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Title: The King of Vodka

Subtitle: The Story of Pyotr Smirnov and the Upheaval of an Empire

Author: Linda Himelstein

Narrator: Arthur Morey

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 21 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-06-11

Publisher: HarperCollins

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 12 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Business Leaders

Publisher's Summary:

"A operatic tour-de-force." Tilar J. Mazzeo, author of The Widow Clicquot

"An impressive feat of research, told swiftly and enthusiastically." San Francisco Chronicle

From Vanderbilt and Rockefeller to Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, America's captains of industry are paragons of entrepreneurial success, and books about business history, from The First Tycoon to The Big Short, show exemplars of capitalistic cunning and tenacitybut just as American cocktail connoisseurs can mistake Absolut, Skyy, Grey Goose, or Ketel One for the quintessential clear spirit, so too has America's vision of business history remained naïve to a truth long recognized in Eastern Europe: since the time of Tsar Nicholas, both vodka and commercial success have been synonymous in Russia with one nameSmirnoff. Linda Himelstein's critically acclaimed biography of Russian vodka scion Pyotr Smirnova finalist for the James Beard Award, winner of the IACP and Saroyan Awards, and a BusinessWeek Best Business Book of 2009is the sweeping story of entrepreneurship, empire, and epicurean triumph unlike anything the world has ever seen before.

Critic Reviews:

"While the dozens of obstacles, including the closure of the Imperial Archives and a dearth of information about Smirnov's years of serfdom, might have deterred lesser researchers, Himelstein has triumphed with a timeless book that entertains, informs and inspires any would-be entrepreneur to chase his dreams." (Publishers Weekly)

"Himelsteins storytelling success distills diligent research into something appealing to popular tastes for family and Russian history alike." (Booklist)

Members Reviews:

Raise a toast to this author!

Very informative in the way it described Smirnov's rise from serfdom to great wealth, the impact of vodka on the Russian culture, and the political impact on the government. It's amazing and in our election year, somewhat scary to read about the total transformations of such a large country. It was certainly well researched. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in politics, Russian history, or likes to drink vodka!

History of Vodka and it's formation

This story of the Smirnov family is a riveting account of their family, Russia and how Vodka survived through the Russian Revolution through today.

An interesting read takes you through history, the struggles Pyotr who started out as a peasant surf and gained honors in his Vodka industry to today's consumption and sales.

The book flows like Vodka.

If you like Russian history and the story of the inception of Vodka, I recommend this book

product endorsement were amazing. His imagination coupled with his knowledge of all ...

Well written history of more than vodka, Few would think that 18th century Czarist Russia would be the birthplace of modern marketing. Smirnov's skills at marketing: product research/development, customer testing, advertising, product endorsement were amazing. His imagination coupled with his knowledge of all levels of social culture of potential consumers add depth & richness to the story. A satisfying, enjoyable read.

Four Stars

Interesting read

excellent review of the history of vodka and the effect ...

excellent review of the history of vodka and the effect it had on the Russian populace.

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Title: 28 Business Thinkers Who Changed the World

Author: Rhymer Rigby

Narrator: Colin Mace

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 19 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-08-11

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 11 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Business Leaders

Publisher's Summary:

28 Business Thinkers Who Changed the World is a guide to the people who have fundamentally reshaped their industries and the way we do business today. Some of these game changers are great intellectuals while others are 'gut instinct' types; some are motivated by desire to change the world, while others are driven by money and power. Rhymer Rigby profiles the top business brains of our time to reveal the humans behind the headlines and how they changed the global business landscape. From Oprah to Mark Zuckerberg, Peter Drucker to Steve Jobs, find out how they made it, the risks they took and the legacies they leave behind.

Members Reviews:

great business thinkers organized poorly

Is there anything you would change about this book?

the chapters!!!! It is 28 stories but whoever organized the book made two poor decisions- one, they insisted on reading the bibliography for each of the 28 stories aloud- this is not a good thing to listen to for anyone! But they then insisted on breaking the 28 stories into 14 chapters. This means that if you are like me and hear the mind-numbing recitation of publication dates and websites for 20 references, you will advance to the next chapter- and only get 14 stories! If you then have to plow to the end of each of the 14 stories and try to fineses the access to the next story- you waste a lot of time and hassle.

Bad organization!!!! Please either dump the citations or turn it into 28 chapters!

What did you like best about this story?

the stories were brief but good

Do you think 28 Business Thinkers Who Changed the World needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

yes- there are many more

Entirely Ripped From The Headlines

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

If the reader annunciated more.

Any additional comments?

Nothing that you can't find on the first page of a Google search.

reinforce my business mind

i did like this fast , chapters after chapters book, with each chapter allocated to a business person, it is uplifting, and what i did like as well , it the way each chapter finish with a little negative view of the person review and some further review.

