Financier: The Biography of André Meyer: A Story of Money, Power, and the Reshaping of American Business

Book Description

"A first-rate biography of an extraordinary man." --Andrew Tobias.
David Rockefeller once deemed André Meyer "the most creative financial genius of our time in the investment banking world." André Meyer was also known as "The Picasso of Banking" and "The Incomparable Investor," but probably his most notable achievement was his ability to completely and single-handedly revitalize American business after World War II. Cary Reich presents an illuminating portrait of this ferociously energetic, charming, and ruthless businessman who was a trusted advisor of the Kennedys and an intimate of William Paley and Katherine Graham. Reich goes into detail about Meyer's immigration from Nazi-occupied France, his prowess on the Monopoly board of business, and some of Meyer's lasting business legacies--now household names--including Avis and Holiday Inn.
* Includes a new foreword by Cary Reich.
Cary Reich (New York, New York) is the former executive editor of Institutional Investor. His most recent book, The Life of Nelson A. Rockefeller, was a finalist for the National Book Award. Mr. Reich is the recipient of numerous journalism awards, including the Overseas Press Award and the John Hancock Award for Excellence in Business and Financial Journalism.

Customer Reviews:

A must read for anybody interested in IB.......2007-07-25

Andre Meyer is the ephytome of the investment banker, like J.P. Morgan or Sidney Weinberg before and Felix Rohatyn around the same time, Andre Meyer embodied what many aspiring bankers use to idealize when picking that career. He was the master of Relational Banking, which is now reemerging as the way to go for top tier brokerage and banking houses. Although, not a husband or father role model the details about his personal life are very interesting to read too.

Fantastic Story about Lazard.......2006-03-14

This book should be required reading for all employees of Lazard. As an employee I found this book very informative and useful in understanding my firm culture and history. The book is well written, and full of interesting trivia about Lazard and Andre Meyer.

Good book that details the the "Old Boys" Network.......2004-07-02

Overall this book provided great historical details into the mind of one of Investment Bankings greatest personalities. Andre Meyer's networking skills were 90% responsible for his success with the remaining 10% being attributable to his sheer tenacity.

The book does drag in some spots, but the author definitely did his homework.

You should buy this book if:.......1999-08-30

1) If you've ever thought about going into the investment banking/ Venture Capital business 2) If you enjoy history - of any type 3) If you enjoy well-written books that are more than a dry summation of the "agreed upon" facts 4) if you want a book that is more interesting and has more plots and schemes than any detective/spy thriller

Great read with facinating mix of famous characters.......1999-03-18

A great read with a facinating mix of famous characters ranging from fiancial world to the political world from the 1940s to the 1970s. The book offers great gossip about New York society as well as the wheeling and dealings of the M&A world. Mr. Meyer is portrayed as a strong, determined and respected man who was certainly not saint but the author offers a truthful perspective. The book is a easy read, and focuses on Meyer's business and personal relationships rather than heavy finacial jargon. It's a great read, I couldn't put it down.

Book Description

Much of the e-commerce and IT research in small and medium sized enterprises (SME) indicates that these smaller businesses are lagging behind in implementing technological advances. This raises concerns for these SME's success as the Information Age becomes ever more of a reality. e-Business, e-Government & Small and Medium-Size Enterprises: Opportunities and Challenges offers a collection of chapters highlighting successful policy and practices which encourage SME's success in numerous different countries. Such a collection of international experiences and expertise offers policymakers, legislators, researchers, and to professionals insight into addressing the significant issues that are importance to the small business sector and ultimately will lead to the depiction of a more effective regulatory frameworks that will lead to the long-term success of EC in SMEs in countries around the world.

Customer Reviews:

Dr. Moh'd Radaideh's Testimonial Statement.......2004-04-21

The book is an excellent resource of E-Business and E-Government literature. Valuable lessons can be learned from the book as it elaborates on E-Commerce initiatives and policy implications in several countries and other topics.

I like the way the book is organized and find it easy to read through. The book has been organized into three sections: E-Commerce initiatives and policy implications, policy implication for networked SMEs in Supply Chain, and policy push and monitoring.

Several chapters in the book elaborate on topics related to my current research projects. Reading through these chapters will be very helpful in this regard.

