Welch: An American Icon [Hardcover]

Janet Lowe (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0471413356 | ISBN-13: 978-0471413356 | Publication Date: April 5, 2001 | Edition: 1

A rare perspective on the personal philosophy, business savvy, and future of the chairman of the most admired company in the world
Jack Welch, chairman of General Electric, is due to retire this spring. Welch has transported GE into the new economy with his management style, his forward-thinking approach to new technology, and by encouraging creativity among his employees. This book provides a look at what the innovative powerhouse executive has brought to American business and what will ultimately be his legacy. Thorough, authoritative, and absorbing, Welch: An American Icon includes interviews with CEOs at other leading companies who have worked under Welch and been trained by him, as well as interviews with other GE executives.
Janet Lowe (Del Mar, CA) is an investment writer and author who has written sixteen business and biographical works, including the recent Damn Right!: Behind the Scenes with Berkshire-Hathaway Billionaire Charlie Munger (0-471-24473-2). Ms. Lowe is past editor of the San Diego Daily Transcript and Financial Editor of the San Diego Tribune. More than 200 of her business articles have appeared in such publications as Newsweek, the Christian Science Monitor, Los Angeles Times, and the San Francisco Chronicle.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Financial writer Janet Lowe is the author of numerous business biographies, including Jack Welch Speaks, which analyzes what the legendary chairman of General Electric has had to say about himself and his career. In her new book, Welch: An American Icon, Lowe defines the legacy he will leave behind, when he retires sometime after the end of 2001, by examining how Welch "made himself into a global icon representing American business in its most powerful, most impressive, most efficient, and most admired incarnation." Her opening section looks at the man--who he is, where he came from, what he believes--along with the inimitable personal style that earned him Fortune magazine's Manager of the Century designation. Part Two details the changes Welch imposed on GE during his 20 years at the helm, from restructuring the management and employee ranks to revamping the business lineup, implementing the Six Sigma quality initiative, and committing to both globalization and the Internet. It also discusses the hundreds of firms he jettisoned or acquired, and the way he used the company's 67,588 patents to build from within. The final part speculates on the future: GE after Welch (including challenges facing his successor, like rebuilding the management team and managing the public's perception of it) and Welch after GE (with activities ranging from a bigtime book tour and golf to charity work and a possible foray into e-commerce). Prior to the release of Welch's own book after he steps down, this offers probably the most up-to-date look available at this highly competitive strategist whose shoes will indeed be difficult to fill. --Howard Rothman

From Publishers Weekly

When business writer Lowe (Damn Right!, etc.) approached GE Chairman Jack Welch about a book (Jack Welch Speaks, her first book on him), "[h]e said he did not see any purpose in. . . yet another book." Lowe's respectable, ultimately redundant book portrays Welch as a captain of industry who commands the kind of attention that top executives crave and almost never get. The near-mythical story of GE's wrenching turnaround earns Welch abundant positive and negative buzz. Unlike many of Welch's contemporaries, he has stayed with the same company for the long run (since 1960), becoming chairman in 1981 and immediately restructuring the massive conglomerate, earning the moniker "Neutron Jack" because of his huge layoffs along the way. Through a combination of radical structural changes, a near-fanatical devotion to the Six Sigma management system and an acquisition blitzkrieg, GE leapt into the 21st century, taking no prisoners. Critics noted that under his stewardship, deep workforce reductions accompanied Welch's own ballooning salary and a tendency to treat workers and their hometowns as dispensable (Welch has said, "Ideally, you'd have every plant you own on a barge, to move with currencies and changes in the economy"). Lowe promises a balanced look at Welch that pulls no punches; for the most part, she delivers. But the book's distracting, episodic style (a lot of the material was left over from the first book) makes it seem little more than an attempt to capitalize on curiousity about Welch prior to the publication of his much-touted upcoming book. Several abundant appendices are informative but do little to explain Welch's icon status.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (April 5, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471413356
• ISBN-13: 978-0471413356
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,045,643 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Janet Lowe's career as a writer has included everything from freelance feature writer to technical writer, poet, reporter, editor, media spokesperson and author of 18 books and audiotapes.
The "Speaks" series -- small, carefully researched biographies of American leaders including Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Jack Welch, Ted Turner, Oprah Winfrey, Michael Jordan and the founders of Google -- are her best-known books. Among her full-length biographies is Damn Right: The Story of Berkshire Hathaway Billionaire Charlie Munger.
Lowe is a leading authority on the value investing theory. Her books on that subject include Benjamin Graham on Value Investing, Value Investing Made Easy and others.
Her books have been reviewed by USAToday, Newsweek, Barron's, and dozens of other national publications. She has been a guest on Jim Lehrer's News Hour, the PBS Nightly Business Report, CNN, CNBC and many national and local televisions shows.
Lowe's freelance articles have appeared in more than 100 publications including Newsweek, the Christian Science Monitor, the Los Angeles Times, Dallas Morning News, the San Jose Mercury News, San Diego Union-Tribune, Modern Maturity, Planning Magazine and others.
A popular public speaker, Janet has addressed investment seminars in the U.S., Canada and Great Britain. She has appeared before audiences at the University of Nebraska and University of Nevada at Las Vegas business schools. She has been a guest speaker at the New York City Financial Analyst's Society and has been asked to speak to private companies such as Brandes Investment Partners in Del Mar, California.
Lowe grew up in California and Nevada, attended Las Vegas High School and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business and Economics from the University of Nevada at Las Vegas. She earned her Master's Degree in Mass Communications from San Diego State University. She completed a Wharton Business School fellowship and has a lifetime teaching certificate in California.
Janet has been a San Diego YMCA Woman of Achievement. She is past president of both the San Diego County Press Club and Society of Professional Journalists. She was named San Diego Press Club's Journalist of the Year in 2000 and again in 2007.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Insight into a legend, April 25, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Welch: An American Icon (Hardcover)

This book is full of insightful perspective on perhaps the most respected businessperson of the past 25 years. Welch's style and innovative approach coupled with his forward-thinking ability have won him the admiration of millions. This book outlines not only that style and approach, but details actions Welch took while at the helm of GE. Likewise, the final section delves into speculation of what the future holds for both Jack and GE as he steps aside later this year.

This is a must read for any Welch fan, and for anyone wanting to get a greater perspective on a true American success story.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A bit dry, June 5, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Welch: An American Icon (Hardcover)

This book was strong on research and content, but the presentation is very dull and somewhat dry. By now, anyone who has heard of Welch knows about his management philosophies and tendencies...as well as the things that have made him successful. Let's face it, there's been a whole lot written about the man both in books and the news media. By now, we're looking for more private anecdotes and 'behind the scenes' material which this book is short on. Like Welch says about the book, it is fair. But it is sort of boring.

I must say, though, that the author is a very strong writer and very diligent in her research. I was put to sleep, though.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent portrait of an American business leader, May 13, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Welch: An American Icon (Hardcover)

So much has been written about Jack Welch but this book offers a broad overview not just of him but of the company he has run for some many years. This is a solid book that offers insights into management, investment and American business.