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Before I started reading this (and got sidetracked by accidentally leaving it on board a plane - better that than my iPod…), I referred to it as a good corporate soap opera. There’s some of that in there. It’s also a story about a woman in business, and I think it’s always important, and interesting, to hear the story.

Carly talks about her life from her upbringing, through college, here entrance into the business world, work at AT&T, Lucent, all the way through to her now-famous work as CEO for HP. It is fascinating and awesome to see what the life of a CEO is like, and Carly, in telling her story, talks about the responsibility and rigor that comes with that. She talks about the times that she was seen as cold and driven - “Chainsaw Carly” was one moniker. At the same time, she talks about having a clear focus and direction for the company and doing the things (I think) that any CEO, male or female, should do to support the organization’s investors and employees. Maybe it’s possible that she had some opportunities to reflect a human touch during her tenure. What’s right? There were times when she assented to courses of action that she didn’t agree with to maintain harmony.

The latter portion of the book is consumed with the end of her career as a result of her firing by the Board. I actually saw this as relief (for her) rather than a bad thing. It would be a mistake, I think by anyone’s account, to say that the Board is/was functional or carried itself with appropriate safeguards for the people it serves.

It seems to me that Carly is better off and will continue to do great things for society. This is one thing I appreciate - she stated many times that the purpose of a corporation is to make a difference in the world.

I think this is the most unfortunate part - at some level this is an $80 billion dollar company that a lot (a lot) of people depend on for their work, their life, their livelihood. It’s there to make a difference in the world.

The other thing I appreciate about her is that she’s living in Washington, DC, Georgetown to be specific. Two snaps for that. I hope one day I’ll run into her in the Puma Store on Wisconsin…

(Click here to get it now on Amazon)