The Real Pepsi Challenge [by Stephanie Capparell], a nifty play on words, concerns the company's revolutionary use of black salesmen to target the "special market" that was an important part of their customer base, surely back when they were a distant second in the cola wars. Pepsi was recently taken over by a maverick progressive leaning Jew (Jews had an important role in the civil rights movement generally, see also Going South, which focuses on Jewish women), who favored flashy moves. One was to support a college intern program, winners picked via a contest, that was open to all ... the first batch had a black man and woman among the opening class.
Walter Mack was also a big believer in giving money to charities, including black ones, so it was not surprising when he started a black sales team in the late 1940s. There were a few blacks in sales in white companies -- of course there were many black businesses at the time of segregation -- but Pepsi was a seen as more mainstream than say liquor sales. The time was right as well since the community was ready for change, the book noting, for instance, the push for more respect of the black market ... especially in black publications, who needed the advertising. Truman also was an important, if partially forgotten (he did more than desegregate the armed forces -- he sponsored a major civil rights commission that was an important look to the future), supporter of the overall cause.
I am a big believer with looking at things from special angles as well as using interesting windows into broader themes and issues. This is one reason I like court opinions -- surely, they are limiting in a fashion since they are ultimately about one legal case, but they provide a digestible way to examine wide issues. On that end, take as well the Bible. Surely, we need to remember there are many religious paths out there, but we all have limits. We have our own paths toward general ends, and there is some flexibility respecting how we can lead a moral life. The Bible, the Constitution, a few core beliefs, or a particular event can all serve as a good launching pad. Something to hang on to, something manageable. And, something that is quite flexible in various ways, depending on the situation.
The book covers a lot of ground, so it can be enjoyed by those with various interests. As shown by some of the blurbs, and the fact the author writes for the Wall St. Journal, it is a business book. It discusses the various strategies, that changed over time given the personnel in charge and the times, used to appeal to the black market (and the wider success of the company as well, including the use of vending machines). It also is a very personal story, especially since six of the original staff members were still alive (one was on the dais when the book was discussed on C-SPAN) as it was written. There are a lot of fascinating and uplifting stories here ... though perhaps more on the negative side that surely existed should have been focused upon.
And, again, it was about the situation of race relations, particularly in the 1940s and early 1950s. It lost a bit on its fastball late, but overall, it was a pretty interesting book ... well written as well. It does amaze me how many books are out there -- even the bargain shelves had some good options when I went to a bookstore recently -- but in writing, that is the real challenge all the same.