Amazon.com's Best of 2001

Five years ago, Jim Collins asked the question, "Can a good company become a great company and if so, how?" In Good to Great Collins, the author of Built to Last, concludes that it is possible, but finds there are no silver bullets. Collins and his team of researchers began their quest by sorting through a list of 1,435 companies, looking for those that made substantial improvements in their performance over time. They finally settled on 11--including Fannie Mae, Gillette, Walgreens, and Wells Fargo--and discovered common traits that challenged many of the conventional notions of corporate success. Making the transition from good to great doesn't require a high-profile CEO, the latest technology, innovative change management, or even a fine-tuned business strategy. At the heart of those rare and truly great companies was a corporate culture that rigorously found and promoted disciplined people to think and act in a disciplined manner. Peppered with dozens of stories and examples from the great and not so great, the book offers a well-reasoned road map to excellence that any organization would do well to consider. Like Built to Last, Good to Great is one of those books that managers and CEOs will be reading and rereading for years to come. --Harry C. Edwards ... Read more

Reviews (298)

Jim Collins: REQUIRED READING (See why.)
With an overall keen focus on discipline and accountability, Jim Collins was assisted by a large team of gifted, discerning graduate students. Hence, "Good to Great" is a most welcome piece of major solid research in our current time when "business spin" has contributed to the failure of corporations, market values, employee careers, etc. Unfortunately, similar books over the past few decades have relied more on "impressionism" from the author(s), including the now famous "In Search of Excellence" which has since been exposed as not fully grounded in the true facts of the time. While Warren Buffet is not identified as a "Level 5" leader in "Good to Great," this is a volume which could surely bear the imprimatur from that "Sage of Omaha." This book could even assist GE's Jack Welch "grow" into a more effective individual. [Prepare yourself for a surprise-jolt: based on Jim Collins' penetrating analyses across 11 major organizations, Mr. Welch would probably be considered as a "Level 4" leader.]

This book is of significant value to anyone wanting to move from "good to great" no matter if it is within a profit, not-for-profit, or even in a home-family setting. Great, easy reading and, most importantly, an excellent, life-long reference manual to help you remain "tuned-up." Notably, this book should be a required supplemental text for all general management courses (undergraduate or graduate).

Achieving and continuing spectacular business success
In 1994, Jim Collins and Jerry Porras wrote one of the most successful management books of the last decade: Built to Last. Collins and Porras had studied 18 visionairy companies, many of which had existed for 60 years or more. These companies had a strong focus on values and people and great ability to to learn and exchange knowledge. They gave less priority to maximalizing shareholder value but paradoxically outperformed the market enormously. In a conversation with Jim Collins, McKinsey director Bill Meehan said he, too, loved the book, but added: "Unfortunately, it's useless". He explained why. The companies featured in Built to Last had always been great companies. But because most companies are just good (not great) they are not interested in a book which shows how to stay great (Built to Last) but in a book that shows how to become great. The matter inspired Collins. He built a research team of 15 people and started a 5 year study.

The team tried to identify companies that had jumped from good to great and had managed to continue their great growth for at least 15 years. They found 11 of these (Abbott, Circuit City, Fannie Mae, Gilette, Kimberly-Clark, Kroger, Nucor, Philip Morris, Pitney Bowes, Walgreens, Wells Fargo). These good-to-great companies (GTG's) outperformed the market by a factor 6.9 in the 15 year period of the analysis! (General Electric outperformed the market 'only' by a factor 2.8 between 1985 and 2000).

The study focused on the question: what did the GTG's have in common that distinguished them from comparable companies in comparable circumstances? The GTG's were compared with two sets of other companies: 1) the direct-comparisons: companies within the same sector and in comparable circumstances, 2) the unsustained comparisons: companies that had had a breakthrough but that had not been able to continue their success. Collins intended to, from the ground up, build a theory which could explain the successful transformation of the GTG's.

As it turned out, all of the GTG's had a period of build up, preparation (often lasting many years) before the breakthrough moment. Three phases could be identified:

PHASE 1: DISCIPLINED PEOPLE
1. LEVEL 5 LEADERSHIP: contrary to the expectation, leaders of the GTG's turned out to be quiet, self effacing and even shy. At the same time, however, they were very determined. Mostly, they were leaders that came from within the company and that have remained unknown to the greater public.

2. FIRST WHO...THEN WHAT: also contrary to what you might expect was that GTG's first got the right people on the bus and the wrong people off and only then focused on strategic direction and vision.

