What We’re Reading: Bad Business and the Anti-Bonds

Car Guys Vs. Bean Counters: The Battle for the Soul of American Business By Bob Lutz Business is metaphysical. It begins with a vision of something that exists in the soul but not yet in the world. This is followed by love and an overwhelming passion that embraces the vision, is driven by it, and transforms it from the transcendent to the imminent, a piece of the earth. It then creates ritual, the repetitive acts that must be performed in order to flood the world with the vision. As the ritual takes hold, men and women are brought in to perform the rituals that will enrich the world. Finally, there is wealth, the reward for having the vision and the love, and being faithful to that ritual. But the metaphysical is a harsh master. The vision cannot be contrived, the love cannot be feigned, the rituals must be rigorously followed, and the rewards must flow to all who serve the rituals. Bob Lutz served as vice chairman of General Motors and Chrysler and as a board member of Ford. He was a car guy and he wrote a book a while ago called “Car Guys vs. Bean Counters: The Battle […]