From little-known heroes to legends like Sam Walton and Bill Gates, this absorbing book weaves history, economics, and personality to reveal the secrets behind the success of the last century's greatest American business leaders. The authors show that a key to success was "contextual intelligence": the ability to "read" and understand the context of the times and seize the unique opportunities within them. Leadership titles sell well for us, and this book should get strong review attention. It is a canon of the 20th century's greatest business leaders, in one volume. The stories include both well-known and unfamiliar leaders. Many leadership profiles focus on personality traits; the authors' theory of "contextual intelligence" represents a fresh perspective. The book is based on a Harvard Business School Leadership Initiative Study of 1,000 great CEOs and Founders of American companies from 1900-1999. Many of the leaders profiled hail from non-US countries.