage) done by multilateral development agencies,offshore banks, and global trade organizations. If we want to build a better world and a better future for our children, it is critical we all understand how these various institutions of the global elite affect the global poor.
Weighty, serious reading.......2007-04-29
Well, I certainly can't add more to the details of the book than what C. Middleton said, but I would like to say a few words comparing this to the first book, since in many ways it is the successor to John Perkins' entertaining first-person tale, "Economic Hitman".
"Old As Empire" is a collection of stories reporting on the global economic condition that are not far from the type of writing you might see read in Foreign Affairs magazine or Noam Chomsky's books. The tales, which are told in the third-person as often as the first, have little entertainment value; they're almost pure information, revelations of capitalist corruption and warlord dominance that are contemporary and all too relevant in exposing how the world actually works.
If "EHM" felt a bit light and historic, this collection of stories is weighty and newsworthy - but don't go looking for a spy angle on this one. If you're a serious foreign newshound, this is good stuff - but for all the talk of revealing personal stories about "other EHM's", there really aren't many - it's mostly about corruption at the company and government level, rather than a collection of James Bonds doing the bidding of their corporate masters like EHM was.
Book Description
The threat of continued warfare to the future of humanity has become dire. "The Great Turning explores that threat in detail and provides an equally detailed plan for meeting -- and overcoming -- it. Written in the author's trademark clear, compelling style, this timely book uncovers the roots of Empire in ancient Athens and charts the long transition from the institutions of monarchy to those of the global economy as the favored instruments of imperialism. Korten then discusses the promise of early America as a democracy dedicated to spreading liberty and freedom -- and the failure of the "American experiment" through the contemporary takeover of the U.S. government by corporate plutocrats, religious theocrats, and neoconservative militarists in pursuit of naked imperial ambition. Korten draws on sources as varied as evolution, developmental psychology, and the wisdom of religious mystics to make the case for "Earth Community" -- a people-centered, community-based future that is both possible and necessary.
Customer Reviews:
Hope Restored.......2007-08-07
David Korten has restored my hope that humanity can and will survive the upcoming collision with our own short sighted Hubris. Some, perhaps many of us will make it through and will have restored to us in the process a great deal more of our own compassionate humanity. Well researched, well written. A seminal work! Thank you David!
The Great Turning.......2007-06-12
This book should be read by anyone thinking about how to move toward a fair, just society. Korten talks about levels of maturity leading to understanding that enough people and groups have reached a level where a society based on the principle of community rather than that of domination is within reach. It undercuts struggling with all the forms injustice takes in our present society and considers joining with like-minded groups all over the world to form a bottom-up society concerned with the good of all rather than just looking out for what's good for the most powerful among us.
The Ideal of the Bodhisattva.......2007-05-13
The Great Turning masterfully traces the concept of Empire from pre-history to the present and states that the current world situtation has been shaped by the concentration of power and wealth in the hands of the few. The motivating actions of governments are to preserve their control over the forces of money and power. The democracies of the Western world are not true democracies as they maintain their control over the many by giving prevledge to the few. Korten goes on to relate various pardighms that our culture buys into and which perpetuate the rule of Empire. one of these views is related in the "Imperial Secular Meaning Story."
"Matter is the only reality. the whole of the cosmos is a product of the orderly playing out of physical forces amenable to description and prediction by mathematical equations. Life is the accidental outcome of material complexity. Consciousness and free will are illusions, nothing more. Because life has no intrinsic meaning, the only rational couse of the intelligent individual is to seek material gratification through the accumulation of wealth and power.
The evolution of the living species occurs through a competitive struggle in which the fittest survive and the less fit perish. Mammalian species, naturally organize themselves into heirarchies of dominance for mutual protection and breeding success.
Human progress likewise depends on competitive struggle in which the most fit triumph and those of second rank serve the most fit. the winners prove their superior worth and therby their contribution to the betterment of the whole by virute of their victory. They have a natural right to the rewards of their victory as their just due. Their is no reason for guilt or for concern for those whom the struggle destroys or leaves behind, as their loss is itself proof that they are the less fit. For the betterment of the whole, we must all accept that this their proper fate."
What makes the Great Turning a landmark book is that it exposes these myths for what they are-propaganda for maintaining control with power and wealth. The actions of governments rather than being for the well being of the people are for the maintaining of the myths which concentrate power and wealth in the hands of the few. Korten goes on to forge the strategy for removal of these myths and replacing them with the reality of a sustainable Earth Community.
The human and Divine potential of the sage, writer, artist, scientist cannot be fully realized without the move away from empire to Earth Community. The Bodhisattva's vow while at the threshold of enlightenment takes on the meaning for all of us to work out our daily lives in harmony with the forces that are attempting to bring about an Earth Community.
A "Must Read" for Every Lover of Democracy.......2007-03-08
This is the most important book I have read in years! There is hope. The people can take back America and truly make it a land of freedom, liberty and justice for all.
A MUST-READ.......2007-02-20
This book has changed the way I think about the world and the challenge we face in avoiding "the great unraveling." After reading it, I want to stand up and start making a difference.
Amazon.com
Many Americans have resisted the notion that their country is an imperial power. The idea seems to contradict the values of the Republic and its Founding Fathers. But in Empire of Debt, prominent financial analysts Bill Bonner and Addison Wiggin argue passionately that not only is the United States an empire, but it is also one whose end is coming soon. Bonner and Wiggin are the brains behind www.dailyreckoning.com, an iconoclastic and irreverent market advisory service that has long raised concerns about American indebtedness and warned of a looming dollar crisis. In Empire of Debt, a sequel to their earlier doom-and-gloom book Financial Reckoning Day, they elaborate on their argument that the U.S. economy is about to implode.
