The Change Makers: From Carnegie to Gates, How the Great Entrepreneurs Transformed Ideas Into Industries

By Maury Klein

Book Overview

"Conjures insights into the history and character of those who keep our economy vital and growing. Illuminating." --Warren Bennis Entrepreneurs, even more than inventors, are essential to American business. While inventors produce ideas, entrepreneurs get things done, build the markets, make ideas reality. But what creative talents do the legendary American entrepreneurs share, and what can you learn from them about business success? Using lively character sketches and company stories, University of Rhode Island professor Maury Klein analyzes how innovators from Andrew Carnegie to Bill Gates triumphed over perennial challenges in planning and strategy, production, operations, staffing, and sales--and transformed entire industries. Comparing the retailing acumen of J.C. Penney and Wal-Mart's Sam Walton, the organizational ingenuity of Standard Oil's John D. Rockefeller and Intel's Robert Noyce, the imaginative marketing of General Motors' Alfred Sloan and McDonald's Ray Kroc, Klein reveals the art and archetype of launching an enterprise.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0805075186
• ISBN13: 9780805075182
• Release Date: January 2004
• Publisher: Holt & Company, Henry
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 0.97 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.8" x 8.8"

Customer Reviews

Pretty good, but not great

As one reviewer pointed out, he should have focused on each man seperatly! It was hard to remember who was who. It is still an interesting read though. Try Masters of Enterprise. It is a more thorough look at most of the same men, and also has some different entrepreneurs like Mary Kay (yes, the cosmetics Mary Kay.)

Interesting Compilation

Few books of this sort are around, so you must give credit to Klein for doing his research. Interesting stories and analyses of two dozen or so entrepreneurs and their various personality traits. Perhaps could be more concise sometimes, but nonetheless good that he went into detail because it was interesting to compare this elite group of business leaders for each of the areas he discusses.