50 Companies That Changed the World

by Howard Rothman

Book Overview

Profiles of the histories, operations, and strengths and weaknesses of 50 mostly US-based firms that have shaped modern business, ranked according to their influence and contributions. In spite of the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1564144968
• ISBN13: 9781564144966
• Release Date: January 2001
• Publisher: Career Press
• Length: 252 Pages
• Weight: 1.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.3" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

You won't be disappointed

After hearing Rothman on NPR's Marketplace I wanted to read more and was not disappointed. "50 Companies" is positioned as a kind of encyclopedic guide to the top businesses of our time, and it certainly is that. But even more so, I believe, it's about the reciprocal relationships between all of business and all of society and individual businesses with each other. And in this it succeeds even more. Rothman mentions in the beginning how many of these companies touched his life as he was writing the book, and I found even more connections with my own life.

Insightful!

Howard Rothman, a writer who specializes in technology and management, profiles the 50 companies that had the strongest impact on the development of modern business. He sought input from high-tech executives, teachers, public relations professionals, engineers, business writers, shopkeepers, salespeople and managers in selecting the top 50, which he ranks in the order of their influence. While many of the stories in these four-page portraits are familiar, the book presents helpful historical profiles of how each company developed and influenced the business world and society. While some readers may like tackling all these capsule bios as a collection, many may prefer to regard the book more as an encyclopedia or directory and draw on the corporate information as needed. We [...] appreciate the solid work here, although the result may be more interesting as a reference book than as a cover-to-cover page-turner.

Good for younger readers, too

I am a high school social studies teacher. I found this book when I was searching for something I could assign to my students next fall that would show them how corporations have impacted our world. I particularly wanted one that contained stories about companies with which my kids could relate. This really fills the bill, especially with its short but complete profiles of Microsoft, American Online, McDonald's, Ben & Jerry's, and others that shape their lives every day. Even those that will be unfamiliar to many of them should hold their interest and teach them something at the same time. I can't wait to use it with them and see how they react.

50 Business Biographies in 1

I just received this book as a gift and thought it was great. My wife bought it for me, knowing I like business biographies, and this book has fifty excellent ones. Starting with Microsoft and ending with Heinz, the author conveys the major moves and decisions that have made these the top corporations of all time, and he does so in a very readable way that keeps your interest throughout. The companies included here run the gamut from transportation to retail to communication to tech, so you get a very wide variety of examples of what makes a business a "world changer." You also get to see how many of these touch your own world on a regular basis, which may surprise you. I highly recommend this to others.

Great history of business

This is a terrific book for anyone interested in the history of business, and the impact that our leading institutions have had on the development of society. By identifying and profiling the most important corporations of the past couple of centuries, the author provides great insight into the way each has contributed to both business innovation and modern life. Some of the specific rankings might be debated (is Nike really more significant than Intel?) but the general lineup is definitely an appropriate one and it includes some real out-of-the-blue but on-target selections like CNN, Levitt & Sons, Disney and Ben & Jerry's Homemade (my personal favorite). The individual profiles, which primarily focus on the people who built these companies, are all pretty entertaining as well as informative. I also liked the way you could dive in at any point and find something really interesting.