173rd out of 263 books
—
210 voters
Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.
Start by marking “Iacocca: An Autobiography” as Want to Read:
Iacocca: An Autobiography
He’s an American legend, a straight-shooting businessman who brought Chrysler back from the brink and in the process became a media celebrity, newsmaker, and a man many had urged to run for president.
The son of Italian immigrants, Lee Iacocca rose spectacularly through the ranks of Ford Motor Company to become its president, only to be toppled eight years later in a power ...more
The son of Italian immigrants, Lee Iacocca rose spectacularly through the ranks of Ford Motor Company to become its president, only to be toppled eight years later in a power ...more
Paperback
,
357 pages
Published
June 1st 1986
by Bantam
(first published 1984)
Reader Q&A
To ask other readers questions about
Iacocca
,
please sign up
.
Be the first to ask a question about Iacocca
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
3,000)
Having recently read
Steve Jobs
and of course having been mesmerised by it, I figured that it would be a tough act to read another corporate tale for quite some time. But having asked around a bit, I was recommended the autobiography of Lee Iacocca. As I am still in the mood to learn how great corporate guys have clicked and what makes them stand apart, I decided to get my hands on
Iacocca
. Lee Iacocca is not of my generation, nor do the American cars hold any great presence in my country... so
...more
view all 3 comments
Занятное чтиво :( Но книга меня разочаровала. Очень долго жила в очереди на прочтение, но...
Содержание книги я бы определил так:
1) Процентов на 20 - ура-патриотические сентенции про "великую Америку", про то, как клёво быть американцем, про великое прошлое-настоящее-будущее этой страны и её экономики. Плюс всякие гениальные идеи автора про то, "как нам обустроить Америку" :)
IMHO. всё это мало интересно, т.к. и времена другие, и страна другая, и патриотизм во многом как был, так и остаётся пос ...more
Содержание книги я бы определил так:
1) Процентов на 20 - ура-патриотические сентенции про "великую Америку", про то, как клёво быть американцем, про великое прошлое-настоящее-будущее этой страны и её экономики. Плюс всякие гениальные идеи автора про то, "как нам обустроить Америку" :)
IMHO. всё это мало интересно, т.к. и времена другие, и страна другая, и патриотизм во многом как был, так и остаётся пос ...more
Lee Iacocca is a compelling and an easy to read book.Even though this was written almost 30 years back,this provides a window to the auto industry in a manner which is relevant even today.Fired at the age of 54 by Henry Ford,after serving the presidency for 8 years,Iacocca doesn't sit back and play golf.He joins Chrysler,revives it and brings it back from the brink of bankruptcy.The father of Mustang and one of the greatest CEO of all times is a man who believes in working hard and being straigh
...more
Он был одним из лучших президентов "Форд Моторз" и тем, кто спас от банкротства и привёл к процветанию компанию "Крайслер". До этого времени часто слышал в основном плохие отзывы о Ли Якокке. Но когда дошло время к его книге я понял о чем идёт речь...
Жизненный и карьерный путь автора действительно вдохновляет. Не совсем разделяю ценности Якокки, но мне нравиться его прямота и умеренная дерзость. Его профессионализм сложно оспорить или же поодать сомнению. В книге достаточно много моментов в кото ...more
Жизненный и карьерный путь автора действительно вдохновляет. Не совсем разделяю ценности Якокки, но мне нравиться его прямота и умеренная дерзость. Его профессионализм сложно оспорить или же поодать сомнению. В книге достаточно много моментов в кото ...more
My absolute favorite book of all time! I have read this book over and over again, throughout the years. Although I'm usually into more spiritual/science type books, this one has always moved me because it's about business, cars, family, and a true super-hero. In short; it's got it all! I've read many books on business management, but nothing has taught me more about hard work, discipline, and even faith, than Lee's autobiography. If I were stranded on a desert island and could only have one book
...more
I guess he wrote the book because of the ego. The story is quite interesting, it was nice to look inside automobile industry, but sometimes it looked like Lee was telling just how great he was and how miserable and silly was Ford and others. The book is nice to be read, but definitely not a must. Especially nowadays.
Lee Iacocca's autobiography is an appealing read if you belong to the automotive industry. The insiders view of the two of the big three automotive giants - Ford and Chrysler, is enough reason to pick up the book.
The book has some amazing management nuggets on how to lead a productive ans a healthy work-life. The two golden nuggets I took away from the book was:
1. In the end, all business operations can be reduced to three words: people, product, and profits.
2. Divide and track your own profes ...more
The book has some amazing management nuggets on how to lead a productive ans a healthy work-life. The two golden nuggets I took away from the book was:
1. In the end, all business operations can be reduced to three words: people, product, and profits.
2. Divide and track your own profes ...more
Donated by an ex-boss who believed I may learn a thing or two from his idol. I did and bitching was one of the lessons. Man, this books reeks of Iacocca's hate of Mr. Ford and you will be reminded of it in almost everything Mr. Iacocca did at Chrysler.
