by John Brooks
First published 2014
John Brooks investigates how single moments can define entire corporations. He examines Ford Motor Company's $350 million Edsel failure, Xerox's rapid ascent, and scandals that rocked General Electric and Texas Gulf Sulphur. Brooks brings his New Yorker reporting skills to Wall Street's dramatic episodes, including the 1962 market crash and the collapse of a major brokerage firm. He chronicles American bankers' attempt to rescue the British pound and explores the volatile mechanisms of finance. The book collects twelve stories that reveal how corporate reputations rise and fall on pivotal decisions. Brooks demonstrates that financial history follows predictable patterns, making these decades-old cases relevant to modern business. Bill Gates called this the best business book he has read. The stories combine personality-driven reporting with detailed analysis of corporate behavior.
Genres: history, business, non-fiction, journalism
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: detailed-analysis, personality-driven-reporting
Setting: Wall Street, Ford Motor Company, Xerox, General Electric, Texas Gulf Sulphur, British Pound
Period: 1962, 20th-Century
414 pages · Kindle Edition · Open Road Media