Recapturing the Spirit of Enterprise

The wellspring of capital will not be found on Wall Street or in the stuffy halls of corporate America, but instead in the hopes and dreams of people who want to create new products and new approaches to problem solving. It is this wellspring that will ultimately cleanse the soul of corporate America corrupted by power and age. George Gilder's 1984 classic was substantially revised for the 1990s and remains relevant today. This authoritative book looks at what went right in the 1980s and how we can jump-start the economy of the new millenium, featuring unforgettable portraits of entrepreneurs of today and tomorrow, from Bill Gates to members of the dynamic Cuban immigrant community of Miami.

This updated version of Gilder's earlier book, The Spirit of Enterprise ( LJ 2/1/84), remains an apologia for maintaining an economic system that encourages unrestricted entrepreneurship. Gilder still includes a sprinkling of the biographical profiles honoring members of his entrepreneurial hall of fame, such as J.R. Simplot, but adds several chapters that pay tribute to the Reagan economic policies of the 1980s and defend the ventures of financial traders such as Michael Milken. Sure to stir debate is Gilder's testament to certain super-rich company founders, like Microsoft's Bill Gates, who, if anything, is undercompensated for what he contributes to the economy. Always the eloquent wordsmith, Gilder bashes intellectuals (who pontificate but can't "do") and professional managers (i.e., MBAs) who merely attempt to preserve what others have created. This work is sure to generate its share of controversy, particularly in an election year.
- Gene R. Laczniak, Marquette Univ., Milwaukee
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.