American Business, 1920-2000: How It Worked (The American History Series) [Paperback]

Thomas K. McCraw (Author), John H. Franklin (Editor), A. S. Eisenstadt (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2000 | ISBN-10: 0882959859 | ISBN-13: 978-0882959856 | Edition: 1

Unique in the market for its breadth of coverage and depth of analysis, this uncommonly readable new book by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Thomas K. McCraw is destined to become a classic supplementary text in a variety of undergraduate as well as graduate courses and seminars. Five of the book's ten chapters provide deft examinations of representative companies and the remarkable people who led them. The firms considered include McDonald's, Procter & Gamble, Boeing, General Motors, and Ford - all of which began as entrepreneurial startups and grew to become big businesses - their success stories counterbalanced by a detailed dissection of the monumental failure of RCA, long the world leader in consumer electronics but now all but extinct.Unforgettable portraits of dazzling entrepreneurs such as Henry Ford, Alfred Sloan of General Motors, David Sarnoff of RCA, and Ray Kroc of McDonald's are supplemented by lucid sketches of a cast of less famous but equally fascinating characters such as: 'Doc' Smelser, the eccentric economics Ph.D. who for 34 years headed Procter & Gamble's world-renowned Market Research Department; Mary Kay Ash, who built a cosmetics empire through the force of her own energy, originality, and generosity to her sales force; Ferdinand Eberstadt, the tough, hard-driving genius of American mobilization during World War II; and June Martino, whose crucial contribution as 'Vice-President of Equilibrium' at McDonald's was rewarded by the gift of 10 percent of the company's common stock. Interspersed with the company-centered chapters are five brief 'overview' chapters - one each on women and African Americans in business, and three on vital sectors of American business: first finance, then chemicals and pharmaceuticals, and, most recently, computers, Silicon Valley, and the Internet. Featuring thirty-five striking photographs and a completely up-to-date bibliographic essay, this compact, enjoyable work will be highly appreciated by all students of U.S. business history and the art of administration.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Thomas McCraw

Product Details

• Paperback: 260 pages
• Publisher: Harlan Davidson; 1 edition (March 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0882959859
• ISBN-13: 978-0882959856
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #823,344 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent reference for academic use or personal enjoyment, December 27, 2000

By 

DrewFromNY "drewfromny" (New York, New York USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: American Business, 1920-2000: How It Worked (The American History Series) (Paperback)

I read this book for business school and enjoyed it thoroughly enough to recommend it to friends and family who are interested in the recent history of business. This book documents the major events and themes in American Business during the past 80 years. The writing gives enough detail without being boring. In addition, I found it interesting to see how certain themes persist through time proving that history does repeat itself. The book is a very quick read and provides the reader with enough information on each era. After that, the reader can use the suggested reading list to learn more about the subjects, eras and people that might interest him/her. Overall, a great read.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A post-Chandlerian account of American history, June 15, 2009

By 

Rambam HaTalmid (Sydney Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: American Business, 1920-2000: How It Worked (The American History Series) (Paperback)

A post-Chandlerian account of American history.
Very informative. Much of the oral history and anecdotes that I have come across over the years are systematised by McCraw.