Author: Harlan Steinbaum
Publisher: Harper Collins. 271 Pages.
Book Review by Ramu Nakliba
This book is written by a former chairman of Express Scripts, a leading company in the area of benefits management. Harlan Stainbaum was also chairman and CEO of Medicare-Glaser, one of the largest chains of pharmacy retailers.
It is based on conversations and communications with the heads of thirty-nine large US companies, so it is based on true-to-life, practical experiences of those who have been in the battlefields of business. How much real can one get? That is the true value of this very well-written and extremely valuable book.
The book is not just a random roundup of experiences of top-level business executives who have headed some ofAmerica’s most successful firms. No, it is about “career-defining moments” as the book cover states. This is the critical difference between this book and others. It is basically about facing challenges and making the right choices The tough decisions these people made spelled the difference between success and failure.
Harlan has done a great job of putting together this treasure of lessons that these company heads learned, the wisdom they acquired in the process, the decisions they arrived at that led their companies to success, and their records of achievement.
As important as or maybe even better than going to business school, is to read this excellent book, examine its gems (stories of success and the road traveled to reach there) and retain the important values these business leaders offer to their readers.