Bonner and Wiggin enumerate a long list of chronic ailments that imperil the American financial system--a massive trade deficit, soaring personal and government debt, a housing bubble, runaway military expenditures. These problems "hardly disturb the sleep of the imperial race," the authors write. "[But] all empires must pass away." Bonner and Wiggin argue that American imperial delusions are similar to the fantasies that fueled the dot-com market mania. They recommend readers buy gold as insurance in the event of a financial crisis. Empire of Debt flounders when discussing how America indebted itself; the authors blame the Federal Reserve Board's low interest rates but gloss over the fact that rates were slashed because the U.S. teetered on the brink of deflation in 2002 and 2003 (a topic they give more attention to in Financial Reckoning Day). As hardcore free-marketeers, Bonner and Wiggin also seem to long for the pre-welfare days of the 1920s but forget how that period's policies led to the Great Depression. That said, Empire of Debt contains many revelations that will open eyes. --Alex Roslin
Book Description
In Empire of Debt, maverick financial writers Bill Bonner and Addison Wiggin provide you with the first in-depth look at how the American character has shifted to accommodate its new imperial role; how we have abandoned the private virtues of personal liberty, economic freedom, and fiscal restraint; and how the government has gained control of public life and the economy.
Customer Reviews:
Caustic & Straightforward, But..........2007-07-31
Darkly humourous--unlike assessments written at dailyreckoning.com; however, I disagree with the authors' view on the Second World War. I don't think that America, "empire" or not, Depression or not, would have sat back and allowed Germany and Japan to conquer the world.
It was Germany's ambition to conquer America, but to leave that to the next generation. It was Japan's ambition to conquer the world, too, which deliberately gave the West the false impression that by establishing its Diet (parliament) that it had embraced democracy. We would have been left with a world run by Germany and Japan that possibly would have resulted in the end of everything once each acquired nuclear weapons and used them to challenge each other in a showdown for world dominance.
I agree with their point too that America has ceded more and more states'rights to the federal government. To this can be added the "line-item veto" (since ruled unconstitutional) and a desire to give "fast-track" authority to the president to negotiate under GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) thereby bypassing Congress.
Buy Gold!.......2007-07-24
The book is exactly about what the title says it is:
1. The United States has become an empire. And like all the empires that have come before (Page 49 has a list of them), there will come a time, sooner or later, when it will no longer be an empire.
2. Unlike empires of the past, which were financed by resources (tribute, human, mineral, etc.) of the places colonized or taken over by the empire, the United States empire is financed by debt. The US government is over $36 trillion in debt, largely to foreign debtors, while individual Americans are burdened with consumer debt such as credit cards and mortgages--without any sign of letting up.
The first section of the book talks about empires, describing those of Genghis Khan, Ancient Greece and Rome, and Austria-Hungary. According to the authors, the United States first started to become an empire with Theodore Roosevelt and his "Rough Riders". But it was really Woodrow Wilson's adventures in Mexico, and later World War I, that really established the idea of the United States as an empire. From then on, whether it was FDR in World War II, Johnson's Vietnam...all the way to Reagan's Cold War and Bush's Iraq...we have spent much blood and treasure trying to make the world a better place for democracy, or fight commies, or terrorism, or whatever. All financed by increasing debt, of course. Domestic welfare programs such as FDR's New Deal, Johnson's Great Society, etc. also got financed similarly. At some point all this debt must be paid, and it would not be a pretty thing if all our debtors, one day, demanded all their money at once!
Meanwhile, while America (and Americans) are running up all this debt, the rest of the world (read China and India primarily, but Russia and Brazil as well) has been actually making things, building up their factories and selling products, all for lower wages than America (and the developed West, for that matter). Inflation is also eating into the (meager) savings of Americans.
The last section discusses investing in stocks, real estate, etc. Most Americans invest to get something for nothing, and end up getting poor results. The smarter way to invest, according to the authors, is to buy stock in companies that the investor, using what they call "insider" information--private information and personal experience. (Unfortunately, the authors don't seem to clearly distinguish this from "insider trading", which is illegal!)
The theme running through the book is "Buy Gold". This comes to the forefront in the last few pages, where the authors compare gold to paper currency. While governments can print as much paper money as they think they need, it's harder for them to do that with gold. Gold will always be worth something, while paper currency can (and has) lost value.
This is a good read. I especially liked the history of all of the empires in the past, and how the United States compares to them. What will happen at the end of the American Empire is (necessarily) an open question, but we can all be prepared.....
Bill Bonner king of "doom & gloom".......2007-07-07
His solution is to buy gold/silver & dig
yourself a hole in a ground to live in.
Show Your Love for Your Kin and Yourself -- Read Empire of Debt.......2007-07-01
Through your life, few books are worth trading your time to read them for your time expressing your love for others, making others laugh and helping your neighbors.
Empire of Debt is one of those books you should read.
Like most books, the story does not begin until several chapters ahead and like most books, Empire of Debt suffers from the wrong chapter sequence.
Here's a better chapter sequence to get you to the story faster:
Part 1
[should read -- sets the stage of how the U.S. overthrew the American Republic]
The Road to Hell (5)
The Revolution of 1913 and the Great Depression (6)
How Empires Work (3)
Part 2
[optional read -- yet helpful if you do not know this history]
Nixon's the One (8)
Reagan's Legacy (9)
The U.S.'s (America's) Glorious Empire of Debt (10)
Still Turning Japanese (14)
Part 3
[must read -- the real story]
Modern Imperial Finance (11)
Welcome to Squanderville (13)
The Wall Street Fandango (15)
Something Wicked This Way Comes (12)
Subversive Investing (16)
Part 4
[optional read -- coda commentary about past empires]
Empires of Dirt (2)
Dead Men Talking (1)
Slouching Toward Empire (Introduction)
Part 5
[optional read -- for history buffs only]
MacNamara's War (7)
As We Go Marching (2)
High Finace, Low Finance.......2007-06-28
Usually a book of this sort, about financial matters, is not easy to get through because of the nature of the subject. In this case, the authors have overcome the boredom and tedium by the lighthearted and airy presentation they give to the matters at hand. It really is easy reading, and enjoyable for the most part. The downside is that it tends to make one think they are not so very serious about what they are saying, and I count that as a disadvantage.
