Product Description

Legendary auto executive Lee Iacocca has a question for every American: Where have all the leaders gone?

The most widely recognized business executive of all time asks the tough questions that America's leaders must address:

• What is each of us giving back to our country?

• Do we truly love democracy?

• Are we too fat and satisfied for our own good?

• Why is America addicted to oil?

• Do we really care about our children's futures?

• Who will save the middle class?

A self-made man who many Americans once wished would run for president, Iacocca saved the Chrysler Corporation from financial ruin, masterminded the creation of the minivan, and oversaw the renovation of Ellis Island. Since then he has created the Iacocca Institute for leadership at Lehigh University and the Iacocca Foundation, which funds research for a cure for diabetes. Lee Iacocca believes that leaders are made in times of crisis -- such as today. He has known more leaders than almost anyone else -- among them nine U.S. presidents, many heads of state, and the CEOs of the nation's top corporations -- and is uniquely suited to share his wisdom, knowledge, and wit about the leadership of America.

Author of the gigantic number one bestsellers Iacocca: An Autobiography and Talking Straight, Lee Iacocca famously doesn't mince words and offers his no-nonsense, straight-up assessments of the American politicians most likely to run for president in 2008, including Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John McCain, Rudy Giuliani, Joe Biden, Bill Richardson, Mitt Romney, and John Edwards.

Confessing that he has "flunked retirement," Iacocca calls on citizens of all ages to vote, get involved, and choose our leaders carefully. Along the way, he shares stories about the prominent people he's met and known, including the time he smoked cigars with Fidel Castro, what Bob Hope told him about how to live a long life, what Lady Sarah Ferguson said to him as they danced, why Bill Clinton woke him up in Italy, what Robert McNamara taught him about success, how Frank Sinatra sang for him personally, and whom Pope John Paul II asked him to pray for. We learn what he discussed with Warren Buffett, DaimlerChrysler CEO Dieter Zetsche, Ronald Reagan, Senator John Kerry, Congressman John Murtha, Prince Charles and Camilla, former Saudi ambassador Prince Bandar, rapper Snoop Dogg, financier Kirk Kerkorian, Ted Turner, Bob Dole, and many more.

Knowing that the times are urgent, the iconic leader shares his lessons learned and issues a call to action to summon Americans back to their roots of hard work, common sense, integrity, generosity, and optimism.

Where have all the leaders gone?

Lee Iacocca has the answer. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (296)

Its about time
Its about time someone said or wrote something, not just about political but also private business leadership in this country. Easy read and brings to light some interesting ideas. I walk the line with Iacocca and some of his ideas but he'll put a fire in your belly and motivate you to be more critical of some of the decisions that are made by people in power.

Old Information
This is a good book, however, I thought it was up to date material. This has material from the previous administration. If I had known that I would not have purchased the book.

Most all Freedom Lovers have the same question.
I too for some years now have wondered where the staunch STATESMEN of the greatest
country in the history of the world have gone! The Sam Ervin's, Ronald Reagan's,
Everett McKinley Dirksen's were men with fortitude and most of all HONESTY. All we
have left now are lieing, cheating damnsble politicians with no guts in both parties. It is time for a good ole House (Senate) cleaning. We have become too
complacent not only in governmen but our daily lives. Yes, Mr. Iacocoa I have the
same nauseous feeling.

Leadership
I have really enjoyed this easy read.It was very informative and puts things in a very plain, common sense viewpoint.

Iacocca really "gets it"
Great book. I think if he was just a little younger, I'd like him to lead America. He is a hands-down genius.

Doug ... Read more

Product Description
He’s an American legend, a straight-shooting businessman who brought Chrysler back from the brink and in the process became a media celebrity, newsmaker, and a man many had urged to run for president.

The son of Italian immigrants, Lee Iacocca rose spectacularly through the ranks of Ford Motor Company to become its president, only to be toppled eight years later in a power play that should have shattered him. But Lee Iacocca didn’t get mad, he got even. He led a battle for Chrysler’s survival that made his name a symbol of integrity, know-how, and guts for millions of Americans.

