Threshold Resistance: The Extraordinary Career of a Luxury Retailing Pioneer

by A. Alfred Taubman

Book Overview

In this candid memoir, A. Alfred Taubman explains how a dyslexic Jewish kid from Detroit grew up to be a billionaire retailing pioneer, an intimate of European aristocrats and Palm Beach socialites, a respected philanthropist and, at age 78, a federal prisoner.

With a unique blend of humor and genius, Taubman shows how selling fine art and antiques really isn't that different from marketing root beer or football, and offers penetrating insights...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0061235377
• ISBN13: 9780061235375
• Release Date: April 2007
• Publisher: Harper Business
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 1.17 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.1" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

An Essential Life Skill: Overcoming Threshold Resistance

Arthur Taubman's "Threshold Resistance" provides a candid read about the rise of a business giant over the last fifty years. During this period, self-made Taubman played an influential and innovative role in the unrelated fields of retailing, real estate, art, restaurants, and professional sports. The book is rich with business history - the migration of retailing from America's cities to suburbia, the rapid growth of the franchise industry, and the reinvention of the auction house. The concept of threshold resistance, after which the book was titled, is defined as the physical and psychological barriers that stand between a customer and the sale of merchandise - the force that keeps the customer from opening the door and coming in over the threshold. Taubman expands on this concept and applies to everyday life. In order to accomplish anything, people have to find a way to get beyond the limitations they believe that personal background, conventional wisdom, common practice, or experience has placed on our imaginations. These limitations are set by psychological, physical, cultural, social, and economic barriers we encounter. Assessing and overcoming threshold resistance is an essential life skill. While threshold resistance might stop a customer from entering a store, it might also stop a young woman from applying to medical school, stop an engineer with a great idea from leaving the comforts of a job to start his own company, or stop a politician from seeking votes among a vital growing constituency. "Threshold Resistance" fills the gaps not covered in the press about Taubman's price-fixing indictment and conviction in the well publicized case of collusion between Sotheby's and Christies. One cannot help but feel sympathetic to Taubman for what appears to be a wrongful conviction. He also covers his experience while serving time in a low security federal prison. Finally, the book includes Taubman's four marketing precepts, an interesting history of Detroit, and his thoughts on Internet's impact on retailing. It is clear that Taubman enjoyed great success and suffered gut-wrenching personal failure at the end of his 70's. But along the way, he showed he was pretty good at assessing and responding to threshold resistance in both business and life. He found breaking down barriers to be very scary and risky, but once done, very rewarding and fun. He advises all that "you will always face resistance with a new idea...in fact, the better the idea, the greater the resistance and the more people will want you to fail... believe in yourself and be on your way."

An American Treasure

This is an incredible book! It was fascinating, heart wrenching and motivational all at the same time. The hard work and determination of Mr. Taubman is inspiring. His description of his trial and prison stay was unnerving. But to see the influence he has had on America is truly inspirational. Everyone in the retail industry should read this book to see what a difference we make. Thank you Mr. Taubman.

The rest of the story....

Having just finished reading A. Alfred Taubman's new book, "Threshold Resistance", I am thoroughly intrigued and amazed with this story. With his entire life focused on doing the right and best things for as many people as possible, how could it be that he ended up on the wrong side of the Government and spent time in our prison system? As with any situation where the primary information comes from new sources, internet, or just word of mouth, this book reminds me as a reader that there is a second side to every story. I felt the sincerity in every word written by Mr. Taubman and I can only wish that the entire jury had been able to hear the whole story before convicting him; I believe the course would have changed. However, his own words of "Faith, along with friends and family, can get you through the most difficult of life's tests" truly confirms that he left prison a far richer man than when he entered.

Great lessons in life and business

I found this book to be remarkable. Taubman writes with humor and humility. I would suggest that this be required reading in business school classes in entrepreneurship and ethics. His story is one of a Shakespearean drama - his rise from depression era poverty, funding his education through the selling of shoes, to being a young architect boldly suggesting to an industry icon that through design a better sales and profits would result. Then starting his own firm with $5,000 to becoming a billionaire who brought creativity to the business of selling art, root beer and charitable giving. Then as in any great drama the betrayal of a trusted person (Dede Brooks CEO of Sotheby's) and the revelation of his untold side of the trial including prosecutorial misconduct and a judge with more than questionable judgment. Al Taubman has had an extraordinary career with a story of determination and redemption that will serve well those interested in family business, marketing, functional design, the history of real estate development, trial strategy, charitable giving, art history and personal accomplishment. 5 stars!

Billionaire Claims Innocence

Finally, we get "his" side of the story. In this excellent memoir, Taubman reflects on his successes in the shopping mall and real estate world. The details are fascinating and his entree into the world of high finance and the art world are entertaining...we learn that perhaps selling art is not at all like selling root beer. When he stood trail for the Sotheby's/Christie's price fixing scandal in 2001, he went against his better judgement and intuition, and listened to his lawyers. He never defended himself on the stand! Sounds like his got terrible advice from his high priced advisors. I was left with more answers, but a feeling of a missed opportunity on his part. Why did such an intelligent and clever man fail to speak up and tell his version of the truth when it was obviously called for? If we believe his side of the story, the true criminals are still out there in the public - it is a scary tale- a miscarriage of justice and real life tale of greed and deceit. Glad I got my hand on this book! The lesson learned is this....ALWAYS trust your intuition!