The very explicit hire-and-fire methodology justified is at the least very disappointing.
The very explicit hire-and-fire methodology justified is at the least very disappointing.
This book was great insight into auto leader great. It had me briefly flirting with supporting trade protectionism with respect to US fiscal and monetary policy when I was a novice on the subject. The concepts are not completely sound, but the book is an excellent autobiography on Lee Iacocca.
His automotive career had its ups and downs, yes, but Lee Iacocca is an American success story. This book covers his firing from Ford, his hiring at Chrysler, and his subsequent resurrection of that company through an unprecedented government bailout which saved many jobs. Chrysler regained market share and the trust of consumers, and even had Iacocca in commercials telling consumers, “If you can find a better car, buy it. The “father” of the Ford Mustang, Iacocca was a car designer at heart who
...more
Born to hardworking Italian immigrants in America, Lee Iacocca knows the value of discipline and hard work. He has been brought up to respect the the dignity of labour and to fight for what is right. Known to be a hard and fast talker, Iacocca is the perfect salesman. In his days at Ford, he is the brain behind successes such as the Mark III and Mustang. But a clash of personalities between him and the Chairman Henry Ford II sees him losing his job just weeks ahead of his 54th birthday. Iacocca
...more
Jul 03, 2011
Michael
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Managers, Libertarians, Liberals
Recommended to Michael by:
Serendipity
Lee Iacocca wrote this book while he was still seen as one of the most successful managers in American automotive history, after he had switched from working for Ford to become CEO of the ailing Chrysler, and had managed to rescue it (temporarily, as it turned out) from foreign takeover. In some ways, now that his light has faded a bit, it may be easier to see this book as being useful for its advice on management from a flawed but gung-ho manager, rather than as an ego document of one man’s lif
...more
Iacocca takes us on an interesting journey through his time at Ford and then later at Chrysler. At the time it was written, he was still at Chrysler and Chrysler was still a great company.
Reading this book provides the reader with a little insight as to what made Iacocca tick. The book has some amusing stories and it takes an opportunity to take a jab at Henry Ford II.
History proves that what Iacocca accomplished wasn't actually great management. It was really a charismatic leader in the right ...more
Reading this book provides the reader with a little insight as to what made Iacocca tick. The book has some amusing stories and it takes an opportunity to take a jab at Henry Ford II.
History proves that what Iacocca accomplished wasn't actually great management. It was really a charismatic leader in the right ...more
This book was lent to me and it sat on my desk for months because I had no idea who Iacocca was and had no interest in it. I finally gave it a try, without expecting much, and was blown away. The book was compelling and interesting and also really easy to read.
Iacocca was the president of Ford for decades. He goes into detail how he turned the company around and shared his innovative management style. I liked his management style a lot and agreed with everything. He also wrote a lot about how cr ...more
Iacocca was the president of Ford for decades. He goes into detail how he turned the company around and shared his innovative management style. I liked his management style a lot and agreed with everything. He also wrote a lot about how cr ...more
Billy, you may like this book. A friend at work lent it to me.
I found it quite interesting, as I have been in management in a small company. The book is long, and all about the BIG business world. Iacocca was the son of Italian Immigrants. He went to work for Ford Motor Company, and was very successful, and tells how he kept moving up in the company, and became president of Ford. Then he was fired by Ford, and became bitter.
Quote from the book: "As you go through life there are thousands of lit ...more
I found it quite interesting, as I have been in management in a small company. The book is long, and all about the BIG business world. Iacocca was the son of Italian Immigrants. He went to work for Ford Motor Company, and was very successful, and tells how he kept moving up in the company, and became president of Ford. Then he was fired by Ford, and became bitter.
Quote from the book: "As you go through life there are thousands of lit ...more
Having always been a distant admirer of the auto industry,
Iacocca
provides a window into one of its most fascinating sagas while also providing sage leadership advice that transcends that era and continues to remain relevant today.
As a story-teller, Iacocca comes into his own when describing his relationship with Henry Ford II and the struggles he faced during the mid-70s working for an increasingly paranoid and overbearing boss who could not bear to have his image eclipsed by the President of ...more
As a story-teller, Iacocca comes into his own when describing his relationship with Henry Ford II and the struggles he faced during the mid-70s working for an increasingly paranoid and overbearing boss who could not bear to have his image eclipsed by the President of ...more
It's been few years since when I was planning to read this book but was not dong so.Main reason for not ding so was the -ve review of this book by few of my friends. I did heard good review of this book but some how those aren't huge enough for me to read it. One of the major criticism that I heard about this book was that Iacocca had explain his struggle and success very well but he had not told the actual reason of why he was actually fired but after reading this book I can very well say he ha
...more
Interesting history of the automobile industry, Iacocca was president of Ford and Chrystler in the 1970s and 1980s. Also good US history re the Chrystler bankruptcy crisis in the 1980s and the economic threat from Japan during that time too.
