Twenty-First-Century Jet: The Making and Marketing of the Boeing 777

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Story, Funny and Fascinating
Review: 21St-Century Jet : The Making and Marketing of the Boeing 777 is an excellent book. Though it does not go into exqusite detail about the systems of the 777, it provides an entertaining look into not only the design and construction, but the men and woman behind the aircraft. There is more to this plane than just it's systems, and that rarely told story is what makes this unique book one that will be enjoyed by engineers, plane enthusiasts, and anyone who has ever flown on an airplane. The story behind the 777 is amazing, the complexity of the plane is daunting, and putting this all into writing, the author makes a story that rivals any novel.

Rating:
Summary: Talk about betting the company...
Review: A great book for any aviation or business buff.

Rating:
Summary: A Soporific Nightmare
Review: I am a great fan of commercial aviation, and read many books on the subject. But this book is a soporific nightmare. The style of the author is trite, hackneyed, and the tone is overly melodramatic.

Rating:
Summary: A Project Management
Review: This title is less about aviation and flying than it is about project management and visionary business and management practices. The challenge of designing, building, and marketing a multimillion dollar aircraft it daunting, but the insight into the personalities and practices behind the challenge are insightful, illuminating how a good end-to-end project is run.

Those looking for hardcore aviation insights might be disappointed, as another reviewer was. But those who really want to understand the complex realities of running a business and a huge team will find insipration.

Rating:
Summary: There must be a pony around here
Review: Visitors to Amazon who read customer reviews may have noted that low ratings turn off readers--'helpful' ratings go down with the number of stars. A pity, since intelligent readers realize that ratings derive from reader experience and knowledge.
So: this could have been a fascinating, important book about a subject that affects millions of airline passengers. But Sabbagh snatches defeat from the jaws of potential victory solely because of his writing style--or, rather, the lack. This must be among the most hackneyed, cliche-ridden pieces of sloppy journalism ever foisted on a major publisher. One wonders whether an editor ever even looked at it.
The very first line of the book, in the Acknowledgments, is a cliche: "It goes without saying that . . ." Arrgghhh! The very first sentence of the Introduction is equally clumsy: "There are two things I know about airplanes that surprised me when I first learned them." How about: "Two things about airplanes surprised me." Beyond the clumsy construction he uses, the author should discover several thousand things that surprised him. I've been a pilot since age 17 and learn something new every time I fly. His entire introductory premise is fallacious and trivial.
The over-all impression of the book is that the author is not a pilot and doesn't really care much about flight; that he knows not nearly enough about the design, manufacturing, materials and basic aerodynamics technologies he tries to convey to the reader; and that his failure to master the language and rid himself of the leaden, cliched prose is a burden the reader is forced to share if he or she keeps slogging on.
There must be a pony around here. There must be a wonderful book about a great and epochal airplane hiding inside this mess. The reader shouldn't have to start with a shovel to find that book.
The only stars I give (two) are for information I was forced to dig out, with reluctance and frequent outbursts of impatience.