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Sam Walton: Made in America
By Sam Walton with Jon Huey
Based on: Sam Walton; Company: Walmart
Meet a genuine American folk hero cut from the homespun cloth of America's heartland: Sam Walton, who parlayed a single dime store in a hardscrabble cotton town into Wal-Mart, the largest retailer in the world. The undisputed merchant king of the late 20th century, Sam never lost the common touch.
Here, finally, inimitable words. Genuinely modest, but always sure of his ambitions and achievements. Sam shares his thinking in a candid, straight-from- the-shoulder style. In a story rich with anecdotes and the "rules of the road" of both Main Street and Wall Street, Sam Walton chronicles the inspiration, heart, and optimism that propelled him to lasso the American Dream.“Great ideas come from everywhere if you just listen and look for them. You never know who’s going to have a great idea.”
- Sam WaltonPublication: Doubleday; May 1, 1992
Review: 4.2/5 by Goodreads
Purcahse From: Amazon -
Pour Your Heart Into It: How Starbucks Built a Company One Cup at a Time
Based on: Howard Schultz Company: Starbucks
The success of Starbucks Coffee Company is one of the most amazing business stories in decades. What started as a single store on Seattle’s waterfront has grown into a company with over sixteen hundred stores worldwide and a new one opening every single business day. Just as remarkable as this incredible growth is the fact that Starbucks has managed to maintain its renowned commitment to product excellence and employee satisfaction.
“If you examine a butterfly according to the laws of aerodynamics, it shouldn't be able to fly. But the butterfly doesn't know that, so it flies”
- Howard SchultzPublication: Hyperion; September 8, 1997
Review: 4.0/5 by Goodreads
Purcahse From: Amazon -
Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike
By Phil Knight
Based on: Phil Knight Company: Nike
In this candid and riveting memoir, for the first time ever, Nike founder and board chairman Phil Knight shares the inside story of the c ompany’s early days as an intrepid start-up and its evolution into one of the world’s most iconic, game-changing, and profitable brands.
Young, searching, fresh out of business school, Phil Knight borrowed fifty dollars from his father and launched a company with one simple mission: import high-quality, low-cost running shoes from Japan. Selling the shoes from the trunk of his Plymouth Valiant, Knight grossed eight thousand dollars that first year, 1963. Today, Nike’s annual sales top $30 billion. In this age of start-ups, Knight’s Nike is the gold standard, and its swoosh is more than a logo. A symbol of grace and greatness, it’s one of the few icons instantly recognized in every corner of the world.“Don’t tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results.”
- Phil KnightPublication: Scribner; April 26, 2016
Review: 4.5/5 by Goodreads
Purcahse From: Amazon -
Hit Refresh: The Quest to Rediscover Microsoft's Soul and Imagine a Better Future for Everyone
Based on: Satya Nadella Company: Microsoft
Ihe New York Times bestseller Hit Refresh is about individual change, a bout the transformation happening inside of Microsoft and the technology that will soon impact all of our lives—the arrival of the most exciting a nd disruptive wave of technology humankind has experienced: artificial intelligence, mixed reality, and quantum computing. It’s about how people, organizations, and societies can and must transform and “hit refresh” in their persistent quest for new energy, new ideas, and continued relevance and renewal.
Microsoft’s CEO tells the inside story of the company’s continuing transformation, tracing his own personal journey from a childhood in India to leading some of the most significant technological changes in the digital era. Satya Nadella explores a fascinating childhood before immigrating to the U.S. and how he learned to lead along the way. He then shares his meditations as a sitting CEO—one who is mostly unknown following the brainy Bill Gates and energetic Steve Ballmer. He tells the inside story of how a company rediscovered its soul—transforming everything from culture to their fiercely competitive landscape and industry partnerships. As much a humanist as engineer and executive, Nadella concludes with his vision for the coming wave of technology and by exploring the potential impact to society and delivering call to action for world leaders.“We needed to build deeper empathy for our customers and their unarticulated and unmet needs. It was time to hit refresh.”
- Satya NadellaPublication: Harper Business; September 26, 2017
Review: 3.8/5 by Goodreads
Purcahse From: Amazon -
Iacocca: An Autobiography
By Lee Iacocca
Based on: Lee Iacocca Company: Ford & Chrysler
He’s an American legend, a straight-shooting businessman w ho brought Chrysler back from the brink and in the process became a media celebrity, newsmaker, and a man many had urged to run for president.
The son of Italian immigrants, Lee Iacocca rose spectacularly through the ranks of Ford Motor Company to become its president, only to be toppled eight years later in a power play that should have shattered him. But Lee Iacocca didn’t get mad, he got even. He led a battle for Chrysler’s survival that made his name a symbol of integrity, know-how, and guts for millions of Americans.
In his classic hard-hitting style, he tells us how he changed the automobile industry in the 1960s by creating the phenomenal Mustang. He goes behind the scenes for a look at Henry Ford’s reign of intimidation and manipulation. He recounts the miraculous rebirth of Chrysler from near bankruptcy to repayment of its $1.2 billion government loan so early that Washington didn’t know how to cash the check.“You can have brilliant ideas, but if you can't get them across, your ideas won't get you anywhere.”
- Lee IacoccaPublication: Bantam Books; November 1, 1984
Review: 4/5 by Goodreads
Purcahse From: Amazon