It takes the average reader 5 hours and 10 minutes to read The Making of Harcourt General by Bettye Hobbs Pruitt
Assuming a reading speed of 250 words per minute. Learn more
The Making of Harcourt General describes the transformation of a small movie-theater proprietorship, formed in the early days of the industry, into a major diversified firm with businesses in publishing (Harcourt Brace), retailing (Neiman Marcus), and insurance as well as theaters (General Cinema). As Mid-West Drive-In Theatres, Inc., the company was a pioneer in its industry, first with family-oriented drive-ins and later with shopping-center theaters. From early on, however, driven by the cash-generating power of the theater business, it pursued a strategy of diversification, navigating the conglomerate era, the junk-bond-fueled "merger mania" of the 1980s, and the more painful period of restructuring in the early 1990s. This book offers a unique inside view of the evolution of Harcourt General, but also places that evolution in a broader context, illuminating the dramatic changes that have occurred in the business environment in those years. Harcourt General's diversification strategy has taken the company through an exciting series of acquisitions. In the late 1960s, as General Cinema, it entered soft drink bottling, gaining an early lead in the consolidation of that industry. From a "white-knight" rescue of Carter Hawley Hale in 1984, it emerged in 1988 with a new specialty retail chain, the Neiman Marcus Group. In 1992, General Cinema extricated the publisher Harcourt Brace Jovanovich from a heavy burden of junk-bond debt that threatened to drive it into bankruptcy - the deal that led to the renaming of the company Harcourt General. Throughout, the founding family has retained a controlling stake in the company and an active role in management. In The Making of Harcourt General, Bettye H. Pruitt examines important issues confronting all diversified firms - the relationship between business and financial strategy, the assimilation of acquired businesses, and the tension between company divisions and the corporate office - as well as issues important to owner-managed companies, including succession and professionalization of management. Readers interested in diversification, family business, the movie exhibition and soft drink bottling industries, or simply the history of a successful company will find The Making of Harcourt General a remarkable tale of American enterprise.
The Making of Harcourt General by Bettye Hobbs Pruitt is 310 pages long, and a total of 77,500 words.
This makes it 105% the length of the average book. It also has 95% more words than the average book.
The average oral reading speed is 183 words per minute. This means it takes 7 hours and 3 minutes to read The Making of Harcourt General aloud.
The Making of Harcourt General is suitable for students ages 12 and up.
Note that there may be other factors that effect this rating besides length that are not factored in on this page. This may include things like complex language or sensitive topics not suitable for students of certain ages.
When deciding what to show young students always use your best judgement and consult a professional.
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