Author Description

"An intriguing collection of insider information on little known aspects of commonly used business techniques, instruments, policies, and personalities that influenced the rise of the world's most successful business system. Like any other specialized field of endeavor, the world of business in the United States has a language all its own. Understanding those terms and names (idioms and acronyms, companies and institutions, famous figures and events, techniques and policies) is key to grasping both the historical sweep and the current moment of American enterprise. Bulls, Bears, Boom, and Bust: A Historical Encyclopedia of American Business Concepts translates the language of business in an engaging, compelling way. From mercantilism to microchips, indentured servants to venture capitalists, William Penn to Bill Gates, this one-of-a-kind lexicon provides general readers with an accessible introduction to the vernacular of the American business community, while providing business professionals with a handy resource for quick authoritative answers. Divided into five chronological sections, Bulls, Bears, Boom, and Bust ranges from colonial times to the present, charting the dramatic history of business innovations and institutions in the United States. It contains over 200 topical entries that define business-related terms and explain their relevance to American business and economic history. In addition, each section provides information about the people behind the signature developments in American business (innovative thinkers and entrepreneurs, namesakes of familiar companies, key political figures)."--Publisher's website. This book includes over 200 entries in five chronological sections, which translates the language of business. It offers an informative compilation of facts about the techniques, instruments, policies, and personalities that influenced the rise of the world's most successful business system. It also offers over 150 biographical entries, a virtual Who's Who of inventors, entrepreneurs, and business innovators.--[book cover].