Perfect Enough: Carly Fiorina and the Reinvention of Hewlett Packard

Book Description

Carly Fiorina is the most admired-and most vilified-woman in corporate America. Recruited in 1999 to run Hewlett-Packard, the legendary company that helped invent Silicon Valley, she promised big changes from the moment she arrived. She was a marketing whiz at a company that worshipped engineers, an instant celebrity in a culture that preached modesty, and a woman in one of the most sexist industries.

No wonder the purists hated her. Yet for twenty years, she had consistently won over those who doubted her. And at HP she believed she could connect two hostile cultures, remaking the high-tech pioneer while staying true to the HP way, the old-fashioned values of company founders Bill Hewlett and David Packard. Her zesty new style would be "perfect enough."

Could Carly make it? Her boosters and enemies asked that question with nail-biting intensity. In 2001, she entered an epic struggle with Walter Hewlett, son of HP's late cofounder, over the company's destiny and her stunning plan to merge with archrival Compaq. For months Fiorina and Hewlett battled in the boardroom, in the media, and, ultimately, in court. They couldn't stop until one side destroyed the other.

In this fascinating human drama, George Anders draws on unmatched sources to probe beyond the headlines. He reveals Fiorina to be both braver and more vulnerable than outsiders ever realized. And he discloses the role played by a powerful recluse in Idaho: the only person at HP who could bridge the old era and the new.

Customer Reviews:

What happened at HP?.......2006-12-20

Carly Fiorina went from being the most powerful female CEO to out of a job over her performance at HP. The conflict of culture at HP forced her out of her job over the merger of COMPAQ. The companies were unable to find synergy and the merger was poorly executed. This is a fair account of all participants and in the end comes down with the blame on Carly trying to be too sneaky and HP being to inflexible to embrace the future and realize their computers were useless. The branding dilution argument was very interesting. Although this merger is long over this is a useful and instructive book in corporate finance.

Thorough, Zero Insight.......2005-07-17

American tech industries were in the middle of tough times and facing a very uncertain future, as they still are, and the HP board did not understand what kind of "new HP" would deal best with that new world. None of this is in the book, but this should've been reasonably clear by 2003 when the book was published. And Carly, with a little insight, should be seen as just another bubble economy internet dream seller. She quickly developed "an internet story" to sell herself to HP, and ostensibly for HP to sell to the world, and the board was _so_ delighted. Between the lines (we can find out a lot there, as this book is fully documented, and so it earns three stars) the board comes off as quite naive, and Carly as what she is: a saleswoman who pumps herself up to "believe" what she's selling, but others should be a whole lot more skeptical.

Anders writes without insight. For example, all of this Carly story selling is coming chronologically on the downside of the tech bubble. At that point, but at least for Anders by 2003, the b.s./fakery should've been ripe for exposure. Also arising from the facts but absent is some big picture thinking on the whole matter of naive boards & naive directors (including Hewlett) attempting to decide the future of a company as technically complex and in as many businesses as HP. Finally, no exposure of the following: it seemed clear (between the lines) that part of every side's plan for HP -- whether it stayed in one piece, merged with Compaq, or not -- was to slash employees and ship lots of jobs to cheap labor sites overseas. Both sides knew this would be an obvious part of "the solution" but nobody would say it publicly (though they tried euphemistically to give the right signals to Wall Street). Understandable in a proxy fight with many employees holding stock, but you expect Anders to notice and discuss such important unspoken matters (and why they are unspoken), at least in a book aspiring to be more than simple, competent, day-to-day reporting.

Growing up in a California Engineering Culture.......2005-04-30

As I started to read this book, I anticipated a tainted Carly story. True it did give a positive review of Carly's leadership which may have been a bit too rosey, but it gave a glimpse into the manifestation of business growth pains. The factors of HP's reinvention are a growing concern within the culture of all great engineering environments within the Valley. The change in global business strategies have demanded a change, yet it is a very difficult strain on a healthy culture to be railroaded into corporate consolidation.
In fairness to Carly, one person can't perform miracles in a culture that is positive, yet not economically feasible within the current business times. Channeling passion into action is a tough thing to accomplish. I enjoyed the audio version of this book and was captivated by the narrator. I would highly suggest this to anyone who has been caught in the middle of change management within an engineering culture. Kudos to George Anders for capturing this emotional rollercoaster.

book commissioned by Carly.......2005-03-15

I was frustrated by how unbalanced this book was. All of Fiorina's warts were covered up and she was made to look like a hero. At one point, I kept looking at the back cover to see if she wrote the book herself; but she didn't so I can only guess that she must have commisioned it. If you want a Carly love-fest, this is the book, else, read "Backfire" for a more balance viewpoint.

