Amazon.ca:Customer reviews: King of Capital: The Remarkable Rise, Fall, and Rise Again of Steve Schwarzman and Blackstone

Top positive review

4/5 - Well-narrated "list" of a several dozen deals. Lacks "juicy" details.

Reviewed in Canada on January 21, 2021

Super well-written book with great insights into the deal-making process of some
of the largest PE Shops.

One critique is that the book is super "factual" and kind of jumps around from Blackstone's deals to competitors, spitting out deal after deal. As such, it kind of feels dry after 300 pages.

I would have appreciated more insights into the life, thought process and struggles (mental, psychological, etc.) of some of these PE bosses. It instead felt like a well-narrated list of a several dozen deals.

Top critical review

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Christophe Jacques

Three Stars

Reviewed in Canada on February 26, 2018

Would have liked to know more about the man

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Annie

Gripping read and insightful

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 26, 2019

Verified Purchase

What a gripping read! The insight and journey from the 1980s to now was a trip down memory lane. The wealth and size of investments is repulsive and it seems success is measured by hard cash and nothing else. Nothing wrong with that but makes for a lack of interesting characters to be inspired by. That said, balls of steel are evident in times of crisis! Certainly demonstrated the zero tolerance to mediocrity in performance-a shame not more evident today in business.
The book is really well written, captivating and full of facts and quotes. I could read it again as there is so much to take in.

2 people found this helpful

DOPPLEGANGER

WORKMANLIKE

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 27, 2012

Verified Purchase

This journey through the world of buy-outs and private equity and in particular Blackstone and it's co-founder and longtime driving force Steve Schwarzman, is comprehensively told by the authors David Carey and John E Morris, both experienced financial journalists. It is a very complete account of virtually (if not all) of the deals, both successes and failures undertaken by Blackstone from its start in 1985 through to fairly recently, and it explains in understandable jargon all of the 'in's-and-out's' and technicalities of the Private Equity money making merry-go-round.

The book also strives to give a balanced view on the whole business, ethics and usefulness to society of Private Equity buccaneers from Knights on White Horses riding to save ailing businesses to bloodsuckers interested only in lining their own pockets with little or no regard for others. The reader is left to make his own mind up in this respect.

However, I found that, whilst "King Of Capital" was a well researched and compiled book that was instructive as well as informative, it was perhaps a tad short of instilling a sense into the reader of the 'passion' and cut and thrust that surely must be a involved in the wheeling and dealing of company take-overs and buy-outs. Steve Schwarzman is undoubtedly some hell of a good business man and deal-maker but by the end of the book I did not feel that I 'knew' the man - perhaps this enigmatic persona is what has kept him on top of the pile?

10 people found this helpful

Chefe Arariboia

The making of Blackstone

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 26, 2019

Verified Purchase

Insightful story about Blackstone and its main characters. Very enjoyable reading while very informative at the same time. It's author managed to provide a simple description of what are usually arcane transactions without taking any excitement out from the book.

One person found this helpful

Charlie

Brilliant

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 16, 2020

Verified Purchase

Really well written and thoroughly researched book into the making of M&A and the buyout firms. Really insightful and really enjoyed it.

One person found this helpful

Dragojevic Aleksandar

not very exciting

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 15, 2016

Verified Purchase

I got bored after a while.

One person found this helpful

Gordon Simmonds

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 21, 2016

Verified Purchase

Fabulous insight into an extraordinary organisation, and a visionary leader.

Oluyinka Kolawole

Four Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 1, 2015

Verified Purchase

very good read

Kindle Customer

A good follow on to Predators Ball

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 3, 2016

Verified Purchase

Great read, with a nice focus on the deals not the personal lives of the people. Will be looking for more from this author.

3 people found this helpful

Cliente Amazon

Great story, not that great storytelling

Reviewed in Brazil on April 14, 2019

Verified Purchase

Most books on the story of companies make this mistake. I bought this book seeking to undestande the King of Capital, Schwartzman, not the Capital, Blackstone. The book should have focused more on the characters and their struggle instead of the evolution of the company itself. I was seeking something more like Store of Everything, or even a third-person narrator Liar's Poker kind of storytelling, but it was far behind in that aspect of quality.

2 people found this helpful

Kindle Customer

Fascinating peek into private equity

Reviewed in India on September 23, 2018

Verified Purchase

The author manages significant corporate access to get the stories, emotions and nuances behind key deals that shaped Blackstone. The deals weave together to paint a picture of evolution of the industry from the heady LBO era to post crisis era. Emphasis on human element make it a captivating read.

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King of Capital: The Remarkable Rise, Fall, and Rise Again of Steve Schwarzman and Blackstone

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