PHASE 2: DISCIPLINED THOUGHT
3. CONFRONT THE BRUTAL FACTS (..BUT NEVER LOSE HOPE). Characteristic was a combination of realism and hope.
4. THE HEDGEHOG CONCEPT (SIMPLICITY IN THREE CIRCLES): just like a hedgehog, the GTG's seemed to have a very simple but effective success formula: all of the activities of the company had to lie within the intersection of the following three circles: 1) what can we become best in the world at? 2) what are we passionate about? 3) what can we make money with?

PHASE 3: DISCIPLINED ACTION
5. CULTURE OF DISCIPLINE: the GTG's turned out to have a culture of discipline that made hierarchy and bureaucracy largely superfluous.
6. TECHNOLOGY ACCELERATORS: none of the GTG's had technology as a cause of the success, but technology did play the role of accelerator of the success.

Collins rather convincingly demonstrates the validity of this model. All of the GTG's showed these practices throughout the 15 year period, while none of the direct comparisons did. The unsustained comparisons showed some of these practises often right until the moment of their decline.

Looking at the share price development of the GTG's, you might expect that there has been a clear marking point of the transformation because their share price stays rather flat at first (for many years) and then just suddenly takes off and keeps on going up. An important finding of the team was, however, that there were nó special change programs, and nó breakthrough decisions or products. On the contrary, the process evolved very fluently. To eplain, Collins uses the metaphor of the flying wheel. When you start to turn this wheel it goes heavily and moves slowly. But by continuously keeping on turning the wheel, it starts to build momentum and then, just suddenly, a point is reached at which the wheel turns at great speed without you having to turn it any harder than at first. Is this the practice of many companies? Not at all! The reality of many companies is nót consistently following a chosen path but rather swinging from one hype to another.

I think this research evokes one principal issue. That the concept 'great' is operationalized in a financial way is easily understood from a practical standpoint. This criterion is clear and rather easily obtained and makes it easy to compare the companies scientifically. But is 'great' the best word to describe spectacular financial success? Does their financial success necessarily make GTG's 'great'? Wouldn't that be like saying that Bill Gates en Silvio Berlusconi are great people while implying Martin Luther King and Mother Theresa are not?

But, having said that, demonstrating how companies achieve and continue spectacular financial success, in itself, is extremely interesting and valuable. This is a terrific book that, I think, has the quality to equal or perhaps even surpass the success of Built to Last. Unlike most management books (which contain creative but highly speculative ideas), the message of this book is based on well-designed research and mindful interpretation of results that is explained and justified terrifically. Despite this thoroughness, the book remains a pleasant read. A pity that the book does not offer some more practical suggestions to help readers get started. I think that would have made it even better.

Study on Critical Factors for Organisational Greatness
Collins' curiosity and clear study brings to light some of those factors that contribute to greatness. These findings are grounded within individual, teachable 'points of view' which are easily applied to large organisations and applicable to small busness as well.
Collins puts his findings in clear accessable language. Including the finding that is responsible for the title... That good is the enemy of great.
I highly recommend this book/CD to leaders that are enaged with designing futures and those that work with them. It is core reading for key teams. It has made a significant difference in being able to articulate powerful conversations with teams about that which is tacit and critical to success. Giving common language and principles to engage with. A great study book for learning teams.

But, what about........?

Read it - but maybe buy it used

This books does however ask some good questions about how to go from being good to GREAT such as:

1. What am I(or what is the company) intrinsically passionate about?
2. What is the company\I good at? and does this "thing" come naturally?
3. Finally does this area that was chosen have "GREAT" potential?

On the other hand, here are some questions that I felt were left unanswered:

Can't you be GREAT at two things at the same time?

According to Jack Welch's book, you should strive to be #1 OR #2.
btw: Aren't there three medals awarded in the Olympics?

What about sales? The Mary Kay Company motto is "Nothing happens until somebody sells something." (from her book)

What about creating barriers to entry for competitors? (to protect market share like Carnegie or Rockefeller did)

Why didn't you include MORE on the failures of the Good to Great companies? Not just the failures of the competition. Guys like Edison, Lincoln had many defeats before they found ultimate success.
Doesn't bouncing back from failures have something to do with going from Good to Great?

The author mentions getting the right people in the right seats on the bus and the wrong people off. I believe this is an oversimplification. Age, salary, tenure, unions, hierarchy etc make this a very difficult task to accomplish!!

