The Rise and Fall of the House of Barneys: A Family Tale of Chutzpah, Glory, and Greed

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The history of Barneys is the history of America itself in the 20th century. Barney Pressman was a hard-working nobody who sold mostly second-hand clothing in a nowhere neighborhood in Manhattan. From those humble beginnings rose a store that became famous for the sheer volume of its suits, and the discount prices for which they were sold. But Barney Pressman's son, Fred, had a different vision. He wanted his store to be more upscale, even if it couldn't be uptown, like Bloomingdale's. He pulled that off, but his sons--Barney's grandsons--wanted even more. They envisioned a plush uptown store, franchised around the world, with no expenses spared. And so they spent $267 million on their Madison Avenue store--$600,000 alone for a hand-assembled marble-chip floor--sinking the three-generation family business in a mere 10 years.

Levine shapes this story less as a tragedy than a lesson in hubris--and in business. All of Barney and Fred Pressman's business savvy corrupted into snobbery when Fred's sons took over. Barneys became "too New Yorky for most New Yorkers." There's an old saying that no one goes broke underestimating the taste of Americans. The converse is that fortunes are easily lost going the opposite direction. Barneys may be the most fascinating proof of that adage in American history. --Lou Schuler

Book Description

This is a rags to riches to rags story.

It took three generations to build Barneys into the world's most fabulous clothing store--and less than a decade to tear it down. This fascinating book is at once a family saga, a cautionary business tale, and a riveting, superbly detailed behind-the-scenes account of how a secondhand store founded on pluck and chutzpah grew into a glittering international retail empire, only to founder on greed and hubris.

It is a tragicomedy of truly Greek proportions, featuring a full cast of larger-than-life heroes and villains and fools, spun in dramatic, novelistic style, and written in evocative prose by a distinguished editor at Forbes. Patriarch Barney Pressman started small in 1923, but within two decades he was selling more suits than anyone in the world. By the time his son, Fred, took over in the 1960s, Barneys was a thriving institution, and Boys Town at Barneys was the site of every New York boy's clothing rite of passage. But Fred had loftier ambitions; he was never comfortable with the crass discounter image. He staked the family fortune on European fabrics and design, wound up transforming the entire world of men's fashion, and made a killing along the way.

But it was Fred's sons, Gene and Bob, who really wanted it all--not just a store but a grandiose temple of ultimate chic. Instead, through extravagance, flamboyance, greed, and an arrogant disregard for sound business principles, they raced heedlessly into one of the most spectacular business flameouts in retail history.

A tasty mix of high fashion, high finance, and overweening family ambition, The Rise and Fall of the House of Barneys is a book every bit as stylish and well tailored as any suit the Pressman dynasty ever sold.

This is a rags to riches to rags story.

Customer Reviews:

How the third generation Pressmans blew their fortune........2006-11-05

This is a typical story of a rich family running the family business into the ground. Barney and Fred Pressman spent their entire lives building up their suit store. They spent all their hours nurturing this business and they turn it over to their two sons and two daughters. The grand children have grand plans of expanding the store nationwide along with opening a megastore on Madison Avenue. Cost overruns, and the market result in doing in the business. They took a Japanese outfit along for the ride causing them to lose several hundred million dollars.

Levine does a good job of detailing the rise and fall of this retail empire. Barneys did a lot for mens fashions. However arrogant and greedy grandchildren caused the fall of this store. Family owned businesses should read this story for the caution it may give to family members.

Should be read by anyone with a FAMILY business.......2001-07-20

Don't be put off by what may appear to be a look at one business and one family's way of doing business. This book actually explores far deeper subjects and questions such as : Why is it that so many successful family businesses fail when passed on to heirs? Why do so many solid companies with loyal customers, proven merchandise and a promising future just fall by the wayside? To those who don't know Barneys, it was started by Barney Pressman, a smart, ambitious man who built his business into a thriving industry, selling more suits than anyone in the world by the 1960's.But what makes the book interesting is what happened to his business when his sons came into the picture and the intrigue, scandal and greed that tore apart the company. I can't help wondering: Why don't the patriarchs (or matriarchs) of family businesses teach their children to run the companies just as well? Is it possible to mix family and business and do it well? The Barney's sage, of course, is not yet over and the store is still in existence. So the end of this story remains to be seen.

