Book Description
"Voyages deep into the frenzied, complex world of LBO transactions."—BusinessWeek
"Sheds light on an important chapter in both African-American and American business history."—Earl G. Graves, Publisher, Black Enterprise magazine
When Reginald Lewis was six years old, his grandparents asked his opinion about employment discrimination against blacks. Reg replied simply, "Why should white guys have all the fun?" Why, indeed! Lewis grew up to become the wealthiest black man in history and one of the most successful entrepreneurs of all time, reigning over a commercial empire that spanned four continents. At the time of his death in 1993, his personal fortune was estimated at $400 million.
"Why Should White Guys Have All the Fun?" traces Lewis's rise from a working-class neighborhood in east Baltimore to Harvard Law School and, ultimately, into the elite circle of Wall Street deal-makers. Expanding on Lewis's unfinished autobiography, journalist Blair Walker completes a vivid portrait of a proud, fiercely determined man with a razor-sharp tongue—and an intellect to match. He shows how Lewis's lifelong hunger for wealth and personal glory fueled his success on the playing field, in the classroom, and in the boardroom. Walker also provides a rare insider's view of Lewis, the iron-willed negotiator and brilliant business strategist in action as he finesses one phenomenal deal after another.
A moving saga of personal courage and determination as well as a virtual how-to book for those who would like to follow in Lewis's footsteps, "Why Should White Guys Have All the Fun?" is every bit as memorable as the man whose story it tells.
Customer Reviews:
Enthusiastic........2007-07-05
This work tells the story of a black man who rose to become a top CEO.
Author BLAIR S. WALKER, discusses the chronicle of his subject's private life based on dozens of interviews and also consulting many sources and borrowing on an unfinished autobiography Reginald Lewis wrote shortly before his death from brain cancer in order to give a full and accurate account of this intense, goal-oriented man's life.
If motivation and inspiration is what you seek, you will find it in various chapters throughout the book. Power packed with valuable business lessons on deal making and negotiations, this book has the ability to cultivate your mind set in many a positive ways.
Lewis was a tough- minded narcissistic individual. He was a man set on being an exception to life's ugly stereotypes towards African Americans.
Although the book does fall short in not talking about the deaths of two keystone figures in Lewis's life which was his grand pop and grand mom who were considered some of his greatest strength as a boy.
Lewis and his two LBO's became a greater success than the famous "burning bed" blunder by the former First Boston Corp..
Overall, you will find this book an entertaining read.
A Strong Mind and An Example of How to Achieve Success.......2007-05-29
I was blown away by this book, more so for the similarities between Lewis and myself. I think he was proud of being black but I agree with him that its only an aspect of who you are. Americans as a whole, whether they are black and white tend to group successful blacks as some sort of exception, which is a done and TIRED story. Reginald is a man's man that did things his way successfully. Too bad his life was cut short no telling where he might of been and how much more successful he would have become.
For readers its a look at an intense, fearless, determined, and extremely ambitious man who just happened to be African-American.
Why Should You Enjoy This Book?.......2006-10-22
The Lewis and Walker edition of 'Why Should White Guys Have All the Fun?' is one of the most well-researched and written books that exist from a partial business autobiography/biography standpoint. When you read (and study) this book you feel as if you know Reginald Lewis (Reg) personally. You felt that you have sat at the same table, in the same room, with the same true characters that made him the man that he was.
Reginald Lewis was no saint. But, he was driven by passion and a determination to be the best. Walker (the co-author) has created many things within the context of this book: A bio, a blueprint, an academic view of business, a detailed account (diary) of a very accomplished man. But most importantly, Walker and Lewis together have created a great story. It's more than just mere inspiration, it's a book that when you're done, you will want to make Reg a member of your advisory counsel (the kind that motivates and drives you when their physical presence is no longer here). Reg is now a part of my advisory counsel - and he's given me good advice. Read this book regardless of your ethnic background because it truly drives home a point: We can all have fun!
