Good Spirits

Memoirs of business tycoons often smack of self-importance and egotism. Not Good Spirits. This is instead a charming and modest memoir of Edgar Bronfman, one of America's foremost business leaders and chairman of the Seagram Company. Bronfman speaks openly and candidly of his childhood, which he describes as an "endurance test" in which he was groomed by an autocratic father in preparation for inheriting a great business empire. With business sense etched into his psyche, Edgar quickly rose among the ranks at Seagram, stepping out of his father's shadow, and proving himself to be an energetic and gutsy worker.

The memoir traverses between business adventures and family sagas. Edgar speaks openly of his long marriage record (he has been married four times), and the story of his son's kidnapping is particularly touching. A master of anecdotes, Bronfman shares a lifetime of stories both inspirational and illuminating.