The Mind of the C.E.O.

"Suppose you had a chance to travel around the world and speak to dozens of the most successful business leaders, one on one," relates author Garten in his introduction. As dean of the Yale University School of Management, the opportunity mentioned above was one that Garten was well poised to seize. The resulting book is an insightful distillation of thoughts on leadership voiced by 40 heavy-hitter corporate heads, from Michael Dell to George Soros to Jack Welch. As a former U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce as well as a former corporate managing director, Garten seems to have been ideally equipped to ask questions that, collectively, shed light on corporate existence and its role in society.