I don't think there are any new ideas in this book, but they have been able to synthesize the connections between existing ideas very well. I especially liked the first chapter, "Dead Men Talking", in which they suggest,"Gaze on the dead, and learn their secrets". All of which is to say that we ought to look at history for ideas and clues, but are reluctant to do so because we seek the novelty of something new. And this is what has gotten us into trouble. Without question, we produce little, spend too much (especially for things we don't really need), and import much more than we export, leaving us with a trade imbalance decidedly not in our favor. When not too long ago we were creditors to the rest of the world, we are now the biggest debtor nation on earth. The Dead Men Talking are just itching to turn over in their graves (if only they could) when they see us spending more than we take in. We all, government and private individuals, are spending beyond our means, and we want still more. This is THE main theme of the book, though there are plenty of related factors which go to explain this state of affairs. Certainly the political arena plays a huge part, for the policies resulting from political decisions have an enormous effect on financial stability and success. But at the bottom of it all, it is overspending in one way or another that is the problem. Politically speaking, it is almost unthinkable that we would balance the budget, either in government or privately.
It is too simplistic to focus only on overspending, and the authors certainly do not do that. There is a lot of detail about many of the factors that influence our indebtedness, such as outsourcing the labor pool, failure to save instead of spend, and the effects of wars as a financial drain. Consumer spending is especially egregious because we spend money to buy goods made in other countries, and the money we spend finds its way to those other countries. This leaves us with less money (a whole lot less) to invest in capital inprovement. We have changed from a manufacturing and exporting country to a consumer and importing country, resulting in a trade deficit (a debt, a huge debt !). Sooner or later we will have to pay this debt, or declare bankruptcy.
But the authors do not treat the moral aspect, at least not explicitly.
It's as if we never heard of envy (keeping up with the Joneses) or gluttony (insatiable desire). We need to control our appetites in order to balance outgo (spending) against income. William F. Buckley,Jr. once said "The trouble with capitalism is Capitalists, the trouble with communism is Communism". I have always thought that capitalism is a good system which enabled anyone who had money to invest, to gain an honest return, but any system can be subverted and abused. It appears that this is what has happened to capitalism, and it is regrettable.
All in all, it is good reading, and something to be gained by doing so.
Average customer rating:
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Empire of the Bay: An Illustrated History of the Hudson's Bay Company
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Empire of the Bay: The Company of Adventurers that Seized a Continent
ASIN: 0670829692 |
Book Description
A riveting exposé of international corruption—and what we can do about it, from the author of Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, which spent over a year on the New York Times bestseller list.
In his stunning memoir, Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, John Perkins detailed his former role as an “economic hit man” in the international corporate skullduggery of a de facto American Empire. This riveting, behind-the-scenes exposé unfolded like a cinematic blockbuster told through the eyes of a man who once helped shape that empire. Now, in The Secret History of the American Empire, Perkins zeroes in on hot spots around the world and, drawing on interviews with other hit men, jackals, reporters, and activists, examines the current geopolitical crisis. Instability is the norm: It's clear that the world we've created is dangerous and no longer sustainable. How did we get here? Who's responsible? What good have we done and at what cost? And what can we do to change things for the next generations? Addressing these questions and more, Perkins reveals the secret history behind the events that have created the American Empire, including:
• The current Latin-American revolution and its lessons for democracy
• How the “defeats” in Vietnam and Iraq benefited big business
• The role of Israel as “Fortress America” in the Middle East
• Tragic repercussions of the IMF's “Asian Economic Collapse”
• U.S. blunders in Tibet, Congo, Lebanon, and Venezuela
• Jackal (CIA operatives) forays to assassinate democratic presidents
From the U.S. military in Iraq to infrastructure development in Indonesia, from Peace Corps volunteers in Africa to jackals in Venezuela, Perkins exposes a conspiracy of corruption that has fueled instability and anti-Americanism around the globe. Alarming yet hopeful, this book provides a compassionate plan to reimagine our world.
Customer Reviews:
Not What I expected.......2007-09-25
I picked this book up expecting it to be a direct explanation of how the international monetary system works. I was greatly disappointed to find it's just a memoir of the author's experiences, with no hard facts, and innuendos about how horrible the US is, how many people paid him not to write this book, how many threats he's received, etc. The author spends extensive time talking about specific experiences with famous people, preening himself as an important person, and absolutely no time discussing hard facts. He spends an entire chapter talking about how he was offered a controlling position in an energy company.
The author has no clue what Biblical Christianity is, based on his descriptions (it's not about the "social gospel," no matter what church happens to believe that--anyone who bothers to read the actual Bible can tell you that). He praises Che, and says Che was smeared as a communist--in reality, I don't know of anyone who's bothered by Che's communism, but rather by his terrorism, and slaughtering of thousands of people for no particular reason--the very people he claimed to be "fighting for."
Overall, very short on facts, very much about "me," and very disappointing.
Read and learn about the U.S.A........2007-09-20
A vary eye opening book.
It's every caring U.S. citizens duty to read this book.