Al-Qirim - E Commerce in SMEs.......2003-12-17

This is a remarkably international text in an age dominated by Western views of eCommerce, presenting an astonishing array of national and cultural perspectives on eCommerce in SMEs.
It provides an excellent introduction to the topic for students and researchers alike.
It should also be of significant value to eCommerce practitioners who seek to learn more about eCommerce opportunities.

Challenge your understanding.......2003-12-14

This book will challenge your understanding of the role and value of e-commerce for small and medium-sized business as it generates as many new questions as it answers. I recommend this book as essential reading for anyone who really wants to learn how to help SMEs innovate with e-commerce, but without the hype!

new research on e-commerce in small firms.......2003-11-05

Professors who offer a postgraduate research course with a focus on e.commerce and SMEs should consider using this book. Like the Burgess book "Managing Information Technology in Small Business" (Stephen Burgess, IDEA, 2002) this is another must read for someone new to IS research in SMEs. The two books complement each other as this book focuses on e.commerce, while the Burgess book covered a broader range of research topics, although about half of it was devoted to e.commerce.

Average customer rating:
New York Surrogate's Court (LexisNexis AnswerGuide)
Joshua S. Rubenstein
Manufacturer: LexisNexis
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0820563730

Average customer rating:
Lexisnexis Answerguide, New York Surrogate's Court: New York Surrogate's Court
Joshua S. Rubenstein
Manufacturer: Lexis Nexis
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Law | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0820563889

Book Description

Based on a lecture course for the students of the physics and astrophysics department of the Moscow Physico-Technical Institute, this book treats certain problems and methods of theoretical physics and astrophysics which are not normally sufficiently detailed in primary course books and other teaching material. The problems dealt with are associated with microscopic and macroscopic electrodynamics and material concerning the theory of transition radiation and transition scattering. This book also discusses recent ideas and results, such as the problem of toroidal dipole moments. Intended for a wide range of physicists and astrophysicists, also it will prove valuable for graduate and research students. It could also be used as the basis of a graduate supplementary course on radiation theory with applications to astrophysics.

Average customer rating:

SUCH a letdown...

Difficult to get through

Falls flat...

Tinseltown - The Awful Truth

Dreary Story, Sprightly Writing

So 5 Minutes Ago: A Novel
Hilary De Vries
Manufacturer: Villard
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The Gift Bag Chronicles: A Novel

The Second Assistant: A Tale from the Bottom of the Hollywood Ladder

Wolves in Chic Clothing: A Novel

The Right Address: A Novel

The Botox Diaries: A Novel

ASIN: 1400061385
Release Date: 2004-02-10

Book Description

Being a celebrity publicist at a Los Angeles PR firm isn’t the glamour job Alex Davidson thought it would be. Her love life is zilch, her newest client—an actor fresh out of rehab—keeps hitting on her, and all she has in her refrigerator is a half-empty bottle of Pinot Grigio. But her wisecracking gay assistant and her spark plug of a best friend give her reasons for crawling out of bed in the morning (well, most of the time).

Everything changes the day her firm is bought out by a rival agency and Alex finds her once secure job of wanly ministering to a roster of B-list celebrities suddenly at stake. It looks like Suzanne, Alex’s old boss and mentor, is being shown the door. And G, her new boss, wants bigger clients and more exposure. But certain things just don’t add up: Why did G refuse to help Suzanne when a big client—a hot Latina singer/actress hell-bent on world domination—decided to bolt from the firm? And why is he being so nice to Alex all of a sudden? Knowing that in Hollywood there are always strings attached, Alex does a little digging and uncovers a dirty scheme that, if brought to light, will rock the entertainment industry. Will the temptation to betray Suzanne and accept a lucrative offer from G be too powerful for Alex to ignore? Or can she save her job, keep her soul, and score a victory for women in Hollywood?

So 5 Minutes Ago is a laugh-out-loud novel about one young woman’s attempt to make it in the shark-
infested waters of Hollywood. Set in the sun-drenched L.A. of celebrity-magazine photo shoots, velvet-roped VIP parties, and red-carpet events, Hilary de Vries’s debut novel takes us on a wildly entertaining romp with enough juicy behind-the-scenes action to satisfy even the most insatiable celebraholic.

