Passion v. Arrogance: A Dana and Goliath Story...
Passion v. Arrogance: A Dana and Goliath Story of Wine, Women & Wrong!
by Margaret Broderick
Published by Passion Power Press, Inc
Category: Non-fiction / Business
254 pages; ISBN: 0-9762597-6-1
Rating: 6/10
Review
I received an uncorrected proof of "Passion v. Arrogance: A Dana and Goliath Story of Wine, Women & Wrong!" by Margaret Broderick (the Dana of the story) for review a couple of months ago. Since the copy received is not the final printed book, I will not comment on the editing and the typos, which hopefully have been attended to before printing.
The book is about the rise and fall of a Winery in Indiana. The author and her partner Angee set it up with the help of loans from the Small Busniess Association and a local Bank. The business does well and they receive a lot of attention and praise. They approach the bank for more working capital. Because of some changed economic and political factors and because the bank that lent them money was also in trouble, the bank demands more equity from the enterpreneurs which they could not come up with. The health problems of Angee add up to the difficulties and they finally decide to close the business. But the bank doesn't play the ball and the whole thing ends up in a big mess! The legal tangles that follow, the incompetence of many people who are supposed to know better, the couldn't care less attitude of the other players as opposed to the passion of the enterpreneurs etc., is brought out well.
It took some effort to read through the book because of the anger and frustration that comes through very strongly. It was reading more like a rant than an objective analysis of a business problem. But a lot of useful information is embedded and the author deserves praise for that.
I could not empathise with the author as regards the we vs. they, women vs. men, right vs. wrong and such binary thinking. Practical world is not black and white. And many businesses fail, not only because of their own mistakes but because of many external impacts. Margaret's account reads as if there was a great conspiracy to ensure the failure of their business. That may not be the case. To me it appeared that the author could not convince the other people involved of her point of view. Her passion is praiseworthy but her persuasion skills were not matching.
Why the author and her partners did not take up some extra-legal methods which are quite popular in USA (like going to the Congressman of their area, writing to newspapers and mobilising pressure groups etc.) is not clear. What is clear is that Margaret took up writing this book as a means to get it off her chest, as a therapy.
Buy the book only if you too feel strongly about the topic and after browsing through the book extensively.
by Margaret Broderick
Published by Passion Power Press, Inc
Category: Non-fiction / Business
254 pages; ISBN: 0-9762597-6-1
Rating: 6/10
Review
I received an uncorrected proof of "Passion v. Arrogance: A Dana and Goliath Story of Wine, Women & Wrong!" by Margaret Broderick (the Dana of the story) for review a couple of months ago. Since the copy received is not the final printed book, I will not comment on the editing and the typos, which hopefully have been attended to before printing.
The book is about the rise and fall of a Winery in Indiana. The author and her partner Angee set it up with the help of loans from the Small Busniess Association and a local Bank. The business does well and they receive a lot of attention and praise. They approach the bank for more working capital. Because of some changed economic and political factors and because the bank that lent them money was also in trouble, the bank demands more equity from the enterpreneurs which they could not come up with. The health problems of Angee add up to the difficulties and they finally decide to close the business. But the bank doesn't play the ball and the whole thing ends up in a big mess! The legal tangles that follow, the incompetence of many people who are supposed to know better, the couldn't care less attitude of the other players as opposed to the passion of the enterpreneurs etc., is brought out well.
It took some effort to read through the book because of the anger and frustration that comes through very strongly. It was reading more like a rant than an objective analysis of a business problem. But a lot of useful information is embedded and the author deserves praise for that.
I could not empathise with the author as regards the we vs. they, women vs. men, right vs. wrong and such binary thinking. Practical world is not black and white. And many businesses fail, not only because of their own mistakes but because of many external impacts. Margaret's account reads as if there was a great conspiracy to ensure the failure of their business. That may not be the case. To me it appeared that the author could not convince the other people involved of her point of view. Her passion is praiseworthy but her persuasion skills were not matching.
Why the author and her partners did not take up some extra-legal methods which are quite popular in USA (like going to the Congressman of their area, writing to newspapers and mobilising pressure groups etc.) is not clear. What is clear is that Margaret took up writing this book as a means to get it off her chest, as a therapy.
Buy the book only if you too feel strongly about the topic and after browsing through the book extensively.
posted by S.V.Swamy | 9:23 PM
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