The last American CEO is the ultimate insider's view of one of the biggest global business deals in history -- Chrysler's 1987 purchase of AMC from the French. Relevant today? The jewel of the acquisition -- the Jeep brand -- almost single-handedly saved Chrysler from near-bankruptcy in the early 1990s and later allowed Chrysler to survive bankruptcy in 2009.

A riveting, behind-the-scenes account of the near collapse of the Ford Motor Company, which in 2008 was close to bankruptcy, and CEO Alan Mulally's hard-fought effort and bold plan--including his decision not to take federal bailout money--to bring Ford back from the brink.

"Based on extensive interviews with today's . . . corporate leaders, this look at how the best CEOs do their jobs focuses on the mindsets and actions that foster an environment of excellence"--

“If you’re not living on the edge, you’re taking up too much space.” —Jim Whittaker, first American to climb Mt. Everest A leader’s job—in a radically changing world—is standing on the cliff edge, getting a grip on unfamiliar landscapes, and acquiring the skills for leading the enterprise into new territory. In a world facing the unprecedented challenges of global pandemic and economic distruption, every leader needs to find the edge for leaping across the breach and breaking new ground on the other side. Michael Useem provides rare insight into how ten leaders confronted hard realities. He looked close-in at the lide and work of people such as Bill McNabb of Vanguard, Jeffrey Lurie of the Philadelphia Eagles, Alex Gorsky of Johnson & Johnson, and Tricia Griffith of Progressive Insurance. His “you are there” profiles chronicle fateful decisions such as: Meeting the concerns of a next-generation workforce that considers inclusiveness an integral part of business Developing a strategy for growth in a market that is cratering Escaping the confines of an insane, always-on, 24/7 world to learn about the real, granular changes happening in the marketplace Useem’s profiles of leaders on the edge provide the inspiration and the guidance we all need for adapting and thriving in an era of massive disruption and continuous transformation.

"The pay gap between chief executive officers of major U.S. firms and their workers is higher than ever before--depending on the method of calculation, CEOs get paid between 300 and 700 times more than the average worker. Such outsized pay is a relatively recent phenomenon, but ... few detractors truly understand the numerous factors that have contributed to the dizzying upward spiral in CEO compensation. Steven Clifford, a former CEO who has also served on many corporate boards, has a name for these procedures and practices: 'The CEO Pay Machine.' [This book] is Clifford's ... explanation of the 'machine'--how it works, how its parts interact, and how every step pushes CEO pay to higher levels"--

The Mind of the CEO offers unprecedented access to the most dynamic business leaders of our time. Reading this book is like being at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland -- not at the formal presentations but in the hotel bar afterward, where the microphones are turned off and world-famous business leaders say what they really think. Better still, their confidant, Jeffrey Garten, interprets what they say, telling you how their views relate to each other and the world economy, and noting the many important things left unsaid. A revealing glimpse into the future of business, The Mind of the CEO captures as no other book before it what is in the minds of top business leaders and what it means for all of us.

Steve Case, co-founder of America Online (AOL) and one of America's most accomplished entrepreneurs, shares a roadmap for how anyone can succeed in a world of rapidly changing technology. We are entering, he explains, a new paradigm called the "Third Wave" of the Internet. The first wave saw AOL and other companies lay the foundation for consumers to connect to the Internet. The second wave saw companies like Google and Facebook build on top of the Internet to create search and social networking capabilities, while apps like Snapchat and Instagram leverage the smartphone revolution. Now, Case argues, we're entering the Third Wave: a period in which entrepreneurs will vastly transform major "real world" sectors like health, education, transportation, energy, and food-and in the process change the way we live our daily lives.