Tough Calls: AT&T and the Hard Lessons Learned from the Telecom Wars

Through good and bad, few companies have been so prominently and constantly in the public eye as AT&T. Unblinkingly honest, Tough Calls is an insider’s firsthand account of how AT&T tried to cope with fierce competition, economic turmoil, and intense media scrutiny. Tough Calls sheds new light on some of the telecom and media industries’ most high-profile leaders as well as watershed events in AT&T’s recent history, including:* the 1996 layoff of 40,000 employees* CEO succession gone awry* ongoing battles with the Bells* more than $100 billion in acquisitions* AT&T’s second break-up in five years A cautionary tale that all businesses should heed, Tough Calls takes readers behind the scenes to show:* how the media decide what is business news on any given day* the outsized influence of small groups with big interests* how hardball public relations tactics can backfireTo be sure, AT&T retains its position as a key player in the ever-expanding telecommunications industry. But it has had to struggle to remain competitive. Tough Calls draws valuable business lessons from AT&T’s experience, and illuminates paths to take as well as those to avoid at all costs.