Suggested Reading

by Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank

“Built from Scratch” is about two businessmen who achieve the American Dream by fundamentally changing home-improvement retailing. Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank, cofounders of the Home Depot, explain how they established the first national chain in the industry by concentrating on low prices, customer service, and strong leadership values. Marcus and Blank began Home Depot in Atlanta with little backing and lost $1 million in its first year of operation, but today Home Depot is one of the great business successes. The authors candidly discuss setbacks, including a multimillion-dollar discrimination settlement, as well as ideas gone bad. “Built from Scratch” complete with real world advice for any business leader.