The rest of the book chronicles the more political side of lutzs campaign. Bean counters hardcover the battle for the soul of american business. Overall, i highly recommend the first eight chapters of car guys versus bean counters to all designers. The battle for the soul of american business kindle edition by lutz, bob. Bean counters, i devote an entire chapter to the deliberate and largely useless intellectualizing of business, foisted on america by the nations famous business schools. On car guys vs bean counters i recently finished reading cary guys vs bean counters the battle for the soul of american business by former vice chairman of general motors bob lutz. Mixed into lutzs flow of blarney and halfbaked pontificating is one of the most acute books about. Our favorite books about cars, racing, and the automotive hobby.
In his book, car guys versus bean counters, he chronicles the very wary gm of 2001 through its first stillborn turnaround, its acquisition by. Its time to stop the dominance of the numbercrunchers. Our favorite books about cars, racing, and the automotive. The battle for the soul of american business, by bob lutz. The battle for the soul of american business to be published june 9, industry vet bob lutz recounts how he was hired out of retirement by gm. Well, youre a friend, so im going to try and prevent you from ever driving your business off a cliff by urging you to read car guys vs. Publication date 2011 topics automobile industry and trade, new products. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Bean counters is the best book written by an auto industry insider since iacocca in 1984 and deserves to be shelved alongside alfred pl sloans management classic, my years with general motors. This book is an account of bob lutzs stint at general motors from 2001 t0. As vice chairman, he launched a war against the pennypinching numbercrunchers and championed the same creativity, design, and customer loyalty that had put gm on top in. The battle for the soul of american business popular collection. Bean counters is a thoughtprovoking commentary from auto industry maven bob lutz.
I cant say that i was completely surprised when, about two thirds of the way through bob lutzs new book car guys vs bean counters, i caught a sideswipe at myself and the truth about cars, which the retired vicechairman of gm describes as a web site that often offers anything but. This is a book about general motors history and personal ramblings and selfpromotion. Car guys vs bean counters by bob lutz ft business book. Sloans management classic, my years with general motors. But he wants you to know that hes not an antifinance guy at all. Former exec on decline and rise of us auto industry. Bean counters is really supposed to be about is the ignominious descent of one of americas great corporations into chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and status as a ward of the. He joins morning joe to discuss his new book car guys vs bean counters, which focuses on how auto companies lost their way and how. In his 47 year career he held senior leadership positions at gm, bmw, and chrysler, then at nearly age 70, rejoined gm as vice chairman where he served for nearly ten years. Frequently described by industry insiders as the ultimate car guya man for whom no vehicle could ever be too big, too fast.
Now comes an encore in the lutz on lutz genre car guys vs. Now in his late seventies, bob lutz knows his auto industry history, and his latest book, car guys vs. Enter your mobile number or email address below and well send you a link to download the free kindle app. The guy is a little bit full of himself but it shed some new light on how gm got in trouble, how the foreign brands got a leg up during the cafe period, how. Car guys vs bean counters by bob lutz financial times. Bob lutz takes on the gms bean counters again the globe. What does his book tell us about what really went on inside gm. Bean counters, the normally outspoken bob lutz pulls out all the stops and settles a few scores.
The battle for the soul of american business he says it was the mbas that knew nothing about the car business but only making money from money that totally destroyed most of american manufacturing. Bob lutz, a legendary auto industry executive and gm vet, titled his recent book car guys vs. Bob lutz is one of the most colorful, if not controversial figures in the automotive industry today. An excerpt from bob lutzs book car guys vs bean counters author bob lutz spent 47 years in the auto industry, and he ended his career as vice chairman of general motors. Although he officially retired from general motors in 2010, ending a 47year automotive. Lutz and elon musk, chief executive of tesla motors, discuss the future of electric cars. Manage the mafia way, counsels louis ferrante, a tough guy. Bean counters the battle for the soul of american business by bob lutz available from rakuten kobo. Bean counters is the best book written by an auto industry insider since iacocca in 1984, and deserves to be shelved alongside alfred p. Lutz built a career as a staunch opponent of bureaucracy and by placing the utmost importance on knowing the product as well as the customer. Bob odonnell haas news university of california, berkeley.
