General Motors is setting out on a course to reinvent its business in the age of Uber, Tesla and self-driving vehicles — in the process slashing more than 14,000 salaried, executive and blue-collar jobs and closing plants to cut costs. As GM is hoping to reignite its innovation engines, it is worthwhile to look back at the company’s legacy that has spanned a century. Back in the 1920s, the automaker introduced the concept of mass-produced stylish cars after recruiting a Michigander named Harley Earl from Hollywood . A new book by veteran journalist Bill Knoedelseder chronicles how Earl changed the auto industry through his vision and artistic creativity. In Fins: Harley Earl, the Rise of General Motors, and the Glory Days of Detroit , Knoedelseder describes Earl as the Steve Jobs of his generation. The author joined the  Knowledge at Wharton radio show, which airs on Sirius XM,  to discuss one of America’s greatest innovators. (Listen to the full podcast above).…