Sam Walton: Made in America (U)

Meet a genuine American folk hero cut from the homespun cloth of America's heartland: Sam Walton, who parlayed a single dime store in a hardscrabble cotton town into Wal-Mart, the largest retailer in the world. Combine the pluck and luck of Horatio Alger, the wit of Will Rogers, the promotional verve of P. T. Barnum, and the charm of Professor Harold Hill and you'll discover the powerful personality of Sam Walton. An undisputed Captain of Commerce, Sam never lost the common touch--he reveled in it. Here, finally, Sam Walton tells his extraordinary story in his own inimitable words, sharing a revealing perspective on the elements of his success. Genuinely modest, but always sure of his ambitions and achievements, Sam shares his thinking in a candid, straight-from-the-shoulder style. Sam Walton: Made in America is peppered with his philosophy of life and practical business advice, including:. Competition: I've always had a passion to compete. Our story proves that spirited competition is good for business. Partnership: Individuals don't win; teams do. Wal-Mart is just a spectacular example of what happens when people find a way to work together--where almost four hundred thousand people have come together as a group like this, with a real feeling of partnership, and have been able, for the most part, to put the needs of their individual egos behind the needs of their team. Money: Success has always had its price and I learned that lesson the hard way when Forbes named me the so-called "richest man in America." The next thing we knew all these reporters and photographers arrived, I guess to take pictures of me diving into a swimming pool full of money they imagined I had, or to watch me light big fat cigars with hundred-dollar bills while the hootchy-kootchy girls danced by the lake. Celebrity: I'm not sure I ever really figured out this celebrity business. Why in the world, for example, would I get an invitation to Elizabeth Taylor's wedding out in Hollywood? Why