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Joe Wilson and the Creation of Xerox
Book

Joe Wilson and the Creation of Xerox

Charles D. Ellis
Wiley, 2006

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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Scientific
  • Eye Opening
  • Inspiring

Recommendation

This notable biography recounts the remarkable story of Joe Wilson, a shy entrepreneur who overcame tremendous technological and business challenges to develop an entirely new photographic process and create the Xerox Corporation. Wilson was a powerful but quiet leader who motivated employees, family members, business associates and his community to achieve the impossible. Charles D. Ellis presents a comprehensive portrait of the man and his times, highlighting the roles of luck and perseverance. He tells how Wilson built a revolutionary machine even before he had a market and, in that process, pioneered a new technology and transformed his grandfather’s small company into Xerox. The story is slow at times, but getAbstract highly recommends Ellis's inspirational business profile to those who enjoy stories of legendary business leaders and the companies they built.

Take-Aways

  • In 1906, Joe Wilson's grandfather founded the Haloid Corporation, a small specialty paper-coating business. Wilson transformed it into Xerox.
  • Joe's father, J.R. Wilson, knew that his small company could not survive a competitive threat from its local Rochester rival, behemoth Eastman Kodak.
  • Joe Wilson was looking for an advanced nonchemical copying system, but did not know if it existed or, if it did, where to find it.

About the Author

Charles D. Ellis founded and for 30 years managed a leading global strategy firm in the financial services industry. He taught investment management at Yale and Harvard, and has written 11 books, including Capital: The Story of Long-Term Investment Excellence.

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