One Tough Mother: Taking Charge in Life, Business, and Apple Pies

by Gert Boyle

Book Overview

When a heart attack claimed Gert Boyle's husband in 1970, the forty-six-year-old housewife and mother of three found herself at the helm of Columbia Sportswear, a small outerwear manufacturer in Portland, Oregon, that was struggling financially. With no business experience whatsoever, Boyle was faced with the challenge of running Columbia, which had been founded in 1937 by her father -- a Jewish immigrant who had fled Hitler's Germany. Boyle and her...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0786719141
• ISBN13: 9780786719143
• Release Date: December 2006
• Publisher: Basic Books
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 0.41 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.1" x 7.3"

Customer Reviews

Great inspirational biz story

Very entertaining and informative biz book by a successful woman entrepreneur in the Northwest. Reminds me of "Personal History" by Katharine Graham in terms of how a strong businesswoman had to take over the business in a time of crisis and make it a success. Inspirational for business leaders everywhere.

Quick bites of inspiration.

If you're looking for a hard hitting business manual, or even a thorough history of Columbia Sportswear, look elsewhere. But if you're looking for a very quick read full of no-nonesense advice, straight talk and a few laughs, then this is for you. Gert Boyle, from what I read here, is rather straight forward. She won't get all gushy about management approaches, philosophies and the like. Truth is, her manual would read something like this: work hard, use your head and when you aren't smart enough to figure something out, at least be smart enough to find someone else who can. And that's what I found refreshing about this quick entertaining read.

Thank God for this book

I was lucky enough to have this book with me on a recent accounting seminar. Thank God for that. It is a very quick read, and does not offer many details about the specific challenges the business faced. But it is still very inspirational, funny and informative. It is a great book to give as a gift to someone that is feeling a little down or needs more motivation. I love stories like this because they prove that persistence and sucess go hand in hand.

Outstanding book!

What a wonderful treat to read about Gert Boyle's unique life. It's not only about success in business, but it's about triumph, history, the Pacific Northwest, advertising and motherhood. It's a great way to learn how to live a meaningful life! The best part about this book is that all of Gert's royalties will be donated to CASA and the Special Olympics. It's an all around feel great experience.

One Tough Mother

By the time you finish the book, you feel as if you are having a one on one meeting with Gert. It's a fast read -- and even has great illustrations from past advertising campaigns. It feels good to read a book with a happy ending -- and shows that hard work, listening to others, and caring is what it takes to succeed. I too have a business and have gone through hard times. Gert's words made me think I can still pull myself up, dust myself off and get where I want to go. I have purchased 4 additional copies and have already sent them off to business friends of mine. It's not a Harvard Business School type of book. Some may find it too short and sweet. I found it delicious -- (and I don't mean just the recipe).