Uncommon Friends: Life with Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Harvey Firestone, Alexis Carrel and Charles Lindbergh

See Larger Image	Manufacturer: Harcourt Written By: James Newton Average Customer Rating:


Binding: Hardcover EAN: 9780151927531 ISBN: 0151927537 Label: Harcourt Manufacturer: Harcourt Number Of Items: 1 Number Of Pages: 368 Publication Date: 1987-05 Publisher: Harcourt Studio: Harcourt
Related Items Edison: A Life of Invention The Wizard of Menlo Park: How Thomas Alva Edison Invented the Modern World My Life and Work - An Autobiography of Henry Ford The People's Tycoon: Henry Ford and the American Century At Work With Thomas Edison
Spotlight customer reviews: Customer Rating: Summary: A lesson of commitment and ethics Comment: I met Mr. James Newton and his wife Ellie, almost twenty five years ago in his Fort Myers real estate office. Jim was in the process of finishing the manuscript for this outstanding book in which he shares many life changing moments with his five unusual friends. Jim delightfully reminds us of his firsthand experiences with them. Throughout the book, he gives us a clear understanding of how these historical icon friends impacted his life. Each of them, 'The Uncommon Friends,' had high standards of personal and business ethics. Reading the book is a flash back in American history. You may have heard some of these stories previously. But they were secondhand. Now you can read in his book as Mr. Newton relates many of these firsthand, intimate moments with Edison, Ford, Firestone, Lindbergh and Carrel. I recommend the book! My only regret is waiting so long to acquire the it. Customer Rating: Summary: 20th Century Giants with Character Comment: At a time when so many of the larger-than-life success stories of our age are caughtg up with greed, even scandal, it is wonderfully refreshing to read about some truly inspiring, authentic geniuses of the 20th century who had values as well as vision and drive. To read about great capitalists who also had heart and valued friends and family and truly wanted to make things better for people, all people, and to vicariously almost enter into their circle of friendships is a real treat. Customer Rating: Summary: Very Interesting. Comment: What a lucky man, to have lived and shared the time he did, with those incredible people. Mr. Newton tells it like he lived it, you get the distinct impression, from reading this book, that Mr. Newton saw these men as both great leaders and great men. It is impressive today to be able to get a cross section of turn of the century greatness, all rolled up in one place. Interestingly enough, Mr. Newton has a strong sense of faith that worked it's way into all of these relationships, yet he incorporates it into the text with minimal overtones. I would recommend this book to anyone, like me, that only has a passing knowledge of these people and their times, it helped to color these people in as human. Customer Rating: Summary: Fascinating & stimulating Comment: This book gives insight in many discussions on business, theology and philosophy among five extraordinary people. But I find it regrettable that the belief of Edison, Ford & Lindbergh in reincarnation is rather superficially worked out. Perhaps because of the religious stance of his wife and the author. I deem it also regrettable that no mention is made of the membership of Edison of the Theosophical Society while it is obvious he was much inspired by the books of Blavatsky. Apart from a few inaccuracies (on p. 10: Edison is attributed to have received as a gift every new car that ran from the Ford assembly line, among which the first V8. But the V8 was introduced after the demise of this great inventor, p. 100) I find this book very readable and stimulating. Customer Rating: Summary: A Truly Fascinating Book on the Lives of a Five Twentieth Ce Comment: This book originally caught my eye as an addition to another book I read called Edison: A Life of Invention by Paul Israel. I wanted a book that would cover a little more of Edison's personal life, and this book did just that. However, James Newton's close, dedicated friendships with all of these great men of the twentieth century is truly amazing, and I learned more than I would probably learn otherwise about some of these important historical figures. The entire book is fascinating, and surely different parts will appeal to different readers. I was particularly enchanted with a poignant description of how Charles Lindbergh handled dying as he lay on his deathbed. I was also fascinated with how environmentally conscientious some of these men were, particularly Edison and Lindbergh, but also Ford. For example, Ford was very interested in making automobile parts out of soybeans in order to reduce the need for metal parts. It seems that all of these men had numerous ideas and ideas for inventions that were way ahead of their time - perhaps some of them still are. Newton's writing is quite good, and I only have one very minor criticism: it seems that he preaches a little bit and dwells on the religious facet of his relationships with these people. Of course, I'm sure this was a very important part of his relationship with these men and their families, but it seems that there is a grand, overarching agenda he has in constantly illustrating their connection to God and religion. If you are interested in any of these historical figures and their fascinating relationships with each other, this book is definitely the best book you will find on the subject. More Reviews