Mr Tom Clancy goes to Harvard Business School.......2007-09-12
John Perkins' The Secret History of the American Empire is not scholarly "history". History here is just the backdrop. It is the frame story for a lyrical ballad on global corporatism. Perkins commences: "More than half the world's population lives on less than two dollars a day; 24,000 people die each day through hunger and hunger-related diseases; the United States has 5% of the world's population but consumes 25% of the world's resources; the United States' military is preeminent as is the English language; the United States has controlling interest in both the World Bank (16%) and the International Monetary Fund (17%)". (In short, the United States is ideally positioned to exploit all hungering peoples and their rich resources.) Global corporatism's reliance on "jackals" (assassins) and "geishas" (professional escorts) is mentioned, also. Clearly, Perkins' "history" is the proverbial yesterday's paper. It's nothing new. What makes the book engaging, however, is the entrance into global corporatism of a young man emerging from teen angst determined to snare more women and earn more cash (by Perkins' admission) than the high school football team captain. Perkins draws you in at once:
"Confessions of an Economic Hit Man [Perkins' previous work] became my insurance policy; the jackals knew that if anything unusual happened to me, sales of the book would skyrocket" (page xv).
The book's premise mirrors the premise of numerous, far more scholarly works (eg, Ezra Pound's Cantos, and Naomi Klein's Shock Capitalism): "Most US citizens are not aware that national disasters are like wars: They are highly profitable for business" (page 48).
Global backdrop and premise aside, it is hard to tell whether the lyric personal escapades chronicled in this book are fictional. The engaging style is highly reminiscent of science fiction author Roger Zelazny. Indeed, if John Perkins eventually declares this book to be as fictional as Roger Zelazny's sci-fi classic Lord of Light it will be no surprise. For example, Perkins reports that his life of dark corporate skullduggery turned completely around after a chance meeting seated next to His Holiness the Thirteenth Dalai Lama on a 737 commercial flight:
"I made a vow right then and there that I would devote the rest of my life to turning things around" (page 65).
If not true, certainly a fine plot twist. And while it is totally believable a good heart-to-heart with His Holiness might indeed raise a dead soul ghoulishly serving global corporatism to the life more abundant - and while it would be unkind to disparage such an event and such a vow were they true - again, this reads more like good fiction than history.
A curious read.
A little to conspiracy laced for my taste but still a must read........2007-09-11
Perkins sounded a little too much like a conspiracy theorist in this book compared to his first Hitman book but it is still a must read. We all know that the majority of American's believe what they want to believe and do not care about people in the third world. I was not aware of America's history of disastrous foreign policies and was truly fascinated to here it from John Perkins's point of view. I hate how multi-national corporations profit at the expense of the environment and workers of third world nations. I am as conservative as they come, but I hate greed with a passion and even though this book is not completely free of bias it still was a utterly fascinating read.
A good read.......2007-09-06
This book was well-written, and the author very clearly illustrates his points. The only problem I had with it was that I had already read Confessions, and this book is a reiteration of those ideas with some new (and some old) examples. It is ultimately building off of the last book. It is not a must-read, but it is a good read. I am now faced with the dilemma, however, that every time I want to buy something I end up thinking about how many people have been adversely affected by its existence. It is certainly an eye-opener.
Book Description
This book contains the real estate investment histories of four highly successful individuals. Within this publication, the investors describe the paths they took that resulted in the creation of four separate, self-sustaining real estate empires. Self-sustaining means that the companies they started would continue to flourish without the day-to-day input of the founder. To fulfill such a qualification, the founder must have built a company consisting of a group of independent real estate entrepreneurs who are capable of managing and growing the business to the next level of success. The investors contributing to this book have achieved that goal.
Customer Reviews:
Skip this one.......2007-06-07
This book is not real helpful for anyone looking to invest, develop or get involved in commercial real estate. It is a very quick read that can be finished in a few hours. The quality of the information and the writing style is substandard. The stories about the real estate tycoons in this book are somewhat interesting but in no why helpful or particularly insightful for somewhat looking to get into real estate.
It's sort of like the old stock market adage "buy low, sell high". That's the rather simplistic advice that you get in this book from the stories of these "sages".
I have worked in commerical real estate for the past 20 years and am always reading and learning but this book is not really helpful for the novice or the expert.
If you are serious about real estate, skip this book and get something else. It is not worth the $$$.
A Great Book!.......2007-05-22
I have made a living in commercial (income property) real estate for over twenty years. This is one of the best, down-to-earth, specific real estate books I have ever read.
The book is divided into three sections. In my opinion the "Annotations" section is the best of the three. Here are 65 very specific commercial real estate concepts. I found their method of calculating loan size based on NOI to be unnecessarily convoluted, but that is my only beef. Here are specific concepts regarding valuing retail properties, leasing retail properties, apartment operation, finding demographic information (in the world of income property, demographics are destiny), etc.
The next most useful section is the short long-term outlook for real estate. There is some very good information here.
I found the beginning section (autobiographies of 4 very successful real estate investors) to be the least important. Frankly, I'd rather re-read William Zeckendorf's autobiography.
This is an extraordinary bargin at $25.
Not too much substance here.........2007-05-19
While it made for a good read, if you have any moderate amount of experience in real estate investing (I've been doing it for several years), this is mostly a book on common sense items...
I was hoping to see more detail about the individuals highlighted, rather than a brief overview of how they became successful.
There are a couple decent points in the appendix regarding valuation and such, but mostly stuff that you should already know if you're planning on buying investment real estate.
Overall, there isn't a whole lot of USEFUL information to be gleaned from this book.
President-Right Now Investments.......2007-01-16
I found this book to be exceptional for current investors. It is not for the beginner. The insight into different areas of expertise by each company was truly enlightening and insightful.
This book was very motivational for me and will help in my future commercial investment strategies.
I highly recommend this book and will be re-reading it this week to cement these ideas and strategies into my business.
Fluff.......2006-11-06
Only 125 pages of actual 'meat.' The rest is 125 pages of 'annotations.'