In his classic hard-hitting style, he tells us how he changed the automobile industry in the 1960s by creating the phenomenal Mustang. He goes behind the scenes for a look at Henry Ford’s reign of intimidation and manipulation. He recounts the miraculous rebirth of Chrysler from near bankruptcy to repayment of its $1.2 billion government loan so early that Washington didn’t know how to cash the check. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (46)

More than I expected
This authobraphy had sat on my bookshelf for sometime. Since I enjoy reading about the lives of people, I decided one day to pick it up....and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. It would be fun to be a mouse in the corner and hear the other side of the stories, yet Iacocca gets many points with me for telling the stories of both the ups and downs. His writing style makes a book on leadership very accessible to all readers. The book is peppered with one-liners that are can still be quoted and make total sense to anyone. Fascinating reading it 26 years after it was published. Back then he was touting the manatory use of seatbelts-he must be smiling that is the case now. Fascinating man, who has documented from his point of view an important part of our history.

A book for everyone to read.
Every student in High School and college should read this book to realize howlucky she/he is to live in America.

IACOCCA
The is a very interesting book.I have been a transportation director for a few years now and this book and Iacocca where have all the leaders gone, will help me be a better leader.Thank you Mr. Iacocca, I only hope that someday I may meet you.

Changed the course of my life
This book was first published in 1984 and I came across a dusty copy of the hardback in 1989 as a ten year old child. Being an autobiography I picked it up and began to read.

As a young reader much of the business jargon had me looking up from the book to quiz my parents with questions like: "Dad, what's a union?", "Hey Mom, what does a balance sheet do?"The genuine enthusiasm that Lee Iacocca has for business pulled me through the book. - As much of a page-turner as any narrative.

"Iacocca" is a business classic and I especially recommend it to in-the-trenches entrepreneurs that can't be bothered with traditional business books.

Hard work at the top
Suprisingly, the life of a CEO can be just like our own. The numbers are bigger. But I don't mean money. Lee Iacocca doesn't come off as someone living in luxury, even though I'm sure he's rich. Rather, that when he would get up in the morning to solve a problem for Chrysler employees, he was thinking about 420,000 of them. Still, the same worries: career progress, don't get blindsided by personal politics (he did, by Henry Ford II), and make sure to be home to enjoy family. And do a good job. If you want an uncompromising paean to capitalism, read Ayn Rand. But if you want a successful view, balanced by doubts and compromises, Iacocca's your man. The book's a page-turner too, and with all credit to William Novak, I sense that it's Iacocca's real life, and real character, that make for the exciting plot. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

More appropriate question for today than ever before.
Love that Iacocca simply tells it the way he sees it.Don't agree with all he says(who would?) but this book is a keeper.Any leader (or aspiring leader) can learn a great deal from reading this book.

Ron Miriello, Sanford, NC

What Lee Iacocca Really Said
I had actually purchased this book some years ago, but bought another copy to counter the blatant changing of Mr. Iacocca's words on the Internet (e-mail)re: replacing Mr. George W. Bush'sname with Barack Obama's name!The book itself is good reading and recommended highly.

One of the greatest books from one of the greatest men
This book is a call to action.It provides a definition of a great leader from one of the greatest leader of all time.So rarely is there someone like Lee Iacocca and we need to treasure his words of wisdom.I would buy this book 10 times over.

Really Enjoyed Reading
I was surprised at how much I enjoyed reading this book. My political views may not be the same as Iacocca's but he has some excellent points and raises some great questions as well. I would definitely recommend reading this book- no matter what political party you are!

More blithering idiot liberalism on display...
I had no idea Iacocca was such a poor excuse for a leader.Pathetic is all that comes to mind with this rubbish.

Don't waste your money unless you're a Hopey/Changey Obamabot. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Priorities were Work ,Family
10/24/04Iaococca's book which included much regarding his feeling toward his family, also gave no dissappointment to one like myself who purchased the book based not only due to curiosity about a book by a CEO legend but its index which contained many names with pertainent info when used 'for trivia'instead of being read like 'a fictious novel' which has a "plot".

A good read
Lee Iacocca is obviously successful and also a touch more arrogant in this second book of his. He is full of advice on how to live and writes about political and economic issues of the world with firm convictions to back his theories.

However the best thing about his book is that he is consistent in his outlook and is rock-solid in endorsing the basic values which are as timeless as they are true.

One sore point that sticks out is his constant complaining against the Japanese who, in his opinion, flooded the US markets with cheaply produced products (that's way back in time in the 1980s).

A lot of no-nonsense talk and a whole lot more about values
What impressed me most about Iacocca is his incredible frankness. He doesn't beat about the bush. Also, the book clearly depicts his clinging on to crucial values which allowed him to be successful in both fields: at work AND at home. How many businessmen working or even overworking manage to achieve what he has accomplished in the commercial world and yet keep a designated amount of time for his wife and kids consistently? Goes a long way to show how important it is set your priorities right.

