Made in Korea: Chung Ju Yung and the Rise of Hyundai

I think this book is well-written and very fun to read. I recommend it to anyone who is interested in the rise of Korean companies like Hyundai. This is probably one of the best "rags to riches" biography, ever.

I had heard of Chung Ju Yung from a Korean fiend of mine. While I was going through the lows of my job, this book has motivated me to start my own business soon. The dipiction of one of the greatest entrepreneurs ever is so life-like that it would excite and thrill not just entrepreneurs but ordinary people. I am now reading it the second time and like every moment of it. It gives me goose bumps when I read about how this great man got someone else's money and technology to build ships with no prior experience of his own only to know that the orders would get cancelled upon completion! How one could lose all that he has and yet conclude that he could do anything if he put in his mind, soul and hard work into it. This story of an extraordinary entrepreneur who defied all textbook rules of business is a MUST read for westerners and aspiring entrepreneurs.

I thoroughly enjoyed this account of Chung Ju Yung's life and the rise of Hyundai. The son of impoverished farmers, Chung managed to build the world's largest shipbuilding company, create a competitive Korean automobile, and sped the development of South Korea into one of the world's foremost economies--all with little more than sweat and determination!Steers does a great job of detailing Chung's personal and business character, along with providing a detailed history of the growth of Hyundai in the larger context of the Korean economy. I highly recommend it!

The engineering and managerial feats that Chung Ju Yung accomplished with only a grade school education are amazing.