This book is fluff at best. Doesnt do an adequate job of delving into the actual nuts and bolts of how these guys did what they did. And why else would anyone be reading a book like this? Dont waste your time or money.
Amazon.com
Hard Drive charts Gates's missteps as well as his successes: the failure of OS/2 and the embarrassing delays in bringing Windows to the marketplace; the highly publicized split with IBM, which then forged an alliance with Apple to battle Microsoft; the public relations fallout over various exploits of Gates; and the investigations by the Federal Trade Commission. Wallace and Erickson also examine the combative, often abrasive side of Gates's personality that has alienated many of Microsoft's rivals and even employees, and led to his being labeled "The Silicon Bully" by Business Month Magazine. They report:
In the early 80's, Microsoft's Multiplan lost out to Lotus 1-2-3 in the marketplace. According to one Microsoft programmer, a few of the key people working on DOS 2.0 had a saying at the time that "DOS isn't done until Lotus won't run." They managed to code a few hidden bugs into DOS 2.0 that caused Lotus 1-2-3 to breakdown when it was loaded. "There were as few as three or four people who knew this was being done," the employee said. He felt the highly competitive Gates was the ringleader.
The first two female executives hired at Microsoft in 1985 were recruited to meet federal affirmative action guidelines so that the company could qualify for a lucrative Air Force contract. One source says,"They would say, 'Well, let's hire two women because we can pay them half as much as we will have to pay a man, and we can give them all this other crap work to do because they are women.' That's directly out of Bill's mouth...." Gates treated one of these executives so badly that she asked to be transferred away from him.
Microsoft managers used the company's e-mail system to secretly spy on employee work habits. Only those employees who worked weekends could collect bonuses. In time word got out and some employees logged into their e-mail on weekends with a modem from home so it would appear they had come in.
Book Description
The true story behind the rise of a tyrannical genius, how he
transformed an industry, and why everyone is out to get him.
In this fascinating exposé, two investigative reporters trace the hugely successful career of Microsoft founder Bill Gates. Part entrepreneur, part enfant terrible, Gates has become the most powerful -- and feared -- player in the computer industry, and arguably the richest man in America. In Hard Drive, investigative reporters Wallace and Erickson follow Gates from his days as an unkempt thirteen-year-old computer hacker to his present-day status as a ruthless billionaire CEO. More than simply a "revenge of the nerds" story though, this is a balanced analysis of a business triumph, and a stunningly driven personality. The authors have spoken to everyone who knows anything about Bill Gates and Microsoft -- from childhood friends to employees and business rivals who reveal the heights, and limits, of his wizardry. From Gates's singular accomplishments to his equally extraordinary brattiness, arrogance, and hostility (the atmosphere is so intense at Microsoft that stressed-out programmers have been known to ease the tension of their eighty-hour workweeks by exploding homemade bombs), this is a uniquely revealing glimpse of the person who has emerged as the undisputed king of a notoriously brutal industry.
Customer Reviews:
Intense, highly relevant.......2007-07-21
Delightful book. Its one flaw is its addictiveness, I couldn't put it down which did cost me sleep (I'm an IT professional with an entrepreneur spirit- your results may vary).
The Microsoft/Gates biography is impeccable in its wealth of interesting details and engaging story-telling.
Bill Gates is a fantastic decision maker. He would be as successful selling water or space suits, he just happened to be at the right time in the right booming industry and pushed with his business-business mentality to the limit. Right decision after right decision, the Microsoft journey is a story that any entrepreneur should nitpick and absorb as much as possible.
Of course, his terrible capitalistic drive is a perfect subject for a discussion on morals, social responsibility and related matters, but without a doubt when it comes to maximizing outcome while playing by our economic rules, Hard Drive tells a tale of epic proportions featuring a superhero / villain that rivals the best of science fiction.
Great tracking of a complex personality...........2007-05-13
This is the definitive Book about Bill Gates (and the history of Windows). It covers all the management aspects of how he drove Microsoft and how the work became his life. The man doesn't do business... He LIVES it. And this book describes it in very much detail.
The details includes how Bill "turned over" IBM... Promissing them the OS/2 under the "NT Technology" flag and how he realeased Windows 95 and killed IBM forever from the Desktop business. It also shows Gates apreciation for Older woman (and many that took him to bed). As part of this "private" package, it also explains the problems that He had with Steve Ballmer. How Ballmer was showing poor management and leadership under Gates perspective and how Ballmer got over it and made his loyalty to Gates forever.
I was more interested on the part that explains how Microsoft Windows 1.0 was developed. How disastrous the first Office was compared to the competition and how they managed to "work around" and fix it, by "coping" the competition and improving it "the Microsoft way".
Buy this if you want to know how business can be done... or be "copied".
critical, but admiring: a balanced book, if outdated.......2007-05-03
This is really a story of how Gates led Microsoft to its apex, ending in about 1992. It is well written and a good balance bewteen criticism, an explanation of the business model, and historical detail. The story is, to put it mildly, remarkable no matter what you think of MS and Gates.
While a student at Harvard in December, 1974, Bill Gates III and Paul Allen informed Ed Roberts by telephone that they had invented a BASIC computer language for the MITS Altair 8080, which was the first "personal computer" kit for hobbyists. Could they license it along with each Altair kit, Gates asked, to customers for a royalty fee? It was an audacious proposal, because not only had Gates and Allen invented no such thing, but they neither owned an Altair kit nor did they even know the technical specifications for the Intel 8080 chip. Skeptical of their claim, Roberts replied that whoever demonstrated a working BASIC would win the account: Gates and Allen were in competition, he told them, with 50 other "geeks" who already had made the same claim. Gates and Allen then hunkered down for 8 weeks to write the first BASIC for a microcomputer. The resulting "software", which immediately won over Roberts, was the first application of what would become Microsoft BASIC. Gates was 19.