Yes this book took 5 years to write and was supported by 21 staff researchers BUT I am not totally convinced of the results. (and I liked the first book - Built to Last)
That's why I gave it only 3 stars

Must read for any executive, manager, or entrepreneur
This book was number one on the Wall Street Journal's list for a long time for good reason. It is a very pleasurable and easy read that will certainly set off light bulbs in your head. The coverage of the iterative process of buildup and breakthrough is outstanding. If you are an executive, manager, or entrepreneur, make sure you grab this book and take it to the beach or knock it out over a weekend. It certainly belongs in your library. ... Read more

Book Description

How to speed up business processes, improve quality, and cut costs in any industry

In factories around the world, Toyota consistently makes the highest-quality cars with the fewest defects of any competing manufacturer, while using fewer man-hours, less on-hand inventory, and half the floor space of its competitors. The Toyota Way is the first book for a general audience that explains the management principles and business philosophy behind Toyota's worldwide reputation for quality and reliability.

Complete with profiles of organizations that have successfully adopted Toyota's principles, this book shows managers in every industry how to improve business processes by:

• Eliminating wasted time and resources
• Building quality into workplace systems
• Finding low-cost but reliable alternatives to expensive new technology
• Producing in small quantities
• Turning every employee into a qualitycontrol inspector

Reviews (15)

Jeff Liker does it again!
Jeff Liker does it again. For those who have read and enjoyed his previous book, Becoming Lean: Experiences of U.S. Manufactures, (1998 Shingo Prize) it gives practical insight into the transformation process from those who lead the process. The Toyota Way gives insight into how business philosophy must change and evolve in order to support a true transformation. At the core of a true business change is not the techniques, tools, or methods, but an attitude toward the business and a "way of life".

The book, The Toyota Way, is worth reading from cover-to-cover and should also be re-referenced as one tries to guide their business, themselves, and others through the deep changes that must occur to truly transform to a lean enterprise. Dr. Liker reveals how the fourteen principles have been applied at Toyota using practical examples from new car development programs, daily functions, and major international business decisions. The Toyota Way applies to all levels of activities and people. But the only way for others to accomplish their own Toyota Way is to read this book and start to apply its lessons directly - by learning by doing.

Toyota DNA
Even though no other company will have the exact Toyota DNA, the principles in this book should be like the 14 commandments for all companies. There is something that wows me just about in every page I read.

I'm only through half of the book, but if I had the money I would send it to many of my manufacturing friends. But that is much rather like pushing it, and I am not sure they would read it, even as a freebie.

I have read many of the "Lean books", Womack, etc. and liked them too. But "The Toyota Way" has been the best. There are many automotive Japanese companies, but Toyota is very special. No wonder everybody is trying to copy the tools used there. But what everybody misses is the basic philosophy and the 14 principles around Challenge, Kaizen, Respect, Teamwork and Genchi Genbutsu, or the 4 Ps of Liker.

Liker does an excellent work in explaining them.

a manufacturing engineering manager

Clear and informative for any business
What a clear explanation of management principles. Anyone who runs any sort of company, or even a single household, can profit by reading this book. The many graphs are clear, clever, and illuminating. The book goes so much beyond the more simple "lean" theory I had read about before.

Explainning Toyota's DNA
I think this book is the first one for a general audience that explains the management principles and business philosophy behind Toyota's worldwide reputation for quality and reliability.

Best book ever in recent years on Toyota DNA
There are very few books or papers available to give details on Toyota DNA in a plain english and that too with examples.

Thank you Dr.Liker for doing excellent job and looking forward to see your next book.

I completely agree with what Dr. Liker described in Principles 8 and 11, as I was fortunate to experience "Toyota Way" as a supplier. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Built from Scratch is about two businessmen who achieve the American Dream by fundamentally changing the realm of home-improvement retailing. Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank, cofounders of the Home Depot, explain how they established the first national chain in the industry by concentrating on low prices, customer service, and strong leadership values.

Ultimately, this is a book about grit and determination. "Building the Home Depot was a tough, uphill battle from the day we started," they write. "No one believed we could do it and very few people trusted our judgment." The two cofounders launched the company only after they were fired by a California hardware retailer because of politics. The Home Depot lost $1 million in its first year of operation in Atlanta. Today it's one of the great successes on Wall Street, with more than 700 stores across the country and 160,000 employees.

