From the book flap:
Only a handful of business books have reached the status of a classic, having withstood the test of over thirty years' time. Even today, Bill Gates praises MY YEARS WITH GENERAL MOTORS as the best book to read on business, and Business Week has named it the number one choice for its "bookshelf of indispensable reading."
MY YEARS WITH GENERAL MOTORS became an instant bestseller when it was first published in 1963. It has since been used a a manual for managers, offering personal glimpses into the practice of the "discipline of management" by the man who perfected it. This is the story no other businessman could tell--a distillation of half a century of intimate leadership experience with a giant industry and an inside look at dramatic events and creative business management.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
42 of 44 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Alfred P. Sloan Jr. was CEO of General Motors from 1923 to 1946. This book was originally published in 1964. Sloan is seen as the first person to have worked out systematic organization in a big company, planning and strategy, measurements, the principle of decentralization - in short, basic concepts of a discipline of management. This is a difficult book to review, since it is more a historic piece on GM's history and development from Sloan's perspective than an autobiography. It does not discuss the individual Alfred P. Sloan Jr., it discusses Alfred P. Sloan Jr. as professional manager. The chapters also come across as business school lessons in different subjects, ranging from general management through to accounting, marketing and compensation strategies.
The book consists of two parts. "Part One is an integrated continuous story of the main lines of General Motors' progress, involving the origin and development of the corporation's basic management concepts in the areas of organization, finance and product." It discusses the extreme growth and development of the automobile industry from the early 1900s through to the early 1960s. It also discusses the methods General Motors introduced used to manage the corporation (Sloan all through the book keeps emphasizing the concept of the corporation). He later became known as a committee-man, because he used different types of committees to get/keep various divisions talking and working with each other.
"Part Two consists of individually distinct sections dealing in some detail with engineering, distribution, overseas operations, war and defense products, incentive compensation, and other aspects and branches of the enterprise." This part of the book discusses in greater detail the different experiences and events during Sloan's reign as CEO. It discusses some very interesting subjects, such as the evolution of the automobile, relationships with dealers, World War I and II efforts, and personnel and labor relations. Chapter 23 and 24 are really the conclusion to this book.
Yes, this is a great book. It is a TRUE business classic. It discusses all the subjects involved in business from a CEO's point of view. I was amazed to see the amount of detail Sloan has gone through while writing this book, there are plenty of quotes from annual reports, memoranda, conversations, etc. However, some readers will be disappointed by the lack of insight into Sloan's personal life. This particular edition includes an introduction by Peter F. Drucker, who explains why this book is MUST reading for all MBA and business students, but also all people that want to be serious about management. Highly recommended. The book is written in simple business US-English.
21 of 24 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Alfred Sloan can tell it like no other. From the early days of GM to the time he retired, this book chronicles the issues that faced GM. Marketing, segmentation, labor relations, competition, and many other aspects of managing an industrial giant. If you like this type of book, this is a classic. Prefer the tales and hype of the net economy, then this one will probably put you to sleep, though there are lessons here that anyone can learn from.
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
On the good side, this book has a great deal of information about the growth of General Motors, and it's ghost-written by a journalist, so it's easy to read.
Sloan was one of the first modern-style businessmen. He grew GM from a bunch of mechanical geniuses and seat-of-the-pants administrators to the biggest company in the world after World War two.
However, the U.S. auto industry was at the peak of its powers and was about to begin the long slow (but inevitable) decline. And unfortunately you can see why. In 1964 autos wouldn't last more than a few years, and were sold on the basis of the annual model change. It truly was a seller's market, and you can see how the problems of today stem from the attitudes of that time.
Sloan is at his best describing the period 1921-1929 when the industry fell into place. The thirties get little mention and the period after the war is treated as one long period with no developments.
Sloan is glib when it comes to showing off the attitudes of management of that time. Because GM couldn't sell high-profit cars during the war but instead did defence work, this "proves" that wars do not benefit business. There are two chapters, one on labor relations ("how we kept the hourly paid workers' wages down"), and following that, on executive bonuses ("must be kept in place").
