Father, Son, and Co.: My Life at IBM and Beyond [Hardcover]

Thomas J. Watson (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Watson describes the origin and development of IBM from the perspective of his own personal development and growth. His relationship with his father, founder of IBM, was stormy, he says, due to his own strong temper and his father's equally strong ego. Watson's descriptions of business dealings are not as technical as those in Emerson W. Pugh's Memories That Shaped an Industry ( LJ 6/1/84) nor as theoretical as Lou Mobley and Kate McKeown's Beyond IBM ( LJ 1/89). Rather, he discusses them by describing the personalities brought in to deal with problems and the ensuing clashes, successes, disasters, etc. He also briefly covers his heart attack in 1970, his departure from IBM, and his tenure as ambassador to the Soviet Union under Jimmy Carter. This book should have wide appeal given the breadth of Watson's activities.
- Hilary D. Burton, Lawrence Livermore National Lab., Livermore, Cal.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 468 pages
• Publisher: Bantam; First Edition edition (May 1, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553070118
• ISBN-13: 978-0553070118
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,744,739 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great autobiography, November 18, 2007

By 

Paul Franciosa "Paul Franciosa, J.D., M.B.A." (Toronto, Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

I found Father, Son & Co to be a very engaging, entertaining read. The book is the autobiography of Thomas Watson Jr. - son of Thomas Watson Sr., founder of IBM - who went on to oversee the evolution of IBM into a pioneer in computers and its continued success as an American and global corporate icon.

The book covers everything from Watson Jr.'s childhood, to his playboy college years, to his fascinating military tour of duty, to his remarkable ascent to the top of IBM, and his return to the public service following retirement from IBM. Along the way Watson relates stories that contain nuggets of business wisdom, family business insights, and general thoughts about life.

I don't know much about the history and evolution of IBM, but Watson Jr. does seem to attribute much of impetus for the transition from punchcards to computing to his doing, although he is not entirely uncritical of his actions over the years - for example, by his admitting responsibility for difficulties he felt he contributed to in the life of his brother.

I've not read many auto/biographies, so I can't compare this others, but I can say that from the content of this book, Thomas Watson Jr. led an incredibly colorful and interesting life, and left an important mark on the world.

4.0 out of 5 stars Well written story of Tom Watson Jr. and his dad and IBM's early days, July 21, 2011

By 

Caveat Emptor "emptor_caveat" (Washington DC, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Father, Son, and Co.: My Life at IBM and Beyond (Hardcover)

Very well written and interesting account of the early days of IBM, and the evolution of its culture, and the men at its helm in the early days - Tom Watson Sr. and Jr. Interesting to see how visionary and risk taking they were.

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent guideline, January 4, 2000

By 

F. M. (Texas) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: FATHER, SON & CO. (Mass Market Paperback)

This book is an excellent guideline if you're having trouble working with your father or son in the family business... Entertaining...