NOT Perfect Enough.......2005-03-02

Carly has finally left HP in disgrace. She's been lambasted on the cover of Fortune, the Wall Street Journal, NY Times, and Salon. What people inside HP have known since 2001, is finally becoming mainstream.

People are beginning to wonder whether HP will survive. Inkjet cartridges are all that's left making a profit.

But this book is worth more than 1 star because it contains some information important for HP history.

Buy "Backfire" first, then read this.

Carly, we hardly know you -- still. (Book Review).(Perfect Enough: Carly Fiorina and the Reinvention of Hewlett-Packard)(Backfire: Carly Fiorina's High-Stakes ... An article from: Chief Executive (U.S.)

Average customer rating:

Carly, we hardly know you -- still. (Book Review).(Perfect Enough: Carly Fiorina and the Reinvention of Hewlett-Packard)(Backfire: Carly Fiorina's High-Stakes ... An article from: Chief Executive (U.S.)
William J. Holstein
Manufacturer: Chief Executive Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Chief Executive (U.S.), published by Chief Executive Publishing on March 1, 2003. The length of the article is 681 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Carly, we hardly know you -- still. (Book Review).(Perfect Enough: Carly Fiorina and the Reinvention of Hewlett-Packard)(Backfire: Carly Fiorina's High-Stakes Battle for the Soul of Hewlett-Packard)(Book Review) (book review)
Author: William J. Holstein
Publication: Chief Executive (U.S.) (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 1, 2003
Publisher: Chief Executive Publishing
Page: 17(1)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Book Description

This fascinating autobiography follows the life of professional racing driver and motorsport writer Paul Frere, and the cars he has owned, driven and tested throughout his lifetime. Packed with technical detail and personal anecdotes, this extraordinarily detailed record tells of buying his first car, a 2LTS Ballot; his race debut in the Spa 24 Hours sharing an MG with Jacques Swaters and finishing fourth in class; F1 in the 1950s racing for HW Motors and Ferrari; winning Le Mans in 1960; and driving and developing Japanese cars.

Customer Reviews:

Cars from the origins untill now.......2001-06-18

This book is one of the best I've ever read over the world of cars. It will make you travel from Belgium to the States with a thousand of little stories really enjoyable. Try it !

A Must-Read For Every Automotive Enthusiast.......2001-04-21

A living legend in automotive journalism and racing, Paul Frère weaves his fascinating life story through the cars he has owned, tested and raced. This autobiography is jam-packed with historical and technical information that Frère lived through and experienced personally. Starting with the family car in the 1920s, Formula-One racing in the 50s, winning LeMans in 1960, with Olivier Gendebien, to writing about, helping develop, and driving cars for the 21st Century, Monsieur Frère, at the age of 84, still routinely test drives today's automobiles and racecars at over 150 mph!

An intimate, unique viewpoint on the history of the automobile, as fun as a fast drive down the German Autobahn- with no speed limit!

Book Description

La Nuit americaine (Day for Night, 1972) charts the pleasures and pains enjoyed or endured by the cast and crew of a film as it is being shot in the Victorine Studios in Nice. The film explores the relationship between director and film, reality and fiction, and won the Oscar for the Best Foreign Film in 1973.
This compelling, intimate book draws extensively on research in the archives of Truffaut's company, Les Films du Carrosse, and on interviews with many of the film's cast and crew.

Average customer rating:

La Nuit Americaine
C Frank
Manufacturer: Editions du Seuil
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

La Nuit américaine, suivi du journal du tournage de Fahrenheit 451

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La Nuit américaine, suivi du journal du tournage de Fahrenheit 451
François Truffaut
Manufacturer: Cahiers du Cinema Livres
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

French | Foreign Language Nonfiction | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Entertainment | French | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books

Nonfiction | French | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books

All French Books | French | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books
ASIN: 2866422619

Confluences ;: Suivi de, Elouezes dans la nuit (Mouvance americaine)

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Confluences ;: Suivi de, Elouezes dans la nuit (Mouvance americaine)
Henri-Dominique Paratte
Manufacturer: Editions du Grand Pre
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

French | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

French | Foreign Language Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

All French Books | French | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books
ASIN: 0921915101

Francois Truffaut: Les mille et une nuits americaines (Collection Cinema)

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Francois Truffaut: Les mille et une nuits americaines (Collection Cinema)
Dominique Auzel
Manufacturer: H. Veyrier
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Foreign Languages | Reference | Subjects | Books

Average customer rating:

La nuit américaine
Jim Morrison
Manufacturer: 10-18
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: 2264019441

Book Description

Stealth, impersonation, bribery, lock picking, ducking the cops. Oh, yes, and the odd bit of photography, too.

