Ralph Watson McElvenny is the oldest grandson of Thomas J. Watson Jr. Prior to working on the The Greatest Capitalist Who Ever Lived he hosted an author book review podcast called "Intelligent Talk," for which he interviewed many leading nonfiction writers. Earlier, he worked at a large international real estate firm and as a private investor in multi-family houses and apartment buildings. He is a graduate of Brown University and St John's University School of Law. Marc Wortman, an independent historian and freelance journalist, has written for many publications, including Vanity Fair, Smithsonian, Time, Air & Space, and The Daily Beast and has appeared on CNN, NPR, C-SPAN BookTV, History Channel. He is the author of four books on American military and social history, most recently Admiral Hyman Rickover: Engineer of Power (Yale University Press, 2022). He has taught at Princeton and Quinnipiac Universities and a college program at a maximum security prison. He was the recipient of a New York Public Library Research Fellowship and was the 2014 Jalonick Memorial Distinguished Lecturer at the University of Texas Dallas. Following college at Brown University, he received a doctorate in comparative literature from Princeton University.
"Best book ever written on IBM and one of the best tech company
books ever written."--BookAuthority
"A briskly told biography of Thomas J. Watson Jr., IBM's
mid-20th-century CEO, makes clear that the history of the company
offers much more than an object lesson about complacent
Goliaths...IBM was remarkably prescient in making the leap from
mechanical to electronic technologies, helping usher in the digital
age."
--The Atlantic
"A compelling new biography... [The Greatest Capitalist Who Ever
Lived] spins the Watsons into near-Shakespearean figures, as if
'Succession' were set in the era of 'Mad Men'."
--The New York Times Book Review, Editor's Choice
"A nuanced portrait of Watson who went on to unexpectedly make
business history.... The authors skillfully weave this profile of a
recalcitrant heir together with a chronicle of computing in the
20th century. It's an informative and entertaining study." -
Publishers Weekly--Publishers Weekly
"In a swift-moving narrative, the authors make clear that Watson
was a man of parts, one of the prime shapers of the modern
technological world. A readable and revealing work of business and
tech history."--Kirkus
"Tortured by relations with both his father and his brother, Tom
Watson Jr. managed to use his personal demons as fuel to build the
company that launched the computer age and earn the epitaph from
Fortune captured in the book's title: The Greatest Capitalist Who
Ever Lived. His story is unflinching and makes for a highly
readable history of both a man and a company that dominated much of
the last half of the twentieth century. A real-life Succession
drama."--Alan Murray, CEO, Fortune Media, and author of Tomorrow's
Capitalist
"Watson Jr. stands alongside Steve Jobs and Bill Gates in the
pantheon of tech leaders who have changed our world. Anyone wanting
to learn his methods of inspiring innovation and creativity in a
modern American corporation must read The Greatest Capitalist Who
Ever Lived."--Craig Nelson, New York Times-bestselling author of
Rocket Men
"A riveting tale, one well worth telling, that will be appreciated
by fans of Succession. To the public, IBM once looked like that
most staid of corporations, a bastion of suited yes-men with
lifetime employment. Wortman and McElvenny tell the dramatic family
saga behind that image. They also show even the 'greatest
capitalist' sometimes worked alongside the federal government to
produce landmark achievements, from Social Security to
military-systems technology."--Beverly Gage, John Lewis Gaddis
Professor of History, Yale University, and author of the Pulitzer
Prize-winning G-Man
"The life and leadership of a patriotic, principled man who
revolutionized technology, championed science, and built the model
global enterprise. Watson Jr. transformed a business to embrace a
digital revolution and did so with no blueprint to follow. His
technological, strategic, and cultural moves became the gold
standard for leaders across industries and nations. When leaders
were not threatened by labels like 'being woke, ' he rewarded
shareholders and other stakeholders handsomely. A tough but
compassionate leader, he boldly showed doing good is consistent
with doing well. This compelling biography is no hagiography by
friends and family but a starkly candid, inspiring saga of family
distress, personal demons, sweeping vision, and industrial triumphs
which should be read by every tech titan today as well as every
aspiring entrepreneur."--Jeffrey A. Sonnenfeld, senior associate
dean for leadership studies, Yale School of Management, and author
of The Hero's Farewell
"Watson Jr., the legendary leader who steered IBM to unparalleled
success, achieved remarkable feats that place him in the esteemed
company of modern tech leaders like Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, and
Steve Jobs. Despite leading IBM during a different era, Watson
Jr.'s accomplishments resonate strongly in today's context,
showcasing his enduring influence. His foresight, leadership, and
willingness to take risks propelled IBM's entry into the computer
industry guiding the company to become a global leader in
information technology. The Greatest Capitalist Who Ever Lived is a
must-read for anyone seeking inspiration, insights, and a deeper
understanding of the extraordinary achievements of Watson Jr. and
IBM."--James M. Citrin, leader, Spencer Stuart CEO & Boards
Practice, and author of The Five Patterns of Extraordinary Careers
|
Ask a Question About this Product More... |
|
