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Not what I expected -- Disappointment, Avril 22 2002
I like the idea that Andy Grove wrote this book for his grandchildren...certainly knowing the story of your grandfathter's childhood experiences, in an uncommon time, will make a lasting impression on any grandchild.The book did not capture my attention into the character insight of Andy Grove that his other books did, which is surprising, given that this is a memoir. I am always very interested in understanding the character development of leaders, especially the circumstances surrounding their education development and the life changing events of their lives. The times in which he lived certainly contained the impactful circumstances, but I do not feel the book related those circumstances to who he is today in any lucid manner. I found the memoir detached from who he is today, which should be a fascinating build up of a biography when read along with his other books. My thoughts throughout the book where that the story flow could have been much more fun to read if he had collaborated with a writer that could have livened the prose up a bit. If you have not read about Andy Grove before, then you will find this book an interesting story. However, if you are looking for a deeper insight into Andy Grove today, you will find a much more enjoyable insight by reading his other books. I was dissappointed with this book, so I would recommend as alternatives that you should read: Only the Paranoid Survive : How to Exploit the Crisis Points That Challenge Every Company and Andrew S. Grove: High Output Management. You will find these books to provide much more meaningful insight into who he is.
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a book for generations to come, Mars 3 2002
It is rare that many young people ever get the chance to hear about the early life of some of the most successful business people. SWIMMING ACROSS is one the most educational and enlightening accounts of Andy Grove's life. It is a story that I intend to pass down to my future generations. Too many accounts of the lives of business people focus on the profits and losses they made or mergers and acquisitions. Andy Grove shares his early life experiences that shaped his destiny. The challenge to start from below ground level and rise to the very top proves that anyone who does not have the resources to succeed can learn to leverage themselves to achieve goals that benefit everyone. This book is should be brought into classrooms and boardrooms. Terrific READ. Too bad Amazon's maximum star limit is 5. :-) Read, learn and enjoy.
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Excellent, Fév 18 2002
The text in the book is simple and lucid. I could not help completing the book in one sitting. It is an inspiring story of a boy's triumph over hardships and personal handicap to make a good life for himself and his family. The book chronicles the period from Andy Grove's birth to his initial years in the United States.
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A Must Read For Every Native Born American., Fév 5 2002
I agree with Tom Brokaw on the back cover, "It should be required reading in schools." but it will also appeal to adults as well. An easy read and after reading it, you'll know why people risked their lives to come to the United States. To escape evil and find freedom. Read how he dodged the Arrow Cross, Nazi's and Communism, three big evils!
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A bittersweet memoir, Janv. 5 2002
My sons gave me this book for Christmas, thinking that it would interest me. It certainly did - and hit me in the heart.Andy Grove opens up the secret chambers of his heart, which he has long ago sealed up. As a Hungarian-American, to me his story rings true, even down to some of the same details of his escape and journey to America (his first encounter with bananas, the troop carrier ship across the Atlantic, the Hungarian National Anthem played like a military march by the Navy band... These were my personal experiences, also.) He is also brutally honest about his personal memories. In a rare glimpse of a boy "playing with himself" or peeing down the stairwell, he shows his vulnerable side, without overplaying it. Any one of us, who grew up in Budapest can immediatley identify with him as he discovers the wonders of old fashioned apartment buildings, the Danube promenade, the City Park. He loved that city and loved the people in it. They were a comfortable nest for him. Soon, however, that nest was turned upside down, and the brutality of the extreme Arrow Cross party henchmen, and Eichman's Gestapo turning the place into living hell. His mother and he are hidden by relatives and strangers, and survive. Most of his father's family is killed in Aushwitz. After the "liberation" by Russian soldiers - with not so velied reference to the sexual abuse of his mother - the Grof family rebuilds its existence, only to be knocked down repeatedly by the Communists. During the Revolution of 1956 Andy Grove does nothing heroic - and admits honestly - and ends up escaping to the West. What is very sad for me in this account is his turning his back completely on his homeland. I understand the conflict in him, I understand the desire to banish the memories. But Andy's story, the Hungarian portion at least, is not unique. Thousands of others with identical stories maintained their contacts, kept their roots and today's Hungary is the better for it. Perhaps eventually Andy can resolve his hidden barriers and break through this final wall. He'd be most welcome by all who are inspired by his story.... and he'd feel relieved.
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Simplicity is splendor, Janv. 5 2002
Par Un client
As I was reading Andrew Grove's book a strange sensation came over me. Would it be possible that I had been cloned back in the prewar years? The life and experiences he describes are very familiar, for I lived only one block away from his family, and shared a great deal of his experiences being very much in the same predicament. His book is not for those who are looking for eloquence, grand dialogues, or pages of description of a sunset. It is a very matter of fact description of growing up Jewish in Budapest during the 30's and 40's. Grove, who eventually escaped and landed in America, became the CEO of INTEL and also Time Magazine's Man of the Year '97. Anyone who is interested in a measured and perceptive historical autobiography of a very talented and,to some extent self assured,person, will find this book fascinating. Naturally, as a fellow witness to those times I appreciated the fact that his facts and figures were always on target. He did not paint himself a hero of the Hungarian Revolution of '56, as was the case with almost anyone else during that period, and did not hesitate to admit some of his own shortcomings. As I finished the book I could not help but to think that I would have considered myself very lucky had our paths ever crossed.
