Business Adventures: Twelve Classic Tales from the World of Wall Street

Description for Sales People: ACCESSIBLE BUSINESS WRITING: A frequent "New Yorker "writer, Brooks blends economic acuity with wit and approachability that will prove exciting to a wide range of readers. ENDURING INSIGHT: In today's volatile financial climate, these astute analyses of financial successes and failures are valuable for their perspective and perspicacity. TIMELESS AND TIMELY: Looking at these stories through the lens of today's economic climate, it is uncanny how these timeless tales bear a striking resemblance to financial events of recent yearsReview Quotes: "Rare pro-business portraiture which will stand up among the best financial journalism." --"Kirkus""Brooks's great contribution is his synthesis of all the elements that made the 1960s the most volatile in Wall Street history . and making so much material easily digestible for the uninitiated." --"Publishers Weekly""Brooks ... is about the only writer around who combines a thorough knowledge of finance with the ability to perceive behind the dance of numbers 'high, pure, moral melodrama on the themes of possession, domination, and belonging." --"Time"Biographical Note: John Brooks (1920-1993) was an award-winning writer best known for his contributions to the "New Yorker" as a financial journalist. He was also the author of ten nonfiction books on business and finance, a number of which were critically acclaimed works examining Wall Street and the corporate world. His books "Once in ""Golconda," "The Go-Go Years," and "Business Adventures" have endured as classics. Although he is remembered primarily for his writings on financial topics, Brooks published three novels and wrote book reviews for "Harper's Magazine" and the "New York Times Book Review. "Review Quotes: "More than two decades after Warren [Buffett] lent it to me--and more than four decades after it was first published--"Business Adventures" remains the best business book I've ever read . . . Brooks's deeper insights about business are just as relevant today as they were back then." --Bill Gates, "The Wall Street Journal""The prose is superb. Reading Brooks is a supreme pleasure. His writing turns potentially eye-glazing topics (e.g., price-fixing scandals in the industrial electronics market) into rollicking narratives. He's also funny. . . . He tells entertaining stories replete with richly drawn characters, setting them during heightened moments within the world of commerce." --"Slate"Marc Notes: Includes index.; From Wall Street to Main Street, John Brooks, longtime contributor to the New Yorker, brings to life in vivid fashion twelve classic and timeless tales of corporate and financial life in America. What do the $350 million Ford Motor Company disaster known as the Edsel, the fast and incredible rise of Xerox, and the unbelievable scandals at GE and Texas Gulf Sulphur have in common? Each is an example of how an iconic company was defined by a particular moment of fame or notoriety;these notable and fascinating accounts are as relevant today to understanding the intricacies of corporate life as they were when the events happened. Stories about Wall Street are infused with drama and adventure and reveal the machinations and volatile nature of the world of finance. John Brooks's insightful reportage is so full of personality and critical detail that whether he is looking at the astounding market crash of 1962, the collapse of a well-known brokerage firm, or the bold attempt by American bankers to save the British pound, one gets the sense that history repeats itself. Five additional stories on equally fascinating subjects round out this wonderful collection that will both entertain and inform readers . . . Business Adventures is truly financial journalism at its liveliest and best. Publisher Marketing: From Wall Street to Main Street, John Brooks, longtime contributor to the" New Yorker," brings to life in vivid fashion twelve classic and timeless tales of corporate and financial life in AmericaWhat do the $350 million Ford Motor Company disaster known as the Edsel, the fast and incredible rise of Xerox, and the unbelievable scandals at General Electric and Texas Gulf Sulphur have in common? Each is an example of how an iconic company was defined by a particular moment of fame or notoriety; these notable and fascinating accounts are as relevant today to understanding the intricacies of corporate life as they were when the events happened. Stories about Wall Street are infused with drama and adventure and reveal the machinations and volatile nature of the world of finance. John Brooks's insightful reportage is so full of personality and critical detail that whether he is looking at the astounding market crash of 1962, the collapse of a well-known brokerage firm, or the bold attempt by American bankers to save the British pound, one gets the sense that history repeats itself. Five additional stories on equally fascinating subjects round out this wonderful collection that will both entertain and inform readers . . . "Business Adventures" is truly financial journalism at its liveliest and best.

Contributor Bio:  Brooks, John John Brooks (1920-1993) was an award-winning writer best known for his contributions to the "New Yorker" as a financial journalist. He was also the author of ten nonfiction books on business and finance, a number of which were critically acclaimed works examining Wall Street and the corporate world. His books "Once in""Golconda", "The Go-Go Years", and "Business Adventures" have endured as classics. Although he is remembered primarily for his writings on financial topics, Brooks published three novels and wrote book reviews for "Harper's Magazine" and the "New York Times Book Review. "