Perfect Enough: Carly Fiorina and the Reinvention of Hewlett-Packard

by George Anders

In this bestselling work of investigative journalism, Pulitzer Prize winner George Anders presents a behind-the-scenes account of a struggle that rocked Wall Street and stunned the computer industry.

When Carly Fiorina took command of Hewlett-Packard in 1999, she was venturing further than any woman previously had into traditional men’s territory. Leading the opposition against her daring plan to rescue the $40 billion-dollar company from decline—which included the $20 billion acquisition of archrival Compaq—was Walter Hewlett, son of HP’s late co-founder and defender of “The HP Way.” Not since Wall Street operatives battled over the fate of RJR Nabisco had a takeover drama so captivated the media and the public.

Drawing on unparalleled access to HP insiders and written with a novelist’s flair, Perfect Enough is a spellbinding chronicle of hope, ambition, betrayal, and family pride.

Genres: Business, Nonfiction, Biography

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 27, 2003

Reviews

[Darryl Updegrove]

I'd almost say this book was mistitled. I'd have called it the reinvention of HP. It felt like more than half of the book was focused on the other players besides Carly Fiorina, and although she obviously led the charge, I can't say that by the end of the book that I really knew her.

Of course, as one would say, there is the rest of the story. Written in the midst of her 6 years as CEO of HP, one gets the sense she was just coming into her stride, yet the reality is she was roughly half way to being removed as CEO by the board. It would be great to have the sequel book about the remaining time there, what went well, and what did not.

[Van]

This book fell like a book of gossip. As a ex-HPer, I loved the HP-Way, yet Carly Fiorina's charm wasn't enough to run a legendary company. She complained, threatened, intimated others until she gets what she wanted, sign of a bully leader.

[Lori Grant]

A should-read biograpy on leadership for knowledge workers, managers, directors, C-levels, and entrepreneurs.

[Devin Partlow]

Is this really about Carly Florina or is it about the acquisition of Compaq and what it meant for the "HP Way"???

Me thinks the latter