Fascinating.......2000-08-14

A very enjoyable book. You pull for the Pressmans when the snobs snub them in the beginning. You jeer at them when their position goes to their heads and they behave very, very badly. But the really interesting part of the book concerns how fashion and retailing REALLY work. They appear to be just an elaborate hoax on the consumer. This book should be read in conjunction with Teri Agin's "The End of Fashion" which shows the comsumers are getting more and more skeptical and dissects the public offerings of fashion stock (if you're fond of your money and want to keep it, don't buy). Hooray.

Why businesses don't succeed when passed to kids.......2000-05-27

A fascinating case study on the history of a well known American business. The behind the scenes look shows the evolution through 3 generations. Looking deeper, it says a lot about the values of each of the generations which explains some of the troubles in America today. Maybe we've become too soft.

I can't recommend this book enough if you enjoy shopping or business books. I continue to shop occasionally at NY and Beverly Hills. You can't go into the stores without better appreciating the history of the store. BUY THIS BOOK.

A Cautionary Tale for Expansionist Managements.......1999-09-19

It seems everyone talks to Levine because as Barney Pressman once told Fred, "The Pressmans have no friends." What emerges is not only a morality play but also a case study on how not to raise your children and how not to expand your business. Hubris is a horrible thing. Time and again though during this decade, with Wall Street money plentiful, retail managements successful in one locale expand their businesses to places that don't want them. A concept that works in NY doesn't seem to play in Peoria, or with Barneys, in Texas. While with public companies, it's only money; with Barneys, privately held, it's family and lives. Maybe that's what makes the Barneys' tragedy a fascinating read.

Product Description

Continuing the tradition that has made it a leader in its field, Problems on Professional Responsibility uses problems to provide an overview of lawyers' professional responsibility. One of the most rapidly changing fields in American law, professional responsibility sees new issues, rules and cases each year, all of which are covered in this book. The Ninth Edition covers the American Bar Association's Model Rules of Professional Conduct, which were extensively rewritten in 2002; the American Law Institute's Restatement Third, The Law Governing Lawyers, and issues raised by federal agencies that play an important role in determining lawyer standards. Other changes to this edition include more citing authorities, fewer black letter questions and issues in each problem to allow more time for discussion and questions; and the integration of readings into discussion materials.

Customer Reviews:

Not so hot overview of Agency & Corp Law.......2005-12-17

I was unimpressed with this book. Many in my class struggled because of the way the book was thrown together.
My main problems are the lack of explanation for key concepts, other than a reference to a cut-down case and the questionable decision to use cases that don't clearly explain the issue at hand.
I was thrown off at first when I couldn't find some of the cases in Lexis or WestLaw. Rather than relying on an on-topic US SC case or even a Fed circuit case, some key concepts get examples that are unpublished lower-court decisions where the judge makes either the wrong decision or the right decision for the wrong rulings. The book does not point out the error of the court when it does this. Most of the time this happened, my professor would point out that we should ignore this case and learn the concept from a study guide or his class notes. In an ideal BA book, the authors wouldn't try to trick students by giving them bad examples of the law (or without explaining that the examples have faulty legal logic).
If you are reading this review, you are likely either a law student or a law professor. If you are a professor, please think twice about using this book. If you are a student, you will have no choice in the matter. If you find yourself struggling then read the Lexis and Westlaw briefs or get the High Court Summary for this book. My school bookstore didn't have the HC summaries for this book, but Amazon did.

great book!.......2003-09-03

this book is very good because it help me a lot in my studies. and also give me knowledge that i really want.

Business Associations Agency, Partnerships, and Corporations Cases and Materials (University casebook series)

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Business Associations Agency, Partnerships, and Corporations Cases and Materials (University casebook series)
William A. Klein , and J. Mark Ramseyer
Manufacturer: Foundation Pr
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Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0882778781

Business Associations - Agency, Partnerships and Corporations : 1998 Supplement Cases and Materials

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Business Associations - Agency, Partnerships and Corporations : 1998 Supplement Cases and Materials
William A.; Ramseyer, J. Mark; Bainbridge, Klein
Manufacturer: Foundation Press
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ASIN: B000NY4M6Q

Business Associations, Cases and Materials on Agency, Partnerships, and Corporations 2005 Supplement

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Business Associations, Cases and Materials on Agency, Partnerships, and Corporations 2005 Supplement
William A. Klein
Manufacturer: Foundation Press
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Business Associations: Agency, Partnerships, and Corporations : 1999 Supplement : Cases and Materials

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Business Associations: Agency, Partnerships, and Corporations : 1999 Supplement : Cases and Materials
William A. Klein , J. Mark Ramseyer , and Stephen M. Bainbridge
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This is a casebook that covers all the major aspects of business associations.

