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The Fish That Ate the Whale
- The Life and Times of America's Banana King
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 9 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Release date: 08-01-12
- Language: English
- Publisher: Dreamscape Media, LLC
- Whispersync for Voice-ready
Regular price: $34.99
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Ken Langone has seen it all on his way to a net worth beyond his wildest dreams. A pillar of corporate America for decades, he's a co-founder of Home Depot, a former director of the New York Stock Exchange, and a world-class philanthropist (including $200 million for NYU's Langone Health). In this memoir he finally tells the story of his unlikely rise and controversial career. It's also a passionate defense of the American Dream - of preserving a country in which any hungry kid can reach the maximum potential of his or her talents and work ethic.
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Drawn from a series of deeply revealing conversations with coauthor Steve Jamison, The Score Takes Care of Itself offers Walsh's best leadership principles illustrated by anecdotes from his entire career. Additional insights and perspective are provided by his son Craig Walsh. The book will delight football fans and guide the vast business audience eager to learn how Bill Walsh motivated individuals and crafted winning teams.
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Publisher's Summary
When Samuel Zemurray arrived in America in 1891, he was tall, gangly, and penniless. When he died in the grandest house in New Orleans 69 years later, he was among the richest, most powerful men in the world. In between, he worked as a fruit peddler, banana hauler, dockside hustler, and plantation owner. He battled and conquered the United Fruit Company, becoming a symbol of the best and worst of the United States: proof America is the land of opportunity, but also a classic example of the corporate pirate who treats foreign nations as the backdrop for his adventures. Starting with nothing but a cart of freckled bananas, he built a sprawling empire of banana cowboys, mercenary soldiers, Honduran peasants, CIA agents, and American statesmen.
Critic Reviews
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Overall
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4.5 out of 5 stars
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5 Stars631
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4.5 out of 5 stars
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5 Stars590
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4 Stars159
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3 Stars38
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5 Stars581
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4 Stars158
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- mikemccann3
- 08-11-17
Incredible story about the banana man
The story of Sam Zemurray was fascinating. I had no idea who he was until I heard about this book when it was recommended to me. Amazing tale of how he got started, his hustle, his demise, and the entire build up of the banana industry.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Love To Learn
- 07-12-17
Epic
Amazing story and author. Combines a Hollywood story with inspiring business lessons and interesting history.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Alison Willette
- 07-10-17
a whale of a story
one of the best agricultural history books I have listened to. I'm glad that the author didn't try to make Zamarie out to be a hero. he did a great job of being able to show both sides of the coin. the narrator was clear and took good pauses. I was surprised buy how interesting the narrator was able to make this book. I probably could have sat all the way through it in one sitting if I'd had the time. It was that good.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Sean
- 06-13-16
Fun business and history.
Fun mix of business and history. The author treats the history with truth and humor. He presents all the information well and explains any biases he may have. Who knew a banana company could have such a torrid background?
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Justin & Lindsay
- 06-09-16
Great lessons in this book
What a great book with so many hidden lessons I recommend it for sure thanks
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- danielle johnson
- 01-18-19
I just thought they were bananas.
One of the most interesting books I've listened to. Excellent and have recommended it numerous times. You should get this book!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- pete
- 01-11-19
The banana man .. an extinct breed
Incredible biography of a great and understood human being. Provocative about the man’s life, the Cold War, WW2 and the Jew struggle, CIA and Central America.
Loved it
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- tobymugg
- 12-22-18
Disappointing.
While Robertson Dean is a fabulous narrator, this book is written so erratically that you can't follow the story. Then you realize you are following it just fine; it's that there is no story to follow. The author jumps all over the place, summarizes then conjectures, then explained, now backtracks. (Note the mid-sentence tense change? Annoying, right?)
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jean
- 10-29-18
Our history at its worst/best
This book helps us understand certain things that happens in today's market. Be bold/courageous/compassionate all at once.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Matt Harder
- 10-19-18
a mini-epic
it starts as the bio of a business magnate and becomes a dream-like, sprawling epic.