Book Forty: Forbes' The Great Business Decisions of All Times

This selection came courtesy of the fall book club at the Firm.  It's always fascinating to see what our CEO and leadership team members are thinking.  This little gem from Fortune profiles the people and companies behind what many business leaders would call the greatest decisions.

Profiles of Johnson and Johnson, Zappos, IBM, Apple, Ford, HP, 3M and Boeing will definitely get you thinking. Regardless of what you might think about Steve Jobs or Henry Ford, there is no denying the decisions they have made in the past have shaped entire industries, setting the standard for their industries.  Clearly they were memorable because historians, economists and business leaders are still talking about them.

One of the challenges of our book club was to isolate one decision that was a favorite.  For me, it was Johnson & Johnson.  The immediate reaction of the CEO at the time when their product was being tampered with stands out.  Advertising agents were saying it was the death of a brand.  The naysayers--including the FBI and FDA, mind you, were telling Johnson & Johnson not to pull their product.  Loyal to the company credo to put the needs and well-being of the people we serve first, 31 million bottles of Tylenol were recalled estimated at a retail value of 100 million dollars.  The company even advertised in national media not to use their products. Johnson & Johnson unknowingly ushered in an era of tamper-proof bottles and garnered the respect of consumers everywhere.

As I see it, this is an interesting compilation of stories.  Those seeking an in-depth profile should look elsewhere.  If you're looking for quick discussion points or a jump-start for conversation, this is your book.  It's a quick, light read.  Also of note:  the seven deaths caused by the tainted Tylenol remain unsolved.  Did you know that the Unabomber was once a suspect?