Download Description

Being a celebrity publicist at a Los Angeles PR firm isn't the glamour job Alex Davidson thought it would be. Her love life is zilch, her newest client -- an actor fresh out of rehab -- keeps hitting on her, and all she has in her refrigerator is a half-empty bottle of Pinot Grigio. But her wisecracking gay assistant and her spark plug of a best friend give her reasons for crawling out of bed in the morning (well, most of the time).

Everything changes the day her firm is bought out by a rival agency and Alex finds her once secure job of wanly ministering to a roster of B-list celebrities suddenly at stake. It looks like Suzanne, Alex's old boss and mentor, is being shown the door. And G, her new boss, wants bigger clients and more exposure. But certain things just don't add up: Why did G refuse to help Suzanne when a big client -- a hot Latina singer/actress hell-bent on world domination -- decided to bolt from the firm? And why is he being so nice to Alex all of a sudden? Knowing that in Hollywood there are always strings attached, Alex does a little digging and uncovers a dirty scheme that, if brought to light, will rock the entertainment industry. Will the temptation to betray Suzanne and accept a lucrative offer from G be too powerful for Alex to ignore? Or can she save her job, keep her soul, and score a victory for women in Hollywood?

So 5 Minutes Ago is a laugh-out-loud novel about one young woman's attempt to make it in the shark-infested waters of Hollywood. Set in the sun-drenched L.A. of celebrity-magazine photo shoots, velvet-roped VIP parties, and red-carpet events, Hilary de Vries's debut novel takes us on a wildly entertaining romp with enough juicy behind-the-scenes action to satisfy even the most insatiable celebraholic.

Customer Reviews:

SUCH a letdown..........2006-11-29

I'm such a chick-lit fan, but this book was just disappointing. It had the makings for a good story, but I should have taken a clue from one of the good reviews on the back - from Seventeen Magazine. I think this would actually be good for the Traveling Pants fans - but if you're looking for something more grown up (ie, with deeper character development that isn't filled with trite stereotypes), this isn't it.

I cracked up at the writing itself - some sections bored me to tears with their details (Alex, the main character mentions taking Spanish classes every other week so that she can converse with all the Spanish-speaking people who work for her - the pool guy, the cleaner, etc., but that's the only time we hear about said Spanish classes - even later when she's talking about how busy she is with work and parental visits, etc., the Spanish classes, and the homework one assumes would come with them, never get mentioned). But then other times, entire weeks go by in the story with no mention of what happened, other than work and wine.

I also don't get the reasons behind the tension with her family - it adds nothing to the plot itself, and I expect that it's to show that Alex has fought against her life forever, but WHY? If she's such a rebel, why does Alex spend the rest of the book doing everything that every other PR girl does (wear uncomfortable impractical shoes, worry about boys, and bitch and moan about her job)??

Additionally, I live in LA, and I didn't think this was a very good picture of our fair city. It was all stereotypes. Alex has a gay male assistant who lives in West Hollywood and is unnaturally close to her. And OF COURSE he has to be a walking stereotype. She mentions some street names and a hotel or two, and suddenly it's supposed to be a detailed painted picture of the city of LA? Give me a break!

I was extra disappointed because I seem to remember liking The Gift Bag Chronicles, her other book. But this is an old story, told in an unoriginal way. Skip it and go for one of the "Devil Wears Prada" books instead.

Difficult to get through.......2006-05-07

I found this book very boring and negative. It was discouraging because Alex, the main character of the novel seemed to endlessly complain about her job and Hollywood. I wanted to scream, "If you hate Hollywood so much, then get the heck out of there!" I also found it very hard to get through. I normally read 'chic lit' books in one or two sittings, but it seemed to take me forever to get through this one. There wasn't an exciting plot. The climax of the story wasn't until the end, and even then my interest was still not heightened. I did learn a bit about Hollywood and became completely turned off by the scene. I suppose if you work in the field the book could be entertaining, but otherwise I would suggest that it's a waste of time.

Falls flat..........2006-03-05

If I weren't so interested in PR, I would have found this too boring to read through. To be fair, de Vries knows enough about Hollywood entertainment PR to make this a believable story...until a rather unrealistic twist of fate that brings a rather slow-moving plot to a happy ending.

