Scan barcode
sarahareinhard's review against another edition
5.0
Our CEO gets the credit for my discovery of American Icon: Alan Mulally and the Fight to Save Ford Motor Company, by Bryce G. Hoffman. He mentioned that he was reading it and that he recommended it to all of us.
Hoffman spent 22 years as a newspaper reporter, covering, among other industries, the automobile industry in Detroit. He does more than just report the facts — though he does that, and quite extensively; he also dives into the people who made the story of Ford’s turnaround so impressive.
Alan Mulally, the CEO who’s something of a rock star to those in the business world, becomes more than someone with just the right touch. Hoffman takes readers behind the scenes, into the day-by-day that he faced.
The book, though, doesn’t start with Mulally. It starts with Henry Ford and the company he founded over 100 years ago. Readers get a sweeping view of the history of the company and the limitations placed on it by the people within.
There were all kinds of financial hurdles Ford faced, but what impressed me more than that was the way Mulally combatted the toxic culture Ford had embedded at every level. He didn’t throw up his hands and walk away (and, from the accounts in the book, he wasn’t even tempted!), but dealt with it head-on with optimism.
I couldn’t help but think of some of the toxic cultures I’ve come across in my life, whether in small groups, parishes, or even companies. Mulally reminds me of some of the people I’ve known who seem, at first, to be too good to be true.
Surely they can’t be for real, I’ll think to myself. No one is that nice. And yet, I find, these people are. It’s the light of Christ shining through them; the Holy Spirit at work; the inner glow of what’s possible.
The path to success is one that was worth reading. Hoffman made this book into a cautionary tale, a business case, and a stellar storyline. It’s the kind of book that doesn’t have to be fiction to be a page-turner.
Hoffman spent 22 years as a newspaper reporter, covering, among other industries, the automobile industry in Detroit. He does more than just report the facts — though he does that, and quite extensively; he also dives into the people who made the story of Ford’s turnaround so impressive.
Alan Mulally, the CEO who’s something of a rock star to those in the business world, becomes more than someone with just the right touch. Hoffman takes readers behind the scenes, into the day-by-day that he faced.
The book, though, doesn’t start with Mulally. It starts with Henry Ford and the company he founded over 100 years ago. Readers get a sweeping view of the history of the company and the limitations placed on it by the people within.
There were all kinds of financial hurdles Ford faced, but what impressed me more than that was the way Mulally combatted the toxic culture Ford had embedded at every level. He didn’t throw up his hands and walk away (and, from the accounts in the book, he wasn’t even tempted!), but dealt with it head-on with optimism.
I couldn’t help but think of some of the toxic cultures I’ve come across in my life, whether in small groups, parishes, or even companies. Mulally reminds me of some of the people I’ve known who seem, at first, to be too good to be true.
Surely they can’t be for real, I’ll think to myself. No one is that nice. And yet, I find, these people are. It’s the light of Christ shining through them; the Holy Spirit at work; the inner glow of what’s possible.
The path to success is one that was worth reading. Hoffman made this book into a cautionary tale, a business case, and a stellar storyline. It’s the kind of book that doesn’t have to be fiction to be a page-turner.
seitz610's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
3.5
I enjoyed learning about Ford’s history and the automotive industry. The author was very well researched and this book is certainly a comprehensive history of Ford’s comeback. I was impressed to learn that Ford was the only US automaker to turn down the bailout and this book certainly cast Ford in a very positive light. It’s a 3.5 for me because I found the subject matter to be pretty dry and downright boring at times. Perhaps too much detail was included? Or maybe I’m just not that into cars.
ddejong's review against another edition
5.0
I had to read this book for one of my MBA classes and was not expecting to like it much given my total lack of interest in the auto industry, Ford, Detroit, etc. As it turned out, this is probably one of the most inspiring books I've ever read, and I found it to be both incredibly compelling and very fast-paced to read. I've never wanted to be a CEO (okay I still don't), but after reading about what Alan Mulally did at Ford I kinda sorta wanted to be one for a hot second. This is a remarkable story of leadership and massive cultural change throughout a huge organization. It was also really interesting to learn the whole back story of what Ford had done to put itself in the position of being the only one of the Big 3 to avoid bankruptcy and a government bail-out during the financial crisis. Bryce Hoffman is a fantastic writer, and I was super impressed by his organization of the narrative and his prose. Highly recommended.
szachary's review against another edition
4.0
This was a surprisingly interesting book about a American Manufacturing Icon and what would eventually become on of the greatest executive leaders of all time. Some call Alan Mulally the "turnaround artist". It's hard to argue with that, given the enormity of his accomplishments. Saving both Boeing and Ford from some of the worst times not only in their history, but in American history (9/11 and Great recession respectively) is due of enormous respect.