No, the paparazzi don't have it easy. They're reviled by their subjects, by their employers, by their voyeuristic audience—and by the fashion and news photographers who think of themselves as artists and the paparazzi as creeps with cameras. They're the bottom feeders who shoot celebrities in all their infamy: drunk, undressed, distressed, lip-locked wih folks who aren't their spouses. They're the hunters and chasers who've nabbed on film everyone from Pamela Anderson to Princess Diana.

And we all love it. We may not want to admit it, but we can't get enough of these photos, keeping the paparazzi in business by buying everything from People to the National Enquirer and all the fan magazines and tabloids in between.

Paparazzi turns the spotlight on these photographers and their highly paid profession; on the celebrities who are the object of their lenses; and on the society that begs them to capture these megastars in both ordinary and compromising positions. The top practitioners of this global pop art, along with the photo agency owners, magazine editors, and the stars themselves, give us stories of the famous and infamous we've never heard before. It's our golden opportunity to get behind the viewfinder and see the hunted from the hunter's point of view. Paparazzi turns the spotlight on these photographers and their highly paid profession; on the celebrities who are the object of their lenses; and on the society that begs them to capture these megastars in both ordinary and compromising positions. The top practitioners of this global pop art, along with the photo agency owners, magazine editors, and the stars themselves, give us stories of the famous and infamous we've never heard before. It's our golden opportunity to get behind the viewfinder and see the hunted from the hunter's point of view.

Customer Reviews:

Fascinating look at the photographers who hound celebritites.......2005-07-12

Peter Howe has done a terrific job at explaining who the paparazzi are, what compels them (think $$$) and why we're compelled to look at their work (think celebrity driven culture). His commentary is insightful and his interviews with the paparazzi are lively and revealing. Howe, an experienced photo editor, has chosen a wonderful collection of pictures. My own favorite: a National Enquirer shot of a bleary eyed Harrison Ford during a bar binge with partying fans.

THE MOST HATED YET THE HIGHEST PAID.......2005-06-04

For most of us, just the name "paparazzi" brings forth thoughts of stalkers, intruders, low lifes who seek to profit from photographs of the famous, particularly in private moments. According to author Peter Howe, that's not too far off. He speaks to paparazzi as follows: You will be "despised by your subjects, your peers, and the public, the ultimate consumers of your work. You will run afoul of security guards and publicists, lawyers and the police. You will be punched, spat upon, and have any number of objects thrown at you. And you will earn a great deal of money."

Mr Howe also asks why if everyone hates their work, are paparazzi the highest paid photo journalists in the world? He posits a simple answer - because we are a celebrity obsessed society and crave every news tidbit and photo of celebrities. Further, he notes that while we condemn paparazzi we stand in line to buy copies of People Magazine or The National Enquirer (think of the magazine copies sold containing beach photos of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie).

Whether we can't wait for a glimpse of the latest intimate photo or detest paparazzi so much that we wouldn't add a penny to their wallets, Mr. Howe has created an interesting study of their work. He's a former picture editor for the New York Times Magazine and director of photography for Life. In 173 folio size pages Mr. Howe treats his subject objectively and with amazing thoroughness.

We learn of the paparazzi's early days (it was much easier in the 1950s when young Italians first discovered they could brings in some extra lira by selling photos of vacationing celebs to newspapers and magazines.) Money has always been the paparazzi's prime interest - they pursue those whose photos will fetch the highest price, and they'll do anything to accomplish this. Perhaps the most far-out example of their no-holds-barred attiude is photographer Phil Ramey who hired a submarine to get shots of Princess Diana on a Caribbean island.

Most paparazzi are male and, frankly, not a particularly likable lot as they don't seem to care what anyone thinks of them and are extremely driven. We're reminded that paparazzo Ron Galella wore a football helmet to try to catch snaps of Marlon Brando after an early encounter with the actor put Galella in the hospital minus five teeth. For the paparazzi life isn't all hiding in bushes as Ben Affleck led one on a 120 mph chase.

The other side of the coin is that A-List celebrities need to have their photos in print or they'll soon be C-Listers. Perhaps Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick have the best idea of all - they allow the paparazzi limited access which significantly diminishes intrusiveness.

Whatever the case, it seems that paparazzi are here to stay (not at all discouraged by the 15 packets of ketchup Brad Pitt frosted a cheeseburger with before tossing it at a photographer). In addition to interviews with many of the featured photographers "Paparazzi" holds over 200 photos, from Frank Sinatra to Charlize Theron.