It's a worthwhile read, but it's becoming more historical than instructional.
Sloan was one of the first modern-style businessmen. He grew GM from a bunch of mechanical geniuses and seat-of-the-pants administrators to the biggest company in the world after World War two.
However, the U.S. auto industry was at the peak of its powers and was about to begin the long slow (but inevitable) decline. And unfortunately you can see why. In 1964 autos wouldn't last more than a few years, and were sold on the basis of the annual model change. It truly was a seller's market, and you can see how the problems of today stem from the attitudes of that time.
Sloan is at his best describing the period 1921-1929 when the industry fell into place. The thirties get little mention and the period after the war is treated as one long period with no developments.
Sloan is glib when it comes to showing off the attitudes of management of that time. Because GM couldn't sell high-profit cars during the war but instead did defence work, this "proves" that wars do not benefit business. There are two chapters, one on labor relations ("how we kept the hourly paid workers' wages down"), and following that, on executive bonuses ("must be kept in place").
It's a worthwhile read, but it's becoming more historical than instructional.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Business Management Pioneered!
This is a true business classic. In this book Alfred Sloan shares his years of wisdom - while heading General Motors - in a variety of areas including planning, strategy, finance,... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Omar Halabieh
2.0 out of 5 stars
Painful Read
This business classic is difficult to read. I am more of a narrative reader, barbarians at the gate, anything written by Mr. Read more
Published 4 months ago by IanP
5.0 out of 5 stars
Alfred P. Sloan Junior remains a man of mystery?
While we know when it took place, where it happened, who was responsible, why it came into being, etc. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Herbert Booker
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fascinating autobiography for anyone interested in automotive history...
Alfred Sloan was the President, Chairman and CEO of General Motors.
His memoirs were written during the 1950s, but withheld from publication until 1964. Read more
His memoirs were written during the 1950s, but withheld from publication until 1964. Read more
Published 6 months ago by J. M. Fitzpatrick
5.0 out of 5 stars
Timeless Classic
My fellow reviewers are missing the part that makes this timeless. Mr. Sloan breaks management down to a very simple philosophy. Read more
Published 21 months ago by S. A. Mellor
3.0 out of 5 stars
Too many boring details
This book chronicles the rise of General Motors mainly in the period when it was managed by Alfred Sloan. Read more
Published on February 20, 2011 by Ratatosk
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good but a dry read
I bought this book many years ago because I wanted to study some of the successes of business and their historical beginnings. I have only now read this book. Read more
Published on January 12, 2011 by Gerard Van Stijn
5.0 out of 5 stars
My boyfrend's GM-Slone book
This was one of a couple of books I bought for Tom for Christmas: price was good, condition GREAT! Wile Tom has only gotten about (10)pages into it, he ABSOLUTELY LOVES IT!!! Read more
Published on December 29, 2010 by Kathy
5.0 out of 5 stars
Lara's Review
Reading a memoir penned by a man who witnessed the transformation of American transportation is truly exciting. Read more
Published on November 15, 2009 by L. Angelo
5.0 out of 5 stars
Where have you gone, Alfred Sloan?
It was a bit depressing reading this triumphant memoir - indeed, one of the greatest business books written during the twentieth century - in May 2009 as the benighted American... Read more
Published on June 1, 2009 by T. Graczewski
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 1
book:
100
books
cite this book:
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- Executive Committee (The Boardsource Committee Series, 2) by Mark Light on page 98
- Billy, Alfred, and General Motors: The Story of Two Unique Men, a Legendary Company, and a Remarkable Time in American History by William Pelfrey on 24 pages
- Auto Opium: A Social History of American Automobile Design by David Gartman on 5 pages
- Adventures of a Bystander by Peter F. Drucker Foundation for Nonprofit Management on 5 pages
- Enterprise: The Leadership Role by Roger Parry on 4 pages
- Academic Strategy: The Management Revolution in American Higher Education by George Keller on 4 pages
See all 100 books citing this book
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