Years ago Bob wrote what many consider to be the definitive biography of Walt Disney. This time out he documents the fascinating life of Walt's older brother Roy, the financial genius who help Walt finance his dreams. The two brothers worked closely but not always smoothly for several decades, and Bob has captured the interaction between them. I've long felt that Roy's contributions to the Disney empire haven't received the attention they deserved, and it's nice to see that injustice corrected here.

I haven't had a chance to read this one yet, but will update this description when I do!

I haven't had a chance to read this one yet, but will update this description when I do! You can also order the hardcover edition here.

Disney: The First 100 Years
by Dave Smith, Steven Clark

Written by the two leading authorities on Disney trivia, this volume looks at both Walt Disney and his legacy. Organized by year with plenty of pictures.

This book has received a lot of attention lately for it's negative portrayal of The Walt Disney Company. Like most Disney fans, I hate to admit that there could be anything wrong at the Magic Kingdom, but from what I could tell the authors have done their homework. They've turned up some facts on misbehaving employees at Walt Disney Word, for example, that Disney would have just as soon left buried. Some of their comments and conclusions are a bit sensational in nature, but the book makes for an interesting read.

When Walt joined forces with ABC to finance Disneyland, I doubt if in his wildest dreams he could have imagined someday owning the network. Well, times change and so do finances. This book details how Michael Eisner and crew set out to buy the parent company of ABC as part of their expansion plans. A bit dry, perhaps, but it does offer some interesting insight as to Eisner's strategies to strengthen the Disney brand name.

I haven't had a chance to read this one yet, but will update this description when I do!

I've used this book in my own job to try to show my staff how a successful attitude can help create a successful company. It includes some great anecdotes on how Disney cast members have created extra goodwill by going the extra mile. My favorite is "the ice cream cone story" - you'll have to buy the book to understand that.

I haven't had a chance to read this one yet, but will update this description when I do!

I haven't had a chance to read this one yet, but will update this description when I do!