Cases and Materials on Business Associations: Agency, Partnerships, and Corporations (University Casebook)

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Business Associations - Agency, Partnerships, and Corporations, Revised Teacher's Manual for Cases and Materials

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Business Associations - Agency, Partnerships, and Corporations, Revised Teacher's Manual for Cases and Materials
William A.; Ramseyer, J. Mark Klein
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Business Associations Cases and Materials on Agency Partnerships and Corporations 3rd Edition / Teacher's Manual for 1999 Supplement (University Casebook Series)

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Business Associations Cases and Materials on Agency Partnerships and Corporations 3rd Edition / Teacher's Manual for 1999 Supplement (University Casebook Series)

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Business Associations: Cases and Materials on Agency, Partnerships and Corporations: Teacher's Manual (University Casebook Series)

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As the elder daughter of an emperor whose wife had presented him with no sons, Isabel stood to inherit the monarchy of Brazil with the passing of Dom Pedro II. On three separate occasions, Isabel was named regent, or head of state, when her father was req

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Economic report of the President transmitted to the Congress, February, 1984: Together with the annual report of the Council of Economic Advisers
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Economic report of the President transmitted to the Congress, January 1981: Together with the annual report of the Council of Economic Advisers
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The Economic Report of the President is issued by the Executive Office of the President and the Council of Economic Advisers. It includes:

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Also included is the Annual Report of the Council of Economic Advisers. Each year, the Council of Economic Advisers submits this report on its activities during the previous calendar year in accordance with the requirements of Congress as set forth in section 10(d) of the Employment Act of 1946 as amended by the Full Employment and Balanced Growth Act of 1978.

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Customer Reviews:

This is a kicking little book.......1999-06-29

This book is perfect for someone who wants to get in on what Manson's about. Also hardcore fans should have it. It tells the story of the band from the early days and sets the story straight. Its also really enjoyable to read. The author did an excellent job.

Totally Un-informative to the average Manson fan BUT..........1998-11-04

This book is pure fodder to anyone that cares enough about Manson to actually buy this book because we'd already know everything but I give it four stars for two reasons... If you want to give a friend that just doesn't get Manson's quest a quick reader to help them understand him a little better and also disperse some rumors, then this is a book that's short enough and easy enough for anyone to read, something the official autobiography lacks. Overall to anyone buying this book for information it's a bit dissapointing, there is some disinformation but that's to be expected. As for the pictures, they're great nd really the only reason I'd rebuy the book, that and the fact thast I'm a total fanatic but you know... :o)

Its an O.K. Read.......1998-08-17

This book is good if your a manson fan and looking for some pics but if you are buying it for the info. on the band then you will not be that satisfied. If u are a big Manson Fan then you will already know all the info that is in the book! Also, when i bought this book all the pages fell out after a couple of days. The binding of the book isn't any good. Buy another book. Don't waste your money!

A MUST READ.......1998-06-23

this has many great facts, not including the pictures, i would buy this book again if i already read it from a friend

It was okay..........1998-05-07

This book it written by every thing I already knew about Manson. If you listen to the news or have there cds or even been to there concerts, you probably already know all the stuff in this book also...

Stranger Than Fiction: True Stories (Unabridged Selections)

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Intriguing stories, brought to you by the slightly warped mind of Chuck Palahniuk
A medley of stories, some hit the mark better than the rest
Another unique piece of work
Fascinating
Better Than I Expected!