(Elite Print by biographer Walker);(italics by autobiographer Lewis).......2006-05-01
There was a consistent pattern of the italic matter in which Lewis* kept to his focus "business" and businessman (and bussiness women) and just a brief mention of activity with his wife and children(the book opens with a lengthy discussion of his "humble beginnings" and how his older relatives,especially his grandmother were his greatest strength as a boy, although he does mention his great love for his mother and respect for his step-father and siblings)...His thrill for being accepted at "Harvard" never left him and there is a bldg for law students named after him on Harvard's campus.He gives insight into the wars within in the brokerage world(and how one should be careful what one sells,even with biggies like "McCall Patterns" since if the company should falter in any way shortly after you've sold it,you might be legally held responsible to the buyers) and how "other values" matter more when he gets in swiftly fading health... his biographer ,Blair(co-author of the book published posthumously) does a marvelous insert between the Lewis's italics and also includes : an epilogue(others were left to mourn for him on 01/19/1993); an index ; & a list of all who contributed to "his* story).It was a book worth reading.
Bio/autobiography of a superstrong personality.......2006-04-01
I've been reading more business related stuff as of late, and I picked up "Why Should White Guys..." a while back. Reginald Lewis earns tremendous respect in my eyes for his intense energy and willingness to take risks to achieve. Reading this book, you can see what a trailblazer he actually was as he pulled off a seemingly impossible buyout of Beatrice Foods and then drove them to strong economic performance.
I give this 4 stars because I'm ambivalent on Lewis' significance for black Americans. He achieved and he's given back a lot to the community, as evidenced by the Reginald Lewis Library in Baltimore. But this book also reveals that his success was greatly aided by Michael Milken's junk bonds [although in the book's defense Milken was still positively regarded at the time of writing] and he deeply loved being part of Harvard Law School and chose to make a very public donation of a multimillion dollar building to them as he became established.
I think the lack of discussion of some of these issues reflects the time period that this book was written in rather than any fault of the author. This is an authorized biography with large samplings of Lewis' own words. Lewis' amazing rise deserves a full-scale critical biography, and I'll give this a high rating until something else comes out to supplant it.
4 stars.
--SD
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- 10th Inning
- 9 Innings with Cal Ripken Jr.
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9 Innings With Cal Ripken Jr.
Earl Weaver , and
Alex Rodriguiz
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Customer Reviews:
10th Inning.......2001-12-11
I bought this book for my son and he seemed to enjoy it--there are plenty of great photos and some interesting, if wordy, stories--but what is the obsession with sports writers to divide all baseball books into nine "innings"? Football writers don't feel any need to split their books into four "quarters," golf writers don't limit themselves to 18 "holes." In this book, as in so many others, it is a clumsy cliche.
9 Innings with Cal Ripken Jr........2000-05-11
If you have never heard of the baseball player Ironman Cal Ripken Jr. you have to read the book 9 Innings with Cal Ripken, Jr. The story of cal Ripken istold by the people who know him the best,Cal Ripken Sr, Jonny oats, Harold Reynolds, Vi Ripken,Theo Chen, Eal Weaver, Alex Rodriguez, Jon Miller, and Brady Anderson. To some he is a home townhero. To others he is an idol. Then to some people he is a fantstic baseball player. Just imagine not missing a day of work for one year. You think that is hard? Try doing it for 15 years. Now that would be an accomplishment! Well, this is what Cal did. He holds the record for most consecutive games played. This is a good book. It takes you all through his life and gives you an idea of what it is like to be a professional athlete. He is a good athlete and an excellent baseball player.
Book Description
Combining ethnography, film criticism, and his extensive knowledge of the Middle East, Steven C. Caton presents an innovative and fascinating examination of the classic film, Lawrence of Arabia. Caton is interested in why this epic film has been so compelling for so many people for more than three decades. In seeking an answer he draws from situations in his own life, biographies of the film's key participants, and analyses of issues relating to class, gender, colonialism, and cultural differences. The result is a many-prismed book that poses important questions of ethnographic representation and the discourse of power.
