B. C. Forbes' Magazine and Books Home Page
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Date Published: July 3, 2021
Date Modified: July 15, 2024 |
"It is funny how men who accomplish a lot often find more time than other people to do friendly little acts. Last week I tried to get hold of Owen D. Young but learned that he had gone to his native village in upstate New York, to attend the funeral of a veteran resident, one of the humble members of the community. The chairman of General Electric, the American who has earned unique international fame, had, when a lad, liked the deceased villager, and so, notwithstanding all his business, took time off to attend the funeral."
B. C. Forbes, "Men of Big Affairs Are Not Barren of Sentiment"
Forbes Magazine
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Why did B. C. Forbes start Forbes Magazine? In his own words he wrote the following:
"The moving motive in establishing FORBES Magazine, in 1917, was an ardent desire to promulgate humaneness in business then woefully lacking. … I would pass on contented if I could conscientiously feel that we have rendered at least a little service to our day and generation, that we have done something towards bequeathing a better world for my four sons and an increasing number of grandchildren." B. C. Forbes, Introduction to
"The Forbes Scrapbook of Thoughts on the Business of Life" |
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Discovering Great American Industrialists through B. C. Forbes' Books
B. C. Forbes' Industrialist Anthologies
Mr. Forbes was constantly working on books that highlighted America's greatest industrialists. Sometimes they were geographic in nature such as his "Men Who Are Making the West;" sometimes they were industry specific such as his "Automotive Giants of America;" and sometimes they looked at industrialists spanning the United States of America such as his "Men Who Are Making America" or "America's Fifty Foremost Business Leaders."
One of his first works in this genre was published in 1917 entitled Men Who Are Making America. This was followed by Men Who Are Making the West in 1923, and continued with several other works listed below in chronological order of publication.
Possibly the last anthology came in 1952 entitled 101 Unusual Experiences. as B. C. Forbes died in 1954.
One of his first works in this genre was published in 1917 entitled Men Who Are Making America. This was followed by Men Who Are Making the West in 1923, and continued with several other works listed below in chronological order of publication.
Possibly the last anthology came in 1952 entitled 101 Unusual Experiences. as B. C. Forbes died in 1954.
- 1917: Men Who Are Making America
"This book tells in an intimate way how fifty of America's foremost business and financial leaders of the present day have climbed the ladder of success. The selection of the fifty is based on the replies received from businessmen all over the country to the question: Who Are Our Fifty Foremost Business Men, Men Who Are Making America?"
B. C. Forbes, "Introduction"
- 1923: Men Who Are Making the West
"Today the cities of the Pacific Coast, notably Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland and Seattle, are rising rapidly in population and in industrial and commercial importance. An undue percentage of printers' ink has been devoted heretofore to proclaiming the greatness of the East and the East's business and financial giants. This volume represents a feeble, but earnest and sincere, effort to tell the rest of the country something about the West and, more particularly, something about a number of men who have played a conspicuously important part in the development of the West."
B. C. Forbes, "Why this Book"
- 1926: Automotive Giants of America
"America could not have attained such a dominating position in the greatest industry created during the twentieth century had not many of our best brains been attracted to it and devoted wholeheartedly to it. How the foremost leaders have brought the automotive industry to its unique eminence is told in these sketches."
B. C. Forbes, "Introduction"
- 1940: Little Bits about Big Men
"The many scores of squibs - as well as hundreds of others - were jotted down by me over a series of years, without thought of publishing them in a volume. My colleagues of Forbes Magazine are the guilty ones. Blame them if you don't find here anything of interest."
B. C. Forbes, "Introduction"
- 1948: America's Fifty Foremost Business Leaders
"Other peoples have achieved more in philosophic realms. Our greatest distinction has been won by actions, not words, by deeds not dreams, by concrete accomplishments not airy theorizing. The world can match our statesmen and philosophers and poets and artists and composers and authors. But no nation can match our galaxy of doers, our unique giants of industry, transportation, commerce, finance, and invention."
B. C. Forbes, "Introduction"
- 1952: America's Twelve Master Salesmen
"From a wealth of observation, experience, contacts for more than half-a-century, with people in all fields of endeavor, in all positions from humble office-boy to chairmen and presidents of our leading corporations, I am profoundly convinced that, without ability to sell, one cannot reach the upper rungs of the ladder."
B. C. Forbes, "Foreword"
B. C. Forbes' Books Beyond His Industrialists' Anthologies
Although B. C. Forbes was well known for his industrialists' anthologies, he also took what he learned from his close and personal conversations with early twentieth-century industrialists and produced a collection of works intended to inspire, motivate, and document what made America great during the first quarter of the twentieth century.
B. C. Forbes' books are provided here with reviews in the order of their publication, which is always subject to change as new information is discovered about these works.
Just select the appropriate link or image from the list that follows.
B. C. Forbes' books are provided here with reviews in the order of their publication, which is always subject to change as new information is discovered about these works.
Just select the appropriate link or image from the list that follows.
- 1917, 1918, and 1926: Forbes' "Keys to Success"
“ ‘I do not feel that I have written this book,’ says B. C. Forbes, modestly. ‘Its authors are a hundred or more of our best-known captains of industry, statesmen, writers, and a few sages of former days.’ "
The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, 1919
- 1922: Forbes' "Teamwork"
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This is a short read. It is an excerpt of four articles from "Keys to Success" which is highlighted above. The articles include: Teamwork, Stick-to-itiveness, Opportunity and You.
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It is written in B. C. Forbes’ typical style of short, dramatic, to-the-point statements. He doesn’t waste or mince words in either of these works.
Peter E. Greulich, 2024
- 1950: Forbes' Scrapbook of Thoughts on the Business of Life
That we have done something towards bequeathing a better world for my four sons and an increasing number of grandchildren. … This volume is a humble contribution to furthering human, humane understanding.
B. C. Forbes, "Introduction"
- 1952: 101 Unusual Experiences
"Recently he started writing for Forbes Magazine "Unusual Experiences" buried in his memory-packed mind, in his own checkered career and culled from his close association with doers. This little volume is the result."
Gertrude Weiner, Assistant to B. C. Forbes, "Foreword"
