Sixty to Zero
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An Inside Look at the Collapse of General Motors--and the Detroit Auto Industry
Alex Taylor III; Foreword by Mike Jackson
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Format: PaperPrice: $19.00
An award-winning journalist's insights into the auto industry, the decline of once-great companies, and the failures of management
The collapse of General Motors captured headlines in early 2009, but as Alex Taylor III writes in this in-depth dissection of the automaker’s undoing, GM’s was a meltdown forty years in the making. Drawing on more than thirty years of experience and insight as an automotive industry reporter, as well as personal relationships with many of the leading players, Taylor reveals the many missteps of GM and its competitors: a refusal to follow market cues and consumer trends; a lack of follow-through on major initiatives; and a history of hesitance, inaction, and failure to learn from mistakes. In the process, he provides lasting lessons for every executive who confronts the challenges of a changing marketplace and global competition. Yet Taylor resists condemning GM’s leadership from the privileged view of hindsight. Instead, his account enables the reader to see GM’s decline through the eyes of an insider, with the understanding that corporate decision-making at a company as large as General Motors isn’t as simple as it may seem. Taylor’s book serves as a marvelous case study of one of the United States’ premier companies, of which every American quite literally now holds a share.
“A cogent kick-the-tires account of a disaster that was 40 years in the making. A gifted writer, Taylor is also refreshingly candid about himself as well as GM. . . . His book is informative—and fun to read.”—Glenn C. Altschuler, NPR's Books We Like
“Taylor understands that the domestic car makers’ troubles didn't begin a few years ago. To identify the seeds of their destruction, you have to go back decades and that's exactly what he has done. This is a smart, lively, and personal account of Detroit’s crack-up.”—Csaba Csere, Former editor-in-chief of Car and Driver
"A terrific job — well written and very informative. I don't know of another journalist besides Alex Taylor who could have done as well."—David E. Cole, Chairman, Center for Automotive Research
“Breezy. . . . Taylor provides a series of character sketches of various GM top executives, essentially personifying each era of the company. . . . Recommended for general readers who might wonder why the fate of GM was so important during the recent government bailouts.”--Library Journal
“Insights into the journalistic mindset, as well as keen observations about GM itself, are what make Sixty to Zero an enlightening and engaging read.”--Paul Ingrassia, Wall Street Journal
Publication Date: April 26, 2011
