American Entrepreneurship Literature

Through books, I keep following the entrepreneur developments in the United States. The first book I ever read was an abridged and simplified version on Chrysler’s autobiography --- Man and Machines http://http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysler . I loved it. I read and reread it through my high school ( 1982-84). Stacked in the shelf of books that my father had built up, I happened to lay my hands on it at a time when books had just begun to fascinate me. I really don’t believe my father ever read that book. He would have recommended it to me, otherwise.

The book was about Chrysler’s dream, resolve, determination and desire to be his own man. He had a mechanic bend of mind. He would bring in a car, and instead of driving his family in it, lay it bare in front of his house, disassemble it to the smallest part and then assemble it back, imbibing all the technology that went into it.

The book, as I said, was an abridged version, and every page revolved round the most interesting episode from the original one. Some of the incidents were quiet interesting, like the time when Chrysler, having been promoted as foreman, realized he no more had to work with his hands, but just his brain. That talked of the confidence he had in his own self as someone who could direct people, rather than just sit in a corner and fit machines.

It wasn’t about the consumer, though I got to read a lot about discipline and punctuality and devotion to one’s work in it. It had a lot to do about his pride and ego. But I liked those few fifty odd pages.

The book had plenty of things to tell about what was happening to the Chrysler family, as he moved up the ladder on the American Corporate world. He talked at great length about his mother. How she held the family together in times of crisis.. And like all American idols, (mine) I loved the way they took to work at an early age, either as a salesman or a utility man. I find that the best lessons American entrepreneurs took was during these time of their life. It had humour, It talked about the mentor who molded him, about the lessons he learnt o his own, about the innovative solutions he tried, like drawing water from the ground. Tube wells were unheard of at that time.


I did not plan it, but it so happened that the next book I read on American corporate world, was Lee Iacocca's http://http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Iacocca, An autobiography, in 1987, while I was at college. This man talked about how he pulled it out of bankruptcy the car manufacturing company named – Chrysler.