Synopses & Reviews
from the New York Times: Summertime reading lists are
typically heavy on page-turning
novels — not a collection of busi
ness articles, published as a book
in 1969 and long out of print until
a Business Adventures by""
John Brooks, a staff writer at The
New Yorker who died in 1993, and
originally published by Weybright
and Talley, which is no
longer around, has suddenly be
come a Lazarus-like publishing
hit. Recently, "Business Adven
tures" was No. 3 on the Amazon
list of top-selling books. It was
also No. 1 on Amazon's "Hot New
Releases" list, and No. 1 on its
"Most Wished For" list.
The reason is an emphatic en
dorsement from Bill Gates, cofounder
of Microsoft and philan
thropist, whose star power still
burns bright in business circles.
For years, he has recommended
books including a summertime
collection on his website, Gates
Notes, with selections weighted
toward science and policy sub
jects. But this summer, Mr. Gates
declared that "Business Adven
tures" was his favorite business
book, and that he has read it re
peatedly since 1991, when his
friend Warren E. Buffett gave
him a copy.
And Mr. Gates and his person
al office decided to do more, undertaking a campaign to bring
the book back to life and intro
duce it to a whole new audience.
Mr. Gates's emissaries got in
touch with the Brooks family and
a publisher, Open Road Media,
which released "Business Adven
tures" as an e-book on July 8. (A
paperback edition is scheduled
for August.) The Gates team, in
doing a little research, found a
"whole army of Brooks disci
ples," said Andy Cook, a general
manager in Mr. Gates's personal
office. A few of them make ap
pearances in a short video posted
on the Gates website, including
Adam Gopnik, a writer at The
New Yorker, and two of my col
leagues, James B. Stewart and
Diana B. Henriques.
Review
- 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 years
“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.” —
TimeReview
This business classic written by longtime New Yorker contributor John Brooks is an insightful and engaging you-are-there look into corporate and financial life in America. “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
Synopsis
Business Adventures remains the best business book I ve ever read. Bill Gates, The Wall Street Journal
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 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. Longtime New Yorker contributor 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 Adventuresis truly financial journalism at its liveliest and best."
Synopsis
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 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.
Video
About the Author
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 inGolconda, 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.