Caton's approach is dialectical, and his readings of the film are situated within different historical periods, from the early 1960s to the present. Among the subjects he highlights are travel and colonialism in fieldwork and filmmaking, orientalism in the representation of the Other, and the film's ambiguous handling of masculinity and homosexuality. Caton looks at his own reactions to the film at various stages in his life and offers a thought-provoking account of the film's reception by today's high school and college students.
Customer Reviews:
Teeming with ideas (not all of them good).......2002-05-01
Although lurching from topic to topic, the opening chapters of Caton's book include a lot of interesting information on the economics of film-making during the diffusion of television, the attempt to keep audiences going to move theaters with epics, the aims of David Lean, the career of blacklisted screenwriter Robert Wilson, the performances in the film of Peter O'Toole and Omar Sharif, the critical responses to the film on its original release (dismissal from auteur theorists, howls of outrage by the Allenby and Lawrence families, but, apparently not Lowell Thomas's, banning in Jordan, where much of it was filmed, and Beirut), Brechtian "alienation devices," Arab nationalism, imperialism, and "tribal feuding," anthropological fieldwork's parallels to Lawrence's immersion in Arab culture (and ambivalent heroism), Caton's own Ali in Yemen, criticisms of "Orientalism," and much else. I would say too much, but despite the swirl of topics and some very strained transitions, I never found the book dull. (I should add that I may not be typical in this, because I am exactly the same age as Caton, so, like him, saw and was awed by the movie when I was 13, and am interested in the questions of cultural representations, hybridity, culture shock, and the enterprise of anthropology that are central to him.)
The writing is sometimes clunky and often jargonistic. The chapter "Maskulinities" is startlingly ignorant (coming from a specialist on Yemen) about the importation and sexual connoisseurship of light-skinned males by the elite of the Ottoman Empire (of which Yemen was a part from 1513 to 1916). Also I find many of Caton's statements about "The Bridge on the River Kwai" very dubious, and the stills from the film in this book are atrociously reproduced.
Despite my rejection of arguments in the "Maskulilnities" chapter and doubts about some others, there is much that is interesting about the history of colonialism, the Arab world, "Operation Desert Storm," international film-making, gendered film-viewing, and other topics in this book. Caton is an interesting companion to thinking about "Lawrence of Arabia," even if some of his ideas are dubious and he darts from idea to idea.
For fans of the film............2000-09-09
This is the greatest film book I have ever read. Stunning!
Viewing the spectacle: Caton's take on 'Lawrence of Arabia'.......2000-06-12
Who could forget the astonishing spectacle of `Lawrence of Arabia'? Certainly not the teenaged Steven Caton, who, some years later, has produced this book - `Lawrence of Arabia: a film's anthropology' - as tribute to its power. Essentially a detailed critique of the film and its motives, it delves deeper to measure the impact such an epic has upon the dispossessed. Caton examines LOA as a product out of its time, shot when audiences were abandoning the epic genre. The film's division into two halves presents us first with an heroic and idealistic Lawrence, the conqueror of Akaba - thus, our epic expectations are met. The second half reverses this image, deconstructing Lawrence and presenting him as riddled with self-doubt and anguish for his failures. Is this our hero? The film becomes an epic anti-epic, layered with anti-imperialist and pro-Orientalist readings. Caton discusses these issues and highlights the politics that ordered them, along with how the final script was shaped by the writing pedigrees and political beliefs of Wilson and Bolt. He also draws out the nuances of Lean's symbolism - his motif of the `recycled gun', also seen in `Bridge on the River Kwai'; the use of the compass and its loss to emphasise Lawrence's slip into instability; the many character and event parallels within the film (e.g., Lawrence/Ali, Allenby/ Turkish Bey, motorcycles at the start and end of the film). Caton underlines the main thrust of the film - Lawrence's complex personality - by reference to the constant question, "Who are you?" that reverberates through the epic. He develops this further by examining Lean's camera-play to suggest the interactions between the viewer and the viewed, both within and outwith the celluloid reality. He also addresses the sexual ambiguity of O'Toole's Lawrence (the sporadic black eyeliner and bottle-blond hair is no