Play Audiobook Sample
The Company: A Short History of a Revolutionary Idea Audiobook
Play Audiobook Sample
(3.06) - 163 listener ratings
Quick Stats About this Audiobook
Total Audiobook Chapters:
Longest Chapter Length:
Shortest Chapter Length:
Average Chapter Length:
Audiobooks by this Author:
Publisher Description
In The Company, the largely unknown history of the joint-stock company is presented by the editors of Economist. One of history's greatest catalysts, the joint-stock company has dramatically changed the way human beings live, work, and conduct business. With companies now affecting the world on a global scale, it is more pressing than ever before to understand this driving force. A concise and entertaining Modern Library Classic, The Company is a fascinating listen with a reading from narrator Jonathan Davis.
Download and start listening now!
"Fascinating from an anthropological perspective...how much of what we take for granted in our culture is based on corporate history. I also appreciate that the authors presented the company as neither demon nor savior. "
— Bernadine (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
-
“A swashbuckling journey through the past and into the future of the modern company.”
— Los Angeles Times -
“A highly readable history that manages to be both brief and magisterial.”
— Washington Post -
“An entertaining microhistory of an institution that surrounds us everyday, yet about which we know surprisingly little…[The authors] make the case that out standard of living had greatly benefited because of this institution.”
— USA Today -
“The authors’ breadth of knowledge is impressive. They infuse their engaging prose with a wide range of cultural, historical and literary references, with quotes from poets to presidents.”
— Publishers Weekly
The Company Listener Reviews
-
" Breaking bread ... what a wonderful idea. "
— Nat, 11/3/2013 -
" Good basic information. Needs supplementary works for the serious reader. "
— Thomas, 7/15/2013 -
" A good book about the history of the company: how it came into begin and its purpose "
— Chris, 6/23/2013 -
" Interesting perspective with some nice historical data to put things to the right scale. "
— Void, 6/13/2013 -
" A should-read book on middle management for knowledge workers, managers, executives, and entrepreneurs. "
— Lori, 1/20/2013 -
" A beautifully written (as non-fiction books go), well-argued history and defense of the joint-stock company (corporations). "
— Evan, 12/4/2012 -
" Mildly interesting history told from deep within a laissez faire capitalist ideological perspective. "
— JuliAnna, 11/8/2012 -
" Excellent brief history of the limited liability corporation, and a very interesting intro to the critical role that the corporation has played in western history. "
— Mark, 10/8/2012 -
" Fascinating from an anthropological perspective...how much of what we take for granted in our culture is based on corporate history. I also appreciate that the authors presented the company as neither demon nor savior. "
— Bernadine, 8/4/2012 -
" One of those books that perfectly fills a niche. This a very interesting and very readable short history of the joint-stock company. "
— Jeff, 7/28/2012 -
" Great coverage of a shockingly unrepresented historical movement. Everything from the Virginia company which developed America itself to Microsoft! "
— Antonia, 12/10/2011 -
" Excellent brief history of the limited liability corporation, and a very interesting intro to the critical role that the corporation has played in western history. "
— Mark, 1/13/2011 -
" A good book about the history of the company: how it came into begin and its purpose "
— Chris, 8/7/2010 -
" One of those books that perfectly fills a niche. This a very interesting and very readable short history of the joint-stock company. "
— Jeff, 1/10/2009 -
" Mildly interesting history told from deep within a laissez faire capitalist ideological perspective. "
— JuliAnna, 7/15/2008 -
" Good basic information. Needs supplementary works for the serious reader. "
— Thomas, 5/24/2008 -
" Breaking bread ... what a wonderful idea. "
— Nat, 1/4/2008 -
" Great coverage of a shockingly unrepresented historical movement. Everything from the Virginia company which developed America itself to Microsoft! "
— Antonia, 12/22/2007 -
" The book I started with when I decided to learn more about business and how it works. Fairly interesting, moreso if you don't know anything about business history... <br/> <br/>Definitely a subject worthy of the Modern Library Chronicles series... "
— Patrick, 7/22/2007 -
" A beautifully written (as non-fiction books go), well-argued history and defense of the joint-stock company (corporations). "
— Evan, 6/10/2007
About the Authors
Adrian Wooldridge was educated at Oxford and went on to work for The Economist as West Coast correspondent, social-policy correspondent, and management editor, and is currently Washington, DC, correspondent. Together with John Micklethwait, he has co-authored several books, including The Witch Doctors, A Future Perfect: The Challenge and Hidden Promise of Globalisation, and The Company: A Short History of a Revolutionary Idea.
John Micklethwait is the editor-in-chief of The Economist. After studying history at Magdalen College, Oxford, he worked as a banker at Chase Manhattan between 1985 and 1987 before joining The Economist as a finance correspondent in 1987. Micklethwait has appeared on radio and television around the world, and co-authored with Adrian Wooldridge several books, including The Witch Doctors, A Future Perfect, The Company, The Right Nation, and God is Back. He was named Editors’ Editor by the British Society of Magazine Editors in 2010. He is a trustee of the British Museum.
About Jonathan Davis
Jonathan Davis has been inducted into the Audible Narrator Hall of Fame. A three-time recipient and fourteen-time nominee of the Audie Award, he has earned accolades for his narration from the New York Times, Publishers Weekly, the American Library Association, Booklist, the Audio Publishers Association, AudioFile magazine, and USA Today. He has narrated a variety of bestsellers and award-winners for top publishing houses. He also narrated over forty titles of the Star Wars franchise for Lucasfilm Ltd./PRH Audio, including several iconic movie tie-ins, has participated with Star Wars Celebration, and has built a significant fan base. His work as a narrator includes films and programming for National Geographic Television, NOVA, PBS, VH1, and Francis Ford Coppola. He grew up in Puerto Rico and speaks Spanish, Portuguese, and Hebrew.