Rating: 
Summary: The amazing world of fashion & business
Review: This book details the ups and downs of Gucci from the very beginning. If you don't know much about the world of fashion and business, you will learn alot!!! The inner world of Gucci, the business side, was at times a bit tiring to read about. What was missing from the tale was a more in depth look at some key figures surrounding the murdered Maurizio Gucci. His business partners and acquaintances were clearly portrayed..... however, his immediate family (wife Patrizia and two daughters) appeared to be shadowy figures appearing here and there in the book. A few more chapters to paint a clearer picture of Maurizio's personal life would have been satisfying. Overall an interesting book.
Rating: 
Summary: Not Just a Business Book
Review: This book is a surprising fast paced book that reads more like an unauthorized tell all scandal book then one dealing with the business world. It is just a fun book to read. There is a good amount of history that does not take away from the story (as sometimes to much dull history can). The author got the mix right. It also gave me a lot of insight into the fashion world that I really was not looking for, but was interesting all the same. Keep in mind that part of the focus of this book is the business that has been built up; it is not just details of the family. A good effort by the author and one worth reading if you are interested in the topic.
Rating:
Summary: Not Just a Business Book
Review: This book is a surprising fast paced book that reads more like an unauthorized tell all scandal book then one dealing with the business world. It is just a fun book to read. There is a good amount of history that does not take away from the story (as sometimes to much dull history can). The author got the mix right. It also gave me a lot of insight into the fashion world that I really was not looking for, but was interesting all the same. Keep in mind that part of the focus of this book is the business that has been built up; it is not just details of the family. A good effort by the author and one worth reading if you are interested in the topic.
Rating:
Summary: tour de force
Review: This book is surprisingly entertaining & yet informative at the same time. Here, we read about Gucci's humble beginning (against the myth of the family beginning as saddle makers), the personalities in the family (namely, Aldo & Rodolfo & subsequently, moving on to the younger generations, Maurizio, Paolo), the ongoing battles ensued among themselves for business control, the loyalty of Gucci employees, the estrangment of the employees against the new team brought in by Maurizio to turn Gucci around, the murder of Maurizio Gucci, the trial which brought his estranged wife, Patrizia Gucci & her accomplice to jail, Maurizio's vision which involved Investcorp which subsequently made Gucci into a corporate name, the significance of American outsiders such as Dawn Mello, Domenico de Sole, Tom Ford which spearheaded Gucci into a new direction altogether (from bag & leather products into ready to wear apparels) & indirectly, tranformed the fashion industry forever by inspiring other fashion houses to do the same ie. listed in the sharemarket to fend off competitors and to survive in the game & attainment of synergy thru multi brands under the same umbrella, the fighting off hostile takeover bid by LMVD led by Arnault thru marriage with Pinault. The book is written in a way that we feel as if we are in the thick of incidents. B&W pictures provided were handy. There is never a dull moment in this book. Highly recommended and great effort for the first time author.
Rating: 
Summary: A Must-Have for Fashionistas
Review: This book provides an insightful look into the history and development of the House of Gucci. I have learned everything about how the business started, the Gucci family turmoil, and the recent comeback and dominance of Gucci. This is a great read.
Rating:
Summary: Awesome Book
Review: This book pulls you in from the start and is a very fast read. I read it while in Italy, which made it especially interesting. Walked by the building in Milano where handsome Maurizio Gucci was killed. Lots of good pictures in the book too. Reads like a novel, but is real life. Very cool book.
Rating:
Summary: Satisfaction garantee
Review: This is a good book to read, you might find that you might read it from cover to cover in one seating. When I saw the picture of Gucci creative director Tom Ford with Charlize Theron last month in a magazine to promote Gucci product amoung many top rated and well known brand name such as Armani, Versace, Hermes...I would not imagine what Gucci history was like w/o reading this book.Here are my two thumbs up, and since it is a real story; here are my two toes up.
Rating:
Summary: And you thought the Ewings were dysfuncional in Dallas?!
Review: This is a true tale of the Gucci family/business and how it came to be sold to a multi-national corporation. It is also a true-crime murder mystery. The book was obviously an enormous undertaking - just look at the long list of interviews! It is very interesting and informative, but could have been better organized. It is akin to Gucci under the 2nd generation : disconcerting , flip-flopping madly to and fro from one thing to another, and one time frame to another. The author's c.v. includes fashion/business correspondence at Women's Wear Daily and this basis is apparent in her writing. In the course of the Gucci family saga, she incorporates detailed descriptions of offices, houses, furnishings, attire and cuisine at meetings, etc. There is an essential family genealogy tree on the frontispiece and accompanying photos of the major players. The index in the back is also quite useful as a "memory refresher" as one perseveres through this book.
Rating:
Summary: Dishy, Yet Intelligent
Review: This is an amazingly detailed, perceptive, and engrossing read! I read it on a cross-country plane trip, and the hours literally flew by. Forden traces the history of the Gucci empire from its earliest beginnings to the present day. This history provides a context for the drama, upheaval, and legal battles that plagued the family in the 70s, 80s and 90s. Forden weaves the personal, public, and legal aspects of these battles in a seamless, cogent, and intelligent discussion. While it is a sensational story, Forden does a great job of getting to the facts that underly the disputes and presents them without fanfare - they speak for themselves. The photographs and family tree are great additions to this book. You'll need the family tree to keep track, and the photos make the story that much more real. Watching the characters' lives unfold was better than any soap opera, precisely because they are/were real people whose choices led them on a path of destruction. Even so, Forden's prose avoids the talk-show and tabloid cliches that have ruined many a biography. Finally, as an attorney, this book provided me with interesting insights into family legal battles and corporate organization.
Rating:
Summary: Good Read
Review: This was a good book, well worth your time.
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