The best business book I ever read

I have thoroughly enjoyed this book, even though I am not a car guy and, as a result, am totally bored by discussion of car brands and part details.

Two reasons why this book is so great:
1.It is not a book about another business or industry failure -> It details how to run and save a business, in pretty granular terms.
2.You find yourself rooting for the major players to succeed…I found the insights in the main players fascinating

Bryce Hoffman – you did an outstanding job…this is a work of art you should be extremely proud of.

20 people found this helpful

Why I own a Ford, Actually 2 of them

I thought I wold listen to this book since business books is not my favorite genre. This book does a great job of explaining how Alan Mulally did a great job in saving Ford motor company. The basic lessons in the book are that

-Eventually every big organization will be complacent

-Board of directors are mostly in it for the money and prestige and are mostly clueless

-An organization that does not tolerate failure will eventually fail

-When you surround yourself with "yes men" you are disengaged from reality

-Sometimes smaller is better, Being big for the sake of being big is foolish.

The basic problem with Ford at the time of arrival of Mulally is that the company was out of touch with the market. Most of the top managers did not own or drive a classic "Ford" preferring the luxury brands of Jaguar and Range Rover which the Mulalay dumped as Ford divisions. He makes them drives Fords and even competing brands. When they do, they realize that at the time Fords kind of sucked. Ugly, poor quality, and no fun to drive. Most of America had come to that realization years earlier. No one was ever held accountable for failure at Ford because no one ever failed. He implements a management tracking system that makes it difficult to hide problems such as delays in car launches, quality issues, and cost problems. At one point he asks how many models of cars the company sells. Nobody knows so he goes to all the company web sites and prints out a picture of every model and shows it to the board. There were over 400 different models.

Its a good listen if you like cars and business. It does get tedious at times but you can just skip forward

8 people found this helpful

Great read!

True leadership! Able to do without the aid of government funds … will try to by a Ford next time!

14 people found this helpful

Interesting and Insightful - Must read (listen)

This audiobook is detailed, well researched and very insightful. It tells a story not only of what could be the biggest turnaround in business history but it also paints a picture of the automotive industry and the economic crisis of 2008.

This is one of those books that should be required reading for anyone pursuing an MBA or anyone considering a business leadership position. It tells so many useful stories on aspects as varied as marketing, finance, building trust, strategy and focus, and so on.

The narrator is clear and uses proper tone. The story has just enough detail to the point it is not boring. Definitely recommended.

6 people found this helpful

Business At Its Best

If you are in business, any of your children or friends, get this book and after you finish, send copies to the people that matter in your life...the book is about ethical behavior and doing things the right way, even though your competition is lining up for government hand outs.."I doubt that I'll ever buy a G.M.(government motore) or a Mo Par ever again

4 people found this helpful

Great content!

This was an inspiring account of how capitalism can work, when intelligent and transparent leaders are at the helm.

The narrator in this book seems to have bouts of multiple personality disorder, as he reads 3/4 of the book in a certain style, quotes people in that same style, then suddenly starts speaking with a British and other accents. Strangely inconsistent.

4 people found this helpful

Great story about an awesome company

Detailed account of how Ford Motor Company survived and thrived. Great story about a great leader.

3 people found this helpful

A truly inspiring book!

This book provides tremendous insight into how Ford Motor Company changed into the innovative company it is today vs a behind-the-competition company it was before. My son had worked for Ford before the turnaround and was quite vocal (in not a positive way) about company policies. This book showed how Alan Mulally was able to overcome these entrenched policies and personnel to produce a line of cars which is both innovative and what the public wants as well as an advertising campaign to successfully promote it. I rarely write reviews of books but was so impressed with this one that I had to let potential readers know that it is a well worth the listen.

3 people found this helpful

Outstanding

One of the best management books I've read. This story of the saving of Ford holds your attention from the 1st chapter.

3 people found this helpful

One of the best business books ever

What made the experience of listening to American Icon the most enjoyable?

I was disappointed to find out that there aren't other books by this author. Wow. I really enjoyed this. I routinely listen while driving to keep awake and alert, and this was as good as a good adventure book.

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

As a business owner, entrepreneur, this book really connected to me. The research is unbelievable and the pace of the narrative of events was riveting.

Any additional comments?

If you like business and suspense, get this book.

3 people found this helpful