As the company founders, Gates and Allen shared a vision that virtually every home and every office desk would eventually have a PC on them, all operating with their software. To run Microsoft full time, Gates dropped out of Harvard in January, 1977. Their business quickly expanded beyond the Altair as competing brands of personal computers emerged, including the Tandy from Radio Shack and the Apple II computer; they were also called upon to program BASIC into a number of other electronic devices. All along, Gates' goal was to gain market share, in effect setting the software standard for most, if not all, PC users. As a true believer who intimately knew the product, Gates was the principal salesman, while Allen concentrated on technical development.
During this formative period, Microsoft's corporate culture was established. Perhaps as a result of hiring many of his programmers straight out of university, Microsoft's offices (and later the campus in Redmond, Washington) took on the look and feel of a college campus, that is, an informal and a freewheeling intellectual atmosphere with "late hours, loud music, walls full of junk, anything goes dress, Coke, adrenaline, unbuttoned behavior." Employees tended to be very young with a programmer or engineering mentality; they designed their products for tech-savvy customers - male in their early 20s - like themselves, a kind of fellowship for computer adepts. Like Gates, they loved to play with and program electronic gadgets.
Microsoft hired the brightest programmers with demonstrated practical abilities. Employees were also expected to work extremely long hours as a team toward a common goal, not as strident individualists. Gates encouraged them to develop their entrepreneurial passions, forcefully advancing their own ideas of useful products for new markets. Overseeing it all was Gates, who gained the reputation of a harsh and challenging critic with a relentless drive for excellence, whether to beat the competition or out of fear of falling behind in such a fast-changing industry. As the sole remaining founder after Allen's departure in 1983, Gates remained deeply involved in both technical and business details as well as the general direction of company strategy. Nonetheless, as the principal revenue generators, Microsoft's product groups increasingly became the seats of decision-making power, in spite of Gates' active engagement.
At the end of 1979, Microsoft had $US 4 million in sales. Most of these revenues came from BASIC, which enabled programmers to create applications, such as word processing and accounting spread sheets. The level below BASIC and the other languages under development at Microsoft was the computer operating system, which performed the most elementary tasks required to run computers. With the prospect of providing software to IBM for the basic PC it was planning to market for a reasonable price, Gates and Allen began to acquire the rights to, and then develop, software for a computer operating system. Known later as DOS, it again set an industry standard that would enable Microsoft to efficiently develop languages and software applications in a single engineering environment rather than painstakingly customize them for a variety of incompatible operating systems. This would immensely simplify Microsoft's programming process as well as enhance its efficiency.
As Gates foresaw, this was a near-ideal position to occupy at the moment that the PC market was poised to grow explosively with the introduction of the inexpensive IBM PC, which was made of off-the-shelf components and hence easy to copy, or "clone". With the dual ownership of DOS and several major programming languages, Microsoft became one of the fastest growing companies in the world. By 1985, just prior to its IPO, on revenues of $US 140 million, Microsoft had a pre-tax profit margin of approximately 34%, no long-term debt, and cash reserves of $US 38 million. By 1987, the company surpassed Lotus to become the world's largest software vendor for PCs. Gates was on his way to become the richest man in the world, at least for a time.
However, the ownership of DOS and the programming languages would also, critics later claimed, confer an "unfair advantage" on the company. First, the Microsoft applications groups were accused to obtaining "inside information" from the operating systems group, which enabled them to design their products to function more quickly and smoothly than competitors could. Second, because each change in DOS required competitors to supply their latest products to Microsoft programmers to ensure compatibility, critics charged that this amounted to an inside peek into their strategy at the cutting edge of their capabilities. It was a symbiotic relationship that made many outside vendors - independent companies developing applications to run on Microsoft operating systems -uneasy and resentful. Third, DOS programmers were accused by rivals of inserting "hidden bugs" into the operating system in order to hinder the function of competing products, such as the Lotus spread sheet, damaging their competitive position and brand. The resulting negative publicity did a great deal of damage to the Microsoft brand, which began to be seen as the industry bully.
While Gates insisted that he had erected a "Chinese Wall" between Microsoft's applications division and its Operating System's Group, it was not enough to deter the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) from opening a probe into the company for anti-competitive practices that purportedly hurt consumers. By 1991, when the FTC probe became widely known, Microsoft controlled one-quarter of the applications market and dominated the operating systems market with Windows. There was speculation about the imminent breakup of Microsoft into separate companies for these markets, similar to the dismantlement of AT&T. For their part, defenders of Microsoft argued that it was winning because it was better and smarter, presenting its customers with superior products at bargain prices.
This a pretty much where the book stops, which badly dates it. Not only is the story of the anti-trust law suits left untold, but subsequent business developments - notably the internet - are not even mentioned. Thus, this is an excellent early history, but the reader must look elsewhere for more detail. Of the shelf of books on MS, in my opinion this is one of the best, and it was most useful to me for a research project. Recommended.
love your protagonist........2007-04-17
I can never figure why an author would write a book about someone they don't like. In the book "Google" by David A Vise, it's abundantly apparent that the author has a huge admiration for Brin and Page the founders of Google. Thus it made for a great book. Hard Drive comes across as a book that was purely written for the authors to profit and I didn't enjoy it half as much as the Google book, even though Bill Gates is my favourite entrepreneur.
Pretty good read.......2006-11-03
Provides a pretty balanced look back on Microsoft's history up until 1994-95. It's really cool to read this now, given what has transpired since then. Gives great insight into just how driven Bill Gates is, and what he gave up to achieve his success. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is fascinated with the early stages of the micro-computer revolution.