As for the style of the book itself, it is fluent and comfortable to read.

True that the book is written in 1987 and the background is two decades old but it still provides interesting insight into both corporate and political America since he's one of those who has 'been there, done that!'. Try it out, it's much fun. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Iacocca for President!
This is a very good collection of speeches given by former Chrysler Chairman Lee Iacocca. Mr. Iacocca covers a lot of ground in this collection, from business to politics. Mr. Iacocca is always worth listening to and it's shame more people didn't. If you are able to find a copy of this book I highly recommend it.

Got high hopes
I received this book from the seller in a good condition. I haven't read the book yet but I have high hopes:) When it comes to practical leadership and management Mr. Iacocca is the absolute icon of the 70's 80's. ... Read more

Product Description
A biography of the businessman who saved the Chrysler Corporation from bankruptcy. ... Read more

Product Description
A biography of the man who became president of Chrysler Corporation after thirty-two years with Ford Motor Company. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

very good book to read because it is true to life
It seems to me that if you are good in managing your life it will carry the idea to be good managers in the company. I think that it is very true. ... Read more

Product Description
Taken from a two and a half hour recorded interview, Iacocca's fascinating comments and revealing innermost thoughts are bridged by narrative excerpts from the book--a multimillion-copy bestselling autobiography. ... Read more

Product Description

... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

Veteran of VietNam and Wall Street Makes Sense
This book is a fast read, that highlights one man's experience from the delta of VietNam to the canyons of Wall Street.Faced with different challenges, Mr. Grano shows that character stands above all in problem solving and success.I enjoyed reading his common sense and common language approach to America's wealth, it's people.From lessons he learned in battle, to the lessons on his relationship with his son, to personal hurdles in investing, and his leadership successes along the way, this man's story is one of courage, conviction and character.Not a self help book but an awakening of the spirit that shows us the American Way.

Great start to 2010 - reading Joe Grano's memoir
I read in one sitting - mesmerizing - inspiring, I was wowed to say the least. Joe is deep well of hope in shoe leather verses rhetoric. Work, war, wounded in combat during the popular time the Vietnam Era . . . prepared him for Wall Street - courage - with gritty integrity. Many concepts he drives home are powerful.This book has been a great read starting the new year. I will be rereading it to drive Joe Grano's action/reaction examples into my consciousness - what a gift - thanks Joe.

Classic lessons for the current times
Usually, a book about leadership is a recounting of the experiences of several men and women who have made an impact in a context or work industry that they have been immersed in most of their lives. What makes //You Can't Predict a Hero: From War to Wall Street, Leading in Times of Crisis// different from the other well-known leadership books is that it tells about the leadership experiences of Joe Grano across various settings--as a Green Beret volunteer in Panama, an infantry commander in Vietnam, a Merrill Lynch executive, the president of PaineWebber, the producer of //The Jersey Boys//--with a glimpse of how he could lead the country out of the current financial crisis if given the chance.

Using "Six Precepts of Leadership" as starting points for his leadership stories, Joe Grano more than recounts his experiences, as he also highlights the lessons he has learned and gives advice on how similar situations can be handled in the future. What I truly like about this book is that despite the business jargon, Joe Grano's love for what he does shines through, clearly showing that however and whatever the situation, a true leader always prevails.

Authentic Heros Possess Humility
Once you get through Mr. Grano's self-flattery in the first two thirds of the book, you begin to dig out a few nuggets of leadership principles.There is no doubt that Mr. Grano believes himself to be a hero with a plethora of heroic events:some beyond belief.A dose of humility laced throughout the book would have strengthened it.The title, "You Can't Predict A Hero," is the strongest leadership principle in the book.

Tom Creely, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Leadership
Siegel Institute for Leadership, Ethics & Character
Kennesaw State University

A riveting, at times refreshingly candid memoir

Written by Joseph Grano, Jr. with Mark Levine, this book offers an abundance of wisdom from a corporate executive about whom I knew nothing until I began to read this book. Immediately, he establishes a direct and personal rapport with his reader and sustains that throughout the lively narrative."Simply put, I'm a successful businessman who grew up working class and climbed the economic ladder on the strength of hard work, street smarts, leadership skills, and to be immodest, character. While I am not a complete unknown, particularly among Wall Streeters, mine is certainly not a household name. The average man or woman on the street is not clamoring to hear what Joe Grano has to say."

