This book is the tale not just of the two extraordinary men of its title but also of the formative decades of twentieth-century America, through two world wars and changes in business, industry, politics, and culture.You couldn't find two more different men. Billy Durant was the consummate salesman, a brilliant wheeler-dealer with grand plans, unflappable energy, and a fondness for the high life. Alfred Sloan was the intellectual, an expert in business strategy and...

This straight-from-the-hip handbook by bestselling author and self-made millionaire Harvey Mackay spells out the path to success for readers everywhere. They will learn how to:Outsell by getting appointments with people who absolutely, positively do not want to see you, and then making them glad they said "yes!"Outmanage by arming yourself with information on prospects, customers, and competitors that the CIA would envy - using a system called the "Mackay 66."...

The extraordinary life of Jackie Robinson is illuminated as never before in this full-scale biography by Arnold Rampersad, who was chosen by Jack's widow, Rachel, to tell her husband's story, and was given unprecedented access to his private papers. We are brought closer than we have ever been to the great ballplayer, a man of courage and quality who became a pivotal figure in the areas of race and civil rights.Born in the rural South, the son of a sharecropper, Robinson was reared...

With an updated Afterword by the author.This is the epic saga of the American automobile industry’s rise and demise, a compelling story of hubris, missed opportunities, and self-inflicted wounds that culminates with the president of the United States ushering two of Detroit’s Big Three car companies—once proud symbols of prosperity—through bankruptcy. With unprecedented access, Pulitzer Prize winner Paul Ingrassia takes us from factory floors to small-town dealerships to Detroit’s ...

Secretly, if not overtly, almost everyone in America desires to become rich: to make it big, to enjoy the fruits of the most successful life imaginable. But unfortunately, most of us don't have a clue how to reach these all too elusive goals. Quite simply, there's no definitive road map for getting there, no proven plan, and certainly very little access to those who have become "the richest man in town."But now W. Randall Jones, the founder of Worth magazine, is about to c...

The great American automotive pioneers were entrepreneurial inventors and visionaries who changed the American landscape and brought us a new national culture. These pioneers lifted the veil of isolation that enveloped most pre-twentieth century Americans and made it possible for the average person to travel whenever and wherever he or she pleased. Automobiles changed the concept of transportation and more so, how and where we lived, worked and played. Many lessons can be drawn from these pio...

"An entertaining history of baseball cards . . . An engaging book on a narrow but fascinating topic." — The Washington PostWhen award-winning journalist Dave Jamieson's parents sold his childhood home a few years ago, he rediscovered a prized boyhood possession: his baseball card collection. Now was the time to cash in on the "investments" of his youth. But all the card shops had closed, and cards were selling for next to nothing...

**An absorbing and original narrative history of American capitalismNAMED A BEST BOOK OF 2017 BY THE ECONOMIST**From the days of the Mayflower and the Virginia Company, America has been a place for people to dream, invent, build, tinker, and bet the farm in pursuit of a better life. Americana takes us on a four-hundred-year journey of this spirit of innovation and ambition through a series of Next Big Things -- the inventions, techniques, and industries th...

In 2000, after the Tribune Company acquired Times Mirror Corporation, it comprised the most powerful collection of newspapers in the world. How then did Tribune nosedive into bankruptcy and public scandal? In The Deal From Hell, veteran Tribune and Los Angeles Times editor James O'Shea takes us behind the scenes of the decisions that led to disaster in boardrooms and newsrooms from coast to coast, based on access to key players, court testimony, and sworn deposit...

“How can the NCAA blithely wreck careers without regard to due process or common fairness? How can it act so ruthlessly to enforce rules that are so petty? Why won’t anybody stand up to these outrageous violations of American values and American justice?”In the four years since Joe Nocera asked those questions in a controversial New York Times column, the National Collegiate Athletic Association has come under fire. Fans have begun to realize that the athl...

Robert Louis Stevenson said, "Everyone lives by selling something." It is the principal force driving all commercial transactions and activities, from the executive suite of suits and ties to the trenches of open collar and rolled-up sleeves. Given the relative importance of selling in our quest for achievement and success, it is critical to develop selling skills, to hone and perfect them to the best of our abilities. Lots of books have been written about this subject, giving us tips, rules,...

Built upon hours of extensive research and personal interviews, Canada Cycle & Motor: The CCM Story traces the fascinating history of this uniquely Canadian company from its founding in 1899 until its eventual demise in 1983.  The story draws together a diverse cast of some of Canada’s best-known businessmen, celebrated athletes and colourful con artists to paint an unforgettable picture of Canada’s rich cultural heritage.  Supported by 150 vintage photographs...