Customer Reviews

Welch: An American Icon

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

 

 

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.

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.

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.

"Jack" famusly said GE would .be a Chinese company by 2000. So what do we see now? A bankrupt company
living off our children's future by taking handouts from the feds, in trouble with their Chinese masters. From surveying this wreckage, a study of Jack would take him as a negative example of a capitalist, one who, due to a blindness and general lack
of education, went looking for gold in China, a repressive, corrupt regime. This is a great "American?"

Any book that has that many footnotes can't be good. The reader does not care if the author is completely accurate in their information, we just want to get to know the character of the book - what makes him tick, how he thinks, what are his habits, etc. In fact some of the best biographies I have read take liberties with the information to embelish the story and make it interesting. Just read some of Irving Stone's great biographies, Agony and the Ecstacy for example, to see what I mean. The author has plenty of footnotes, but no insightful information. She jumps from one topic to another, without ever giving the reader a good feel for any of the topics she covers. She would have been better off to cut the things she discussed in half and developed each idea more fully. Don't bother reading this book. Wait for Jack's own book. Hopefully we will get to know him better then.

PS: At least is was better than Robert Slaters fauning accounts of GE and Welch.

I was very disappointed in this book .I thought it was a biography of the man but instead it was a synopsis of business management only. Who cares about the daily life of the corporate CEO? I wanted to know the man. What were his parents like, what kind of a childhood did he have? How about some pictures of Jack the kid? Who was his wife of twenty eight years, what are her opinions of Jack, as a man and a father? How about his children, do they have insights into their fathers feelings? What experiences in his life molded him into what he became? These and many other questions were not answered. How can anyone write a biography with no personal facts or anecdotes? Try it again Janet, the third time never fails.

There is no doubt that Jack Welch is among the most influential Americans in the last 20 years. His business ideas, corporate philosophies and ability to make decisions on such a broad business scale is unmatched in recent American business history. Even his most vocal critics, who attack him on a variety of issues including corporate greed, and his profit at all costs mentality, are ironically attacking core American business values over the last 25 years, and Jack Welch is simply the best at carrying out that philosophy.

The book itself was a bit disappointing. It reads like a series of one-page articles from Fortune or Forbes magazine, taking sweeping views of topics and interjecting some quotes and context here and there from Welch, and others in the industry. In fact, a quick glance at the index shows much of the material used in writing this book came from those sources. There are far too few revelations into his character, and why he does what he does. I guess we will have to wait for his memoirs for the real insights.

A couple sections were fascinating though, including the chapters "Dark side of the legacy" and "Welch's place in history". In the "Dark side" chapter the author goes into some detail about some of GE's mistakes, including the Kidder Peabody fraud issues and some of GE's poor track record with environmental pollution. Welch's reactions to such issues can be summarized by his comments regarding mistakes: "I hope you understand that business is a series of trial and error. Its not great science. Mistakes are made. Its just moving the ball forward, and nobody has any great formula". This type of attitude epitomizes his ability to always look for the forward motion and opportunity in every situation. A great business strategy to be sure, but one that is used equally often when the results of the mistakes harm the lives of people, as is outlined in the chapter. The chapter regarding his place in history is a great summary of his style and accomplishments, and how those are viewed by others within the context of American history.

The book closes with some fascinating information in the appendix. Most people have no idea just how large and diverse GE is. There are 13 pages in the appendix describing in one to two sentance bullets the number of companies in GE. Amazing, especially when one considers that a great many of these would be Fortune 500 companies on their own.

Overall, this is a good book, and provides a good overview of Jack Welch's impact on GE, his successes and failures, and is honest enough to highlight some of the negative repercussion's that a "profit first" mentality can have on society. There are many books on GE and Jack Welch, I would recommend this one first, followed by a more specific look at the particular business strategy platforms he instilled and executed. "Get Better or Get Beaten" is one example of a book describing the business strategies he was successful in implementing at GE.

I really liked Janet Lowe's breezy, yet comprehensive writing style. She certainly captures not only the man but his impressive leadership traits and business acumen. I have the full Welch library but I would highlight this book out of the bunch simply because of her ability to tell a good story. Many of the other Welch books are dry and do not provide new insight. Clearly the author had connects into Welch and GE that allowed her to tell a rich story. I strongly recommend as a must-have to anyone in business.

I would have rated this book higher were it the only book on its subject. In fact, Lowe and others have already written or edited an abundance of material about Welch. Moreover, judged as a biography or as a critical analysis, the book is solid but (for various reasons) nowhere near as lively as recent biographies of DiMaggio, Daley, Orwell, Chandler, Chaucer, and Greenspan. Perhaps it is Lowe's writing style. Perhaps it is her often deferential attitude toward Welch as icon. Perhaps it is the relatively modest amount of information about Welch as an imperfect (albeit extraordinary) human being. Frankly, I had hoped to obtain previously unavailable information about various transitions in his life as well as in his career. Or at least learn more about what his career transitions reveal about his values. And especially more about his reflections on past mistakes as well as successes. I plan to wait a month or two and then re-read this book. Perhaps I will then agree that it is the "fascinating and rewarding book" which George Kozmetsky claims, as quoted on the dust jacket. For now, I rate it OK.

I don't know what book some of these other reviewers read but I found the man fascinating and the presentation excellent. I would definitely recommend this for anyone interested in the evolution of a corporation in the latter part of the 20th century going into the 21st century.