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Summary: What an incredible story!
Review: Ok, I admit to being a Maney fan. His trademark wit and wisdom about the tech industry are legendary.While his wit twinkles throughout this book, it's his insight and ability to weave a fascinating tale that are truly on display here. Watson, while no saint, deserves his legendary status. He created new ways of doing business during a time of great change and upheaval. While much of industry and finance were rife with hucksterism and scandal, Watson (ultimately) preached a focus on ethics, customers, quality, employees, and teamwork - all messages that resonate today. In an eerie way, we find ourselves living in similar tumultuous times that echo back to the early and defining Watson years. It makes this story even more riveting, and the lessons that it teaches truly relevant today. This is clearly a serious piece of research masquerading as a 'can't put it down' bestseller. Watson's story is a must read for every businessperson who aspires to greatness.
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Summary: Nobody Tells it Better
Review: OK, so I admit that absolutely nothing about this book drew my attention EXCEPT the name of the author, Kevin Maney. Any devotee of his columns in USA Today knows his ability to tell a story. Yes, I knew I should be intrested in the life of Tom Watson -- he was, after all, one of the first "celebrity CEOs," although the term hadn't been invented. But I never thought I would be so fascinated by a man and his story. This is a must read for anyone who wants to get a sense of what real leadership is all about. Watson was leading before there were books on leadership and studies on communictation. He was managing corporate culture before there were words for it. He saw his company -- and his employees -- through transitions that go well beyond mainframe vs. PC. When his technologies were rendered obsolete, he simply invented new ones. Anyone with aspirations to lead should read this book. It's so action-packed that you may forget it's a true story. But it is. And I can't wait to see the movie.
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Summary: A Business Biography that is Riveting? --- YES!
Review: The first of the Information Age biographers, Kevin Maney's book on Thomas Watson Sr. sets a template for how Gates, Dell, and other industrialists will be written about when their time comes. Maney reveals a man of insufferable ego who took enormous risks, risks that not even John D. Rockefeller would have contemplated, to reshape the world for a century yet to come. How Watson did this and succeeded are the life skills of today's executives in every industry. A must read.
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Summary: Information Age Biography
Review: The first of the Information Age biographers, Kevin Maney's book on Thomas Watson Sr. sets a template for how Gates, Dell, and other industrialists will be written about when their time comes. Maney reveals a man of insufferable ego who took enormous risks, risks that not even John D. Rockefeller would have contemplated, to reshape the world for a century yet to come. How Watson did this and succeeded are the life skills of today's executives in every industry. A must read.
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Summary: A Business Biography that is Riveting? --- YES!
Review: This biography is sure to keep you staying up late turning the pages. The life of Tom Watson is crafted as a fantastic journey from defeat to absolute success. The early lessons on constructing a corporate culture, business organization, advancing women in business, and creating revolutionary technological innovations are very interesting. In this book you not only get a lot of great busineess advice, but you also get to feel that you really know one of the greatest CEO's, Tom Watson, Sr. You learn to love his humor, his stern business practices, his big gambles, and even his unwiley temper. It is a biography full of history, life lessons, and enthralling moments.
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Summary: Highly Recommended!
Review: This book seems to have been written primarily because the author learned about the existence of boxes of Thomas Watson's papers that had never been read by any biographer or journalist. In some cases, the author's access to these new materials does help fill in some minor gaps in the existing accounts of Watson's life. And cumulatively, they take some of the shine off the legend, impressing upon one how humdrum the daily life of even a business titan must be. This book is reasonably well written and packed with memorable anecdotes. While it doesn't offer stunning new insights, we commend it as a readable, accessible and balanced introduction to one of the greatest executives of the twentieth century.
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Summary: A Fabulous Story
Review: This is a superb biography of Thomas Watson and IBM. The book is both entertaining and informative. I learned much about this unique individual and his great talents and how he established one of the world's greatest corporations. Kevin Maney is a wonderful author, and he has done a marvelous job telling this important story.
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