Customer Reviews:
A must for legal libraries.......2005-08-09
Skadden is an excellent history of both the rise of the modern law firms as well as one of those firms which epitomized that movement. Lincoln Caplan uses an indepth analysis of the practice, politics and people of Skadden Arps to analyze how and why law firms, which had traditionally been small parterships have since grown into businesses as large and competitive as many of the corporations they represent. The story is very well written and insightful and it is obvious that Caplan did extensive research both inside the firm and in legal libraries. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in legal history and it is a good insider's guide to people who do not have experience in a law firm, but are considering working in one or are simply curious what goes in them.
Doodle Joe.......2002-05-15
There's usually something important to be learned by the absent minded habits of the great and powerful. This book includes one about Joe Flom: He likes to fill the margins of his notes with tightly wound, intricate geometric patters that are uniquely his own design. The author doesn't read much more into it, but there's no reason we readers can't. According the author, Mr. Flom can also be a little brusque in private.
For law students in particular, this book is a good dose of reality if they are wondering what it's really like to work in a big firm. Interesting critique of the usefulness of this book: I recently asked a Skadden associate (not in their NY office) how he liked this book, and he had not read it. He had to look it up on the firm's website to determine what I was talking about. So this book can help the non-Skadden population understand the Skadden firm perhaps better than the firm understands itself. That would be the ultimate tribute to the author, and a Delphic oracle to Skadden's leadership.
Since reading this, I cannot help thinking of Joe Flom whenever I'm trapped in some boring meeting, or sidelined in court, waiting for my case to be called. "Can I doodle as well as him?" I ask myself. Then the case is called, or the meeting accelerates, and--poof!--the evanescent reminder of old Joe Flom disappears along with it.
Lincoln Caplan is a phenomenal legal historian........1998-12-29
Mr. Caplan has gracefully provided readers with an exquisite portrait of the life and times of a twentieth century law firm. Compelling and balanced, the book joyfully tracks the highs and lows of a group of "young turks" who have defined what it means to be a lawyer in corporate America. I am grateful to Mr. Caplan for the time he put into this project, as it gives tremendous insight to law students as to how a law firm operates and what the culture of a law firm embodies. This book is worth reading, worth printing and well worth recommending. Caplan's Tenth Justice, his recording of the Office of Solicitor General is brilliant as well. Joe Flom and Sheila Birnbaum and the rest of the Skadden crew can rest easy as the bard who records their triumphs and tribulations does so with zest and intelligence.
Book Description
Set in the vibrant Industrial Age and filigreed with family drama and epic ambition, Crosley chronicles one of the great untold tales of the twentieth century. Born in the late 1800s into a humble world of dirt roads and telegraphs, Powel and Lewis Crosley were opposites in many ways but shared drive, talent, and an unerring knack for knowing what Americans wanted. Their pioneering inventions — from the first mass-produced economy car to the push-button radio — and breakthroughs in broadcasting and advertising made them both wealthy and famous, as did their ownership of the Cincinnati Reds. But as their fortunes grew, so did Powel’s massive ego, which demanded he own eight mansions and seven yachts at the height of the Great Depression. Rich with detailed reminiscences from surviving family members, Crosley is both a powerful saga of a heady time in American history and an intimate tale of two brilliant brothers navigating triumph and tragedy.
Customer Reviews:
a msut read for radio fans.......2007-08-27
Great read for a radio fan or anyone interested in early 20th century business moguls.
The Crosley Empire.......2007-08-23
I bought this book for my brother who owned a Crosley years ago, but I read it before I gave it to him. Great book! One of the best I have read in a long time.
It was a great history lesson and you do not have to be a Crosley buff to enjoy it.
Would highly recommend.
Richard Flory
Crosley: Two Brothers and a Business Empire That Transformed the Nation.......2007-08-11
The person for whom I purchased the book absolutely loves it!! It's the story, the pictures and presentation that just makes reading it so enjoyable. I'm very glad that I made this purchase.
Industrial pioneers.......2007-07-23
I'm sitting in a home full of computers, MP3 players, dvd recorders and players, a satellite TV box, and scores of electric appliances that are smarter than I am. Reading of a time when consumer electronics were unknown, and the primary electric appliance was a lightbulb, is like looking into the dark ages. Well, not quite. But you know what I mean.
The Crosley name is one that I've heard around my home throughout my life, but with the exception of a Crosley radio on a shelf, my knowledge of the company or the men that founded the firm was fuzzy at best. The authors have done an outstanding job at fleshing out Powel and Lewis Crosley and the world they lived in and revolutionized.
Many a novel I've read non-stop, but this is the first biography that I've done an "all-nighter" with.
The authors had no axe to grind, the times were well fleshed out, and one's faith in the ability of someone to think it up and do it, is reaffirmed. It was chock full of interesting information and facts, and I found myself checking Google satellite maps for locations mentioned in the book (Yes, the Arlington St. location still exisits and the satellite pic catches the executive tower, one-time home of WLW).
There is some bumpy writing, as noted in a few other reviews. I blame not the authors, but the editor. The boys really like their cliches. Lawyers are always "Sharpening their pencils," people come and go "Exit Stage right/left, Enter stage right/left;" and so many variations of "Masses not the classes" permeated the text, I wondered if they had some sort of Bolshevik thing going on.
That aside, this guy will be giving several copies of this book for Christmas this year - and I can't think of a better testimonial to the book.
Crosley.......2007-05-31
This was one of the most intersting biog. I have read in a long time. It is hard to believe the brothers could jam that much into just one lifetime and then it was all gone. I heartly recommend this book if you have an interest in one of our most exciting periods.
