Vol. 23, Issue 27 Billy, Alfred, and General Motors The Story of Two Unique Men, A Legendary Company, and a Remarkable Time in American History By: William Pelfrey 331 pp. AMACOM 2006 Review by: Lydia Morris Brown

Billy Durant, the high-school dropout who founded General Motors, was the consummate salesman - brilliant, shrewd, and unflaggingly energetic. Hailed as the most brilliant CEO of the 20th century, Alfred Sloan, GM's third president, was an educated intellectual and an expert in business, strategy, management, and all things organizational. This odd couple built what is perhaps the most successful enterprise in U.S. history - one whose ascent created an industry that has come to symbolize the modern world. Billy, Alfred, and General Motors, provides fascinating new insights into Durant and Sloan's conflicting, yet groundbreaking, definitions of what a corporation should be - definitions that have had an unprecedented socio-economic impact on the past century in the way companies deal with employees, investors, and government. It also bears witness to the birth of the U.S. auto industry and, in doing so, brings a uniquely American historical period to life.

Vol. 25, Issue 40 The Three Signs of a Miserable Job A Fable for Managers (and their employees) By: Patrick Lencioni 259 pp. Jossey-Bass Review by Amity Noltemeyer Vol. 25, Issue 39 Unlocking Opportunities for Growth How to Profit from Uncertainty While Limiting Your Risk By: Alexander B. van Putten, Ian C. MacMillian 161 pp. Pearson Education Review by Jennifer G. Cuthbertson Vol. 25, Issue 38 Once You’re Lucky, Twice You’re Good The Rebirth of Silicon Valley and the Rise of Web 2.0 By: Sarah Lacy 294 pp. Gotham Books Review by Karen McHenry

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