Overall a decent book, and I was most struck by the arrogance and ego with which Iacocca writes. The guy clearly knows he was a successful businessman, and his pithy short sentences clearly demonstrate that he knows how good he was.
Interesting too that while ...more
Overall a decent book, and I was most struck by the arrogance and ego with which Iacocca writes. The guy clearly knows he was a successful businessman, and his pithy short sentences clearly demonstrate that he knows how good he was.
Interesting too that while ...more
It has been a while since I have read this book - probably the first of the Autobiographies - if Mahatma Gandhi's "The Stories of my Experiments with truth" is not considered since I never finished the book. Not that the book is boring but I have never managed to finish it since it is a book I own.
I give this book a good rating because I don't think I could ever rate a well written autobiography lower than a 4. (I have a right to change mind) Also this book was a fast read and I remember a sense ...more
I give this book a good rating because I don't think I could ever rate a well written autobiography lower than a 4. (I have a right to change mind) Also this book was a fast read and I remember a sense ...more
Lee Iacocca is credited with raising Chrysler back from the dead after he was fired from Ford. When I started this book, I was hoping to read about something radical and different that helped him work his miracle, but what he did was poach a lot of people from Ford, cut costs at Chrysler, take a loan from the bank and get the US government to underwrite it and negotiated with the worker’s union for better terms. I am sure he did a brilliant job executing this, but if there was something more, th
...more
I remember reading this in the 80s (after waiting months to get it at the library) and thoroughly enjoying it. Something made me want to read it again and a lot of the lessons still hold true. This is still a great book on the topic of management and motivation if you can get past dinner off the dated examples. Managing people then may have been even more transparent than now as there was more face-time and not the distractions like email, texting, etc. that we face today. I found the writing a
...more
Arguably the best book I've read all year. Certainly a very informative and inspiring book. He wrote it 30 years ago, but many of the problems he talks about are still prevalent today. It provides a great background and understanding for how and why America and American industry are what they are today. Highly recommend this book to anyone, especially if they are interested in a career in business of industry.
I came to know of this book while I was watching a TV program about failures and making come backs . This book gives you an insight into how deal with spat with your boss in work place. How to develop good products (like mustang). How innovation and people sense are important for businesses to succeed. I think this book is just worth a read.
The crux of the book is where Lee ( Lido Antony) Iacocca gets fired from Ford Motor Company. I really liked the part where it says " once he was the head ...more
Re-read this book after many years. Lee's battles with Ford and the stories about the American auto industry will be of interest only to historians. His views on management are still relevant and thoughtprovoking provoking even after 30 years. His fighting spirit and ability to handle insane levels of stress and pressure are amazing and inspiring.
Though initially you can term it to be another rags to riches story. However, the essence of the book is to get a feel of spirit of Mr. Iacocca.
He had a quite successful career with Ford and spent around 32 years there. During his tenure as President, Ford really grew very fast. Many successful products were launched during the period. However, due to his increasing popularity he was unceremoniously thrown out of the company where he worked for 32 years.
Any other typical person would have broke ...more
He had a quite successful career with Ford and spent around 32 years there. During his tenure as President, Ford really grew very fast. Many successful products were launched during the period. However, due to his increasing popularity he was unceremoniously thrown out of the company where he worked for 32 years.
Any other typical person would have broke ...more
Just like John Sculley, Lee Iacocca introduces you into an entire industry, culture and epoch. It is good fun to read. If Iacocca sometimes generalizes, he could not help it; how do you explain the intricacies of a 30 year career into 300 pages? But the sheer scale and hierarchy of the Big Three are so hugely different from Silicon Valley or even the Cola Wars Sculley described. Example: In the 60s, a Ford executive asks Henry Ford for 1.25 million dollars, and yes,that is 1.25 million dollars,
...more
An incredibly enjoyable Business book. It took me a long time to understand the importance of some of the things he has mentioned in the book. 'Communication is everything', 'I went for the bucks', I would never have willingly taken on the Chrysler job and so on. I guess it is in the maturity of life that you discover them to be true.
Read this way back when it came out. By the end, I liked Iacocca the man, respected his contribution to the auto industry, and appreciated his involvement with Ellis Island's restoration. I also remember that he felt that air bags were a bad, even dangerous mandate - Iacocca feared a small percentage would deploy at random, leading to high-speed accidents on freeways - so it is worth remembering that people who are right about some things can be absolutely wrong about others. Now (2008)we face a
...more
The book is straightforward and highly inspiring. It provides a window into the life of high flying professionals, their struggles and their thoughts. It is well written with depth in the ideas it describes. I would recommend it to anybody who wants to be a successful executive in a big firm.
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
“Why don’t we pass a law that says when you borrow money to buy somebody else and cannibalize him, the interest payments on those loans are not deductible? That would get the excesses out of the system pretty fast. Right now, if you want to buy up a competitor, generally you can’t. That would violate the antitrust laws. But if you want to buy a company that does something else entirely, that’s okay. Where’s the sense in that?”
—
0 likes
More quotes…
