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Self-published books don\u2019t tend to fly off the shelves. This one may be different. <\/p>\n
\u201cPleased, But Not Satisfied\u201d is written and published by David (D.L.) Sokol, long considered a possible heir to the Berkshire Hathaway throne. It is selling on <\/span>Amazon <\/a><\/span>for between $35 and 120, but there are only four copies available at the moment. <\/p>\n Sokol is chief executive of Berkshire\u2019s MidAmerican Energy Holdings , a large utility with $12.7 billion in annual revenues and 16,800 workers.<\/p>\n What can be gleaned from Sokol\u2019s 127-page book? Sokol focuses on his managerial philosophy (he keeps a list of the people he would fire first) and a reprint on a speech delivered by American Express CEO Ken Chenault about good brand management. This is no Faulkner masterpiece, however. The book often reads like the diary of an earnest corporate executive.<\/p>\n Warren Buffett weighs in, too, in a brief and over-excited forward : \u201cHe brings the business equivalent of Ted Williams\u2019 .406 batting average to the field of business management.\u201d Walter Scott, a childhood friend of Buffett and a Berkshire board member, wrote the preface Sokol credits Scott with the book\u2019s title.<\/p>\n Here are some other nuggets Sokol serves up in \u201cPleased But Not Satisfied:\u201d <\/p>\n On firing his workers<\/strong>: \u201cI force myself to rank my team in order in which I would terminate each member if I was forced to do so one at a time. Additionally, I define why I would terminate one before the next\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n On the auto industry<\/strong>: \u201cFrom 2002 to 2007, hundreds of thousands of automobile industry employees were laid off \u2013 not because of an event, but due to many years of questionable management decisions, resulting in a cost structure that is unsustainable in today\u2019s more globally competitive world\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n On Buffett\u2019s golden touch<\/strong>: \u201cA large portion of our success stems from what we call the Berkshire halo, which opens many opportunities. Warren has created a perfect haven for businesses that want to grow in a sensible manner\u2026Warren is a kind and considerate man who genuinely cares about people.\u201d<\/p>\n On M&A pitfalls<\/strong>: \u201cSomeone once said that when a man chooses the women of his dreams and proposes marriage, he does so with the expectation that she will never change. And when a woman selects a man for marriage, she does so after assessing all the things about the man she assumes she can change once they are wed\u2026.after the wedding, both realize their assumptions are incorrect.\u201d<\/p>\n Share Investor Links<\/span><\/a><\/a><\/p>\n Share Investor Blog<\/a> – Stockmarket & Business commentary<\/span> Recommended Amazon Reading<\/span><\/p>\n
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