Irreconcilable Differences (Signet) [Paperback]

Doron P. Levin (Author)

Book Description

Series: Signet | Publication Date: August 11, 1992

This is an account of the clash between two corporate tycoons. Ross Perot founded the multibillion-dollar computer company. He was approached by General Motors in 1984 as a takeover target. He accepted the offer and was then ousted from the company in a ruthless battle.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Signet (August 11, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451176413
• ISBN-13: 978-0451176417
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,617,759 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A good account of GM's troubles, February 7, 1999

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Irreconcilable Differences (Signet) (Paperback)

This book was a pretty good account of GM's problems in the 1980's. Anyone who's read "Comeback" has heard this before: a slow, stubborn, unresponsive company does everything it can except learn how to make better cars.

A problem that I had with the book was the first section which was a brief overview of Ross Perot's life. I like Ross Perot, but the hero worship in the first section even got to me. Based on the first section and other parts of the book, this is obviously Perot's side of the story.

Overall it was interesting to read about GM's incompetence during this time. It was also instructive to read how Roger Smith had some good ideas but couldn't implement any of them, and so was ultimately seen as incompetent himself. History has largely ruled on this subject: Perot and EDS were right and GM was wrong.

Finally, I was disappointed that there weren't more good "zingers" from Perot in the book. I'd rather have had less about the contractual negotiations and more accounts of Perot's comments regarding GM and their board.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good insiders book, April 1, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Irreconcilable Differences (Mass Market Paperback)

I worked for EDS for 20 years and this book helped explain many things that we heard rumblings about but went forever unexplained - for example, when Ken Reidlinger was let go. I agree that this book is probably slanted more towards Perot's side of the story but I think it is made clear that Perot made himself much more accessible for his side of the story than the GM'ers did, so obviously that is going to be reflected in writing. As an insider, it was great to finally be able to piece together the disastrous events leading up to GM getting it's hands on EDS.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars To understand the present GM, study the past, February 19, 2007

By 

therosen "therosen" (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Irreconcilable Differences: Ross Perot Versus General Motors (Hardcover)

The story of Ross Perot and GM is almost twenty years old, but it highlights much of what is wrong with GM today - a cultural simultaneously resistant to change, and a top management attempting to infuse automation from above - first in the plants, and second via Perot's EDS. The quagmire that results - organizational and process related as much as strategy and technology - is similar to the problems of GM today. Read and learn!