Kindred Spirits: Harvard Business School's Extraordinary Class of 1949 and How They Transformed American Business

By David Callahan and Forbes Inc.

Book Overview

Raised in the Great Depression and shaped by World War II, they changed the business world and helped build modern America . . . Kindred Spirits tells the story of Harvard Business School's remarkable class of 1949, which included some of the most innovative business visionaries of the postwar era. Among the members of this exceptional class, 28 percent retired as presidents, chairmen, or CEOs. Kindred Spirits shows how these businessmen shaped the business trends that transformed America: from the advent of modern marketing techniques, fueled by television and a growing middle class, to the rise of high technology as key driver of the American economy and the importance of using Wall Street to leverage wealth and build companies. Among the legendary figures intimately profiled are Marvin Traub, who built Bloomingdale's; Jim Burke, who guided Johnson & Johnson's tremendous rise and saw the company through the trauma of the Tylenol poisonings; and Peter McCullough, who transformed a little-known company into the powerhouse Xerox. Kindred Spirits is more than a story of an extraordinary group of business leaders; it is a story of how today's America came to be.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0471418196
• ISBN13: 9780471418191
• Release Date: October 2002
• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
• Length: 296 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.0" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Good book on HBS

Not a bad book except for the fact that the author's liberal leanings were too obvious. HBS (or any business school for that matter) is meant to teach business leaders, not focus on making graduates respected social agenda leaders. The author took several shots at the decade of the 80s and the Reagan era, but certainly gave a pass on the corrupt 90s (WorldCom, Enron, etc.) and the Clinton years. All in all, though, I enjoyed the background on some of the key graduates, but I would not buy another book by this author.

Then and Now

As I read this book I became aware of just how much times have changed since 1949. Nowadays no Harvard Business School MBA student learns this style of business. Now they teach students how to line their own pockets while dismantling successful American businesses and putting all the employees out on the street. They also teach that this is simply good business.

corporate heroes

The example of the Harvard 49ers is inspirational, and their adventures in business make for an exciting story.