Book Review: Who Says Elephants Can't Dance by Gerstner
This paper reviews Louis V. Gerstner Jr.'s book Who Says Elephants Can't Dance, which chronicles IBM's dramatic corporate turnaround from near collapse to renewed market relevance between 1992 and 2001. The review examines Gerstner's background, the book's structure and prose style, and its key themes: cultural transformation, strategic leadership, and marketplace responsiveness. It also identifies notable inconsistencies in Gerstner's self-portrayal, particularly regarding his claimed openness to employee feedback, and evaluates the book's limitations as a broader overview of the IT industry.
- Introduction to the Book and Its Author: Gerstner's background and book overview
- IBM's Crisis and Gerstner's Mission: IBM's near-collapse and Gerstner's goals
- Strengths of the Book: Prose quality and insider insights praised
- IBM's Culture and the Challenge of Change: Insular IBM culture and transformation effort
- Criticisms and Inconsistencies: Gerstner's self-portrayal and employee treatment questioned
- Conclusion: Overall assessment of the book's value
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What makes this paper effective
- The review balances genuine praise for the book's readability and insight with pointed criticism of Gerstner's self-portrayal, giving the paper intellectual credibility.
- Specific textual evidence — including direct quotations from the book — grounds the analysis and prevents the review from becoming purely impressionistic.
- The writer clearly outlines the book's structure early on, orienting the reader before diving into evaluation.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates evaluative synthesis: it does not merely summarize the book's content but weighs its strengths against its weaknesses using specific examples. The contrast between Gerstner's stated respect for employee input and his dismissive treatment of a critical email is a particularly effective use of textual contradiction to support a critical argument.
Structure breakdown
The review opens with author background and book overview, then transitions to a content summary before moving into analysis. The middle sections evaluate prose style, key insights, and thematic strengths, while the latter sections address critical weaknesses. A brief conclusion synthesizes the overall judgment. This classic review structure — introduce, summarize, evaluate, conclude — is executed cleanly and is appropriate for an undergraduate book review assignment.
Introduction to the Book and Its Author
Louis Gerstner's book Who Says Elephants Can't Dance chronicles the dramatic turnaround of business giant IBM under his capable leadership. When Gerstner took over the company's reins in 1993, it was on the brink of being sold off in parts. Through his determined vision, he changed the company's culture to one that once again responded to the needs of the marketplace. In this book, Gerstner demonstrates that a giant company like IBM can be rescued from the brink of extinction and made responsive to the ever-changing marketplace — proving, indeed, that elephants can dance.
Louis V. Gerstner, Jr. has a long history of success in both the worlds of business and education. He received an MBA from Harvard in 1965 and a BA from Dartmouth College in 1963. After graduating from Harvard, he joined the management consulting firm McKinsey and Co., Inc. Following his time at McKinsey, he spent eleven years as president of American Express' parent company and as president and CEO of American Express Travel Related Services Company. After leaving American Express, he served as CEO and chairman of RJR Nabisco, Inc. for four years. It was in 1993 that Gerstner officially began his career at IBM (IBM).
Gerstner has been actively involved in the field of education for many years. He co-authored a book in 1994 entitled Reinventing Education: Entrepreneurship in America's Public Schools. He has also been involved in a number of initiatives aimed at improving performance in public schools, including Achieve and an IBM initiative also called Reinventing Education (IBM).
He has received numerous awards and honors related to both his excellence in business leadership and his involvement in education. Among these are the American Museum of Natural History's Distinguished Service to Science and Education Award and the Visionary Award from New Visions for Public Schools. In June 2001, Queen Elizabeth II awarded him the prestigious designation of honorary Knight of the British Empire (IBM).
Gerstner's book is organized into five main sections. First, he describes his beginnings at IBM and the specific challenges he faced in turning the company around. Second, he delves into the strategy he implemented to help IBM change its fortunes. Third, he examines the corporate culture of IBM itself, and to a lesser extent the culture of the industry in general. Fourth, he describes some of the important lessons learned from his experience at IBM. Finally, Gerstner offers a discussion of general observations about business and society.
Works Cited
Gerstner, Louis V. 2002. Who Says Elephants Can't Dance? Inside IBM's Historic Turnaround. HarperBusiness.
IBM. Louis Gerstner: Biography. 10 December 2003. http://www.ibm.com/lvg/bio.phtml
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