Customer Reviews

The Murdoch Mission: The Digital Transformation of a Media Empire

5 star:		(3)
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3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Wow - a big-time publisher like John Wiley and they don't even hire a decent editor to cull through Wendy Goldman's galleys? Page after page of errors litter this book. One page, Rupert is walking into his third floor office - next page his office is on the fourth floor. Then back and forth. Goldman has people working at the wrong companies, James - Rupert's son - meeting his future wife at age six (not 26)... and on and on.

In addition, Goldman hardly has one bad word to say about anyone in News Corporation. Throughout his career, Rupert Murdoch has never tried to stifle criticism of him nor his actions. Never tried to block a particular book or article. But a book full of this sort of adoration and adulation isn't necessarily going to win Ms. Goldman any points with him.

What carries this book is not Goldman's writing, her insights nor the publisher's editing. What carries in the end is the fascinating scope of News Corporation's activities worldwide.

I bought this book in anticipation of a learning something new about Murdoch and I unfortunately did not. The books seems mainly to deal with the last two years of News Corporation and while it did provide some behind the scene information a large amount of the information could be gleamed out of reading the news articles that have come out about the Sky Global deal. The author never had anything to say bad about Murdoch or raise any new information but instead rehashed a large amount of news clippings.

Additionally, I agree with the reader that stated the author needed to check some facts because you will see mistakes such as when she comments one of his sons started working in 1977 at News but on the next page says that he was born in 1973. Even Murdoch's sons are allowed to have some childhood.

Do Not waste your money on this book, particularly if you are in the business and/ or have even a little working knowledge of News Corp. The book is contains no insight into the Murdoch way of doing business, is full of factual errors and was apparently not edited at all. It is full of mistakes, omits context and timing and ignores many of the key executives who actually make and made things happen at News Corp.
How does stuff like this get published?

I'm not sure who commissioned this book to be written, but it is completely disgraceful the lack of any formal criticism or challenges that confront the Murdoch empire. I would get more insight reading a brochure about the company than from this book. Truly disgraceful.

As much as I love a good scathing scandal-heavy book, I was pleasantly surprised by the behind-the-scene look at News Corp, taken from Murdoch's point of view. Thought he is best known to me as a satirized character on The Simpsons, this book shows that his business-savvy is on point. This book wont tell you how to be a billionaire, but it certainly will show you how this man took a goal and achieved it... Big deals with leading business figures (or should I say, peers) such as Bill Gates are given appropriate coverage, as well as the power plays of despotism that will further his legacy once he's gone.

This book is an entertaining worldwide adventure inside Rupert Murdoch's media empire. Full of interviews with Murdoch himself as well as his sons Lachlan and James, who are in line to takeover their father's legacy. A unique view of one of the most powerful forces shaping the world of media and mass culture today.

The is a surprisingly good read, the narrative is lively and informative, and the information is fresh and based on exclusive interviews with the Murdochs and those inhabiting their inner sanctum.