Mixed into lutzs flow of blarney and halfbaked pontificating is one of the most acute books about management and how companies work in practice that i have read in a long time. With the bean counters firmly in charge, carmakers and much of american industry lost their singleminded focus on product excellence. You are auditing the books of the tallahassee beancounters tbc. Read ebooks free car guys vs bean counters the battle for the soul of american business full ebook. Bean counters and millions of other books are available for instant access. I cant say that i was completely surprised when, about two thirds of the way through bob lutzs new book car guys vs bean counters, i caught.
Robert a lutz in 2001, general motors hired litz out of retirement with a mandate to save the company by making great cars again. On sunday i happened to tune in to bob brinkers moneytalk radio show when former gm vice chairman and car guy extraordinaire, bob lutz, was on promoting his new book. I was expecting a good discussion of the soul of ameican business finance guys vs. Author bob lutz spent 47 years in the auto industry, and he ended his career as vice chairman of general motors. After declaring bankruptcy during the recession of 2008, gm is back on track thanks to its embrace of lutzs philosophy. Any car nuts with desire to understand what has happened to the american car industry should read this book. It might seem that a book written by a businessman about how to turn around a business would have little to say about design. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. He joins morning joe to discuss his new book car guys vs bean counters, which focuses on how auto companies lost their way and how they can recover their lost greatness. Bean counters contains all the pearls of wisdom i would expect to see from bob lutz. Auto industry veteran robert lutz introduces his book, car guys vs. Bean counters the battle for the soul of american business.
Bean counters makes the point that gm was doing fine until in the mid 1970s the mbatrained finance guys took control of product development from the. One of the most acute books about management and how companies work in practice that i have read in a long time. An excerpt from bob lutzs book car guys vs bean counters. Learn to love the rat race, advises hedgefund veteran todd buchholz. Lutz has a reputation for speaking his mind and straight shooting. A good book is a great choice for entertainment when youre away from wifi and your regular routine. Spanning a fortysevenyear career with the big three and bmw, and after retiring from chrysler in 1998, he was asked back into gm, serving as vice chairman from 2001 to 2010, during which time it had filed for bankruptcy. Former gm vicechairman offers an insiders look at a once proud industry. Lutz wrote every word in longhand and every sentence bears his distinctive voice. I think dagosa had mentioned it in one of the threads.
He launched a war against penny pinching, office politics, turf wars, and risk avoidance. Sack the mbaeducated bean counters, says auto executive bob lutz. It was a pretty good read for his time at gm from about 2001 through the crisis time. The battle for the soul of american business free books. Gm has routinely been singled out in the last two decades as an example of a bloated enterprise that is so focused on maximizing todays profit that it sacrifices its very future to do so. In 2001, general motors hired bob lutz out of retirement with a mandate to save the company by making great cars again. In spite of the sample listen it is not about policy or the bean counter vs. On car guys vs bean counters the timesheet chronicles. According to bob lutz, that is a fairly good description. Still, the book s basic problem was alltoo familiar in the world of auto executive. A pageturning read can take your summer getaway to a whole different level. The battle for the soul of american business free full. I have been in love with american cars since my childhood in cuba. If anyone wants to know exactly how the us auto industry got into trouble.
Then you can start reading kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer no kindle device required. See all books authored by bob lutz, including car guys vs. The battle for the soul of american business for free. Bob lutz has written an important diagnostic book on the demise of general motors. None have, until exvice chairman bob lutzs new book, car guys vs. In his book, car guys versus bean counters, he chronicles the very wary gm of 2001 through its first stillborn turnaround, its acquisition by the american and canadian governments and its new born success since 2009. A legend in the car industry reveals the philosophy thats starting to turn general motors around. The battle for the soul of american business, and icons and idiots. As vice chairman, he launched a war against the pennypinching numbercrunchers who. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading car guys vs. I have also followed the stories on this cocky but. He has lived in the most inner circles at ford, bmw. In his latest book car guys versus bean counters he spotlights those, he believes, who have hurt the industry the most.