THE DEAL MAKER How William C. Durant Made General Motors

Madsen's study of Durant and the early automotive industry is a timely corrective for those persuaded that the unforgiving world of more recent high-tech business is unprecedented in the twentieth century. While men like Durant, Ford, Dort, Chrysler, Buick, and Chevrolet refashioned horse-drawn carriage-makers into automobile innovators, untold thousands of skilled laborers, engineers, racers, and businessmen were early business casualties. Nelson Runger calmly guides the listener through this intricate story of engineering and business maneuvers with a control and expressiveness properly governing its many fits and starts. Runger smoothly presents much detail, subtly speeding and slowing as the text requires. A lesser talent would have let the listener stall. L.V.B. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN/JUL 01]