Insane true story about shipwrecked UK sailors in the 1700s. Truly heroic and terrifying what they went through. Over 2000 sailors set off and less than 10 returned after years at sea.
Funny court martial, etc. Shows the lengths imperialism went to in order to control the worlds commerce back then.
A book I've been recommended so many times and I always put it off based solely on the title. What a mistake that was. This book is filled with so many gems and quality advice that I'm seriously embarrassed, no ashamed, that I didn't read this years ago!
I haven't highlighted so much in a book in quite a long time. I also loved the blunt storytelling and no holds barred openness that Felix takes. Pretty awesome read
I was hoping for more of an autobiography but this is an interesting book. A lot of information broken down into bite sized chapters and covering a lot of things I didn't expect. For instance, the Lebanese migrants in Mexico. I found that particularly interesting after learning about other Arab country migration throughout Latin America, especially Nicaragua.
Very interesting bio of David Geffen. I'd known the name but had no idea about the man himself or his truly amazing story. Ultimately the man is very insecure and driven by childhood trauma (who of us isn't?) but there is no denying his huge accomplishments in business. Pretty wild how many huge music acts he found or brought to the main stream. Then moving on to the movie business with Hollywood titans and proving to be a success there as well. In the end, like many of these stories, he was generally unhappy in his life but used business as a tool to feel important. I guess in that sense he was a success.
Biography of Kirk Kerkorian. I really enjoyed this and love reading about entrepreneurs who are from Los Angeles. What a fascinating man. Also sort of sad how he appears to have been manipulated and put through a lot of pain from specific women. Obviously a very smart business man who knows where to find under valued assets and how to mine for more value to turn massive profits. Plus, his handshake and word are his bond. Really enjoyed this read.
Extremely thorough book on the topic of buying an existing business and building it up from there. A lot of reasoning is given and financial breakdowns explaining why it's usually a better investment for the every day entrepreneur. The book is very much a step-by-step format but written in an interesting way. It is very topical obviously but not boring to read. I enjoyed it and felt like I learned quite a bit.
Excellent book. Truly interesting story of a kid who grew up with wealth and used it to build an empire of his own. Drove public and political agenda through his media properties and at one point as many as 20% of American adults read his papers every day. Obviously has issues with money management and entitlement. In the end he built an American treasure with his compounds and art collections.
Truly interesting stories of the railroads and the many ways they shaped the United States. Especially after the civil war. It shows how important railroads were to not only the expansion out west but how the various robber barons were able to use the roads to build their fortunes and other industries that eventually powered the entire US economy. Morgan, Vanderbilt, Harriman, Fisk, Gould and other names that are notorious or famous in American history are right in the core of the railroad business and the various stories are very interesting to read. I really enjoyed this book!
Last year I read The King of Content, a biography on Sumner Redstone. The drama in this family story was pretty outlandish so I had to follow up and read Unscripted because it mostly focuses on the fight for control over Sumner, his mental health, and ultimately, control of his empire. The book was full of details, greed, back stabbing, drama, love affairs, #MeToo, and then some. What an interesting read and an eye-opening view of how the entertainment industry abuses women (and men) up to this very day. I know that's not surprising but it is a bit shocking how much these people got away with until very recently.
Anyway this book is very well researched and goes through the various legal battles leading up to the death of Sumner and how his family, lovers and friends all fought for control of his vast entertainment empire.
Very cool fantasy book. When it started I thought it was going to be wizards and warlocks but it's nothing like that at all. It's almost scientific in how it explains the "magic" Magic isn't a good word here but I don't know another word to describe it that would make sense unless you've read the book) performed in the book. Sometimes the book feels a little too wordy and the story could move along a bit faster but when it's all said and done, I'm glad it was written the way it was. This is the first part of a 3 part series so I will be continuing with the second book as well.
I was griping on the fediverse about waiting on Phillip Pullman to finish his Book of Dust trilogy when both tedu and icy suggested I read this book. Thanks for the recommendation!