One reason the book is so engaging is that it includes corporate anecdotes. A favorite: the company banned wild parties after several employees were demoted and a couple were fired in the wake of a drunken annual managers' meeting. Another yarn involves Sears, which made one of the worst financial mistakes in retailing history when it passed on a deal to purchase Home Depot in the early 1980s. The authors are self-serving at times; for example, they whine too much about paying $104.5 million to dispose of a sex-discrimination lawsuit. But there's no denying the smashing performance of Big Orange. Marcus and Blank paint a story with some sparkling advice for practically anyone in business. --Dan Ring ... Read more

Reviews (25)

A great story...
and very well told, which really makes this book a fast read (I had a hard time putting it down).

Provides, IMO, valuable information that will be useful for any business owner. I am glad these guys took the time to share their story, and I hope I get to meet them one day.

What a great way to spend a rainy weekend. You'll love it as it reads like a novel. And you'll never look at Home Depot the same way.

Full of Lies
Let's face facts: home depot is known for abysmal service and really, really shoddy haphazard installations. They probably spend more on defending lawsuits than on store development. This book makes them look like such wizards, such brilliant and benevelont businessmen, when in fact they have done studies to see what the minimum level of customer service they can get away with is - and then tried to stretch that envelope.

I am sure Ken Lay could write books full of accolades to Enron. It would be just as true, and just as much a waste of time and money to read.

The real home depot
This is a great book for home depot associates. Every employee should read it. It shows how the home depot it SUPPOSE to run. It basically just tells of how home depot started and grew to where it is now. For a business background, it doesn't offer much.

Really good book
Is very inspiring for those who are thinking of starting their own business. The "American dream" can come true, even for Europeans like myself!

Look at how great Home Depot is....
This entire book is a self-serving description of how good the Home Depot is and how smart the founders (the authors of this book) of the company are in conducting business. Sure customer satisfaction is important to the success of any business but it would have been much more helpful to detail how this function was promoted, implemented, and monitored during Home Depot's tremendous growth stage. Rather, the reader is offered selected stories of how an associate in a store did something incredible for a customer. Additionally, the authors appear concerned with offering excuses for past instances when the company did something poorly (e.g., lawsuits, acquisitions). This book had all the ingredients for a good story; unfortunately the authors appeared more concerned with their own legacies rather than a true discussion of Home Depot's history and present functional strategies. ... Read more

Book Description

Drawing upon a six-year research project at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business, James C. Collins and Jerry I. Porras took eighteen truly exceptional and long-lasting companies and studied each in direct comparison to one of its top competitors. They examined the companies from their very beginnings to the present day -- as start-ups, as midsize companies, and as large corporations. Throughout, the authors asked: "What makes the truly exceptional companies different from the comparison companies and what were the common practices these enduringly great companies followed throughout their history?"

Filled with hundreds of specific examples and organized into a coherent framework of practical concepts that can be applied by managers and entrepreneurs at all levels, Built to Last provides a master blueprint for building organizations that will prosper long into the 21st century and beyond.

Reviews (101)

A Business Student's Perspective
Having spent the last four years of our lives being taught to think about every business problem in a particular way, it was great to read a business book that encourages you to "think outside of the box." We have read many textbooks in our time at University, and it was refreshing to read a book that expressed clear and simple ideas that we will remember after we graduate. "Built To Last" started off strong by 'shattering' the 12 well-known "myths" that they teach us in school. The book then continued with the author's model that is based around the premise of preserving the core ideology, and stimulating progress within the organization; it uses simple points that build on one another to create a first-rate framework. The authors make their points at the beginning of each chapter and then build on them with numerous examples of 'visionary' companies...Some of our favorite points were:
- The true definition of a core ideology; including the distinction between a core purpose and core values;
- Encourage trying lots of stuff and keeping what works;
- And, "The Genius of the And"...it is possible to have two things at once.
Although, this book was primarily targeted towards entrepreneurs and CEO's, we found that we could use this book for our future career search and within our daily lives. For example, the chapter titled Cults and Cultures outlined the extraordinary commitment employees have to their particular organization; Personally, we don't think we have what it takes to be a true "Nordie," but it gave us insight into what characteristics and traits to be looking for in an organization we would like to work for.
Some of the inferior traits of the book are that there were some parts in the novel where the authors seem to stretch their examples to fit within their framework, and they came across as being slightly bias to their own theories. We also found that they never mention the same company in every chapter, which made it harder to follow and also harder to believe that every visionary company fit all aspects of their model. However, overall, this book is an easy read, with a simple model that makes sense. It uses interesting companies and is backed up by 6 years of intense research. We recommend this book to any student who is looking to think on different terms than what we are being taught in school.