I also do recommend it, it is a more light hearted business book, one i like for a change from the depth thinking one i read most of the time.

why do i need a heading

references were annoying. don't understand why he had to do the accents. apart from that it was grand

superficial

a disappointing book, no real clear thoughts or message form the author. Just a top line summary of admittedly 28 very interesting people. Having read biographies on a few already felt it was not money well spent

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Title: This Is Herman Cain!

Subtitle: My Journey to the White House

Author: Herman Cain

Narrator: Herman Cain

Format: Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 38 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-04-11

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 138 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Business Leaders

Publisher's Summary:

Herman Cains candidacy is outpacing such high profile candidates as Newt Gingrich, Michele Bachmann, Ron Paul, and Tim Pawlenty in growth and support, registering third in overall popularity among Republican voters in a recent Gallup poll. In this memoir, Cain answers his most often-asked question: Who is Herman Cain?

Growing up poor in the segregated south, Cain describes how he pulled himself out of the depths of poverty and became successful. Through college, a stint as a Navy mathematician, working at Pillsbury and becoming its youngest ever vice president, and eventually serving as CEO of Godfathers Pizza, Herman Cain relied on self-motivation and determination to get where he is today. His strong beliefs and values have aided him in his career and personal life, and he reveals his self-made secrets in My Name Is Herman Cain! Motivated by his children and grandchildren, and his many supporters, Cain announced his candidacy in May 2011, and the nation watches as he joins the growing number of Republicans duking it out for their party's nomination in 2012.

Members Reviews:

Boring and self-indulgent

This is just warmed over self-indulgence. I don't doubt that Cain transported himself from poverty to a captain of industry, but this book does not do his migration justice. I't;'s full of anecdotes that he thinks are funny or worth repeating as lessons. I found them boring. And Cain laughing over his own humor or insights do NOT make them funny or interesting. I had to force myself to listen thnking that someone who aspired to the Presidency would have something worthwhile to say. He doesn't.

Heavy on memoirs, light on political agenda

The book covers the author's personal life, with lots of anecdotes about his warm family life and business career, but it provides very little information about what Mr. Cain intends to do to improve our economy and halt the war on the middle class. He does state his intention to enforce our immigration laws and deport illegal aliens, but even there he suggests that he might delegate that task to the states.

I was disappointed because I expected a clear, detailed statement of what Mr. Cain proposes to do if he is elected and the book does not provide that.

Enough! Enough! Enough!

This is Herman Cain, is sure enough "All About Herman Cain".

The book gives a good insight to "The Man" who is Herman Cain. Narrated by Herman Cain himself, he takes us back to his childhood and his upbringing and sharing with us a lot of the things (and people) that shaped and formed his opinions and viewpoints of what he is all about today.

Actually, I think he's a much better politician than he is an author, but hey, what the heck, you might as well get your story out there!

An average read for an above average guy!

He would have had my vote!

Would you consider the audio edition of This Is Herman Cain! to be better than the print version?

I don't know as I did not see the print version.

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Title: Random Reminiscences of Men and Events

Author: John D. Rockefeller

Narrator: Christopher Crennen

Format: Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 5 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-01-11

Publisher: Aspen Leaf Media, Inc.

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 11 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Business Leaders

Publisher's Summary:

John D. Rockefeller (1839-1937) founded the Standard Oil Company, revolutionized the oil business and, after adjusting for inflation, may have been the richest person in world history. Rockefeller's business practices were fiercely condemned, but he and Standard Oil had a policy of not responding to the attacks of critics.

Random Reminiscences of Men and Events (1909) is in part a personal memoir, in part a response to his critics, and in part a book of advice on making money and philanthropy.

Members Reviews:

"Random Reminiscences" is a great title.

What disappointed you about Random Reminiscences of Men and Events?

Story, or any good stories in general.

What could John D. Rockefeller have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Write more about how he got where he was, more personal stories.

What didnt you like about Christopher Crennens performance?

Nothing.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Random Reminiscences of Men and Events?

The part where John recounts his interaction with this widow that feels she was unjustly robbed in a sale. John, attempts (and succeeds) at showing HE was in the right.

Any additional comments?

Very short.

Just average.

The book was just average. I learned very little about JDR that I thought was unique or insightful.

Freaking awesome. Definitely read.

Any additional comments?

I thought this wasn't going to be beneficial or instructive, maybe entertaining at best. I was pleasantly surprised however. This book proved to be very instructive and gave me a lot of insight in to what made Rockefeller as successful as he was.

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Title: The Deal from Hell

Subtitle: How Moguls and Wall Street Plundered Great American Newspapers

Author: James O'Shea

Narrator: L. J. Ganser

Format: Unabridged

Length: 13 hrs and 15 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-28-11

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 42 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Business Leaders

Publisher's Summary:

In 2000, after the Tribune Company acquired Times Mirror Corporation, it owned the most powerful collection of newspapers in the world. How then did Tribune nosedive into bankruptcy and public scandal? In The Deal From Hell, veteran Tribune and Los Angeles Times editor James O'Shea takes us behind the scenes of the decisions that led to disaster in boardrooms and newsrooms from coast to coast, based on access to key players, court testimony, and sworn depositions.