Maybe it's because I don't like just any chick lit book, but this story just moved too slowly for me and Alex was a little too much of a navel gazer to have much sympathy for her.

Tinseltown - The Awful Truth.......2006-01-02

This is a Hollywood roadmap; I found it rings true and amazingly awful because it's raw, feelings are passe, and women don't rule until Alex Davidson hits the mark and let's herself make a stand to help keep her dignity and her job.
Gossip, gossip, and more gossip. Hollywood uncovered.

Dreary Story, Sprightly Writing.......2005-12-05

For those of us who live far, far away from Tinseltown, which is the setting of SO 5 MINUTES AGO, the rumor always has been that the people there are, well, not very nice.

Certainly, author Hilary De Vries does nothing to contradict that theory in this novel.

De Vries is an excellent writer, and she has a total command of her subject, the intricacies and nuances of the entertainment industry. These two facts, not insignificant, save 5 MINUTES from being a total bust.

It probably would have been difficult to place this novel in its totally distinctive setting and still write it with a sympathetic heroine--and De Vries did not manage to transcend this dilemma.

Her heroine, Alex, is boring as well as nasty--too, too bored, too, too jaded. As a result, her character is almost one-dimensional. Therefore, it was hard to engage in Alex's story, and that should be the primary goal of the author.

The plot, too, is thin, almost to the point of non-existent. Was there a scam that Alex, as our grown-up, 21st century Nancy Drew, singlehandedly discovered? And why would the reader care?

Ultimately, SO 5 MINUTES AGO is an inconsequential book peopled with nasty characters.

Only a fascination with the industry in which it is set--and which the author obviously knows well, knowledge which permeates every page--coupled with her lively writing style, make SO 5 MINUTES AGO even tolerable reading.

Average customer rating:

Great narration....
I wish Amazon offered a money-back guarantee

So 5 Minutes Ago: A Novel
Hilary De Vries
Manufacturer: Listen & Live Audio
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: 1593160224

Book Description

The Devil Wears Prada on the red carpet: a hugely entertaining and comic first novel that offers a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the Hollywood publicity machine, told with acerbic humor and a gossipy, insider's edge.

Alex Davidson is a thirtysomething celebrity publicist for a down-at-heels Los Angeles PR firm known for taking on clients whose careers have crashed and burned. A professional hand-holder and spinmeister, she's one notch above a nanny on the Hollywood food chain.

L.A. is already losing its luster in Alex's eyes when her firm is bought out by the hottest agency in town. Will it mean massive layoffs or a chance at a big promotion? In between signing a new client (a once-hot-now-not actor just out of rehab) and wondering if one of the partners is putting the moves on her, Alex grows wary of her new boss, a sharklike exec who's forcing out Alex's old boss under suspicious circumstances. Is there anything she can do to save her and her boss's jobs, and maybe right some wrongs against women in Hollywood along the way?

Packed with razor-sharp humor and featuring a winning protagonist, So 5 Minutes Ago will satisfy even the most hard-to-pleaser celebriholics who long to find out what goes on after a star steps off the red carpet.

Customer Reviews:

Great narration...........2005-06-23

This book has gotten some moxed reviews, but I found it entertaining. However, I am reviewing it as an audiobook. It is fun to guess who the actors are supposed to be- "The Pheonix" is totally Cher, "Shaggy and Scooby" seem to be Ellen DeGeneres and Anne Heche, and And Carla Selena, aka "C.Sa." obviously is like J. Lo. The abridgement is also very good, and didn't leave out important story gaps.

The content of the book is pretty decent, but the narrator does a great job going from vioce to voice, giving each character a unique sound or accent so there is no confusion as to who is speaking. Her Southern accent is spot on. A good book on CD!

I wish Amazon offered a money-back guarantee.......2004-06-22

Alex is an unlikable, self-centered, vain woman who alternates between "poor me" rants and "it's my way or the highway" demands on her assistant (who, beyond my comprehension, is actually her friend and doesn't seem to mind her condescending ways).

This is a Hollywood-focused attempt at the insight offered in "The Devil Wears Prada", but, unfortunately, falls short. Instead of being acerbic, it's just whiney; instead of being comic, it's just sad. The good thing is, when I was bored enough to "tune out", tuning back in brought me closer to the end (I finished out of devotion to my book club).

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