Search  for anything...

Sony: A Private Life

  • Based on 37 reviews
Condition: New
Checking for the best price...
$15.99 Why this price?
Save $3.99 was $19.98

Buy Now, Pay Later


As low as $3 / mo
  • – 4-month term
  • – No impact on credit to apply
  • – Instant approval decision
  • – Secure and straightforward checkout

Ready to go? Add this product to your cart and select a plan during checkout.

Payment plans are offered through our trusted finance partners Klarna, Affirm, Afterpay, Zip, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. No-credit-needed leasing options through Acima may also be available at checkout.

Learn more about financing & leasing here.

Free shipping on this product

FREE 30-day refund/replacement

To qualify for a full refund, items must be returned in their original, unused condition. If an item is returned in a used, damaged, or materially different state, you may be granted a partial refund.

To initiate a return, please visit our Returns Center.

View our full returns policy here.


Availability: In Stock.
Fulfilled by Amazon

Arrives Monday, Sep 21
Order within 13 hours and 27 minutes
Available payment plans shown during checkout

Protection Plan Protect Your Purchase
Checking for protection plans...

Description

Named one of the best business books of the year (by Fortune and Newsweek), SONY is the "intimate biography of one of the world's leading electronics giants" (San Francisco Chronicle) as well as one of the most fascinating and complex of all corporate stories. Drawing on his unmatched expertise in Japanese culture and on unique, unlimited access to Sony's inner sanctum, John Nathan traces Sony's evolution from its inauspicious beginnings amid Tokyo's bomb-scarred ruins to its current worldwide success. "Richly detailed and revealing" (Wall Street Journal), the book examines both the outward successes and, as never before, the mysterious inner workings that have always characterized this company's top ranks. The result is "a different kind of business book, showing how personal relationships shaped one of the century's great global corporations" (Fortune). Read more

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Mariner Books


Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 5, 2001


Edition ‏ : ‎ First Paperback Edition


Language ‏ : ‎ English


Print length ‏ : ‎ 400 pages


ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0618126945


ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 41


Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.1 pounds


Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.95 x 8.75 inches


Best Sellers Rank: #618,385 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #500 in History of Engineering & Technology #592 in Computers & Technology Industry #664 in History of Technology


Frequently asked questions

If you place your order now, the estimated arrival date for this product is: Monday, Sep 21

Yes, absolutely! You may return this product for a full refund within 30 days of receiving it.

To initiate a return, please visit our Returns Center.

View our full returns policy here.

  • Klarna Financing
  • Affirm Pay in 4
  • Affirm Financing
  • Afterpay Financing
  • Zip Pay in 4
  • Financing through Apple Pay
  • Financing through Google Pay
Leasing options through Acima may also be available during checkout.

Learn more about financing & leasing here.

Top Amazon Reviews


  • Very nice
Format: Paperback
Good
Reviewed in the United States on June 20, 2026 by OFIR

  • LG
Format: Hardcover
My son likes it
Reviewed in the United States on April 8, 2025 by L.R.G.

  • Great for college paper research.
Format: Paperback
I'm at communication student. I had a project on Sony and how the company is a part of the Web 2.0. This book helped me with research for a paper that I had to complete for my summer 2021 semester. Very interesting and valuable information.
Reviewed in the United States on August 19, 2021 by GCA

  • Definitive History of Sony
Format: Hardcover
This is an excellent exploration of the history and evolution of the Sony corporation. It is well-researched and documented, and we get a keen sense of the characters: Morita, Ibuka, etc.
Reviewed in the United States on July 22, 2019 by Janet Eckholm

  • Not a good book for studying Japan
Format: Paperback
The book is boring. It does not talk about Sony's relationship with the politicians or Sony's investments outside Japan. It does not talk about company's structure or the kind of people working in Sony.
Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2012 by Pippi

  • Not the company, but the people
Format: Paperback
This book doesn't tell the story of the company SONY, but the career of the people who created and ran it: the Morita's, Ibuka, Ohga, Idei and some US officers - Schulhof, Yetnikoff. The portraits are very favourable, nearly and sometimes really hagiographies (e.g. 'Yoshiko's genius as a hostess' p. 80) For a more critical portrait of Akio Morita, see Ian Buruma's 'The Missionary and the Libertine'. Sony is evidently a big success story, but it is also a tale of egos, ambitions, stress, clashes, strokes, heart attacks and fear of death (Akio Morita: I'll never die). John Nathan gives us a good picture of the defeated Japan after WWII. The Columbia saga is well told, but is better unravelled in Nancy Griffin's 'Hit and Run'. The real story behind the loss of the crucial video battle is not revealed. A good character study of the people who created a world company from scratch. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2003 by Luc REYNAERT

  • What a wonderful read!
Format: Hardcover
Mr. Nathan opens the doors into a world foreign to most people, the apex of the corporate world and all its workings. Not only are we privy to the Japanese business world and culture, but we also glimpse the doings of US companies. It is amazing to me, that Mr. Morita and Mr. Ibuta were able to penetrate the US marketplace given the obstacles they faced. Crossing cultural lines, attitudes, and language must have been difficult; but to succeed so magnificently, especially after our shared history in World War II is mind-boggling. I offer no hesitation in recommending this book. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on April 24, 2000 by J. Fong

  • Revealing close-up of Sony
Format: Paperback
Great book with profound insights!
Reviewed in the United States on July 4, 2014 by Giang Nguyen

Can't find a product?

Find it on Amazon first, then paste the link below.
Checking for best price...