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Rating: 
Summary: Ex-Schwab employee enjoyed reading it!
Review: As an ex-Schwab employee (1988 - 1996) I really enjoyed reading this book. I worked for or with several of the folks interviewed and was at HQ in San Fran. the day after the earthquake--pretty incredible day! I have recommended it to all of my ex-Schwab buddies.
Rating:
Summary: Ex-Schwab employee enjoyed reading it!
Review: As an ex-Schwab employee (1988 - 1996) I really enjoyed reading this book. I worked for or with several of the folks interviewed and was at HQ in San Fran. the day after the earthquake--pretty incredible day! I have recommended it to all of my ex-Schwab buddies.
Rating: 
Summary: Ex-Schwab Employee - Like a Walk Down Memory Lane.
Review: As an ex-Schwab employee (1991-2000), I recommend the book highly. Having firsthand knowledge of the people and many of the events that were reported in the book I found the historical portions of the book to be accurate.
John Kador has done an excellent job of capturing the history, heroic vision and ethics of Schwab (both Chuck and the company) and how the company revolutionized the discount brokerage industry and the distribution of mutual funds. Also, I thought his comments and perspectives into the many challenges the company overcame, and current hurdles to overcome, were incredibly insightful.
John writes in a narrative style that reads more like a fiction novel than what one might expect for a "business book". As I said, I'm an ex-employee and still found it to be a page-turner. I couldn't wait to read what else John had accurately captured about Schwab's long history. I have recommended the book to all of the Schwab employees and ex-employees I keep in touch with.
The book was written prior to the most recent re-emergence of Chuck Schwab as sole CEO of the company, so much has changed since the book was finished, but I still believe it is a great read for anyone who is interested in the history of one of the few revolutionary Fortune 500 companies.
This one is worth buying. You won't regret it!
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Summary: Insightful!
Review: Business writer John Kador describes the evolution of Charles Schwab & Company, a former discount brokerage blessed with the ability to transform itself through four different incarnations. Kador emphasizes Schwab's commitment to integrity and customer service, a code that enabled it to prevail despite upheavals and threats. While the book focuses on the company, the running portrait of Chuck Schwab gives it a personal core. Kador highlights Schwab's concern with exercising his values and leading a highly principled business amid an often shady industry he saw as corrupted by greed. Kador's engaging narrative style is designed to inform and entertain general investors, executives and managers. At times, the discussion of Chuck Schwab and his company sounds almost too laudatory, as if the book is an in-house publicity piece. We from getAbstract recommend that readers should take all that sugar with a grain of salt, given this otherwise compelling dish.
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Summary: A Wonderful Story of Mission, Vision and Values
Review: Let me begin by saying that John Kador is a friend. If that represents a conflict of interest, then you are welcome to disregard what I have to say about his new book.I thought John did a marvelous job of weaving the tale of a company about which I knew little. Before I opened this book, I had no idea how much I was going to come to admire Chuck Schwab and the thousands who joined in his crusade to bring ethics back to the brokerage industry. I found myself rooting for them at every turn. My heart sank each time they faced near disaster, even though I knew they would eventually survive and thrive. This is a story about mission, vision and values at a time when we hear far too much about companies with questionable ethics. This company stood up for what they believed in time and time again. It gave me hope that it is still possible to form a company based on the clear desire to right a wrong...to make the world a bit better. I also got to know something about Chuck Schwab, the businessman, the icon, and the human being, and I liked what I found. My only regret is that I didn't place my portfolio in their hands many years ago, if for no other reason than to support them in their crusade. And because I was able to follow along on John's progress as he wrote, I appreciate the great passion and care he put into every word. Unfortunately, the reaction from Charles Schwab, the company, has not been favorable. What a shame. Throughout its history, this organization never passed up the opportunity to learn in the face of news they didn't want to hear. If only they would listen carefully, they would find that John really does care about them, and truly hopes his work can be a source of positive change rather than denial. Well done my friend!
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Summary: Good book about a great subject
Review: Schwab has redefined Wall Street. He and Bogle have been two lone voices calling for ethical treatment of the customer, and they actually have tried to practice what their preached. The is the first book about Schwab instead of by him, and it is worth reading. One of Schwab's greatest strengths is adaptation, but that means that any book written about him and his company will quickly be out of date. In this case, it was written before the US Trust acquisition and before he gave up the co-CEO role. It was also written at the beginning of the long, painful downturn following the crash of the NASDAQ that has hurt Schwab as much as anyone. I can't wait to read the sequel.
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Summary: Fun to read!
Review: This business book is written in an enjoyable, easy-to-read format that avoids the usual jargon found in many business books. While the author does not take himself too seriously, he does a wonderful jub of describing Schawb the company and the man from Wall St. underdog to the brand icon that transformed the way America thinks about money and investing. Schwab had to fight many forces, break a lot of rules and go against the old boys club of the East Coast (Wall St.) investment monopoly. This is a great book for anyone interested in the history of investing, the rise of a true 20th Century business success story or how a company can get big but still stay true to it's ethical concerns. Highly recommended!
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Summary: Corporate Thriller
Review: This is an excellent business book�part personality profile, part corporate history and part industry analysis. It�s the story of the rise of the discount brokerage industry as created by Charles Schwab and the mavericks who worked for his eponymous company. It�s a fascinating story filled with interesting characters and more twists and turns than the latest Patterson thriller. Along the way, it delivers some worthwhile commentary about management and leadership and how companies rise and fall. Kador bases his narrative on pre-published sources, then livens it up with quotes and anecdotes from a large number of sources. The result is an easy-to-read (and occasionally humorous) book that just about succeeds in providing a �fly on the wall� record of the inside politics and personalities of the firm.
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Summary: best business book in a long time
Review: This is one of the most compelling business books I've ever read. I had no idea there was so much drama and intrigue in the evolution of the Charles Schwab Company. This book goes at about 200 mph. Chuck Schwab is a great man with a fascinating story...I highly recommend it. More than anything, the standout line I got was how Schwab emerged from different crises wiser and stronger. I had forgotten that crises can do those positive things. The book gave me a look into the workings of Schwab's inner circle. For example, the book reproduces Chuck Schwab's employment contract with the company. The document shows just how much the company understands the value of Chuck as the company's brand.
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Summary: Fearless Inventory
Review: While the folks at Schwab will probably wince once or twice as they read this book, if they're smart they'll see this as a valuable learning opportunity. Companies pay consultants millions of dollars to get what business writer John Kador provided at no cost to the company: a fearless inventory of how the world perceives Charles Schwab & Co. For the most part, it's an extremely positive perspective. This book is a refreshing departure from the countless business histories that are written for no other purpose than to profit from exposing the personal frailties of the rich and famous. Instead, author Kador provides an inspiring account of how a middle class boy from California worked his way up from raising chickens to the rich CEO of the largest discount brokerage in the world. Unlike the Wall Street celebrities of the 1990s whose quest for personal gain caused them to look no further than the price of a company's stock, Schwab forged his path to success by automating the mundane details of his brokerage firm's back office operations. Throughout, Schwab insisted on ethical practices that eliminated the conflicts of interest that created so much heart ache for brokerages and investors alike. The book describes how Schwab leveraged these values to build an organization to help investors help themselves. The book suggests that Schwab does best under adversity. If so, the company has its work cut out for it. While Kador is optimistic about the company's opportunities, he lays out a number of challenges the company must rise to. Now its Schwab's turn. Notoriously thin-skinned, the company has a choice. It can swallow hard and heed the hard truths in these pages. Or it can dismiss the book as a hatchet job. Customers and investors take note.
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