The Deal from Hell is a riveting narrative that chronicles how news industry executives and editors - convinced they were acting in the best interests of their publications - made a series of flawed decisions that endangered journalistic credibility and drove the newspapers, already confronting a perfect storm of political, technological, economic, and social turmoil, to the brink of extinction.

Editorial Reviews:

Be careful - this could happen to you. That's one of the central messages of former LA Times Editor James O'Shea's The Deal from Hell, which outlines how a bunch of intelligent, well-meaning industry professionals tanked what had, just 10 years prior, been a thriving American newspaper trade. O'Shea almost goes as far to suggest that if you're starting to hear the word "synergy" a lot in your office, you might want to think about a career change.

The "deal" initially referred to the bizarre take-over of Tribune Company by real estate cowboy Sam Zell, but more broadly came to refer to the merger of Tribune (The Chicago Tribune) and the LA-based Times Mirror (The LA Times). Using that deal as a prime example, the book tackles a wide range of problems that have befallen the newspaper industry in the last few decades. Through the lens of these specific mergers and acquisitions, we get a broad spectrum through which to view these problems in realistic ways.

On one level, The Deal From Hell is about all the problems in the modern American print journalism industry. First, the old newspaper families grow conflicted and unsure. Next, the bean-counters take over. Before we know it, management is demanding the demolition of the invisible wall between the business and editorial sides of a number of esteemed publications. Through it all, O'Shay guides us on a painful step-by-step process of what went wrong and how. Like watching a car crash in slow motion, we're given ample information at every turn to anticipate the arrival of all the most cringe-worthy moments.

On another, perhaps more significant level, this book is about how numbers-driven values are also eroding our world at large. At every turn, managers scheme to slice costs, fraudulently increase circulation numbers, and make cut after cut to the work force actively covering the news. Rome really starts burning with the arrival of the nutty Wall Street types, who ride in on a tide of big bank financing, office pinball machines, and sexual harassment suits. O'Shea subtly hints that it's not just the news at stake anymore, as our whole society becomes about profits and losses, zeros and ones.

The frank, honest narration of L.J. Ganser makes us feel as if we've been privy to the backroom wheelings and dealings of the business side, as well as the tense interactions of reporters on the newsroom floor.

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Title: Meet Walt Disney

Subtitle: Inspirational Stories

Author: Charles Margerison

Format: Original Recording

Length: 13 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-14-11

Publisher: Amazing People Club

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 7 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Business Leaders

Publisher's Summary:

Millions of people all over the world have enjoyed countless Disney films and visited Disneyland or Disneyworld. However, few know the amazing story of Walt Disney, who had the vision and masterminded the creation Mickey Mouse and the host of characters beloved all over the world.

In this unique audio story from The Amazing People Club, meet Walt Disney and better understand the man and his life. Gain an insight into his career and development of his company, which has an estimated worth of over $35 billion today. His work has touched people all around this world and his story is a great example of what determination and dreaming can achieve.

Walt Disney's story comes to life through BioViews. These are short biographical narratives, similar to interviews. They provide an easy way of learning about amazing people who made major contributions and changed our world.

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Title: Meet Ray Kroc

Subtitle: Inspirational Stories

Author: Charles Margerison

Narrator: Charles Margerison

Format: Original Recording

Length: 12 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-14-11

Publisher: Amazing People Club

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 13 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Business Leaders

Publisher's Summary:

Meet Ray Kroc, the man behind McDonald's Golden Arches and the global fast-food restaurant empire it has become. In this unique audio story, gain new insight on how he came to meet the McDonald brothers who were running a small burger joint. Understand how his experience in business and creative ideas enabled him to develop a vision that would ultimately pave the way for the whole fast-food industry. You'll enjoy this audio story whether you're an entrepreneur, looking for inspiration in your own career, or just enjoy a good story.

Ray Kroc's story comes to life through BioViews which are short biographical stories, similar to interviews. These unique stories provide an easy way of learning about amazing people who made major contributions and changed our world.

Members Reviews:

Wish it was longer

Only complaint is that I wish it was longer. Audible, get some books about Ray Kroc in your inventory!!

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Title: The Unauthorized Guide to Doing Business the Richard Branson Way

Author: Des Dearlove

Narrator: Tim Bentinck

Format: Unabridged

Length: 3 hrs and 54 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-30-10

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 12 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Business Leaders

Publisher's Summary:

Want to be the best? The secrets of phenomenal success are in your hands. The highly acclaimed BIG SHOTS series is available in audio for the first time. This download highlights out the universal lessons and identifies 10 strategies that can be applied to any business. It's the unauthorized guide to doing business the Richard Branson way. Born in 1950, Richard had his first successful business venture aged 16. He then went on to launch the Virgin brand, which flew to success in the 1980s and is now a group of over 360 companies.

