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Books > Humanities > History > History of specific subjects > History of specific institutions
'A brilliantly readable account, based on exceptional access, of
the transformation of the old Quaker bank into a hard-charging
capitalist adventurer ... both a thriller and a reminder that
business is fascinating because all human life is there' John
Plender, Financial Times Based on unparalleled access to those
involved, and told with compelling pace and drama, The Bank that
Lived a Little describes three decades of boardroom intrigue at one
of Britain's biggest financial institutions. In a tale of feuds,
grandiose dreams and a struggle for supremacy between rival
strategies and their adherents, Philip Augar gives a riveting
account of Barclays' journey from an old Quaker bank to a
full-throttle capitalist machine. The disagreement between those
ambitious for Barclays to join the top table of global banks, and
those preferring a smaller domestic role more in keeping with the
bank's traditions, cost three chief executives their jobs and
continues to divide opinion within Barclays, the City and beyond.
This is an extraordinary corporate thriller, which among much else
describes how Barclays came to buy Lehman Brothers for a bargain
price in 2008, why it was so keen to avoid taking government
funding during the financial crisis, and the price shareholders
have paid for a decade of barely controlled ambition. But Augar
also shows how Barclays' experiences are a paradigm for Britain's
social and economic life over thirty years, which saw the City move
from the edge of the economy to its very centre. These decades
created unprecedented prosperity for a tiny number, and made the
reputations of governments and individuals but then left many of
them in tatters. The leveraged society, the winner-takes-all
mentality and our present era of austerity can all be traced to the
influence of banks such as Barclays. Augar's book tells this
rollercoaster story from the perspective of many of its
participants - and also of those affected by the grip they came to
have on Britain.
In September, 2015 President Barack Obama informed The Forward, in
a historic interview, of his shock at learning of the closing of
his favorite NYC Bagel eatery, H&H Bagels, in January of 2012.
While the President was shocked by the closing of the world's most
famous, and recognizable, bagel brand, what was truly shocking were
the underlying facts and circumstances surrounding the closing.
While most people knew H&H as the iconic, Upper West Side Bagel
Shop where the lines rounded the block, where celebrities loved to
frequent, and where one of the most popular Seinfeld television
episodes was created, few people knew about the drama and decadence
that existed behind the scenes of this NYC landmark. The Rise and
Fall of H&H Bagels takes you on a journey that starts with the
fulfillment of the American Dream and ends in contested, five year
Bankruptcy. This is the outrageous, true, story of a man who defied
the odds and became an American legend, and then defied logic and
the law by dismantling his beloved Empire. The story of H&H
Bagels is not only the story of the rise and fall of a thriving
American business, it is a story of intrigue, economics,
corruption, and resiliency, as told, with humor, from the
perspective of the one man who lived through it all-its National
Business Manager and right hand to the man at the top of the
H&H Empire, Helmer Toro.
A great deal has been written about Steve Jobs and Apple. Not
nearly as much has been produced about Bill Gates and Microsoft,
especially in the ten-year period that Dave Jaworski was at
Microsoft. Microsoft was the company that drove the hardest and
built the fastest. He was there during this rapid rise to the top.
Dave kept meticulous notes and took lots of photos and documented
the risks taken, the dreams shared, the lessons learned, the hopes
realized, and the mistakes made. Many of the issues at the time are
similar to issues confronting leaders in business today. All can
learn from Microsoft's past. Dave also details several secrets-some
only his family knows. Some of these secrets were known to only a
handful of people within the company at a time when it went through
its explosive growth period: like the secret recipe for Coca-Cola
or Colonel Sanders' chicken recipe, these secrets were literally
changing the competitive landscape in the technology industry and
were rewriting the business rules of the day. Understanding these
secrets and the thinking behind them can provide strategic insights
and advantages to professionals and their businesses. Better still,
they can help them define their own secrets to accelerate them past
competitors and over hurdles to success.
Land Rover Freelander - The Complete Story recounts the history of
the Land Rover Freelander, and its popular successor, the
Freelander 2. This new book covers the original Freelander, from
its design and development to its launch and reception in 1997. In
2006 , the innovative Freelander 2 was launched, with its
pioneering technology in fuel efficiency. Also covered are the
Freelander variants from across the world, and its use in UK law
enforcement. This is an indispensable guide to the history of both
generations of Freelander.
Long-listed for FT Business Book 2017 The inside story of Uber, the
multi-billion dollar disruptor that has revolutionised the
transportation industry around the world Uber is one of the most
fascinating and controversial businesses in the world, both beloved
for its elegant ride-hailing concept and heady growth, and
condemned for CEO Travis Kalanick's ruthless pursuit of success at
all cost. In Wild Ride, Adam Lashinsky, veteran Fortune writer and
author of Inside Apple, traces the story of Uber's meteoric rise:
from its murky origins to its plans for expansion into radically
different industries. The company has already poached entire
departments from top research universities in a push to build the
first self-driving car and possibly replace the very drivers it's
worked so hard to recruit. With access to current and former
employees, as well as CEO Travis Kalanick, this book will be the
first to unlock Uber's vault. It's a story that start-up founders,
business executives, tech-savvy readers, and drivers and riders
will find riveting.
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