CEO Ed Whitacre shares his story of his corporate success at AT & T and his assignment by President Barack Obama to turn around the failing General Motors. He delves candidly into the business tactics he used to bring GM back from the brink, and discusses the people and events that have influenced his life.;"The economy got us" -- Duty calls -- "Government Motors" -- Keep it simple -- Ennis, Texas -- Keeping it between the ditches -- (Good) vibrations -- Buenos días, San Antonio -- Keep going, keep growing -- Betting on people, not products: the Apple iPhone -- Personal business -- GM: rising to the challenge -- January 2010 -- "Design, build, and sell the world's best vehicles" -- Management: focus, focus, focus -- Spirit of hope -- A very public opening: GM's IPO -- The last chapter -- Reflection: Texas: a (management) state of mind -- Epilogue.