From Worst to First: Behind the Scenes of Continental's Remarkable Comeback |
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Author:
Gordon Bethune
By Wiley
Average Customer Rating:  
List Price: $27.95
Our Price: $12.88
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Product Description
The numerous anecdotes alone are worth the price of the book . . . most readers will find themselves asking why everyone doesn't run a business as preached by the chief executive of Continental Airlines.—The Washington Post Book World . . . in an age where managing seems increasingly complicated, some of Bethune's prescriptions are refreshingly straightforward.—Business Week From Worst to First outlines Gordon Bethune's triumphs . . . about the turnaround he's led at Continental, a perennial basket case that's become an industry darling.—The Atlanta Journal-Constitution From Worst to First is [Gordon Bethune's] story of Continental Airlines' turnaround under his command . . . The blueprint has worked . . . Fortune magazine named Continental the company that has 'raised its overall marks more than any other in the 1990s.'—The Seattle Post-Intelligencer All of Gordon Bethune's proceeds from this book will be donated to the We Care Trust, a nonprofit organization that assists Continental Airlines' employees and their families in times of need.
Amazon.com Review
What do you do if you're running the worst airline in the country,one that customers hate and that's been through Chapter 11 twice in the last 10 years? If you're lucky, you'll call Gordon Bethune. Before Bethune arrived, Continental had been ravaged by the likes of Frank Lorenzo and airline deregulation--it was considered the laughingstock of the airline industry in the United States. Under Bethune's leadership, Continental turned itself around to become one of the most respected and reliable airlines in the industry. From Worst to First describes how Bethune, with a lot of luck and the right combination of people, was able to transform Continental from an also-ran into an award-winning company. --Harry C. Edwards
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This amesome, 2008-08-02
great book, if you're in the airline biz it's simply a must read, best book written in this industry.
Top Notch, 2007-05-19
I had the pleasure of doing media relations for Continental in the early 2000s, including the years after 9/11. The Gordon Bethune in the book is the Gordon Bethune you meet in person: incredibly smart, driven, concerned about the people whose paychecks he signed, and satisfied with nothing less than the best. Great read. (I sound like a PR guy... But I mean it sincerely...)
Remarkable Turnaround, 2007-01-22
This is an enlightening book on how CEO Gordon Bethune, together with his team, engineered a remarkable turnaround of Continental Airlines in the mid-1990s and then steered Continental to be a very successful airline. With literary assistance from journalist Scott Huler, Continental Airlines Bethune describes how he transformed the near-bankrupt airline into one of the best companies in the industry. He outlined his four-part "Go Forward" plan for turning Continental airlines around, and offers critical advice to all business professionals. He uses numerous examples, as well as stories and anecdotes; to make his simple, yet profound points.T he challenges faced by Continental Airlines in 1994 are somewhat similar to those faced by many airlines worldwide in the past six years or so, when the industry was going through a rough patch. Many of these airlines need visionary and decisive leadership of Bethune's mould to turn the familiar red ink at the bottom line to black.
The book is well written in an easy to follow and understand manner which enables it to benefit anyone in any industry to gain insights into how to turnaround a loss making business with dysfunctional structures and demotivated people. I learnt a lot from the various examples provided which helped me to get his message across. I also enjoyed the various humorous stories which illustrates how badly Continental used to be mismanaged and how the situation was straightened out.
Although there was a fair amount of repetition which may annoy some people, I had no problem with it as it helped to reinforce the author's message. This book is absolutely invaluable for any manager or leader in any organization undergoing a turnaround process, regardless of size.
light on the details but interesting, 2006-12-17
Continental airlines was a major disaster in 1994. Gordon Bethune did a major turnaround of that company and unfortunately he does not tell us how he did it with the exception of cutting costs. He was so busy talking about how wonderful he was that he forgot to tell us how to turn the company around and not just the end results. It is still an interesting book for those who are interested in the airline industry but don't expect to get much out of it if you are looking for the story of continentals turnaround.
Great read for business people, 2005-12-16
I have been a loyal frequent flyer at Continental since the late 90's, and I have no idea the airlines was that terrible at the early 90's. As a frequent flyer, I admire Continental's plane is always cleaner than other airlines, and the flight attendant attitude is always friendly than others. After reading the book, I understand the reasons.
If you work at a company need to be turned around, this book is almost a top read. For management, there are some good ideas worth considering from reading this book.
This book can be condensed to 2/3. The last one third of the book is somewhat repeating what has been said at the beginning. Otherwise I will give it a 5 stars rating.
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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 387.706573
EAN: 9780471356523
ISBN: 0471356522
Label: Wiley
Manufacturer: Wiley
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 304
Publication Date: 1999-08-16
Publisher: Wiley
Studio: Wiley |
