Synopses & Reviews
In this bestselling work of investigative journalism, Pulitzer Prize winner George Anders presents a behind-the-scenes account of a struggle that rocked Wall Street and stunned the computer industry.
When Carly Fiorina took command of Hewlett-Packard in 1999, she was venturing further than any woman previously had into traditional mens territory. Leading the opposition against her daring plan to rescue the $40 billion-dollar company from declinewhich included the $20 billion acquisition of archrival Compaqwas Walter Hewlett, son of HPs late co-founder and defender of The HP Way. Not since Wall Street operatives battled over the fate of RJR Nabisco had a takeover drama so captivated the media and the public.
Drawing on unparalleled access to HP insiders and written with a novelists flair, Perfect Enough is a spellbinding chronicle of hope, ambition, betrayal, and family pride.
Review
A riveting look at the rise and near-fall of a great American company. (Wall Street Journal) Anders provides a behind-the-scenes account of the battle for HP, putting the reader inside the minds of several key players. (BusinessWeek) After numerous interviews, Anders deftly reconstructs the dialogue of key meetings on both sides, creating the illusion that the reader is looking over the shoulders of Fiorina and Hewlett as they plot strategy. (San Jose Mercury News) Wonderful reporting . . . The book is better than perfect enough; readers will find it gripping and illuminating. (The Globe and Mail (Toronto)) Respectful of both the old and the new cultures, rich in pro-forma details and insider gossip alike, and likely to be required airplane reading in business class. (Kirkus Reviews, starred review)
About the Author
George Anders, author of Merchants of Debt and Health Against Wealth, is currently a news editor with the Wall Street Journal and formerly a senior editor at Fast Company. He was part of a team of Wall Street Journal reporters awarded the Pulitzer Prize for national reporting.