Unprecedented, Compelling, Well-Researched
"Built to Last" is one of those rare non-fiction books you just can't put down. Unequivocally the best "business" book I have ever read, "Built to Last" by James C. Collins and Jerry I. Porras is a compelling, thorough, well-written, unprecedented look at what it takes to "create and achieve long-lasting greatness as a visionary corporation." Unlike many current "trendy" management and "business success" books out on the market, Collins and Porras differentiate "Built to Last" by using their own six-year comprehensive, well-documented research study as the basis for further analysis.

What separates "Built to Last" is that each visionary company (3M, HP, Procter & Gamble, Wal-Mart...) is contrasted with a comparison company founded in the same time, in the same industry, with similar founding products and markets (Norton, TI, Colgate, Ames...). Perhaps what I found most intriguing were some of the twelve "shattered myths" they go on to counter throughout the book:

1. It takes a great idea to start a great company
2. Visionary companies require great and charismatic visionary leaders
3. Visionary companies share a common subset of "correct" core values
4. Highly successful companies make their best moves by brilliant and complex strategic planning
5. The most successful companies focus primarily on beating the competition

As a current business student with a summer internship in a "visionary company," I was amazed as their careful analysis rang true. This is one book I can highly recommend to any student, professional, or business educator looking for those not-so-subtle traits that characterize a truly visionary company.

The Perfect Business Book - A Must Read
The next time you see a book that casts a business leader as a mythical or heroic figure, go back to this book and see if the leader passes the 'Level 5 Leader' tests. Sandy Weill, for example, fails that test miserably, since he cares nothing for his company or its employees, and only about feeding his insatiable appetite for personal profit, self-aggrandizement, and great food, in that order. Weill is an example of the so-called celebrity leaders who are very reluctant to groom and name their successors, since they care far more about holding onto their power than for the longer-term welfare of the company and its employees. The last thing you'd see these quasi-leaders do is sacrifice their power or money for longer benefit of the company. Eisner is another perfect example of Emperor-CEO who got paid obscene amount of money and drove out top talents from Disney, while its business and stock prices languished badly.

A perfect business book - erudite, entertaining, and relevant - and a must-read for anyone who ever dreamed of becoming (or simply working for) the true business leader.

Easy to read & Shattered Myths
Overall, this is an excellent book about how to build a company that will stand the test of time. The authors present the information in a format that is easy to read for the senior executive or someone with no business experience. While the authors present detailed and informative examples of actions that businesses have taken to be successful, the number of examples can become cumbersome. If someone is looking for a quick reference of strategies to improve a company, this is probably not the book for them, but if an individual is looking for an in depth report on techniques used by companies, it would be a useful tool. This book's intent is to show you the cogs that matter and give you some framework by which to align them to drive a company constantly/relentlessly forward. Often managers get lost in the P&L of the day. While that is important, it may not be enough to keep the fiber of the organization together. This book can serve as a reminder to us all of what is important to maintain a business that is financially successful but more importantly keeps its employees and customers happy. This book's simple goal is to shatter two myths that many believe a visionary company is founded upon, the incredibly innovative product and the charismatic leader.

The genius of the "AND" -- use his book AND his web site
I listened to the audio version on my way to work. The bonus author interview at the end was the best part. It included a pitch for one of his other books "Good to Great". Jim Collins also has a web site, of the same name, that has an additional 10 non business books that he recommends. These additional resources have provided two of the next books I plan on reading.
As far as Built to Last goes, the following are some of his key concepts from this book.
1. Be a "Clock builder" instead of a "teller of time"
2. BHAGS (def in the book)
3. The "and" instead of the "or"
4. Preserve the core
5. Cult like corporate cultures
6. Stimulating progress
7. Alignment
8. All leaders die
Two other tid bits that caught my attention: The fact about how at the 18 visionary companies only 4 CEO's have ever been selected to the top spot in these organizations from outside the company. And finally the 3M example of how to effectively facilitate interaction between internal departments, by inventing a Technology Sharing Award and Technical Honor Society.
If you are a business type climbing the corporate ladder, it is worth a read. 3.5 to 4 stars ... Read more

