Rating: 
Summary: Inspiring!!
Review: I used this book for a paper I had to write in a business class. Jack Welch seems to be a real down to earth guy! This book helped to see that we are not alone in some of our thinking when it comes to Corporate settings. He inspires you to go out there and be yourself. I truly educational, and entertaining story!!!
Rating:
Summary: Great Reading from Barnacle
Review: I didn't expect much from Mike Barnacle's reading, after all -- Mike Barnacle? But his gritty New England accent was a great voice for Jack Welch.The book was surpisingly easy to listen to. I was able to absorb most of the concepts due to Welch's clear style and simple explanantions of his approach to management.
Rating:
Summary: High Quality, Motivational, Inspirational
Review: Having read this book, I have not only started using methods that "Jack" uses, but I've even given this book to others. It's a tremendous read for leaders, especially those that are seeing the change wheel turning. Jack writes in an engaging style that draws the reader right into the story line, shares his life challenges with you and helps you learn from some of his biggest mistakes & sucesses. For anyone that has direct reports, this is a must-read.
Rating: 
Summary: A "rushed" book that could have been much better
Review: Jack was actually interesting for the first few chapters, but then the author seemed to lose interest and just got through it, obsessing on himself. His time at GE was not put into historical context,i.e., the fall of the Berlin Wall and communism, the boom of the 90s--from which he profited greatly, terrorism attacks, etc. It's a very inward look at GE and everything that he personally did there, with lots of "I"s in th text. In the early part of the book I liked the main character, but by the end he came across as an egomaniac. Certainly not a great leader. Dissapointing.
Rating:
Summary: Egomaniac??
Review: This is one of the most excruciatingly boring and self-promoting pieces of work I have ever had the opportunity to read. I still find myself amazed that I actually finished it! Through the entire book I kept thinking to myself: 1. Surely this will get better! - This man is an icon, surely there is something interesting in this thing! Sadly, I was wrong. 2. No more cliches! - Does Jack Welch have ANY ideas of his own? He constantly drops phrases and 'ideas' such as "six-sigma", "boundary-less" or "be no.1 or no. 2". Almost all of these are pirated from Drucker or basic college business courses. Welch seems to think he coined them and that they are somehow revolutionary. 3. What an EGO! - What an ego this guy has! He pretty much accepts full credit for everything from inventing the lightbulb to discovering the internet. Page after page of "I did this" and I did that" was more than just a little annoying. 4. Is Jack God? - According to Welch, he is right, and everyone else is wrong. Even when addressing GE 'failures', Welch is quick to point out that the failures were not the fault of GE, rather they were the result of the incompetence or unfairness of others. In his paranoid mind, everyone from the competition to the Federal Government is conspiring to topple GE, while poor Jack serves as the sole protector of capitalism, mom, apple pie and the American way. 5. Lucky! - Sometimes it is better to be lucky than good. From what I can ascertain from this book, all that GE accomplished with Welch at the helm would have occurred just as well without him. Contrary to his own beliefs, there is no indication that anything GE attained was the result of Welch's brilliance or creativity - in fact, many achievements were attained in spite of his missteps, poor planning and lack of leadership. I will concede that the early parts of the book in which Welch revels of his early days, his education and his introduction to GE, are very interesting, and make for a good read. Beyond this, the reader is inundated with page after page of meaningless numbers and Jack's own enormous ego. What can you learn from "Jack"? Nothing, other than that Jack Welch is an egomaniac with little to say that hasn't already been said. I went into the book as a fan of Welch, and came away wondering how he ever managed to hold down a job. Save yourself the 10+ hours of reading this bunk and read something worthwhile.
Rating:
Summary: Exactly what I thought.
Review: Wow, here's another guy who gave up everything for the company. Kids and family are hardly mentioned. The first divorce is explained and it's just what you expect. His first love is his job. That's great if that's what you want out of life. For me, it's a waste of time. There's little relevant information here for the person not wanting to climb the corporate ladder for the sake of climbing the corporate ladder. People like this must be needed to run the huge companies but it's not much of a commentary on someone's life. Welch was in the right place at the right time, had a knack for using other people in the right places, didn't flinch when they didn't meet his needs and clawed his way to the top. Somehow, reading this, I don't get the idea he did it as neatly or cleanly as it comes across in the book. There were people out to get him but he never appears to fight back, except with his superior intellect and skill. Yeah, right.
The book is OK but if your brain is on at all, you figure it out in the first two chapters. The last half is just about the deals "he" pulled off. Little is given in way of a case study or explanation that will benefit anyone. It's just a rehash of the glory days.
There are better books on the market for history, biography or improving your abilities.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book!
Review: Jack Welch is the consummate business leader of our time. This book gives great insight into the thought processes that led to his success by revealing what and who shaped his life from childhood to retirement. Sure, much of Jack Welch is "over the top" but isn't that what we would expect?
Rating:
Summary: Must-Read!
Review: This book is a must-read for all managers as well as everyone else who has an interest in business. If you like business, you will like this book! Many of the scenarios in this book are extreme and mind-boggling. You may agree with his methods or not, but you will certainly enjoy reading this book and get a ton of ideas.
Rating:
Summary: Inspiring
Review: This is a truly magnificent book that give great insight into the strategy and method of one of the most successfull leaders ever.
It is very inspiring to read how Jack Welch has managed a company as big as GE with relatively simple means, and this should be an encouragement to all in senior management.
Further the book is filled with good anecdotes and a humorous approach to nearly everything.
Rating:
Summary: Propaganda at it's best.
Review: Take it from someone that works for GE, this is true propaganda at it's best. While it may be true that the executives of GE are given freedom, stock options, etc. the worker at GE does not have those advantages. It's funny that there is very little that Jack has written about the people that MAKE these dreams come to life. Sure executives make purchases, change policy, but it's the actual worker that makes these dreams come alive. A decent read if you're looking for management suggestions. But not a truly factual account of "inside GE".
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