Stranger Than Fiction: True Stories (Unabridged Selections)
Chuck Palahniuk
Manufacturer: audible.com
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Download
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ASIN: B0002P0F2Q

Book Description

From the bestselling author of Fight Club and Diary, a collection of essays and journalistic pieces that prove that real life has imagination beaten cold in the strangeness and wonder departments

Chuck Palahniuk’s world has always been, well, different from yours and mine. The pieces that comprise Stranger Than Fiction, his first nonfiction collection, prove just how different, in ways both highly entertaining and deeply unsettling. Encounters with alternative culture heroes Marilyn Manson and Juliette Lewis; the peculiar wages of fame attendant on the big budget film production of the movie Fight Club; life as an assembly-line drive train installer by day, hospice volunteer driver by night; the really peculiar lives of submariners; the really violent world (and mangled ears) of college wrestlers; the underground world of iron-pumping anabolic steroid gobblers; the immensely upsetting circumstances of his father’s murder and the trial of his killer—each essay or vignette offers a unique facet of existence as lived in and/or observed by one of our most flagrantly daring and original literary talents.

Customer Reviews:

Intriguing stories, brought to you by the slightly warped mind of Chuck Palahniuk .......2006-10-30

This is a collection of non-fictional short stories about average people doing strange things. I can hear you whispering in my ear, "what kind of strange things"? Well, let me tell you that first, you need a breath mint and secondly you spit a little when you whisper. Despite the wet ear and lingering smell of spinach, I'm talking about the kind of odd things that friends tell you about over and over again after a few beers or half a bottle of wine because it is there best and possibly only story worth telling that they have.

These short stories are about modern men who build castles in Oregon and Idaho, stories about drunken rednecks crashing two story wheat threshers into each other in a demolition derby in Lind Washington, stories about public nudity and sex in Bozeman Montana, stories about working in a hospice and being there when people die, stories about shrunken testicles and the pump of steroids, stories about working on an assembly line and trying to be an author, stories that are essentially as American as apple pie but without the sugar and ice cream.

So, if you're interested in a few intriguing stories, brought to you by the slightly warped mind of Chuck Palahniuk author of "Fight Club", take a look at "Stranger Than Fiction".

A medley of stories, some hit the mark better than the rest.......2005-10-01

When Palahniuk goes on book tours, he often tells a smattering of true-life stories that he heard from his fans, all items that are indeed stranger than fiction. From a man who writes fiction that is often beyond belief, it is interesting to see the true-life tales that pass the Palahniuk strangeness test.

The book starts out with a bang, an opening chapter that provides the reader a voyeuristic field trip into a sex festival. From there, however, Palahniuk doesn't always maintain the momentum. Sometimes it appears as if he's just a bored reporter scribbling down facts, not trying to weave a compelling tale. Several of the stories didn't keep my interest at all, but there is enough good material in here to make the book a worthwhile read.

Palahniuk fans should give it a shot, but don't expect to be blown away.

Another unique piece of work .......2005-07-10

Plot: N/A
Writing Excellent
Pace: Fast
It's a bunch of short stories about real people and events in his life. Some are sad, some are funny, and some are bizarre. The best stories are about the author, his family, and his two weight lifting buddies. The slowest and longest are the combine derby and castle building. Cut those two stories out and the book would be even better. It's worth reading if you want a change of pace from your typical fiction. Grab a little non-fiction that won't bore you.

Fascinating.......2005-05-24

I had never read Palahniuk and "Fight Club" definitely isn't my thing. Yet I was lured by true anecdotes--who can resist a really strange story? This collection introduced me to a an intriguing man and brilliant writer.

The best thing about this collection is that it takes the reader into odd situations and intimate settings that he/she would probably never experience otherwise. Palahniuk takes us with him as he witnesses odd things such as The Rock Creek Lodge Testicle Festival, hangs out with Marilyn Manson, and reveals his "life as a dog." The book also dives into the personal world of Palahniuk--his past, friendships, thought processes, and life before, during, and after the movie "Fight Club." If you enjoyed the movie or any of other Palahniuk's works, "Stranger Than Fiction" is nearly essential to getting to know the man behind it all. He is apparently a curious person with a keen sociological and psychological insight...and he has a distinct sense of humor!

I recommend this book to every writer...actual or aspiring. A running theme in these stories is the practice of writing. How stories come about, take shape, and draw on other stories. It expresses the connection between writing and life, life and fiction, and how these play off eachother. If you write, you will be enthralled by the introduction to the collection alone...and it only gets better from there.

