The Education of an Accidental CEO

While narrator Howard Ross has a voice that sounds like it could belong to a corporate chief executive, it's not a voice that crackles with the personality of David Novak, the gushy CEO of Yum! Brands, Inc., the parent organization of Kentucky Fried Chicken, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut. Ross's demeanor is almost sedate while Novak is the type of guy who gets excited by the Yum! corporate cheer--"Give me a Y!" The business lessons that Novak imparts aren't all that profound, but they come across as sincere. Amusingly, Novak's advice is peppered with descriptions of his biggest mistakes, such as a botched movie tie-in that left Pizza Hut with nine million pairs of sunglasses. For that, Novak deserves a cheer. Give me a Y! E.D.R. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine