Pioneers and Plodders: The American Entrepreneurial Spirit

Product Description An examination of business and the entrepreneurs who have created and built America into the most dominate industrial power in the world. From the Publisher PRESS RELEASE Entrepreneur Examines Lessons from Yesterday’s Winners, in new book “The history of America is largely a story of the interaction between employment and technology, with entrepreneurs playing the major role in creating companies, industries, and jobs,” says Bob Baron, Denver publisher, founder of a successful Fortune 500 company, and author of PIONEERS AND PLODDERS. The book details the history of four industries—steel, automobiles, electronics, and computers—that have not only created jobs but were central to major historical events that fundamentally changed America. Baron also advises readers to learn from the leaders of these industries. He advises those who want to maximize their career potential to find companies that have effective leaders, but not to ever count on working for one company for their entire career. PIONEERS AND PLODDERS examines major industrial leaders including Carnegie, Ford, Sarnoff, and Digital Equipment’s Ken Olsen. “Business predominately involves people: their selection, motivation, and leadership,” says Baron. “Readers will see that these entrepreneurs succeeded because of strong leadership. And by examining what they said and did, readers can apply the works of these great men to their own professional situations.” Baron’s career spans 40 years. He held positions in four major industries during their infancies–computers, semiconductor electronics, space, and communications—including as founder and president of Prime Computers, a Fortune 500 company, in the 1970s. “I was fortunate to start at a time of rapid change and innovation, when we were true pioneers,” he says. “There were no experts and anything was possible. My book has many examples of what became of start-up companies that thrived on innovation and change—and those that did just the opposite. But the world continues to change, technology changes, customers’ needs change, and unless companies can deal with change, they quickly become obsolete.” The book’s title was inspired by Henry Ford, who said, “There are two kinds of people in the world—those who pioneer and those who plod.” Baron, a true pioneer, is founder and publisher of the West’s largest independent book publisher, Fulcrum Publishing, now celebrating its 20th anniversary. “I hope PIONEERS AND PLODDERS teaches history’s invaluable lessons that are so applicable to today’s quickly changing business environment. The more readers understand about the past, the more they will be able to effectively deal with the present—and prepare for the future.” About the Author Robert C. Baron, the founder and chairman of Fulcrum Publishing, is a historian, scientist, and the author of or contributor to 25 books, including Pioneers and Plodders: The American Entrepreneurial Spirit.