Business Adventures

Twelve Classic Tales from the World of Wall Street

By: John Brooks

Narrated by: Johnny Heller

Length: 16 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's summary

From Wall Street to Main Street, John Brooks, longtime contributor to the New Yorker, brings to life in vivid fashion 12 classic and timeless tales of corporate and financial life in America

What do the $350 million Ford Motor Company disaster known as the Edsel, the fast and incredible rise of Xerox, and the unbelievable scandals at General Electric and Texas Gulf Sulphur have in common? Each is an example of how an iconic company was defined by a particular moment of fame or notoriety; these notable and fascinating accounts are as relevant today to understanding the intricacies of corporate life as they were when the events happened.

Stories about Wall Street are infused with drama and adventure and reveal the machinations and volatile nature of the world of finance. John Brooks’ insightful reportage is so full of personality and critical detail that whether he is looking at the astounding market crash of 1962, the collapse of a well-known brokerage firm, or the bold attempt by American bankers to save the British pound, one gets the sense that history repeats itself.

Five additional stories on equally fascinating subjects round out this wonderful collection that will both entertain and inform listeners... Business Adventures is truly financial journalism at its liveliest and best.

©2014 John Brooks (P)2014 Random House Audio

Buy the abridged version

The author went into a lot of detail and added some flare which only detracted from the valuable lessons and stories to be heard.

I think I might have given the abridged version 4 stars.

Bill gates favorite book

Great book for anyone in business or on Wall Street, or even those in engineering or law as it deals with precedent in those areas also. Not an easy book, but at the tip of my list

Here we go again, monetary crisis time. Read this

The world's monetaryi
systems are interwoven and bad news moves at light spéed. This book is how it all comes together for better or worse

One of my favorite business books!

This is a great read in the car, the narrator is lively and entertaining, keeping you interested as all of the stories unfold.

Very informative.

I like the stories. Would have loved an updated version. There are always new scandals.

A bit uneven; jumps around; has gems

This works for me. I have a broad and deep interest in business and financial history, and I'm always snagging stories from here and there and fitting the parts together into deeper understandings. Sometimes the author nails it here -- as in, giving a great plain-language explanation of central banking and international currency markets (and some wild swings, say, in the pound sterling, presaging better-known recent ones, featuring the US and UK's coordinated battles with speculators, trying to reduce volatility in those markets). I always like a different but clarifying look at such things, from a bit different angle. But, this is a snapshot from the later-mid-1960s, so (like reading some older books or watching some older movies) it helps to have some bigger background and context. The earlier stories do fit well as prequels to more recent ones. This was written on the eve of the US dollar falling off the gold standard, and the emergence of the post-Bretton Woods world (things the author only guesses at, prospectively), so having more of the story helps.

Elsewhere there is a story about price-fixing among certain manufacturers in the 60s. These scofflaws got their knuckles rapped, somewhat, under the glare of public and governmental attention. Then there ensued the corporate game (also well known among politicians) in moments of scandal, of artfully evading responsibility. We have a ringside seat as this art is practiced by various execs under the hot spotlight. What a rhetorical dance! This is a fine tutorial (all done tongue in cheek) for anyone, I suppose, looking to glide through a public grilling in congressional hearings and parading before angry righteous citizens wielding pitchforks and torches, without breaking stride or losing that elite "teflon" panache (and somehow trying to sound ethical and even noble, or as a last resort, gullible, but no, not culpable!). I find plenty amusing and enlightening here. But the choice of topics is fairly random, and it does suffer from flat spots.

Delightful and well spoken!

What made the experience of listening to Business Adventures the most enjoyable?

The book is subtly humorous as the narrator nonchalantly describes harrowing tales of business failure and triumph. Business Adventures is also a eerily relevant reflection on the unpredictability of the world, and how profoundly uncontrollable the business world can be.

What other book might you compare Business Adventures to and why?

It's almost like reading the economist, if the economist was objective, humorous, and had a personable humanity.

Which scene was your favorite?

I found the most rewarding adventure to be about the accidentally cornering of Piggly Wiggly - listen and enjoy.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

What us rhyme silly tales of business history!

Any additional comments?

Very entertaining - contains a lot of wisdom.

I would read this again.

A variety of good business stories. I liked the gold standard and gold exchange standard explanation...

Must “read” (listen)

What an interesting read! Stories from an industry and a world that most people know nothing about. Stories of an America in the 20th century that significantly shaped our current world but that people often forget—especially in our 21st century, post millennial mindset.

Great book, lots of insight

I really enjoyed this book. Found this book on Bill Gates' top reads list. John Brooks really makes the financial world interesting, and loved all the perspective he gave. Also pretty entertaining and well-written. It consists of 12 different stories that are each distinct from one another. Johnny Heller's narration is great too. I would recommend this to anyone.