This is not a book for the timid. It is not a feel-good book, except for those who enjoy counting their money. It will make most readers feel uncomfortable, perhaps insecure. These are among the important reasons to read the book.

This book was required reading by Sanford Weill and Bob Lipp for all the senior managers of The Travelers Insurance Companies when they engineered the takeover of the ailing company in 1993. It created shock among many of the senior management of the old, established Travelers, but the book prescribed an exact remedy for turning the corporation into a highly profitable company, now a thriving part of CITICORP...one of the great financial corporations in America.

If the reader is a CEO or senior officer, this book is a guaranteed prescription for increasing profitability. If the reader is an employee, at almost any level, this book should be required reading for one's survival. If the reader is a vendor, a consultant, or from an association that provides a service to corporate America, the book should be required reading, because it imparts the knowledge of a real business culture that drives decision-making...and possibly will drive their future relationship with the company.

The book lacks concern for human resources, for many of the people who make up a company's workforce. They can quickly become a drain on profits. Loyalty, human compassion, sense of community, and many human skills are too easily forgotten or deemed insignificant to the bottom line. This is one of the great faults of the book, of its philosophy, and of its short-term prescription for profits. It is why it only deserves four stars, instead of five. It would deserve five stars or more if the author had enough insight to find value in loyalty, human skills (other than direct sales), and the importance of communities or governments (of people) in the ability of a corporation to provide valid and profitable services. In this area, it is deficient.

The book is very simple and easily read in one sitting. It should be required reading by anyone with a serious interest in business...or anyone who has an interest in an important modern business culture, for better or worse, but certainly for profit.

6 of 8 found the following review helpful:


Short, quick read, filled with hard-hitting, useful ideas  Dec 29, 1998
Fifer does an outstanding job of providing a brief overview of the general ideas relating to maximizing profit by reducing unnecessary overhead and increasing the income side of things. The bulk of this quick read is aimed at specific suggestions which you can put into effect immediately. I highly recommend this book to any small business owner or corporate type who is responsible for actually making the money that the employees spend.

1 of 1 found the following review helpful:


Managers must read!  Jun 12, 2010 By AndyRacer20 "Andy"
Got the indication from a Brazilian business magazine - Exame - issued January 2010. Marcel Telles, one of the greatest Brazilian entrepreneurs, recommended the book, as a must read, and as the book that influenced him the most. You might ask, who is this person...well, he is one of the guys behind AB-Inbev deal!

Although the book dates from 1993 (I don't like much old business books), most principles are very interesting and totally applicable for today's market. The focus on cost reduction is clear, and can generate blunt results. I can clearly understand how inspiring this book were for some successful Brazilian companies in the past decade, specially the ones from GP group. Some of the tips such as giving away your own office (as a CEO) to bring cost down is a true example on how you can demonstrate to your crew how committed you are in order to maximize the company's result. Nice reading.

7 of 10 found the following review helpful:


Be careful what you ask for.  Dec 28, 1999
You can use this book to cut your costs and expand your profits...for a time. Then the costs will come back with a vengance. Some of these slash and burn methods are merely a mortgage on your future. You and your people will pay a big price when the loan comes due. This stuff looks great until you examine the long-term implications. Others of his suggestions make sense and are things you should do. That's the good news. The bad news is that it can be difficult to sort out the good ideas from the bad. It would be a much more useful (and safer) book if the author told you how to make safe choices.

2 of 3 found the following review helpful:


Excellent No Non-sense Book  Jan 31, 2000
This is an outstanding book with specific suggestions for improving profitability. Even more importantly, it illustrates a mentality that focuses on the bottom line. To those who say that such measures as suggested, "can't be done" - - those who read and adapt the attitude of this book will say "I'm so glad you're my 'competition'".

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