November 15, 2008
Widener ("The Angel Inside") shares his hip new approach to interpersonal relationships in this competently self-read parable on the power of influence presented as a learning experience for any recent young business school graduate. The rules he espouses include living a life of undivided integrity, always demonstrating a positive attitude, and not settling for anything less than excellence. Relatively brief but containing sound principles relevant to any future business leader, Widener's story will appeal to those new to the world of work. Recommended for university libraries supporting a business curriculum and public library business collections. [Audio clips available through www.booksontape.com and www.randomhouse.com/audio.Ed.]Dale Farris, Groves, TX
Copyright 2008 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
May 5, 2008
Widener (The Angel Inside
) turns conventional wisdom on its ear in this diminutive but powerful tale that argues that business success does not derive from prestigious degrees but from the careful cultivation of personal integrity and a commitment to excellence. The author couches his teachings in an inviting story of Marcus Drake, a brash up-and-comer with a newly minted M.B.A. and lofty career aspirations, who spends a weekend with one of the world's richest and most powerful businessmen, Bobby Gold. Zooming from deal to deal in chauffeured limos and hobnobbing with sports luminaries, the young man is starstruck and intimidated by the entrepreneur's clout and wealth, which he assumes are the result of aggressive deal making and profit-taking. In the course of a few days, however, Drake's eyes are opened to Gold's Four Rules of Influence, which reveal the difference between the “science of business” and the art of true influence. This slim allegory, with its archetypal characters, packs a far greater wallop of wisdom through its spare and modern-day prose than many ponderous and prescriptive business and leadership books do in far more pages.
September 29, 2008
Widener's acclaim as a professional speaker can certainly be understood when listening to his reading. He does not take a dramatic or theatrical approach, but offers a delivery appropriate to the format Listeners who enjoy attending seminars of the Seven Habits
and Who Moved My Cheese?
variety can expect the same type of solid and engaging motivational storytelling they have grown accustomed to hearing in hotel conference rooms. In portraying the interactions between his two protagonists—ambitious young business school graduate Marcus Drake and seasoned tycoon Bobby Gold—Widener displays an especially keen ear for both mentor-mentee relationships and generational differences in the world of work. The situations and insights ring true with clarity and purpose. A Doubleday hardcover (Reviews, May 5).