Book Description
"Voyages deep into the frenzied, complex world of LBO transactions."âBusinessWeek
"Sheds light on an important chapter in both African-American and American business history."âEarl G. Graves, Publisher, Black Enterprise magazine
When Reginald Lewis was six years old, his grandparents asked his opinion about employment discrimination against blacks. Reg replied simply, "Why should white guys have all the fun?" Why, indeed! Lewis grew up to become the wealthiest black man in history and one of the most successful entrepreneurs of all time, reigning over a commercial empire that spanned four continents. At the time of his death in 1993, his personal fortune was estimated at $400 million.
"Why Should White Guys Have All the Fun?" traces Lewis's rise from a working-class neighborhood in east Baltimore to Harvard Law School and, ultimately, into the elite circle of Wall Street deal-makers. Expanding on Lewis's unfinished autobiography, journalist Blair Walker completes a vivid portrait of a proud, fiercely determined man with a razor-sharp tongueâand an intellect to match. He shows how Lewis's lifelong hunger for wealth and personal glory fueled his success on the playing field, in the classroom, and in the boardroom. Walker also provides a rare insider's view of Lewis, the iron-willed negotiator and brilliant business strategist in action as he finesses one phenomenal deal after another.
A moving saga of personal courage and determination as well as a virtual how-to book for those who would like to follow in Lewis's footsteps, "Why Should White Guys Have All the Fun?" is every bit as memorable as the man whose story it tells.
Customer Reviews:
Enthusiastic........2007-07-05
This work tells the story of a black man who rose to become a top CEO.
Author BLAIR S. WALKER, discusses the chronicle of his subject's private life based on dozens of interviews and also consulting many sources and borrowing on an unfinished autobiography Reginald Lewis wrote shortly before his death from brain cancer in order to give a full and accurate account of this intense, goal-oriented man's life.
If motivation and inspiration is what you seek, you will find it in various chapters throughout the book. Power packed with valuable business lessons on deal making and negotiations, this book has the ability to cultivate your mind set in many a positive ways.
Lewis was a tough- minded narcissistic individual. He was a man set on being an exception to life's ugly stereotypes towards African Americans.
Although the book does fall short in not talking about the deaths of two keystone figures in Lewis's life which was his grand pop and grand mom who were considered some of his greatest strength as a boy.
Lewis and his two LBO's became a greater success than the famous "burning bed" blunder by the former First Boston Corp..
Overall, you will find this book an entertaining read.
A Strong Mind and An Example of How to Achieve Success.......2007-05-29
I was blown away by this book, more so for the similarities between Lewis and myself. I think he was proud of being black but I agree with him that its only an aspect of who you are. Americans as a whole, whether they are black and white tend to group successful blacks as some sort of exception, which is a done and TIRED story. Reginald is a man's man that did things his way successfully. Too bad his life was cut short no telling where he might of been and how much more successful he would have become.
For readers its a look at an intense, fearless, determined, and extremely ambitious man who just happened to be African-American.
Why Should You Enjoy This Book?.......2006-10-22
The Lewis and Walker edition of 'Why Should White Guys Have All the Fun?' is one of the most well-researched and written books that exist from a partial business autobiography/biography standpoint. When you read (and study) this book you feel as if you know Reginald Lewis (Reg) personally. You felt that you have sat at the same table, in the same room, with the same true characters that made him the man that he was.
Reginald Lewis was no saint. But, he was driven by passion and a determination to be the best. Walker (the co-author) has created many things within the context of this book: A bio, a blueprint, an academic view of business, a detailed account (diary) of a very accomplished man. But most importantly, Walker and Lewis together have created a great story. It's more than just mere inspiration, it's a book that when you're done, you will want to make Reg a member of your advisory counsel (the kind that motivates and drives you when their physical presence is no longer here). Reg is now a part of my advisory counsel - and he's given me good advice. Read this book regardless of your ethnic background because it truly drives home a point: We can all have fun!
(Elite Print by biographer Walker);(italics by autobiographer Lewis).......2006-05-01
There was a consistent pattern of the italic matter in which Lewis* kept to his focus "business" and businessman (and bussiness women) and just a brief mention of activity with his wife and children(the book opens with a lengthy discussion of his "humble beginnings" and how his older relatives,especially his grandmother were his greatest strength as a boy, although he does mention his great love for his mother and respect for his step-father and siblings)...His thrill for being accepted at "Harvard" never left him and there is a bldg for law students named after him on Harvard's campus.He gives insight into the wars within in the brokerage world(and how one should be careful what one sells,even with biggies like "McCall Patterns" since if the company should falter in any way shortly after you've sold it,you might be legally held responsible to the buyers) and how "other values" matter more when he gets in swiftly fading health... his biographer ,Blair(co-author of the book published posthumously) does a marvelous insert between the Lewis's italics and also includes : an epilogue(others were left to mourn for him on 01/19/1993); an index ; & a list of all who contributed to "his* story).It was a book worth reading.
Bio/autobiography of a superstrong personality.......2006-04-01
I've been reading more business related stuff as of late, and I picked up "Why Should White Guys..." a while back. Reginald Lewis earns tremendous respect in my eyes for his intense energy and willingness to take risks to achieve. Reading this book, you can see what a trailblazer he actually was as he pulled off a seemingly impossible buyout of Beatrice Foods and then drove them to strong economic performance.
I give this 4 stars because I'm ambivalent on Lewis' significance for black Americans. He achieved and he's given back a lot to the community, as evidenced by the Reginald Lewis Library in Baltimore. But this book also reveals that his success was greatly aided by Michael Milken's junk bonds [although in the book's defense Milken was still positively regarded at the time of writing] and he deeply loved being part of Harvard Law School and chose to make a very public donation of a multimillion dollar building to them as he became established.
I think the lack of discussion of some of these issues reflects the time period that this book was written in rather than any fault of the author. This is an authorized biography with large samplings of Lewis' own words. Lewis' amazing rise deserves a full-scale critical biography, and I'll give this a high rating until something else comes out to supplant it.
4 stars.
--SD
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