Binding: Audio CD Dewey Decimal Number: 338.7 EAN: 9781400102792 Format: Audiobook, CD ISBN: 1400102790 Label: Tantor Media Manufacturer: Tantor Media Number Of Items: 11 Publication Date: November 20, 2006 Publisher: Tantor Media Sales Rank: 1298567 Studio: Tantor Media
Product DescriptionBestselling author and historian Landes scrutinizes the powerful family businesses that rule both the financial and industrial sectors across Europe, Japan, and America to determine what factors can cause a dynasty to flourish or fail. Unabridged. 10 CDs.
Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: - Patchy...could have been so much better
I bought David Landes' "Dynasties" expecting alot more than I finally got from reading what might best be described as potted histories of some of the most illustrious business families in the world. With the exception of Toyota, the others were not surprisingly either American or European. The highlights and most memorable stories were about the rise (and fall ?) of the business empires of Rothschild (merchant banking), Ford (automobile), Toyota (automobile) and Rockefeller (resources). The others ... Read More
Rating: - Powerful, successful family businesses that grew into dynasties
You know the names: Rothschild, Rockefeller, Ford, Toyota, Guggenheim. Yet, economists rarely analyze the impact of family enterprises. Bestselling author and scholar David S. Landes corrects this imbalance with his study of 11 enduring, influential dynasties. He defines a dynasty as a successful business held within one family's control for at least three generations. Family companies, even immense ones, often follow a predictable pattern: First, an ambitious, clever, hard-working patriarch, and, perhaps, ... Read More
Rating: - I, on the Other Hand, Liked it
Contrary to the other reviewers, I thought this was a worthwhile and interesting read. The subject matter is compelling given that, as Landes points out, many of the great companies of the world start out as family run and were handed down within the family for at least two more generations.
Landes rather convincingly shows that while long term adaptation requires shifting to professional management, the family-run model holds unique advantages that explains the critical early success of the ... Read More
Rating: - Uhhh, Ohhhh, Ehhhh, In a word? Disappointing!!!
David Landes has written one - not only in my opinion, I believe - of the "must read" book of all times: ''The wealth and poverty of Nations'' . Based on this, You can tell the amount of expectation on every single line he writes, and "Dynasties" unfortunately does not help at all. The book is too long, too superficial, and some times it was really hard to keep on reading. If you are looking for something to chat on cocktails and/or with your colleagues at the cafeteria - there are some interesting stuf in ... Read More
Rating: - Struggled to get through!
I had a hard time finishing this book. I kept thinking the book would get more interesting but nothing kept my attention. Part two on automobiles was probably the most interesting part but I still nearly put the book away to read others. I was not impressed with the author's style of writing. He seems to have a fascination with one or two words sentences which became very annoying. I would not recommend this book.
- Patchy...could have been so much better
- Powerful, successful family businesses that grew into dynasties
- Uhhh, Ohhhh, Ehhhh, In a word? Disappointing!!!