That may be true and if so, that "average man or woman on the street" now has the opportunity to purchase this book and share the career and life lessons that Grano has learned throughout several decades of corporate leadership and public service.This book was originally written as a letter, to serve as "a meaningful and memorable gift" for his only son, Joseph. "What did he really know about me?" Briefly, after Grano graduated from high school, he attended Central Connecticut State University but dropped out to enlist in the U.S. Army. He completed Officer Candidate School, eventually joined the Special Forces, served in Viet Nam where he was severely wounded, returned to the U.S. (after six years of military service), bringing home with him "not just maturity, but a body full of shrapnel and enough broken bones and torn muscles, tendons, and ligaments to quality me as 60 percent disabled. Instead of a sheepskin, I had a Bronze star with a V for valor. Without a college education and with severe physical limitations, I did not know what my future would hold."

Over time, demonstrating courage, determination, focus, and effort that remain (for him) "incomprehensible," Grano achieved success in a series of increasingly more demanding corporate positions in the Merrill Lynch, PaineWebber, and following a merger, UBS PaineWebber. He later chaired the President's Homeland Security Advisory Council. Throughout these years, it is true, he sharpened his skills, increased his business knowledge, made mistakes from which he learned (but rarely repeated), and in countless other ways sustained his professional development. Meanwhile, however, amidst this growth, his core values remained the same during the various crises he encountered on the battlefield and then in the business world.Grano possesses what Ernest Hemingway once characterized as a "built-in, shock-proof crap detector" and, to his credit (unlike Hemingway), he applied it to himself as well as to others.

I think that this book will be of interest to all executives (whatever their age and circumstances may be) but of greatest value to those who are now preparing for a career in business or who have only recently embarked on one. Although initially written as a letter to his son, the thoughts and feelings Grano shares, the experiences he recalls, and his abiding faith in human potentialities can help to guide and inform young women as well as young men as they pursue their goals. Of special interest to me are the situations in which Grano "walks the walk" when setting an example of the core values he affirms. While serving in Viet Nam, he exercised his authority as commander on the ground and denied permission for the division's commanding officer's helicopter to land. The area was too dangerous. The pilot called back and repeated, "Requesting permission to land," and then added, "Don't you know who's asking?"

Grano replied, "I know who's asking, but I don't give a damn. Permission's still denied." A day later, once the area had been secured, he gave permission for the helicopter to land.The general stormed out of it and headed straight for him. "Who the hell do you think you are stopping me from visiting my troops?" he bellowed. "Sir, we were having contact with snipers," Grano explained, and pointing to the general's gleaming belt buckle, said, "You see that big eagle on your stomach? Well, I don't give a damn about you, but those guys are terrible shots. I'm afraid they'll miss you and hit me." The general stared at him for a minute, then burst out laughing.

Leaders need to be decisive, making tough decisions under pressure, but it also helps to have a sense of humor. That certainly proved to be true on numerous occasions later in Grano's career. However, he always took his fiduciary responsibilities seriously, especially to his employers and to those associates for whom he was responsible. He also took his personal obligations very seriously, as when he repaid a substantial debt rather than declare bankruptcy. However, he never seems to have taken himself too seriously.

"One of the realities of combat is that you can't predict a hero." That may be true in most instances but Grano seems to be an exception because in combat and then later throughout his career as a corporate executive, his behavior was predictable because his values were non-negotiable. I am grateful for what I learned by reading this riveting, at times refreshingly candid memoir. I also wish I had had the opportunity to serve with Joe Grano or work with him. He seems to be authentic leader as well as an authentic human being. ... Read more

Product Description
The most widely recognized business executive of all time asks the tough questions that America's leaders must address: What is each of us giving back to our country? Do we truly love democracy? Are we too fat and satisfied for our own good? Why is America addicted to oil? Do we really care about our children's futures? Who will save the middle class?Lee Iacocca believes that leaders are made in times of crisis -- such as today. He has known more leaders than almost anybody else -- including nine U.S. presidents, many heads of state, CEOs of the nation's top corporations, celebrities, and even a pope -- and is uniquely suited to share his wisdom, knowledge, and wit about the leadership of America. Lee Iacocca does not mince words, and in Where Have All the Leaders Gone? he offers his no-nonsense, straight-up assessments of the American politicians most likely to run for president in 2008. He also shares his lessons learned, and issues a call to action to summon Americans back to their roots of hard work, common sense, integrity, generosity, and optimism.Where have all the leaders gone? Lee Iacocca has the answer. ... Read more