The Greatest Capitalist Who Ever Lived: Tom Watson Jr. and the Epic Story of How IBM Created the Digital Age Hardcover – October 24, 2023

Fantastic book. Thorough and very well written. This should be mandatory reading for businesspeople, engineers, and anyone facing high-stakes, critical decisions in times of uncertainty.The book explores the people behind the origins and eventual success of IBM, focusing particularly on Tom Watson Jr., but also covers his father, TJ Watson, their families, and the many people around them. The authors focused heavily on the personalities and relationships involved, and often the personal tolls that the participants paid. Some of the stories are gut-wrenching, yet inspiring for those of us facing difficult decisions.The book covers the early days of electromechnical computers all the way through modern mainframes and personal computers. While the authors focus primarily on the people involved, they do an excellent job of explaining technical intricacies, particularly during the development of the System/360. Even as an experienced computer scientist and engineer, I was surprised to learn that much of what my field takes for granted (i.e. the use of microcode for interoperability, and the fundamentals of system compatibility) came straight from the trailblazing, high-risk work behind the System/360.The book also covers the role of IBM’s products and leadership in times of war, and eventually the role Tom Watson Jr. played as a diplomat. The Watsons and IBM left enduring legacies in computing, business, politics, and education.This book is informative, captivating, and an excellent testament to a remarkable leader and the company he and his family created.

A very detailed description of the lives of T.J. Watson Sr and Jr and how they built IBM into the major power in data processing. Watson Sr understood how important a happy and enthusiastic sales force was in growing the company. Watson Jr saw the need to move on from punched card tabulating equipment to electronic computers. This a book that all former IBMs should read about their company's history.

This is a terrific book. It provides unique insights into IBM and the family dynamics that drove it for a quarter of a century. Definitely worth reading.A few thoughts, none of which take away from this excellent book.1. Thomas J. Watson was responsible for IBMs pivot from a company making electromechanical office equipment into digital computing. As the book makes clear, this wasn’t due to his technical acumen, but rather insight of where the business needed to go. He made the big business bets better than any of his competitors. All kudos and credit to him.2. The book can be read at face value as a great narrative of Watson jrs career or it can be read on another level as the story of an executive who made a series of extremely good bets and then got over his head in trying to manage a complex technology empire while treating a public company as his family’s property.3. Watsons attempt to anoint his brother Dick as his successor blinded him to Dick’s (and his own) lack of management skills and technical expertise for a project as complex as System/360. The book made it clear that Dick’s lack of engineering or manufacturing experience made him the last person you would put in charge of the development of one of the most complex projects of the 20th century. Dick got the job simply because his brother was CEO.4. One possible interpretation of the subtext and references to Dick’s drinking and outbursts (and later emotional collapse) was that Dick was an alcoholic.5. The book sets up Vincent Learson as Dick Watson’s evil adversary and Watsons barely tolerated but necessary executive. In fact, the text and footnotes can be read a very different way. Learson was not only a world-class sales executive, but the only senior executive who understood the technology and manufacturing. (Bob Evans the head of the System/360 project said of Learson, “He was an excellent “Mr. Inside.” He knew the business, had all the correct instincts, and was a driving leader who knew how to delegate. He was both feared and respected and had a basic integrity.”)6. The two brothers, neither of whom understood hardware, software or manufacturing were working through their dysfunctional family dynamics while IBM was cratering trying to manage system/360 development and deployment. It’s unfortunate (but not unexpected as it was written by a family member) that the book demonized Learson without much introspection about Dick Watson’s competence. The evidence and oral histories of others seems to point to someone who wasn’t qualified for the job.7. When the System/360 project was spiraling into the ground Watson removed his brother Dick from running engineering and manufacturing and turned to Learson to get the 360 systems delivered. Learson brought in in four senior engineering managers (Henry Cooley, Clarence Frizzell, John Gibson, and John Haanstra) and fixed the problems.8. While Learson became president in 1966, in hindsight he should have been the CEO in 1965 with Watson moved up to chairman. (With five years of less day-to-day stress Watson might have avoided his heart attack.)9. Finally, what this book and others seem to miss is that while the Watsons treated IBM like it was the family business, when in fact IBM was a public company. T.J. Watson senior never owned more than 5 percent of IBM, and his son much less. There were 10’s of thousands of shareholders and a board of directors in theory managing for their interests. While the returns were spectacular under both Watson's, CEOs of public companies are not hereditary positions.Again, this is a great book and a worthwhile read.

A fascinating bio covering WW 2, the computer age- including the biggest bet in history by a private company - the Cold War and relations with the Soviet Union. Tom was Zelig-like appearing in key moments and places in the 20th Century. It’s a readable bio, tech history, and Cold War and WW 2 history wrapped in one. The delivery, and mapping of the route to deliver planes by he and Gen Bradley was crucial to victory over the Nazi’s. Description of flying and being inMoscow during the War, meeting everyone from Churchill to later Chennault in China is of interest too.

Best book on the subject that I have read.

A complex and fascinating history of IBM. Very well-written.

T Watson Jr, was truly a leader of a company that contributed so muchTo the technology that we take for granted today. He managed to overcome insurmountable personal and business odds to make IBM one of the greatest companies of the 20th century.

I do not order nor read books as a rule but this one got my attention. I am into page 100 and have enjoyed the detail and writing style of the author. I worked with IBM computers and IBM personnel as a manager running a large scale computer installation and now am beginning to understand what drove the early culture. Great read!