accident!) and the way in which the public of 1962 received it. As an epilogue, Caton shows the film to groups of high school children. Their remarks are perceptive, bearing out much of what he discussed in the book: Lawrence is terribly lonely and a little bit crazy, trapped between two worlds and unable to return to either one. Caton says that this is why the film had such a profound effect on him, a young German émigré to the U.S., and to the children (many from broken families) that he interviewed. This is a very personal book, yet authorial intrusion is welcomed rather than resented as the narrative swings along at a cracking pace. Enjoyable to read, Caton wears his own scholarship lightly and takes nothing too seriously. The only criticism concerns the illustrations - mainly screen-shots scanned in at a low resolution - which mar the presentation of the text. To summarise: a loving yet honest and lucid critique of the greatest desert epic ever made, a sensitive and subtley-nuanced reading of O'Toole's Lawrence, and surely a blueprint for film studies everywhere, regardless of genre.
Customer Reviews:
The Lava Birth of WMMS.......2005-03-25
"Radio Daze" is like looking back into a time portal of recent history packed with behind the scene info and details of the legendary radio station.
Olszewski paints an easy to read and interesting portrait of WMMS, its owners, management and DJ's. His non-stop tapestry of employee's mixed with stories of some of the original rockers are both interesting and entertaining.
WMMS was the dominant radio station of its time in the Cleveland, Ohio area and was co-existing in a parallel complimentary world of rock music. Riding the airwaves of some of the greatest rock bands ever to emerge out of the musical creative times of the 60's and early 70's.
Ambitious undertakings seemed to be prevalent with the youthful WMMS management, and from my observations they weren't following any recommended guidelines on building a brand name. In a parallel universe the early WMMS management team would have been likened to a band of swashbucklers under the Jolly Roger. Marconi would turn over in his grave if he new of the amount of time this troop spent irritating the other radio stations with Gestapo like tactics to bring in ratings. After reading some of the excerpts in "Radio Daze" I was a little afraid to turn the radio on fearing retaliation.
Some of the highlights: How the radio stations personal helped promote some of the new breed of rockers with radio airplay and marketing promotions. How the WMMS management were very influential in orchestrating a campaign to acquire votes to bring the "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame" to Cleveland. The seemingly constant shifting of DJ personal [including nicknames] various antics, egos and a mind set where even sabotage was not out of the question.
This book is not filled with off the shelf information, but valid details from someone who was there. Olszewski does a great job of blending 1st person knowledge and then writes from the 3rd person. With his writing abilities and his descriptive style he makes you feel like he's talking to you over a hamburger, fries and a beer. The author definitely has the "worn out shoes" when it comes to his credentials and knowledge base for acquiring information for this multifaceted book.
He has the exclusive rights to exclaim "The World Premier" of books about the birth of FM radio in Cleveland Ohio.
I Was There!.......2004-07-03
I remember walking into the penthouse of the Statler Hilton hotel on a chilly night in October 1971. I was a young antiwar protestor delivering leaflets to fledgling prog rocker WNCR. As I walked into the control room, I was intrigued by the ambience. Loud music blared from the large Electro Voice speakers mounted above the Gates Stereo Statesman console. Behind the mic was a bearded cat by the name of Jeff Gelb. He was really cool and allowed me to hang out with him. I ended up becoming an intern and fetched coffee and answered phones for Lyn Doyle's "People's Night on the Radio" show. A week or two after I started, my first cousin, Carolyn Thomas walked in. I asked her what she was doing there and she asked me the same question! It turned out that she was working overnights!! (I also found out that Doyle was my cousin by marriage). After WNCR moved to the Stouffer Building around December 1971, interns were exiled and I moved to WMMS working with Billy Bass and David Spero for a few months. It was amazing to watch them work. I ended up back at WNCR in February of 1972 and had a chance to run the board and "ride gain" for Carolyn and Lee Andrews on occasion. Those days were magical and I ended up in radio myself for over 20 years, working at stations in LA and Cleveland. If you want to relive those times, this is the book to read...
