Published in 1969 by John Brooks, Business Adventures is a collection of 12 articles describing 12 unique stories from corporate America. Stories ranging from the microeconomic factors involved with Ford’s Edsel project to the macroeconomic factors of the British sterling devaluation that shook the world financial markets in the mid 1960s, John Brooks’ account of each gives us a vivid insight into a dozen fascinating situations.
Not only does Brooks’ keep the reader absorbed in each story with his journalistic writing but he also provides invaluable lessons from some of the most important figures of corporate America during the twentieth century. As noted by Adam Gopnik, some of the greatest financial journalists of our time, including Michael Lewis, derive their writing style from Brooks and his approach towards writing Business Adventures.
While this book undoubtedly deserves recognition based on its own merit, it has become more widely admired due to its publicized recommendation by Bill Gates who read Business Adventures after being sent a copy from his close friend Warren Buffett. Both men have praised John Brooks’ writing for its clarity and unique style and anyone interested in corporate and financial life in America should consider this a must read.