I loved Brett's comment, primarily because it was so over the top, and I had just recommended the book to someone else when I went looking for a reference on the web. We clearly don't agree.
I've been doing English as Second (actually Fourth) Language with an Afghani friend, and we're reading this aloud. I found it an interesting biography, if clearly an idealized view, but that's not uncommon for an autobiography. It's a nice demonstration of the benefit of hard work and willingness to see and seize opportunities as they arise. Mr. Bok was a clever young man who made his fortune.
The vocabulary and sentence structure is much richer than is common today, so it suits our purposes well -- building vocabulary, skill in reading, and exposure to well written presentation of ideas.
In addition to being well written, the book provides exposure to the basic values that lead to success in business in this country.
It may not be for everyone, but I'm enjoying it as much the second time (being read by the student) as I did when I read it myself.
Recent comments: User reviews
I've been doing English as Second (actually Fourth) Language with an Afghani friend, and we're reading this aloud. I found it an interesting biography, if clearly an idealized view, but that's not uncommon for an autobiography. It's a nice demonstration of the benefit of hard work and willingness to see and seize opportunities as they arise. Mr. Bok was a clever young man who made his fortune.
The vocabulary and sentence structure is much richer than is common today, so it suits our purposes well -- building vocabulary, skill in reading, and exposure to well written presentation of ideas.
In addition to being well written, the book provides exposure to the basic values that lead to success in business in this country.
It may not be for everyone, but I'm enjoying it as much the second time (being read by the student) as I did when I read it myself.