Overnight Success: Federal Express and Frederick Smith, Its Renegade Creator

NON FICTION BOOK REVIEW  

291 words

Title: Overnight Success: Federal Express and Frederick Smith, 
Its Renegade Creator;  by Vance H. Trimble; Crown Publishers Inc.;  
Hardcover, 358 pages; $31.50

Reviewer:  A.T.Connellan, "Vance Trimble has taken a standback 
approach uncolored by the ego influence of the central character, 
that guarantees us a dispassionate assessment of the subject, 
and what a subject." 

The spectacular rise to industry dominance of Federal Express

"It is hard to think of a more effective organization or a more 
spectacular rise to industry dominance than Federal Express," 
wrote the authors of Paradigm Shift in describing one of the 
cutting edge users of Information Technology. 

FEDEX is the acknowledged leader of the pack of companies 
that has relegated the postal systems of Canada and the USA 
to little more than tax wasting handlers of junk mail. How the 
dream and drive of one man accomplished this is a fascinating 
tale told well by a skilled writer. 

Pulitzer Prize winning author Vance Trimble received no help 
whatsoever from the founder of the company, and perhaps it's 
just as well. The result is, that the author has taken a standback 
approach uncolored by the ego influence of the central character, 
that guarantees us a dispassionate assessment of the subject, 
and what a subject. 

The first 72 pages set out the heredity and environment of the 
previous Smith generations. This foundation for the story proves 
that, like all of us, Fred Smith is no accident of birth. He is a 
survivor, of the death of his closest friend for which he felt a 
degree of responsibility, of the Vietnam War where he learned in 
"the killing fields" what every combatant knows "that every fresh 
sunrise had been bought at a very steep price." Most important 
he learned well, that success comes not so much to the smart, 
but to the stubborn. Winners quit last. 

There are three kinds of people in this world; those who make 
things happen; those who let things happen; and those who don't 
know what's happening. If you're in the first group, or would 
like to be, this book's for you.