Review of Forbes' "America's 50 Foremost Business Leaders"
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Date Published: June 28, 2022
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“The only caste in America is merit. … Analysis brings out that there would appear to be two sets of characteristics and qualities calculated to win success:
- Qualities within reach of all: integrity, self-denial, sincerity, industry, sobriety, self-culture, cheerfulness, self-reliance, good temper, courage, stick-to-it-iveness, confidence, concentration, steadfastness, loyalty, ambition, optimism, politeness.
- Qualities attainable only by those favorably endowed by nature: foresight, statesmanship, generalship—ability to select, lead, and inspire other men; mental and physical stamina, superior judgment, abnormal memory, personal magnetism, dynamic force, imagination, and common sense."
B. C. Forbes’ "Introduction," America’s 50 Foremost Business Leaders
A Review of Forbes' The Life Stories of America's 50 Foremost Business Leaders
- Reviews of the Day: 1948
- Interesting Insights from America's 50 Foremost Business Leaders
- This Author’s Perceptions of America's 50 Foremost Business Leaders
Reviews of the Day: 1948
This book was published in 1948 in celebration of the thirtieth anniversary of FORBES Magazine. It was also thirty years after B. C Forbes’ published Men Who Are Making America and within this book Forbes published the differences in the executive material composing both lists—different generations of leaders.
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First, let’s take a look at some of the “Reviews of the Day.” There weren't many “opinions” expressed. The “reviews” were mostly lists of the names of the men who were nominated by their peers.
“Celebrating its 30th anniversary, FORBES asked thousands of business men through the nation to vote for the 50 executives they considered the most outstanding business leaders of the day. The book presents the life stories … of those honored at a banquet last fall [1947]. … It is an appropriate sequel to the book written 30 years ago [Men Who Are Making America]. …
“This unique volume contains innumerable other sidelights on how these fifty men climbed to their present positions of eminence.” The Kingsport Times, “Books + Music,” August 8, 1948
“While such a procedure [the 1947 honorary event and this follow-on 1948 book] for the recognition of careers well-laden with success always leaves room for argument—about the many left out—there is no question of the ability of those listed. ... Various writers have sketched the fifty with such accuracy that the volume undoubtedly is a distinct contribution to the business history of American.”
R. W. K., “Life Stories,” The Indianapolis Star, October 1948
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“This unique volume contains innumerable sidelights on how these fifty men climbed to their present positions of eminence.”
The Burley Herald, “Book Review,” July 1949
Interesting Insights from America's 50 Foremost Business Leaders
How about the differences in the “executive material” and how they ran their businesses between “30 Years Ago” in 1917 and “Now” in 1947?
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- 30 Years Ago: Publicity of corporate financial and other figures was scanty. Little attention was devoted to preparing adequate annual reports to stockholders.
- Now: Progressive companies take pains to issue full, lucid, attractive annual reports. An increasing number issue special, simplified, illustrated annual reports to employees.
This Author’s Perceptions of America's 50 Foremost Business Leaders
Included above—in part, was the most interesting section of this book. The “Introduction” written by B. C. Forbes compared the American business executive leadership and companies of 1917 with those of 1947–48. Otherwise, the articles on the individual executives were scribed by editors assigned by Mr. Forbes rather than articles written by B. C. Forbes; and it shows.
Using Tom Watson Sr.’s review as an example—that can be pretty much applied to the few others I read and most others that I scanned, a great many of the reviews are a restatement of facts. They are Horatio Algeresque presentations of each individual’s rise to success. To me, they are informative, and they are a necessary building block upon which to start some research, but they are not that which makes for the most interesting reading.
This is not how the first book was written by Mr. Forbes in 1917. Consider this back-and-forth between B. C. Forbes and J. Ogden Armour from the first book in this genre by the great publisher: Men Who Are Making America.
Using Tom Watson Sr.’s review as an example—that can be pretty much applied to the few others I read and most others that I scanned, a great many of the reviews are a restatement of facts. They are Horatio Algeresque presentations of each individual’s rise to success. To me, they are informative, and they are a necessary building block upon which to start some research, but they are not that which makes for the most interesting reading.
This is not how the first book was written by Mr. Forbes in 1917. Consider this back-and-forth between B. C. Forbes and J. Ogden Armour from the first book in this genre by the great publisher: Men Who Are Making America.
I told Armour very frankly what my ideas about him had been after I found out, by careful investigation, that they were all wrong. He laughed-and gave me straight-from-the-shoulder explanations. …
“I have no social ambitions. My ambition is to run Armour & Co. successfully and to give a great many young men a chance to make their way in the world. My associates in the business are my closest friends, my chums. If it weren’t for the fun there is in working with them and being with them, I wouldn’t … I couldn’t … stay in business.
“Without sentiment, the work would be too hard.”
Missing from this work is the personal touch and insights of the great interviewer—B. C. Forbes. It feels more commercialized and less personalized—except for the “Introduction” written by Forbes himself. This is a book that can provide information for a Wikipedia article—if you are looking for facts, but it is not a book filled with personal insights and observations.
In my case, I have the facts on Tom Watson. I wanted more of the personal touch and insights that I had become accustomed to with Forbes’ other works.
They aren’t here: And that is one more change of note from “30 Years Ago” and “Now.”
Cheers,
- Pete
In my case, I have the facts on Tom Watson. I wanted more of the personal touch and insights that I had become accustomed to with Forbes’ other works.
They aren’t here: And that is one more change of note from “30 Years Ago” and “Now.”
Cheers,
- Pete