As others have said in their reviews, this collection does contain a few duds. But it's the many fabulous pieces that make your time more than worthwhile. I learned alot of very interesting things and this book contains stories for varied interests. This book made me gasp, smirk, nearly cry, and laugh out loud. The stories stay with you. I am telling everyone about this book: you owe it to yourself to atleast thumb through it.

Better Than I Expected!.......2005-05-23

These stories reveal a more personal side of Palahniuk that you may not have even realized was there. They're hopeful, inspirational, and as always, completely outrageous. These are not the typical quasi-horror stories Chuck has written in the past. But they are excellent stories, and I applaud Chuck for trying something new. I think he did an amazing job with it, and if you like Palahniuk at all, I think you will be pleasantly surprised. Along with The Losers' Club (Complete Restored Edition) by Richard Perez, Stranger Than Fiction: True Stories is my favorite Amazon purchase so far this year!

Book Description

Expelled from mainstream education and vaguely aware she has something called 'Asparagus' Syndrome, 12-year-old Jessica is sent away to a residential school for young people with autism. Here, at first miserable and misunderstood, she spends the next five years trying to cope with the strict school system - fighting against misguided teacher interventions, dealing with the onset of adolescence and fitting in with the other pupils. Recalling her school years with humour and insight, Jessica takes the reader right inside what it feels like to have AS. Her account will open the eyes of readers to the difficulties, and the rewards, of this condition.

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Customer Reviews:

I liked this........2006-02-11

Neurotypical people read books by people with AS to find out about the condition or gain some illusive insight. As a person diagnosed with AS myself I just read them as most people would read any `normal' persons auto-biography... for interest and enjoyment and because, for a change, I can identify with the experiences the main character describes.

Diagnosed with Asperger syndrome at 12 and sent away to a residential school for young people with autism, this is the tale of the next 5 years of this girls life, the characters she meets, the emotional struggles she faces, and her rebellion against a misguided and inflexible system.

However, Jessica makes clear herself in the introduction that this book is not about naming and shaming people from her past. Names are changed, characters are composite, and she describes the experiences rather than the events, in a way that I at least found meaningful and compelling. My only disappointment was reaching the end and still wanting to know what happened next.

I don't think you'll learn much about AS from reading this, but it is still a worthwhile read in my opinion.

Autistic viewpoint on institutional life.......2003-10-08

In a tone that brings to mind bubbly teenage girls, Jessica Peers recounts five years at a National Autistic Society residential school in the United Kingdom. The back cover of this book suggests that the book will give insights into Asperger's syndrome. On that point, it seems to be wrong. However, it does give a lot of insight into institutional life.

Peers has a talent for wryly amusing caricature, whether in drawing (her cartoons appear throughout the book) or in sketching out people's character in words. Not everything in the book is amusing, though. There are some truly harrowing scenes of physical and emotional abuse by staff, as well as the usual detached brusqueness that crops up in places like that. The funny descriptions offset the often-heavy situations enough to make it readable to me without causing too much pain, and I almost wonder if the author had the same idea herself.

One thing that struck me was how much the actions and social dynamics of the people in the book reminded me of the dynamics in every disability-segregated setting I have ever been in, whether there were autistic people besides me or not. This book is one more that convinces me that whether you call it a group home, a psychiatric ward, special education, or a residential school, some things never change. There are particular spins on things depending on what the setting calls itself and what kind of person is placed in it, and this book is no exception. But its descriptions of life there are surprisingly wide in their applicability.

One thing this book is not, though, is all that insightful about what autism is. It claims to provide insight into autism, but it really doesn't. It describes situations involving a lot of autistic *people*, including the author, but in truth it has ended up more about life in that particular place than about a particular condition. It also contains the common misconception that people who appear "more autistic" are necessarily less aware of their environment and therefore less suffering from what happens around them. People should know that before buying this book -- the real focus is not necessarily the same as the apparent focus.

This is not a problem, though. There are a lot of books out there already that discuss "autism from the inside" ad infinitum. This book describes institutional dynamics from an autistic point of view, which is much rarer, and to my knowledge this is the only book by an autistic person that takes place *only* within such a place.

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Garden Design April 2002 - Dream Gardens, Magnificent Tile, Asparagus, Wineries, Furniture Classics.

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Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: B000M60V6K

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