The book is well organized and narration is clear. Two things a casual reader might notice. First, this isn't a suspense book. You know the ending LONG before the beginning and middle, that is, unless your involved in Finance or Manufacturing (car) industries. Mulally does save the day, white horse and all. Ford does survive and comes out with its pride in tact.
The book is written well enough that you wince when the house of cards starts to fall. Most shockingly was the perpetual arrogance of Wagner & GM. I suppose I should pickup a book on GM & Chrystler next to get a full picture of the North American auto industry. There are some mentions of the UAW in this book, but not enough to add substance to the complexities of one of the most successful labor disputes of the last 20 years.
I felt the book was a bit stretched. The length itself didn't bother me, but it seemed to end around 80% of the way in, and suddenly we reached a new story to carry us on. Regardless the book is a well researched, narrated and intellectual study of Ford Motor Company. You'll be surprised how much there is to know that you don't and how interesting it truly is!
The book is well organized and narration is clear. Two things a casual reader might notice. First, this isn't a suspense book. You know the ending LONG before the beginning and middle, that is, unless your involved in Finance or Manufacturing (car) industries. Mulally does save the day, white horse and all. Ford does survive and comes out with its pride in tact.
The book is written well enough that you wince when the house of cards starts to fall. Most shockingly was the perpetual arrogance of Wagner & GM. I suppose I should pickup a book on GM & Chrystler next to get a full picture of the North American auto industry. There are some mentions of the UAW in this book, but not enough to add substance to the complexities of one of the most successful labor disputes of the last 20 years.
I felt the book was a bit stretched. The length itself didn't bother me, but it seemed to end around 80% of the way in, and suddenly we reached a new story to carry us on. Regardless the book is a well researched, narrated and intellectual study of Ford Motor Company. You'll be surprised how much there is to know that you don't and how interesting it truly is!
maribethw's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
eidolem's review against another edition
5.0
Excellent book! The bailouts, corporate culture, and team building are mesmerizing.
miscbrah's review against another edition
4.0
Audible version
This was a pretty book particularly beginning from chapters 15 - 21. This is when the author begins the discussion of TARP and how Ford got a private bailout rather than being taken over by the U.S. government like GM did. I was most interested in this part and obtaining an insight into the auto industry restructuring.
The first third of the book is a chronology of Ford's history up until Alan Mulally comes in. It does go over some of the reasons why he joined Ford and their recruitment efforts. Ford was a really innovative company back when it was first created up until 1960s. The author says they got complacent and they had some safety issues with their vehicles (Ford Pinto for example). They couldn't keep up with the Asian car companies. Another thing that really hurt them was that they were hyper focused on trucks and SUVs when sedans and EVs started becoming popular. They also killed of the Taurus which was their leading car back in the day. Alan found this puzzling. You get an insight too into how powerful the UAW was/still is.
Alan was really different than other CEOs and management in the car industry. He's this charismatic aeronautical engineer from Boeing. He did a great turnaround job there when they were affected by the 9/11 terrorist attacks. You can see why Alan was successful at Boeing and Ford. This was a good book and probably would of been better for me to read rather than listen to audible as I walk my dog or bike.
This was a pretty book particularly beginning from chapters 15 - 21. This is when the author begins the discussion of TARP and how Ford got a private bailout rather than being taken over by the U.S. government like GM did. I was most interested in this part and obtaining an insight into the auto industry restructuring.
The first third of the book is a chronology of Ford's history up until Alan Mulally comes in. It does go over some of the reasons why he joined Ford and their recruitment efforts. Ford was a really innovative company back when it was first created up until 1960s. The author says they got complacent and they had some safety issues with their vehicles (Ford Pinto for example). They couldn't keep up with the Asian car companies. Another thing that really hurt them was that they were hyper focused on trucks and SUVs when sedans and EVs started becoming popular. They also killed of the Taurus which was their leading car back in the day. Alan found this puzzling. You get an insight too into how powerful the UAW was/still is.
Alan was really different than other CEOs and management in the car industry. He's this charismatic aeronautical engineer from Boeing. He did a great turnaround job there when they were affected by the 9/11 terrorist attacks. You can see why Alan was successful at Boeing and Ford. This was a good book and probably would of been better for me to read rather than listen to audible as I walk my dog or bike.