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Kudos From a Fellow Memoirist, Déc 23 2001
Intel was a fierce competitor throughout my career in Silicon Valley. Although I didn't respect many of Andy Grove's business practices during his tenure as Intel's leader, I take my hat off to him for writing a superb memoir."Swimming Across" is presented in a refreshing and honest manner. The scenes are vivid and all the characters come to life. Throughout the story, young Andy openly shares his fears, passions, curiosity and humility. The oppression the author endured as a child in Hungary provides a glimpse into not only the development of his work ethic but perhaps his "take no prisoners" approach in business. Andy's ability to assess people and situations were obviously developed early in his life as skills in order to survive. Andy's coming of age story is highly recommended for all readers. I didn't want to enjoy it, but "Swimming Across" won me over.
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Powerful Scenes from a Remarkable Life!, Déc 13 2001
Regardless of what you think about this book, everyone will agree that Dr. Grove has accomplished a great deal in his life. He is clearly a five-star person!Although I knew that Dr. Grove had been one of the most successful CEOs ever (having studied his work at Intel for many years) and that he was a Hungarian refugee, I knew little else. Apparently, that was a purposeful decision that Dr. Grove began to reverse in 1997 when he was interviewed for Time's Man of the Year award. The book is not the sort of autobiography that most of us are used to reading. Swimming Across is mainly different in that it builds around a series of anecdotes and scenes, which provide an indelible flavor without showing the whole story. Many of the scenes are not particularly important, but all combine to provide a piece of the puzzle of who Dr. Grove was and how he became who he is today. The material is almost totally focused on the first 20 years of his life, from the time he was born in Hungary through the first few months of his arrival in the United States. The book is above all very inspiring. This occurs at several levels as you consider the obstacles that he had to overcome. Dr. Grove had physical disabilities to overcome (the loss of 50 percent of his hearing at four and a weak heart from Scarlet Fever at the same age). In Hungarian society, his family's Jewish background led to severe challenges (his father being sent off with a labor battalion in World War II in which only 10 percent survived after maltreatment by both Hungarians and then by the Soviet military forces, many relatives being sent to Auschwitz and killed there, and anti-Semitism in day-to-day life and official actions) which had to be surmounted. Due to the disruptions of World War II, Soviet hegemony, and repression of the Hungarian Revolution in 1956, his education was often disrupted. He escaped Hungary with very little money, and not enough knowledge of technical English to do university-level work, at a time when tens of thousands were seeking a way into the United States. I came away feeling very grateful that Dr. Grove chose to come to the United States, and that so many people helped him to get here and prosper. The book's title is well developed in the book. Because of operations on his ears at four, Dr. Grove avoided the water as a youngster. He eventually decided to learn to swim, and got good ear plugs to help keep his ears clear of potential infections. In these days, it was very easy to develop polio from swimming, so there was a double danger. Self-taught as a swimmer, he came to enjoy it very much. To his surprise, while in the college preparatory program of the Gymnasium in Hungary, one of his teachers, Mr. Volenski, identified Dr. Grove as the student who was most likely to swim across the big lake of life. The book ends with the observation, "I still like swimming." Prior to this book, Dr. Grove's most famous work was Only the Paranoid Survive. I can now see how his first twenty years of life in Hungary prepared him to develop and become effective in living that philosophy. Many readers will also be impressed by the book's candor. With an active imagination and a lively sense of fun, Dr. Grove usually got into mischief and the book describes many escapades. Many well-known people would not have been willing to share these stories that make him seem very human, but far less than perfect. Ultimately, I was impressed by the importance of persistence. Despite having no reason to expect that her husband was still alive, Dr. Grove's mother kept looking for him and prepared their home again after World War II. All the spare time she had was spent asking people if anyone knew where he was, and visiting the train station. After being on the brink of being rejected from the university in Budapest because of Communist social classifications, Dr. Grove's father kept looking for connections until he found someone who could get the classification changed. On the brink of being rejected from entry into the United States, Dr. Grove charged in and wouldn't take "no" for an answer from a group screening people to sponsor. The first two U.S. universities that would accept him wouldn't let him take as much chemistry as he wanted, so he kept going until he got into a more appropriate program at New York City College. I was not surprised to see that Dr. Grove had as a child been a fan of C.S. Forester's books about the fictional naval hero, Horatio Hornblower, who evidenced much the same strong character and persistence. Where in your life can persistence make an important difference? What contributions can you make to the world and to those you love as a result of being more persistent?
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very little substance, Déc 3 2001
Had two books to read..Swimming Across by Grove and To The Edge by K. Johnson. Read Swimming first and was astonished at the poor presentation of Grove's young life. Very little in it to make it compelling reading though you do feel compassion for his struggles. It's as if he took notes but forgot to fatten the paragraphs. There was not enough information for a book this size but could have made a good magazine article. The contrast in writing was amazing when I read To The Edge by Johnson.
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Intellectually honest, I lived every moment as if it was me., Déc 3 2001
Par Un client
A refugee from the Hungarian revolution Andy Grove was surprised to learn that he was the only one interviewed by relief organizations who had not been (or claimed to be) a fighter in the revolution, and wondered why, if everyone had participated, it had ended the way it did. This intellectual honesty characterizes his memories of his first twenty years, and probably accounts his success thereafter.
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Ce produit
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D'occasion et Neuf à partir de : CDN$ 3.01
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Accueil Amazon
