Jack Welch narrates the story of his childhood, his college years and his career with GE from 1960 when he begins with them fresh out of college to 2001 when he retires as its Chairman. In five sections, Jack sets a backdrop and tells about his arrival, his management style and philosophy, his rise through the GE hierarchy and his avoidance of the company bureaucracy for as long as he could manage it. He relates his big wins, and big losses. He details the competitive process and his "dark-horse struggle" to make it into the chairman's seat, and the mistakes, successes, politics, and relationships along the way. He elaborates on his four company-evolving initiatives, his final year with GE, including his attempt to purchase Honeywell, sell-off of company sectors, and the complex procedure of finding his own successor.