Book Description

If there’s one thing that’s consistent in today’s business world, it’s rapid change. So how do you not only stay steady but actually grow—and quickly enough to stay safely ahead of your competitors? Built for Growth delivers specific solutions to create a brand and presence that generates true customer passion, as you lay a solid foundation for long-term success. Author Arthur Rubinfeld was a major driver in Starbucks' unprecedented retail expansion from 100 stores to more than 4000-- and its transformation into one of the world's most recognized brands. Here he draws on his singular expertise to present a proven, holistic approach to conceiving, designing, and executing your business plan: creating exciting concepts, growing them to fruition in local markets, expanding rapidly, and keeping your brand fresh and relevant as it matures. His revolutionary approach to business strategy embodies strong personal values, promotes exceptional creativity, leverages scientific methodology in finance and market analysis, and brings it all together with 'old-time' customer service. Each lesson is clearly distilled with detailed examples from one of the best business writers, Collins Hemingway, co-author with Bill Gates of the #1 bestseller Business at the Speed of Thought. So whether you're seeking to reignite growth or planning your first store, Built for Growth will be utterly indispensable. Foreword by Jeff Brotman, Co-founder and Chairman of Costco, the world's #1 warehouse club. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Solid And Straightforward
Everything you ever wanted to know about success in retail in jammed into this one book.This author covers it all, not just by focusing on the brand or location, but real solid ideas on people management, property management, finance and long term strategy.Somehow the author covered both how an upstart company can get it done and how a big and bland organization can get back on the right track.The books main focus is helping a retail business expand into becoming the next Starbucks.

The author starts out by detailing some rather hard facts.Most new business owners jump into the enterprise.They do little planning and as a result over half fail within the first year.The author details that the real issues are not always a lack of cash, but that the entrepreneur had a lack of knowledge of how to avoid mistakes, how to efficiently operate a business, and how to think through business issues.The author believes that you need a holistic approach to conceiving, designing and carrying out a retail business plan.This book gives you real world examples on how to keep your brand fresh and relevant.On top of all this the book is also well written and easy to read.The pages fly by.Overall I thought the book was wonderful.It had a ton of insight and more good ideas then you can possibly use.This is one of those books that you keep handy and keep going back to.

Great Overall book
I am only half way through this book and have more than gotten my money worth.I am not a retailer but a service business owner and would still consider this a must read.If you like Good to Great, you will like this as well...

Required Reading!
Run, don't walk, to pick up this book. This is one of the most stimulating and thought provoking books I've read in quite some time. Built For Growth unveils the secrets of the Starbucks expansion. It is full with magnificently researched concepts, leaving a great trail of other inspiring materials. Well written sets of practical tools can be put to use right away.The book outlines growth models that are going to be essential to get ahead. Want to stay one step ahead of the competition? You have to read this book then!

Add This to Your Buisness Bookshelf
Rubinfeld and Hemingway identify their audience by asking a simple question, "Who doesn't want to run his own business?"Then they segment the audience between the young who "think about it from time to time" and the old who "wish [they] had opened that little shop before the kids came."I fall in the latter category.Still this book offered me much to consider.

The chapter most directly relevant to me described how to create, train and motivate an effective organization.It was written in the context of hiring a retail team, but the authors' advice carries over well to creating organizations in general.In the hiring process, dig beyond the resumes.A person's values and abilities are the characteristics that make them succeed, not their pedigree.Get past the formal questions quickly and ask less formal ones, ones the interviewee can't anticipate and prepare for in advance and ones that reveal their core values. Look for "utility players," people who can adapt their experiences to different situations.Don't rush the hiring process.Make sure you find the right person and once you do, immerse him or her into the culture of your company as quickly and completely as possible. To get the best you need to be able to tell a compelling story for why that person should want to work for you.You, the hiring manager, need to prepare as much as the interviewee.

Throughout the book, Rubinfeld and Hemingway stress the importance of articulating your core values when you define your retail business and suggest an exercise:Create a mantra of three words that captures your values, then in a sentence or phrase, explain how each word reflects your values.The examples they give for the companies Il Fornaio Cafe and Bakery, Omaha Steaks and Gateway Computers are instructive for retail purposes, but it occurred to me that this was a valuable exercise even for my own personal values and I took the time to work through my own mantra.

The strength of the book is definitely Rubinfelds' experiences working with companies either as an employee or a consultant.The authors use those experiences effectively to support their views about what it takes to create first-class retail businesses.The stories of Starbucks, Blue C Sushi, Potbelly Sandwiches and others are each interesting in their own right and they are told over the course of the book in an interesting fashion.

