Leslie:Boss Kettering (Cloth) [Hardcover]

Stuart W. Leslie (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 382 pages
• Publisher: Columbia University Press (April 27, 1983)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0231056001
• ISBN-13: 978-0231056007
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,434,602 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:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ford Never Had a Chance, June 9, 2011

By 

Bart Stuck - See all my reviews

This review is from: Boss Kettering (Paperback)

Boss Kettering is a well researched and well written biography of Charles Kettering.

After reading this book, I could see why Ford never had a chance against General Motors: Alfred Sloan ran the business side of General Motors, and Sloan supported Kettering to create new products at General Motors Research that over time let GM match and then pass Ford.

Kettering himself was a formidable businessman, and a true entrepreneur/venture capitalist, who put his own money where his thoughts went, while having amazing technical skills, both depth and breadth.

Kettering was clearly an outstanding manager of research teams, and had intrinsic curiosity in many different areas of science (chemistry, materials, physics) plus the ability to see how all the pieces fit together in a larger view.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Bio of Boss Ket, November 29, 2010

By 

Robert E. Daley "Buckeye Bob" (Dayton, Ohio) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Leslie:Boss Kettering (Cloth) (Hardcover)

This is the best biography of Charles F. Kettering, the inventor of the automobile self starter. The book was a PhD dissertation by the author and is the most authoritative biography of the long-time vice president and director of research at General Motors.

4.0 out of 5 stars Especially good for the engineers, January 13, 2012

By 

Edward F. Weber - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Leslie:Boss Kettering (Cloth) (Hardcover)

"Boss Kettering" is a good book. I judge it by the number of times I've brought it up in casual conversation, which is quite often. As another measure, after owning the book less than two months I have loaned my copy to a friend (who liked it) and am getting ready to do so again for another friend, which if anything proves I have two friends. It's a well-researched biography of a genius who was also a good man. I hold back on a 5 star rating only because at places the book is tedious, but perhaps those who have more engineering and automotive background than I would not find it so.