Members Reviews:

Pretty good, but really a primer.

I read this in a few days and it is a good primer. It was worth the 4 or 5 dollars, especially if you pass it on.

Boring

I loke Richards books before but this was badly written by someone who seems more distant to Richard. You can tell it was just a mass produced book.

Quick Read

Having an interest in Branson I picked this up. It is a quick read and worth a couple of hours to finish it.

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Title: Still Surprised

Subtitle: A Memoir of a Life in Leadership

Author: Warren Bennis, Patricia Ward Biederman

Narrator: Erik Synnestvedt

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 3 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-23-10

Publisher: Gildan Media, LLC

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 12 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Business Leaders

Publisher's Summary:

If many of your organizations have become more democratic, more resilient, more adaptable, and more transparent, it is because Warren Bennis has provided much of the intellectual and ethical fuel over the past half-century to our most influential and successful leadership experts and practitioners.

Still Surprised illuminates how the world-changing ideas of Bennis and his colleagues resulted from the searing crucible of their own encounters, events and experiencesnot within a sterile laboratory of ideas. It demonstrates how students of leadership are formed by what they discover about themselves on roads that are opened to them by circumstancesand by the roles they choose to carve out for themselves as a result.

The memoir begins, appropriately, with the surprise of an awkward and confused teenage Warren Bennis being prodded into his first leadership position, in vicious combat during the latter stages of World War II. This child of the depression is then surprised by the opportunity to attend college, thanks to the GI Bill, at the raucous and revolutionary Antioch College. Next come a number of breathtaking roles: working alongside some of the worlds most intriguing and celebrated figures, from Cambridge to Calcutta, to reshape organizational life; successfully putting his own theories into practice as a university provost and president; and coaching not only U.S. presidents and top corporate CEOs but successive waves of ambitions young women and men.

This is also a memoir of our times, seen through the prism of Benniss own development during crucial inflection points of recent decades. His own medley of insecurity, hard work, determination to invent a new life, and growing capacity to engage others all came into play amidst transformations within our society.

Critic Reviews:

Warrens humanity, joie de vivre, and intellect sparkle throughout this must-hear memoir. Each chapter in his fascinating life draws him inexorably toward becoming the father of leadership, showing why he is such a beloved and admired friend, mentor, and role model for so many leaders. (Bill George, professor, Harvard Business School, former chairman and CEO, Medtronic)

Contact me for any questions: [email protected]

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Title: From Those Wonderful Folks Who Gave You Pearl Harbor

Subtitle: Front-Line Dispatches from the Advertising War

Author: Jerry Della Femina, Charles Sopkin

Narrator: Peter Berkrot

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 20 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-21-10

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 14 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Business Leaders

Publisher's Summary:

Vividly reminiscent of the goings-on at Sterling Cooper - the late nights, the three-martini lunches, the sex on couches, and, of course, the actual work of plugging products - this is the story of what Madison Avenue was really like in the 1960s. A worldwide best seller when first published in 1970, this frank, irreverent, and hilarious memoir is a one-of-a-kind cult classic.

Critic Reviews:

"Reads like the transcript of a tape made at a bar or cocktail party with the recorder propped up next to the raconteur at the center of the crowd." (Salon)

Members Reviews:

Hugely entertaining

A hugely entertaining book first published in 1970. Although it's loosely arranged in chapters, FROM THOSE WONDERFUL FOLKS . . . is really a collection of well-polished, funny anecdotes about the advertising business during the "Creative Revolution" of the 1960s. The narrator is excellent, too--a lively, engaging voice for a book that sounds as if someone is telling you great stories at a party.

Della Femina's tales of creative types, stuffy clients, outrageous stunts, and, yes, lots of sex and drinking within the firm will be familiar to you if you're a fan of the series Mad Men, as a newly written introduction points out. You'll also gather information about advertising that will give you new respect for the series and what really happens in the creative process.

Some audiobooks are ones that you feel you have to finish, and others are ones that you look forward to listening to every day. This is a "look forward to" book.

You're better off watching "Mad Men"

Originally published in 1970, the author, an advertising exec working on Madison Avenue in the 1960's, reveals the inside dynamics of the advertising business of that era. However, its revelations, which were likely shocking at the time of the book's original publication, are better and more dramatically explored in the program Mad Men, and seem pretty tame now in light of subsequent revelations about the inner working of corporations. I had been hoping for more case histories of actual advertising campaigns, but this only constitutes a very small portion of the book. To be honest, this book would probably have been long forgotten if not for the program.