jjares reviewed Henry Ford: A Life From Beginning to End (Biographies of Business Leaders) on + 3270 more book reviews
In Henry Ford's early teens, his father gave him a pocket watch; by the time he was 15, he was disassembling and putting back timepieces together in minutes. His friends and neighbors thought he was a watch repairer. When his mother died (he was about 16 then), Henry decided he didn't want farm work and went to Detroit to apprentice as a machinist. In 3 years, he learned all he could and returned to the farm.
Henry was adept at keeping all the farm equipment working. Eventually, Henry was hired by Westinghouse to service their steam engines. At night, he studied bookkeeping. I was not aware that Henry and Clara only had one child, Edsel.
Henry was a man of his time; never give up. He closed his first company, walked away from his second (which was changed to the Cadillac Automobile Co.), and opened a third (Ford & Malcomson, Ltd.). Early models were built for the wealthy; the average man had no way to afford such complicated machinery. Ford did not invent the car; he perfected the assembly line to construct it. This reduced the cost of the autos over time. Ford specialized in building autos the average man could afford. His designs also improved farming equipment.
This book talks about two things Henry Ford did not like: Labor unions and Jews. Eventually, he made peace with the labor unions. When Henry found out that the information he was using to write damaging things about Jews was false, he was mortified. I did not know Edsel Ford died of stomach cancer in 1943, putting Henry back in the driver's seat until the end of the war.
Henry shared his wealth by doubling the daily wage of his workers and adding things like cafeterias and profit-sharing (unheard of at that time). Henry Ford, through his actions, moved the working class into the middle class.
Henry was adept at keeping all the farm equipment working. Eventually, Henry was hired by Westinghouse to service their steam engines. At night, he studied bookkeeping. I was not aware that Henry and Clara only had one child, Edsel.
Henry was a man of his time; never give up. He closed his first company, walked away from his second (which was changed to the Cadillac Automobile Co.), and opened a third (Ford & Malcomson, Ltd.). Early models were built for the wealthy; the average man had no way to afford such complicated machinery. Ford did not invent the car; he perfected the assembly line to construct it. This reduced the cost of the autos over time. Ford specialized in building autos the average man could afford. His designs also improved farming equipment.
This book talks about two things Henry Ford did not like: Labor unions and Jews. Eventually, he made peace with the labor unions. When Henry found out that the information he was using to write damaging things about Jews was false, he was mortified. I did not know Edsel Ford died of stomach cancer in 1943, putting Henry back in the driver's seat until the end of the war.
Henry shared his wealth by doubling the daily wage of his workers and adding things like cafeterias and profit-sharing (unheard of at that time). Henry Ford, through his actions, moved the working class into the middle class.
