Good Guys and Bad Guys: Behind the Scenes with the Saints and Scoundrels of American Business

by Joe Nocera

A fascinating collection of profiles by one of America?s leading business journalists

For three decades, in major publications such as Texas Monthly, Esquire, Fortune, and now The New York Times , Joe Nocera has reported on the people who dominate the business world, for better or worse. Everyone from Warren Buffett to T. Boone Pickens to George Steinbrenner to Ken Lay has fallen under his microscope.

Now, in this collection of his best work, he explores how we define good guys and bad guys in business and concludes that things are often not what they seem.

It turns out that there are surprisingly good qualities in classic villains like junk bond king Michael Milken and notorious stock analyst Henry Blodget. And some business celebrities who are widely admired, such as Steve Jobs, are not quite the good guys they appear to be on the surface.

Good Guys and Bad Guys also offers a fresh perspective on some of today?s biggest controversies, such as global warming, Apple?s iPhone, CEO compensation, the tobacco industry, short sellers, and much more.

Genres: Business, Nonfiction

352 pages, Hardcover

First published May 29, 2007

About the author

Joseph Nocera is an American business journalist and author. He has been a columnist for The New York Times since April 2005. Nocera is also a business commentator for NPR’s Weekend Edition with Scott Simon.

Prior to joining The New York Times, Nocera worked at Fortune from 1995 to 2005, in a variety of positions, finally as editorial director. Nocera was the "Profit Motive" columnist at GQ from 1990 to 1995, and also wrote the same column for Esquire from 1988 to 1990.

In the 1980s, Nocera was an editor at Newsweek; an executive editor of New England Monthly; and a senior editor at Texas Monthly. In the late 1970s he was also an editor at The Washington Monthly.

Nocera earned a B.S. in journalism from Boston University in 1974, and now lives in New York City.

Reviews

[Tracy Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book to be just a collection of Nocera's articles. True he has added a preface to each article to make it a chapter, but those small additions don't tie the separate pieces together for me. Reading this book also made me realize the difference between magazine articles and books. The magazine article typically has a point of view (so-and-so is a jerk or a good guy) and everything in the article supports that point of view. I expect a book to be more nuanced pointing out both sides of a person or issue.

[Steve Trevino · Rating 4 out of 5]

Collection of essays and profiles...interesting if interested in business

[Lance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating story. Indeed, business stories at times are more fascinating than fiction. Nocera is a great author.

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this collection of columns from various magazines and newspapers he's worked at over the years, Joe Nocera profiles some of the most celebrated and reviled businessmen of the past 20 years.

It was definitely an informative read, as Nocera lays the background for many current issues in the business world, and charts the development of a variety of major stories.

The way the stories were presented and arranged made them easy to read in segments or all at once.

The most enjoyable stories to read are the ones where he gets the most access, as in his articles about the Bancroft family losing control of the Wall Street Journal, or the saga of the descendants of the founder of Merrill Lynch.

His two profiles of T. Boone Pickens, however, are clearly the stars of this collection, as we get to see Boone leading the charge in a hostile takeover bid in 1982 and then watch him transform in the 'kindler, gentler Boone' in 2002.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't read the New York Times and was previously unfamiliar with this writer but very much enjoyed this collection of his columns. He has a knack for explaining business/market concepts pretty clearly -- as I told my children the other night, I think I finally get approximately what a "hedge fund" is. Next stop, "credit default swaps"!

Some of these chapters began life as magazine profiles (Peter Lynch the Magellan mutual fund guy, Boone Pickens the corporate raider, Michael Milken the junk bond guy......), and in each case the author does a good job of bringing the central character to life.

One of the blurbs on the jacket says that the book proves that business stories are more entertaining than the sports pages -- I'd never go that far, but the book is quite readable and informative all the same.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read it in spurts and enjoyed the writing a lot. Disturbing at times, but then life is what it is.

Especially poignant was on Pg 229, interview with Steve Parrish when he said "It was one thing to convey the company's position, even if I didn't agree with it. but to do it through a conversation with my daughter--that was awful".

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Currently working on this book. I especially like that the author, Joe Nocera's interviews focus on what motivates his subjects. This provides a very well-rounded view.

[Christina Strynatka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exactly why more writers from the New York Times should be writing books.

[Carl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read the interesting pieces in this book, but it has sat for a long time on the bed side table and now I have put it back on the shelf.

[Mark Bunch · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most well written book I have ever read. This one is a collection of articles-and a great insight to the business world characters.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joe Nocera writes a brilliant profile.