JACK Straight From the Gut

The sound quality is superb, and columnist Mike Barnicle's accent gives the ring of Boston to the life story of just- retired GE chief Jack Welch. Both are shrewd men, and both effect the street-smart simplicity of an Irish-Catholic childhood. If you hope to transform yourself into a millionaire--Welch collected $125 million for his last year on the job--you'll be disappointed. Few secrets are revealed, unless hard work is a secret and rewarding excellence a new idea. "Don't let them pull the plug!" Welch told his wife the night before his heart surgery. If you think the world was hanging by a thread when Jack was on the table, this book will confirm you in that opinion. I have my doubts. B.H.C. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB/ MAR 02]