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Berkshire Beyond Buffett

The Enduring Value of Values

ebook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

A profile of Berkshire Hathaway, the keys to its success, and how it can survive beyond its iconic chairman and CEO, Warren Buffett.
In a comprehensive portrait of the corporate culture that unites Berkshire’s subsidiaries, Lawrence Cunningham unearths the traits that assure the conglomerate's perpetual prosperity. Riveting stories of each subsidiary’s origins, triumphs, and journey to Berkshire reveal how managers generate economic value from intangibles like thrift, integrity, entrepreneurship, autonomy, and a sense of permanence.
Berkshire Beyond Buffett explores not only what will happen to Berkshire after Buffett, but presents all of Berkshire behind Buffett, the inspiring managerial luminaries, innovative entrepreneurs, and devotees of deep values that define this esteemed organization.
Whether or not you are convinced that Berkshire can endure without Buffett, the book is full of management lessons for small and large businesses, entrepreneurs, family firms, and Fortune 500 CEOs. Enjoy entertaining tales from Berkshire’s 50 main subsidiaries, including Dairy Queen, GEICO, Benjamin Moore, Fruit of the Loom, BNSF, Justin, Pampered Chef, Marmon, Clayton Homes, FlightSafety, and more.

“An invaluable read for entrepreneurs, business leaders, investors, managers and anyone wanting to learn more about corporate stewardship.”—The Economist

“How did Warren Buffett build such a great firm as Berkshire Hathaway? To unravel this mystery, Lawrence Cunningham takes a deep dive inside the cultures of Berkshire's subsidiaries, highlighting the value of integrity, kinship, and autonomy—and revealing how building moats around the castles may help the firm outlast its visionary founder.”—Adam Grant, Wharton professor and author of Give and Take

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    • Kirkus

      October 1, 2014
      Cunningham (Business Law/George Washington Univ.; Contracts in the Real World: Stories of Popular Contracts and Why They Matter, 2012, etc.) discusses whether Berkshire Hathaway, the investment vehicle for billionaire Warren Buffett, will outlive the death of its founder and why. As the editor and publisher of Buffett's annual letters to Berkshire's shareholders and someone who knows his subject personally, the author will no doubt be considered an authoritative source by most readers. Cunningham also consulted with other Berkshire insiders, including owners-e.g., Buffett's son Howard, a co-director of Berkshire, and Buffett's partner, Charlie Munger, formerly of Wesco Financial-and managers of operating subsidiaries. The author provides a full history and profile of Berkshire's major subsidiaries, as well as the company's Class A shareholders. Cunningham isn't just interested in the history of Buffett and Berkshire, however. He is in search of the protective "moat" that shelters Buffett's creation from competitors seeking to increase their market shares. Initially, the author thought it might be Buffett himself or that it was predicated on the "float" of his insurance companies (the difference between claims paid out and premiums paid in). The author concludes that Berkshire is protected by its unique culture, which constitutes its potential for survival. Organizationally complex and "highly decentralized," with twice the number of separate business units as General Electric, Berkshire embraces family-owned businesses, like Benjamin Moore Paints, as well as self-starters. It is a publicly quoted company that also owns private companies and franchises like Dairy Queen. Cunningham believes that the disparate businesses are held together by their shared beliefs about the ethical purposes and responsibilities of business. These traits have also combined to allow them to successfully avoid the pitfalls of buyouts, asset stripping, public offerings and indebtedness. Not exactly an independent point of view but one that will surely provoke much curiosity.

      COPYRIGHT(2014) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

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