"Built for Growth" is a book worth reading and keeping on your bookshelf next to other classic business books like Jim Collins's books "Build to Last" and "Good to Great" both of which are referenced by Rubinfeld and Hemingway.If you found the Collins books interesting, you'll enjoy "Build for Growth."

Business Book Page-Turner
This is a fun, well-written book that provides unique, expert insights into all the tools and concepts needed to turn an idea into a successful retail business.
It works on two levels.It's a great, practical nuts-and-bolts primer on the process of drafting a business plan, getting investors interested, deciding where to locate, negotiating the lease, designing the store, tailoring your goods to the customer's needs, and developing customer loyalty.It can be scaled up from a single store to a large chain. Co-Author Arthur Rubinfeld, now a prominent retail consultant, was a leading architect of the strategy that turned Starbucks into a household name throughout the world, so his advice is well-taken.He's generous with that advice; filling the book with interesting and amusing anecdotes about the real-world application of his principles.The "inside scoop" on Starbucks' wild ride reads like a good novel.
On a different level, the book explores the "big picture" ideas that form the zen of retailing.The authors provide hard-won guidance to prospective entrepreneurs in the difficult process of determining what their real goals are, how their retail store or chain will help realize those goals, and how that success will benefit their customers and their community. The authors make an effective plea for a more human approach to establishing a business identity, "branding", through quality service and not just fluff.Along the way they demonstrate that a little soul-searching in the beginning of the process can save many days of regret and lots of money.It will be a very useful and enjoyable addition to your library..
... Read more

Book Description

Is it possible for a company to grow its revenues and profits by 10percent ormore for atleast ten consecutive years, not counting acquisitions? That’s an incrediblyhigh bar forgrowth and profitability, one that 99.99 percent of American companies can’tmeet— including the famous ones that routinely land on magazine covers.

Management expert Jason Jennings screened 100,000 companies to identify ninelittle- known firms that have delivered stellar performance for a full decade or more,despite theups and downs of the economy. And, as he reveals in his new book, thesesuperstars havea lot in common despite their wide range of industries, which includes software,foodservices, medical supplies, and sporting goods.

It turns out that the best long-term performers all combine the strengths of abigorganization with the hunger of a start-up. They build excellent relationshipswith theircustomers, suppliers, workers, and shareholders. They groom future leaders atall levels.They balance their short-term goals with their long-term visions. And they teachtheirmanagers to get their hands dirty.

Jennings did extensive interviews at his nine featured companies to find outexactly howthey consistently increase revenue and profits without using manipulation orgimmickry.He reveals their unique approach to leadership and shows how any company, nomatterwhat size or industry, can benefit from following their examples.

Think Big, Act Small may be the most powerful management book sinceGood to Great and Execution. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A Business Novel--Read for Pleasure, Read for Profit
Telling the stories of nine companies, in a manner both fascinating and insightful, Jennings's has created a true business novel.You'll want to take this book on vacation for pleasure and then bring it home for profit.

Prudent Business Advice for any Business
I can't remember the last time I've considered a business non-fiction book a "page turner", but Jason Jennings has accomplished what very few writers in this genre do. His wit, combined with articulate facts, make "Think Big, Act Small" a much better read than similar books. However, what really encapsulated me were candid, yet invigorating details about what differentiates so-so businesses from the shockingly sparse few companies who actually maintain steady, consecutive growth along with increased profits year after year. Free from scandal, quiet, humble, down-to-earth CEO leadership appears to be one pervasive factor for a success formula. Incredibly, Jennings and his staff conduct face-to-face interviews with these precious leaders of the featured corporations more as if it were a coffee clutch than a business profile. Casual, laid-back and approachable, the words they speak aren't about themselves at all. Rather, their sage advice regarding the prosperity of their respective companies proves "big" dreams are still attainable while "acting small" as they genuinely focus on what's best for all.
As the owner of a successful computer company, one other surprise were the parallels seen within our own business. Namely, of the successful companies featured in the book, more than half are some of our BEST customers. This may be a perfect fit for any proactive sales organization. You'll be hooked from the start so this is just bonus material well worth the price of admission itself.
This book is a must read for anybody even slightly interested in learning about what makes today's best businesses tick.

Jennings' Most Important Book...Thus Far
Jennings' highly innovative, at times refreshingly unorthodox thinking was evident in his previously published books,It's Not the Big That Eat the Small...It's the Fast That Eat the Slow (co-authored with Laurence Haughton) and then Less Is More: How Great Companies Use Productivity As a Competitive Tool in Business.