Book Description

Complete walkthroughs of all 12 levels
Detailed maps showing every item location
Informative appraisals of each Genotype
Definitive descriptions of every parasite, creature, plant, and rock
Mutation tips for maximum efficiency
Advanced strategies to aid your Genohunters' progress

Customer Reviews:

Great Game, Sci-Fi action game fans should not outlook.......2001-11-15

This is one original sci-fi action game that should not be passed, imaginative graphics...sometimes it looks like some modern fine art. Regarding the actions, you can actually use tactics to accomplish instead of brute force since you can command individual soldier for a particular action, but just do not expect strategic implementations like Rainbow Six. Evolva game engine is excellent, but if they could make the genohunters more human-like and carry "modern" types of weapons that mutate with the enemies' genes, that would look much better and make more "sense". Nevertheless, Evolva is a good game and at times addictive, with the nicely designed missions, very fine AI and fantastic graphics, it is one enjoyable game indeed.

Evolva Strategy Guide Review.......2001-07-13

Evolva is without a doubt one of the better games ever created. And whats a game without a few tricky spots you can't figure out? Well if your like me you are having trouble with Evolva. And then this guide is definitly the one for you. It has everything from A-Z. Tips, tricks, strategies, and of course the basic terrain map to guide you around. It's a fairly good price for such a good guide. And hey, who can say no to a good deal like this? As I said before, if your having trouble with evolva, this is the guide for you. Rating? I give it a high 4 stars.

Book Description

The first book to apply guerrilla sales and marketing tactics to the unique, high-pressure environment of electronic communications, this groundbreaking resource is packed with valuable tips, expert advice, and insider secrets on finding, closing, and increasing sales by phone and fax as well as via e-mail and the Internet.

"This book is absolutely loaded with insights and practical ideas you can use to increase your effectiveness in dealing with anyone in business on the telephone. These ideas should be read, taught, digested, and practiced every single day!" -Brian Tracy, author The Psychology of Achievement.

"Guerrilla Teleselling is FUNdamental reading for anyone or any company who does business by telephone! It covers all the basics and more. Whether you're a beginner or you've been in the business for years, if you can't find at least 12 great ideas in every chapter that will increase your performance, you're not reading! I am recommending it as a resource to all my clients." -Judy Lanier, author 50 Ways to Motivate & Inspire Your Call Center Teams Past National President, American Telemarketing Association.

"Guerrilla Teleselling is an excellent guide for anyone in sales, whether a rookie or a seasoned professional. . . . It entices the reader to break out of old ruts to become a more effective salesperson by using often surprising tactics that will keep the salesperson both challenged and successful." -Erik Lounsbury, Editor Telemarketing(r) & Call Center Solutions(TM).

Customer Reviews:

For Telemarketers Only.......2005-09-01

If you have never sold professionally, and your goal in life is to become a telemarketer, then this is the book for you. If, however, you are a professional Sales Representative for a reputable firm and wish to avoid the stereotypes associated with Sales People, don't waste your time or your money on this book. With strategies that include recommendations like "Form a relationship with your customers and then call them often. Once you form the relationship they will buy anything from you that you offer" and "Raise your prices, your customers will perceive more value in your product and you would need to lose a full 1/3 of your customers before affecting your bottom line", I should have spent my money elsewhere. This is the worst "sales" book that I have read to date. On a positive note, now I know why I avoid the telemarketers when they call to interrupt my dinner.

Same old.......2005-07-25

Book is part of a long line of "Guerilla" techniques that fail to deliver proven techniques but definitely overpromises on delivering the obvious. Save you money on this one and buy an 80 page Nick Murrray.

Excellent for Teleselling Professionals.......2000-08-15

This book covered the entire sales process from preparing for the call, voice and stress exercises to selling tactics, objection handling and follow-up procedures for repeat business. The book was well written in a logical format and followed logical thinking in regard to how you would go about organizing your day. It also demonstrated the best approach to sales and how I want to be treated as a customer. Original sources of information were very well referenced. It's nice to see more of a trend of relationship building and getting away from the stereotypical "used car salesman" hard line approach to sales. The book was a relatively quick read (about 15 hours). The one thing I did not like about the book, was the last 4 chapters. It sounded like the dreaded "info-mercial" you see on late-night TV or the latest get-rich-quick MLM scheme you get with your home junk mail. Unfortunately, for me, it burst my bubble on the professionalism of the authors. They could have left that out and left the reader on a high note. All in all, I was impressed with the quality and accuracy of the writing.

Professional, practical advice that works.......1999-07-28

This book is easy to read. It has excellent advice to improve teleselling skills in a professional manner. It's realistic, it's motivating and it's packed with ideas you can adopt and adapt to your own style. The ideas really work and you are proud to use them.

GREAT BOOK FOR TELEMARKETERS.......1999-07-09

ALL THE INFORMATION IN THIS BOOK IS A GREAT TOOL FOR YOUR BUSINESS, WE HAVE LEARNED A LOT FROM THIS GREAT BOOK. GET IT NOW...

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