Rating

★★★★☆

Category

non-fiction

Read

2024-09-20

Pages

270

Fun history of the banana trade in America, centered on the “Banana King” Sam Zemurray. A flawed character (i.e. literally instigated a coup in Guatamala), but they’re the most interesting ones to learn from.

“This man in Guatemala, he’s your manager, isn’t he?” Zemurray asked. Yes. “Then listen to what the man is telling you. You’re here, he’s there,” said Zemurray. “If you trust him, trust him. If you don’t trust him, fire him and get a man you do trust in the job.”

Gave some context to just how thouroughly the trade permeated central America. Have a much better sense of the term “Banana Republic” now.

By 1942, the company owned 70 percent of all private land in Guatemala, controlled 75 percent of all trade, and owned most of the roads, power stations and phone lines, the only Pacific seaport, and every mile of railroad.

And a particularly great boardroom takeover scene:

“You gentlemen have been fucking up this business long enough. I’m going to straighten it out.”