Philadelphia Inquirer
business reporter DiStefano strikes a hard-hitting tone in his profile of Comcast cable kings Ralph L. Roberts and son Brian. The nation's top merchant of TV news, sports, movies and pornography, Comcast has attempted to take over some of America's largest companies over the last 20 years, and has made some powerful friends along the way. The elder Roberts is a captivating, forceful, self-invented personality, and DiStefano briskly traces his rise, including his marriage to socialite Suzanne Fleisher, which blended her family connections and wealth with his aggressive business ability. The author charts Comcast's major business forays, like the purchases of stakes in QVC, a merger with AT&T Broadband and the unsuccessful $66 billion bid by Brian Roberts in 2004 to take over Disney. Although DiStefano addresses the media's criticism of Brian's debacle (Business Week
headlined with "Brian Blew the Big One"), the younger Roberts eventually emerges as an equally capable and even more compelling figure than his father, someone who "relentlessly pushed for a place in the company even as his father tried to warn him off." DiStefano possesses an unflinching eye for detail, and the book offers many sharp, colorful anecdotes centered on such financial heavyweights as Bill Gates, Rupert Murdoch and Barry Diller. (Apr.)
