Conversations with Papa Charlie: A Memory of Charles E. Smith

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At first David Bruce wanted to write a traditional biography of his remarkable grandfather, a Russian Jew who immigrated as a child to America in 1911 and built a real estate empire here. But that format seemed to violate "Papa Charlie’s" impatience with verbosity. So David adopted the more accessible vignette style to pass along his grandfather’s singular humor, wisdom, and enthusiasm.

Now in this charming little book, readers will feel they are sitting at the knee of this ...

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1892123347 Capital Books hardcover with great dustjacket

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More About This Book

Overview

At first David Bruce wanted to write a traditional biography of his remarkable grandfather, a Russian Jew who immigrated as a child to America in 1911 and built a real estate empire here. But that format seemed to violate "Papa Charlie’s" impatience with verbosity. So David adopted the more accessible vignette style to pass along his grandfather’s singular humor, wisdom, and enthusiasm.

Now in this charming little book, readers will feel they are sitting at the knee of this kindly Jewish grandfather, listening to stories about his amazing life and to gentle advice for succeeding in your own. Along the way, you’ll learn about the importance of family devotion and the care of each of its members, responsibility for and generosity to community and to those who have less, good nutrition and a regular health regimen, devotion to religion, and some very savvy business tips - all spiced with memorable Yiddish expressions. If you never knew your own grandfather, or are missing him, this book will instruct, inspire, and soothe your ruffled feathers.

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Editorial Reviews

A Customer
Every day, we hear names of business giants such as Bill Gates or John D. Rockefeller. But what we don't hear is the story of what makes or made these men who they were. How they lived. Who they loved. What inspired them.What they ate for breakfast.

Conversations With Papa Charlie gave me a real look behind the scenes at Charles E. Smith--one of the biggest names in real estate. I discovered who Charles E. Smith really was--his successes, his failures and lessons--not just for business
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Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9781892123343
  • Publisher: Capital Books, Incorporated
  • Publication date: 9/1/2000
  • Series: Capital Life
  • Pages: 128
  • Product dimensions: 5.72 (w) x 8.72 (h) x 0.64 (d)

Meet the Author

David Bruce Smith is the fourth of six grandchildren born into Charles E. Smith’s family. He is senior vice president of Commercial Property Management at the Charles E. Smith Companies, president of the Institute of Psychobiology in Jerusalem, editor-and-chief of Crystal City Magazine and a freelance writer. He and his grandfather wrote three books and a film together, and with his mother he wrote the first artist’s book for the National Museum of Women in the Arts. This is his first book published for a general audience.

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Table of Contents

Acknowledgments xi
Prologue xiii
1 "Papa Abby" 1
2 Like Yourself Too 5
3 Deliverer of Misery 7
4 Enticed by Bad Advice 11
5 I Will Never Push a Pencil 15
6 Leah's War 19
7 If Someone Isn't Quirky, It's Not a Family Vacation 25
8 They Will Follow 31
9 Eyes 35
10 A Past Recast 39
11 The Second Cycle of Success 43
12 I Told Them the Bad News, and They Invested Anyway 47
13 The Sense of a Woman 51
14 I Quit 55
15 Giving 59
16 Member of the Board Strikes a Chord 61
17 He Opened My Mind, and I Learned about My Brain 67
18 Fa Klempt at Sea 71
19 Yiskor, Biskor; You Don't Outsmart the Lord, Mister! 83
20 Eat Right, Stay Fit, but Please Pass Me a Potato Chip 87
21 The Dating Game, Fifty Years Later 95
22 The Dove Was a Sign of Love 97
23 Fountain of Youth--The Hard Way 103
24 Divorce 107
25 A Place Called Shalom 111
26 Every Age Has Its Beauty 115
27 Remembering Love 117
Epilogue 119
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