Recapturing the Spirit of Enterprise [Paperback]

George Gilder (Author), Robert B. Hawkins (Foreword)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This updated version of Gilder's earlier book, The Spirit of Enterprise ( LJ 2/1/84), remains an apologia for maintaining an economic system that encourages unrestricted entrepreneurship. Gilder still includes a sprinkling of the biographical profiles honoring members of his entrepreneurial hall of fame, such as J.R. Simplot, but adds several chapters that pay tribute to the Reagan economic policies of the 1980s and defend the ventures of financial traders such as Michael Milken. Sure to stir debate is Gilder's testament to certain super-rich company founders, like Microsoft's Bill Gates, who, if anything, is undercompensated for what he contributes to the economy. Always the eloquent wordsmith, Gilder bashes intellectuals (who pontificate but can't "do") and professional managers (i.e., MBAs) who merely attempt to preserve what others have created. This work is sure to generate its share of controversy, particularly in an election year.
- Gene R. Laczniak, Marquette Univ., Milwaukee
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 275 pages
• Publisher: ICS Press (October 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1558152016
• ISBN-13: 978-1558152014
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #458,337 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Recapturing the Human Element in Economics, October 6, 2000

By 

Paul D. Baxter (Mebane, NC United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Recapturing the Spirit of Enterprise (Paperback)

First off, I'm shocked that no one has yet reviewed this book here. For those Gilder fans out there you know George's inimitable style of erudite and hip prose. He doesn't disappoint in this volume. So what's it about? It's about the determination of individuals to succeed. It's about people who fail, and fail and fail again but don't give up. Some of the stories he tells are almost beyond belief. The story of the Canadian geologist (I don't remember the name--it's been 21/2 yrs since I read it) frankly inspired me. The chapter on Cuban immigrants to Miami should, if there was any justice, be anthologized widely. The story of the founding of the Honda Corporation stunned me. Gilder's book made me take a hard look at my assumptions about what causes success in the business world.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Possibly Gilder's best, December 6, 2000

By 

J. Grimaldi (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Recapturing the Spirit of Enterprise (Paperback)

If you're a George Gilder enthusiast and have not yet read the Spirit of Enterprise, then you'll want to do so. If you've never read Gilder and would like an introduction, likewise, this is the book to try. I've read several though not all of Gilder's books, and "Spirit of Enterprise" entralled and educated me, even more than Gilder's other great books. While I enjoyed "Wealth and Poverty" and Gilder's writings on technology, this book, which is about entrepreneuers and their inestimable value in our society, is simultaneously less demanding on the reader, and more engrossing. Read about an Idaho lad who went contrarian, took risk, worked his tail off, revolutionized commercial agriculture, and then, incredibly, seeded one of America's best technology companies. Gilder's enjoyment of such tales is palpable. His explanation of their relevance is erudite. The book is a pleasure, one of the best I've ever read.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Intoxicating and simply one of the best, May 19, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Recapturing the Spirit of Enterprise (Paperback)

I absolutely agree with the surprise of the previous reviewer.
I bought this from amazon.com in the mid-nineties and there were rave reviews even then. Maybe they were removed, somehow.

George Gilder, for all his wrong predictions and over enthusiastic boom time prophesies, really shines with this one.
He is such a good analyst and narrator of past events and their lessons - maybe he should keep there and not try to predict the future.

On the dullest of days, this book can uplift your spirits and infuse a feeling of positivity and optimism that I can hardly describe. The last chapter (Dynamics of Entrepreneurship) alone is worth ten times the weight of the book in gold. If you have ever attempted to create any type of change in the society around you (including starting a business), this book will bless you with a self-awareness and sense of destiny that you will cherish for a long, long time.

It is 12 years since the book has been out, I think it is time for George Gilder to write another update. This time with the heroic entrepreneurial stories from emerging markets like Taiwan, Korea, China and India.