Barbarians at the Gate : The Fall of RJR Nabisco

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Summary: A must read!
Review: A wonderful display of liquidity and executive brass

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Summary: A Real Life Soap Opera
Review: An excellent, well written book which you'll find difficult to put down. Certainly a must read for business students who may not remember the events when they happened. My only caution: this is not a light read. There are a great number of characters in the book and more sub-plots than I could casually track. Definitely recommended reading for that next long plane trip.

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Summary: Or How the world was turned into a huge conglomerate
Review: Unputdownable. Highly detailed conversations provide fascinating insights into the minds of the corporate warriors. It also reveals how petty matters can decide our fates as investors. Entertaining anecdotes about personal egos and one up-man-ship of the players make you feel disgusted at times. The golden handshakes and parachutes have grown fatter since the days of RJR Nabisco and yet the shareholders have been able to do nothing about it. Proves the old adage: power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

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Summary: Greed is Good
Review: An outstanding account...I devoured it in one weekend in 1993. A classic representation of the financial movers and shakers of the Decade of Greed (1980s).

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Summary: A MUST READ
Review: The best book I've ever read. Barbarians at the Gate leaves you at the edge of your chair/extremely difficult to put down. The authors have done an amazing job describing clearly the entire situation. If you're in finance you must read this book. You'll never regret it.

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Summary: The best thriller I have ever read.
Review: I read this book in one sitting. It was the best thriller I have ever read. I could barely wait to find out what happened next, even though I knew in advance how the story ended. The problem with this book is that it is not a thriller and it is not a story.

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Summary: Most interesting and well written financial book ever
Review: This book was so interesting and entertaining. When you thought something couldn't be true, you have to remind yourself that this is a true story. Truth is stranger than fiction.

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Summary: A beautifully written novel, BUT IT WAS TRUE!
Review: It's a good boo

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Summary: I'm Glad I'm Private
Review: It's hard enough to grow your business, keep employees and customers happy, and fend off the competition. A public company also has to be wary of circling sharks. Beware! I was struck that the biggest problem that the RJR Nabisco management had was complacency. I can understand why they felt that way, because the company lived such a rich life style for its executives. Private companies also have to worry about complacency. It eats away at you slowly, more like rust (when you are private, as we are). By the time you notice the damage from the rust, all your metal is ruined. I recently read The 2,000 Percent Solution, and found that to be a good resource for helping me ask myself the questions I need to answer to be a more effective CEO. RJR Nabisco could have used both of these books.

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Summary: A Classic Look at LBO's in the 80's
Review: While the authors concentrate on the story of RJR Nabisco, you can't help but get an insight into the firms that specialize in LBO's. The book focuses on Ross Johnson and provides a fascinating portrait of the CEO of the 80's.