Good Spirits: Edgar M. Bronfman
Editorial Reviews
Memoirs of business tycoons often smack of self-importance and egotism. Not Good Spirits. This is instead a charming and modest memoir of Edgar Bronfman, one of America’s foremost business leaders and chairman of the Seagram Company. Bronfman speaks openly and candidly of his childhood, which he describes as an "endurance test" in which he was groomed by an autocratic father in preparation for inheriting a great business empire. With business sense etched into his psyche, Edgar quickly rose among the ranks at Seagram, stepping out of his father’s shadow, and proving himself to be an energetic and gutsy worker.
The memoir traverses between business adventures and family sagas. Edgar speaks openly of his long marriage record (he has been married four times), and the story of his son’s kidnapping is particularly touching. A master of anecdotes, Bronfman shares a lifetime of stories both inspirational and illuminating.
From Library Journal
Seagram, Dupont, MGM, MCA, Universal, Chivas Regal, Mumm, Glenlivet, Martell, and Sandeman?a veritable who’s who of company and brand names all bearing the Seagram imprimatur with its corporate motto of Integrity, Craftsmanship, Tradition. This well-written, unvarnished book looks at the other side, the human side, which describes how the author was able to overcome a privileged but dysfunctional family life to oversee the transition of Seagram from a family-owned, strongman founder-dominated business to a multinational corporation. Of greatest value here are the last chapter and epilog, in which Bronfman provides practical advice for anyone in business or life in general, eloquently describes his efforts with the World Jewish Restitution Organization to “get Swiss banks to give the relatives of [Holocaust] survivors what is rightfully theirs,” and details Seagram’s recent expansion into the Chinese market. Recommended for academic and larger public libraries looking to add substance to their business collections.?Norman B. Hutcherson, Beale Memorial Lib., Bakersfield, Cal.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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