Opportunity Knocking: Lessons from Business Leaders

In her latest book, LaRocco (Dynasties of the Sea: The Shipowners and Financiers Who Expanded the Era of Free Trade) targets a wide audience%E2%80%94company owners, employees, and entrepreneurs%E2%80%94looking for inspiration and guidance in furthering their careers, but falls short in delivering enough specific information to get readers off the starting blocks. On the one hand, she provides a slew of engaging profiles of business leaders, including oilman Harold Hamm, Ford CEO Alan Mulalley, and AOL co-founder Steve Case. But when it comes to extracting lessons from these success stories, LaRocco tends to falls flat, relying on worn insights that already overwhelm the subject area: "Pay attention to people and culture in order to execute your plans effectively." Had LaRocco simply published a collection of successful business leaders, detailing their successful maneuvering around obstacles and career roadblocks and setbacks, this would have been a much stronger book. Instead, feeble admonitions like "love what you do" or know "what sets you apart" do little to inspire readers. (Mar.)