đź“šđź’µ For Profit by William Magnuson
Not a Book Report
I enjoy reflecting on the movies, TV, books and other media that I consume. I’m notoriously sentimental. This series documents the books that I read. These aren’t reviews or recommendations. Just a list. For me. Mostly so that I can page through what I read, where I was, and when.
Why did I read it?
My wife’s family draws names for Christmas presents each year; my name was selected and I asked for physical books. I put together a list of a couple books that I had wanted to read and had seen this on the NY Times list and found it interesting. I work in a corporation, I have for most of my adult life, and I spend the vast majority of my waking time operating within one. However, I know very little about the history of the concept.
What is it?
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Title | For Profit |
| Author | William Magnuson |
| Year Published | 2022 |
| Format | Hardcover |
| Pages | 325 |
| ISBN | 9481541601567 |
How did I read it?
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Date Started | February 10, 2023 |
| Date Finished | April 23, 2023 |
| Places Read | Sintra Lisbon |
Notes - No Spoilers
- I enjoyed the section on Roman history the most. The entire chapter was mostly new to me. I found it interesting that you could see the beginnings of the “military industrial complex” in the suppl of Scipio’s army.
- I did not realize that Henry Ford had worked for Thomas Edison’s company and took so much inspiration from meeting Edison. I wonder if anyone has done a study of the people who worked at Edison’s companies, met Edison, and went on to create their own enterprises - a la the PayPal Mafia.
- The Facebook chapter was a chore, but I think only because so much of the notes are recent news.
- I simply cannot fathom the amount of work that went into the Transcontinental Railroad. I am not just talking about the (often exploited) manual labor required. The constraints of what gradients that trains need, what kinds of passes could and could not be created by explosives, and how to supply the materials needed over that distance boggle my mind. They did this all on pen-and-paper.
- I expect I will read this again.