The Marxist prediction that capitalist bureaucracy must inevitably neutralise individualistic leadership in industry, has been disproved over and over by the careers of industrial 'superstars' from Andrew Carnegie to Henry Ford, Lee Iacocca, Estee Lauder, and David Rockerfeller - all of whom could be described as having made their own personal stamp on their respective businesses. Arguing that personality can also affect the departure styles of retiring CEOs, Sonnenfeld defines four principle types: Monarchs, Generals, Ambassadors, and Governors. The personality of each type is outlined in interviews with real-life business leaders and illustrated with numerous pithy anecdotes, making The Hero's Farewell both a well-researched and an entertaining read.
A candid look inside the Soviet Union today. It is as much about the difficulties that face reporters who seek honestly to cover Soviet society as it is about the country itself.
Azure-colored oceans blending into bright turquoise at the shores, undulating hills of green surrounding crystal clear lakes, and rolling sand dunes brushed with light blueman-made monuments that have withstood the march of time from the pyramids to Hadrians Wall--are rich memories of Ellen and Stephen Williams adventures. Eating "brik" in Tunisia and "churchkhela" in Tblisi! Drinking "kvas" in Ukraine! Passing up "lavabread" in Walesall were adventures that nearly didn't happen. Ellen did not want to leave her comfortable home in Texas. Content with their rural life but forced to relocate due to her husbands job she reluctantly began her move to Germany. She was a foot-dragging-don't-want-to-move-wife. Determined to make the best of a challenging situation she and her husband soon embarked on a plan--to experience as much of the region surrounding the Mediterranean Sea as possible. Within months Ellen and Stephen developed a passion for touring. Faced with language barriers, clashes of culture and cuisine they followed their plan with a vengeance visiting over 30 countries in the space of three years. Their frequent trips within a short period of time gave them a unique overview of the region. They could spot historical and cultural linkages between people and their respective countries. They saw the crossovers and mingling of traditions and languages. Soon they became the consummate travelers. Many friends began asking for recommendations of their favorite locale. Chronicled here are their adventures, misadventures, faux pas and joys as they grow from fledgling sightseers to consummate travelers. Journey with them as they realized the more you discover about other people and cultures, the more you ultimately learn about yourself. After reading the book perhaps you, too, will also learn to say in French "Bon Voyage," in Spanish "Buen Viaje," and in German "Gute Reiser"In short, Happy Travels!
How a business replaces its chief executive often determines that firm's future. If a business does not effectively manage the transfer of power, utter turmoil can result, with profound implications not only for the CEO, but also for the other employees, the shareholders, and the community at large. Filled with inside stories from corporate boardrooms and fresh conceptual perspectives, The Hero's Farewell describes in rich detail the factors that affect executive succession. Jeffrey Sonnenfeld offers the first close examination of the critical role a CEO's departure style plays in helping, or hindering, the transfer of power. Through candid interviews with fifty prominent retired chief executives from corporations such as AT&T, Ford, Dupont, United Technologies, and Raytheon (David Rockefeller of Chase Manhattan and Thomas J. Watson, Jr. of IBM among them) and a survey of an additional three hundred top managers, Sonnenfeld identifies the four major types of leadership departure styles. These types include Monarchs, who choose not to leave voluntarily but either die in office or are overthrown; Generals, who leave reluctantly and spend their retirement planning a comeback; Ambassadors, who retain close ties with their former firms; and Governors, who willingly serve a limited time and leave to pursue new interests. Capturing the human drama of these departures and succession battles, The Hero's Farewell will fascinate anyone intrigued by power struggles in large corporations. Outlining ways to smooth out the inevitable transfers of power that corporations must face, Sonnenfeld presents essential information for all top executives and especially for CEOs.
No composer was more responsible for changes in the landscape of twentieth-century music than Arnold Schoenberg (1874–1951) and no other composer's music inspired a commensurate quantity and quality of technical description in the second half of the twentieth century. Yet there is still little understanding of the correlations between Schoenberg's musical thought and larger questions of cultural significance in and since his time: the formalistic descriptions of music theory do not generally engage larger questions in the history of ideas and scholars without understanding of the formidable musical technique are ill-equipped to understand the music with any profundity of thought. Schoenberg's Musical Imagination is intended to connect Schoenberg's music and critical writings to a larger world of ideas. While most technical studies of Schoenberg's music are limited to a single compositional period, this book traces changes in his attitudes as a composer and their impact on his ever-changing compositional style over the course of his remarkable career.