It's Only Rock and Roll, but...........2003-11-27
Mike Olszewski blows the Buzzard myth wide open, then ties the
shrapnel back up into one tidy little package. Fun, informative, a great read!
Close Enough for Rock and Roll.......2003-11-12
This book is an easy read and has some great stories in it. I was lucky enough to have been around radio in those days, in particular WMMS(though I never worked there, but my uncle was the PD) and this book brought back some great memories. It really shows the passion Cleveland had for it's Rock and Roll and it's radio. It is a great commentary on the greatness that TRUE competition can harbor. Nice job Mike.
A Great Ride.......2003-10-28
If you ever listened to FM radio during the 70's and 80's this is a book for you. I expected a textbook but instead got a wonderful ride through the FM radio ages. It doesn't matter what city you were in, this story is for everyone. Remember when radio had a personality? This will refresh your memory. Top 40 died and a new age was created, one that has flourished, made superstars out of bar bands, legends out of local stars. All the stories are here...you will ENJOY!!
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Giant Flip Book: Hard-to-Solve Word Puzzles/Hard-to-Solve Mind Puzzles (Main Street Books)
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The 2003 International Fire Code, coordinated with the 2003 International Building Code®, references national standards to comprehensively address fire safety in new and existing buildings. It provides modern, up-to-date fire code, and addresses conditions hazardous to life and property from fire, explosion, handling or use of hazardous materials, and the use and occupancy of buildings and premises. Prescriptive- and performance-based approaches to fire prevention and fire protection systems are emphasized. Topics addressed include fire department access, fire hydrants, automatic sprinkler systems, fire alarm systems, hazardous materials storage and use, and fire safety requirements for new and existing buildings and premises. The 2003 edition is fully compatible with all the International Codes published by the International Code Council (ICC).
Book Description
The 2003 International Fire Code, coordinated with the 2003 International Building Code®, references national standards to comprehensively address fire safety in new and existing buildings. It provides modern, up-to-date fire code, and addresses conditions hazardous to life and property from fire, explosion, handling or use of hazardous materials, and the use and occupancy of buildings and premises. Prescriptive- and performance-based approaches to fire prevention and fire protection systems are emphasized. Topics addressed include fire department access, fire hydrants, automatic sprinkler systems, fire alarm systems, hazardous materials storage and use, and fire safety requirements for new and existing buildings and premises. The 2003 edition is fully compatible with all the International Codes published by the International Code Council (ICC).
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2003 International Fire Code Commentary
International Code Council
Manufacturer: Cengage Delmar Learning
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This comprehensive yet concise publication provides a convenient reference for regulations in the 2003 International Fire Code® (IFC®). The 2003 International Fire Code, coordinated with the 2003 International Building Code, references national standards to comprehensively address fire safety in new and existing buildings. It provides modern, up-to-date fire code, and addresses conditions hazardous to life and property from fire, explosion, handling or use of hazardous materials, and the use and occupancy of buildings and premises. Prescriptive and performance-based approaches to fire prevention and fire protection systems are emphasized. Topics addressed include fire department access, fire hydrants, automatic sprinkler systems, fire alarm systems, hazardous materials storage and use, and fire safety requirements for new and existing buildings and premises. This is a comprehensive, excellent reference for code officials, engineers, architects, inspectors, plans examiners, contractors and anyone who needs a better understanding of the 2003 IFC. This commentary book includes the full text of the Code, in addition to notes and explanations of the Code regulations and implications.
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