Tough Choices
A Memoir
by Carly Fiorina


(Click for Amazon book review)

BOOK REVIEW by OnTheIssues.org:

Carly Fiorina is running for president, but this was her only autobiography at the time she announced (she released a new book, "Rising to the Challenge", on her announcement date of May 5, 2015). So even though this is a business book, we read it as a political book, looking for insight into Carly's political philosophy or aspects of her personal background that might illuminate her presidential run. Alas, this really is a business book -- she certainly did not plan to run for president at the time it was written (2007). But we hoped that she would include some politics, since she WAS planning at that time to run for Senate (Fiorina was the Republican nominee for Senate in 2010 against Barbara Boxer; Carly won the primary easily, but lost the general election 52% to 42%).

We can't say this is a particularly interesting business book -- Carly is way too obsessed with having been labeled a "top woman CEO" as opposed to a "top CEO." That theme so dominates her rise to top leadership that it overshadows just about everything else that she might say. We did manage to cull out SOME politically relevant material -- but mostly we culled out Carly's business philosophy instead of her political philosophy. We found ourselves making a list of "Carly's Rules for Business Leadership" -- which SHE did not do in this book, but SHOULD have! -- which we attempt to encapsulate in a dozen one-liners. We include the page references so that perhaps Carly can make up a more formal write-up herself:

-- Jesse Gordon, jesse@OnTheIssues.org, June 2015

OnTheIssues.org excerpts:  (click on issues for details)

Civil Rights     Carly Fiorina: 1976: Worked with monogamous gay couples in college.     Carly Fiorina: Hired by AT&T after court ordered them to promote more women.

Corporations     Carly Fiorina: Favorite business author: philosopher Friedrich Hegel.     Carly Fiorina: If things are working, people don't need a leader's help.     Carly Fiorina: Change takes a critical mass, not 100% support.     Carly Fiorina: Employees, customers, shareholders, public: all one audience.     Carly Fiorina: Named "Most Powerful Businesswoman", but lists are bad idea.     Carly Fiorina: Strike balance between preservation and reinvention.     Carly Fiorina: Leaders are made, not born: so develop them.

Education     Carly Fiorina: Education crisis:we're behind on teaching skills & character.     Carly Fiorina: Dropped out of UCLA Law School at age 22.     Carly Fiorina: To truly understand something, explain it to someone else.

Families & Children     Carly Fiorina: Marriage no longer worked after she became husband's peer.

Foreign Policy     Carly Fiorina: Attended grade school in U.S., England, and Africa.     Carly Fiorina: In Africa, experienced being only white person in the room.     Carly Fiorina: 1977: Taught English to Italian businessmen in Bologna.     Carly Fiorina: Traveled extensively to learn international opportunities.

Government Reform     Carly Fiorina: In a complex organization, change takes time.     Carly Fiorina: Change is not bad; change is necessary.

Principles & Values     Carly Fiorina: Great leaders inspire others to do it themselves.     Carly Fiorina: We need purpose to motivate us & confidence to move forward.

Technology     Carly Fiorina: Simplify complexity so people can understand & deal with it.

Click for quotations from other sources by: Carly Fiorina