Corporate-finance

Very informative and detailed history of brewing in the state made famous by the craft of German immigrants. Short histories of the major breweries of Wisconsin fill in the trivia gaps any beer buff may have. Includes many historical pictures of Blatz, Schlitz, Pabst, Walter, Oshkosh, Mathie-Ruder, Gettelman, and of course, Miller. The listing of all known brewery buildings still standing in Wisconsin is espescially helpful for guiding the weekend roadtrip. Viewing these historical structures is a great way to imagine the brewing industry of the past 150 years. Highly recommended for anyone interested in beer, from the history afficionado, to the basement homebrewer.

I was just browsing the book section on the internet when I found this book. I was completely shocked when I saw the picture on the cover of the book. That same picture hangs in my home. It is my great grandfather Charles Poeschel. His daughter Margaret Zwierlein is my grandmother. I purchased the book and totally enjoyed reading the history of breweries in Cleveland.

I would like to find out where my great grandfather was employed when that photo was taken. Does anyone know how to find out which brewery it was?

This wonderful book has helped me imagine how my ansestors must have lived in Cleveland during the 19th century and early 20th.

I purchased this book for my father and it's proven to be one of his all-time favorite gifts. The wealth of photographs and the attention to detail has made this the preeminant book on brewery history. A must-have for brew buffs.

I devoured this book in one night! I still like to browse through it and look at all of the historical pictures. A MUST READ for anyone interested in the history of brewing in Cleveland, Ohio or brewing in general. Everyone needs this masterpiece for their coffee table.

This book is a must read for progressive managers. It provides indisputable evidence of the trend to anti-conglomeration and sets out in detail the U.S. companies within the top 100 that are prime candidates for such splits. For general business readers, it provides a critical review of a previously unchallenged business thesis- that bigger is better. This book is bound to be the talk of the business commentator circuit and the handbook for the Wall St. rainmakers.

A recent Associated Press report in the Miami Herald reinforces the timeliness of this book. A new shuttle director is leading the change to the NASA environment to insure that workers aren't afraid to voice recommendations or be proactive. The Columbia accident investigators blasted the agency for use of autocratic management methods that created a culture where workers were to afraid to raise issues.

Unfortunately, it required the replacement of the two top leaders to set this required change in motion. The new program manager was selected because he can nurture and develop a team. Current and past leaders have looked back and now recognize that a slow destructive change took place over the past 20 years.

For those who have experienced or witnessed the fallout caused by this type of negative environment and would like to deal with root causes, this book offers very practical methods to lead needed change efforts.

This book is both a very interesting historical review of organization dynamics and an effective "how to" for modern organization leadership. It successfully weaves a pragmatic connection between physical and social sciences that is easily understood. The book references many popular, recently published books that cover a wide range of related topics (e.g. cosmology, history, organization theory, fiction).

The prologue sets the tone with a account of Issac Newton as a successful general manager that proceeds to a historical review beginning with prehistoric clans as the first organization unit to early philisophical and scientific beliefs. Each chapter highlights the study of organization dynamics during succeding historical era's.

The reason Newton was used to begin the book becomes obvious with Bentley's linkage of physics to a model for organization effectiveness. This "common sense" theory passes the basic scientific method and practical application test. He also challenges readers to test the theory.

One of the most interesting chapters includes 5 CEO case studies that demonstrate many basic organization leadership applications (e.g. Citigroup,Pfizer). These highly successful executives have not applied any current highly popular methods but stick to a few fundamentals. They reinforce the organization effectiveness model that most readers can easily apply and test.

This is an interesting non fiction "page turner" that those interested in history and what makes organizations work will enjoy!

The Chicago Tribune reports that Motorola's new CEO is getting rave reviews from employees and customers. As a Motorola vendor and satisfied reader of this book, I was amazed at the proof the article provided that Bentley's effectiveness model is correct. He challenges readers to conduct studies that would prove or disprove his theory that there are four primary forces that drive organization success ( Purpose, Participation, Performance Management, Precision )

Motorola's stock is up 40% since Edward Zander's first day 3 months ago. His leadership is driving change to management processes, corrective action with difficult cultural issues and the revamping of the 5 year business plan.

Needed change is being implemented as a result of the assessment completed, the way he measures and motivates his team and how he drives discussion and decision making (Performance Management). The first move was to change the compensation system which will now be directly linked to total company performance versus the individual's business unit. The primary success measures are operating earnings, cash flow, quality/customer satisfaction, revenue growth and teamwork(Precision).

His vision for the company has been discussed with a major cross section fo the "rank and file" during town hall meetings at most major global locations. Employees and customers find him engaging and open and his leadership has stimulated a new style of decision making(Participation). Zander intends to refocus the entire company on a return to the original Motorola culture: smart people figuring out things fast where everyone shares accountability, execution, a sense of urgency, customer delight and healthy competition(Purpose).

This account is very similar all of the CEO case studies included in Chapter 7 of this book. I encourage readers to read the book and draw their own conclusions