Information Books Review #3

Blumenthal, Karen. 2011. MR. SAM: HOW SAM WALTON BUILT WAL-MART AND BECAME AMERICA’S RICHEST MAN. New York: Viking. ISBN 978-0-670-01177-3

PLOT SUMMARY

Learning about the life of Sam Walton and how he successfully built the chain store, Wal-Mart, is what this informational book is about. The competitive edge that Walton possessed was pronounced in his years growing up through playing sports, participating in Boy Scouts, and by holding elected class positions. Ranking order in any activity and not being ranked on top of everyone else is what drove this man to not give up and keep working until he succeeded, and then not stop there, but continue that pace to make sure and not lose status. Walton learned basic retail concepts by landing his first job out of college at J.C. Penney. He eventually was able to branch out and own a franchise to Ben Franklin which taught him invaluable lessons in retail. Capitalizing on those lessons learned he was able to see a bigger picture, and thus the start of Wal-Mart. Growing out of one store and becoming a chain with stores in every state and a handful of other countries kept Sam Walton constantly on a learning curve to keep on improving upon what was already a good thing and making it even better.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The organization of this biography is divided into ten chapters that build upon each other from when Sam Walton was a kid. The book begins with an introduction and ends with an epilogue.

At the end of each chapter, a picture of a dollar is divided up and shaded by the percentage that is spent towards food, housing, entertainment, clothing, transportation healthcare and other during the year that the chapter highlights. An average income per family is also shown.

Memorable black and white photos and additional information to note are included throughout the book sharing the invention of the first shopping cart, hot toys like the hula hoop, memorable moments in Sam Walton’s life, and various retail store pictures and side-notes. The design builds upon and communicates who Sam Walton was clearly and effectively. His family is mentioned, but is not the main focus.

The book amalgamates a table of contents, notes section, bibliography, and an acknowledgements section, too. Author, Karen Blumenthal, had the opportunity to monitor Walton personally through her occupation as a financial reporter and editor for the Wall Street Journal and specifically reported on Wal-Mart for about five years. Her research efforts in creating this book reached beyond her personal experiences with this man because of his private and quiet demeanor that she witnessed. This book is an easy-read and will be most appreciated by readers that have actually perused and shopped the isles of a Wal-Mart store.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Booklist: “Written in a fluid, journalistic style and enhanced by photos, boxed-out “Sam Stories,” charts tracking changes in Americans’ spending habits, and a lavish source list, this account of the man who created what is today the world’s largest company makes compelling reading—particularly for would-be entrepreneurs.”

Kirkus Review: “Making the life of a man who devoted nearly every moment of his adult life to expanding his company an interesting story could be tough, but Blumenthal succeeds in bringing Walton's driven personality and obsession with winning to life. Young people with entrepreneurial ambitions will find Walton's life inspiring, instructive and, perhaps, cautionary.”

Horn Book: “Businessmen don't seem like natural biographical subjects for young readers, but Blumenthal has done a splendid job of not only introducing Sam Walton but making his story relevant and timely.”

CONNECTIONS

*Have students pick a stock and follow it daily or weekly, charting its value, by reading the newspaper or using the Internet.

*Have students find out the history behind Target and other big retail stores.

*Compare pricing on the same items bought from Wal-Mart and a competitor.

*Research how the Wal-Mart chain has been surviving since Sam Walton passed on. Would Sam Walton approve where Wal-Mart stands today or would he be disappointed?

*Read the biography about Steve Jobs that Karen Blumenthal is currently writing, that is due out in February 2012.