As I read this volume, I was reminded of at least some of the material in Sun Tzu's The Art of War and, especially, the strategies recommended in a section called "Estimates" in Samuel B. Griffith's superb translation. For example: "All warfare is based on deception. Therefore, when capable, feign incapacity; when active, inactivity. When near, make it appear that you are far away; when far away, that you are near. Offer the enemy a bait to lure him; feign disorder and strike him. When he concentrates, prepare against him; where he is strong, avoid him. Pretend inferiority and encourage his arrogance. When he is united, divide him. Attack when he is unprepared; sally out when he does not expect you." You get the idea.

Jennings is a staunch and eloquent advocate of this principle: Do much more and do it much better, faster, and do it with less. OK, but how? The answer to that question was revealed by rigorous and extensive research which he and his two associates (Brian Solon and Greg Powell) conducted. They began with 70,000 companies as candidates for designation as the best performing companies in the U.S. Among all of them, which have increased their revenue and profits by at least 10% for ten years or longer? Only nine qualified: Cabela's, Dot Foods, Koch Industries, Medline Industries, O'Reilly Automotive, PETCO Animal Supplies, SAS Institute, Sonic Drive-in, and Strayer Education.

Back to "How?" Jennings identifies ten "Building Blocks" which, in combination, explain why each of those in an obviously mixed bag of companies has been and continues to be a best performer (i.e. among the top one-hundredth of 1% of all U.S. companies). It would be a disservice to both Jennings and to those who read this brief commentary to list them and then comment on each out of the context within which Jennings so skillfully presents them. Suffice to say that all organizations (regardless of their size or nature) need to have all ten Building Blocks as a core foundation on which to increase their revenue and profits by at least 10% and then continue to do so year after year after year.

How revealing that the CEOs whom Jennings and his research associates interviewed indicate little (if any) interest in any of Sun Tzu's deception strategies...nor in what their competitors are up to, for that matter. They seem wholly preoccupied with sticking to their own "knitting," focusing on what their companies can do best, how to do it even better, and thereby deliver even greater value to their customers. Also, each seems determined to nourish and enhance the quality of life as well as standard of living of everyone involved in the enterprise. This is precisely what Jennings means when referring to building communities, Building Block #9. Employees, customers, and allies should be viewed as "partners" and treated as such.

Ultimately, one of the most formidable challenges for those in any organization is to achieve and then maintain an appropriate balance of "thinking BIG" while "acting small." Hence the importance of Section Three, "The Quad: A Self-Evaluation and Ranking," in which Jennings "breaks down the title of the book into four scenarios, each represented by a quadrant":

TSAS Think Small, Act Small
TSAB Think Small, Act Big
TBAB Think Big, Act Big
TBAS Think Big, Act Small

He applies this template to each of the ten Building Blocks. It remains for each reader to complete the self-evaluation, one which helps to measure her or his own organization's current situation. The details of this exercise are best revealed within the text, pages 189-201.

I highly recommend this book for reasons previously indicated but also because I cannot recall a prior time since the Great Depression when it was more difficult for companies to increase their revenue and profits by at least 10% for ten years or longer. Consider these statistics which Michael Gerber shares in his recently published E-Myth Mastery: "Of the 1 million U.S. small businesses started this year [2005], more than 80% of them will be out of business within 5 years and 96% will have closed their doors before their 10th birthday." Chilling statistics indeed. Here in a single volume is a rigorous analysis of how nine quite different companies have achieved and then sustained their "full economic and human potential."

How important and potentially valuable is this book? Please re-read the statistics provided by Gerber. ... Read more

Book Description

Remarkable insight into the leadership culture of one of the world's largest cosmetics companies

It's no secret that Mary Kay Inc. -- home of the famous "Pink Cadillac" -- is one of the best run and most successful companies in the world, prompting Harvard professors and U.S. Government agencies to study what made the company a global phenomenon.But what many people may not realize is that Mary Kay is much more than a Pink Cadillac.While this widely recognized icon is a symbol of top performance, it stands for something greater - a way of doing business with a personal concern for people that has made Mary Kay a different kind of company.This book explains the methods and mindset that can bring the same kind of success to your organization.

More than a Pink Cadillac provides insights into a unique and extraordinarily successful business - one that grew out of, and is still founded upon, a simple set of powerful principles.It represents the first time the company has given an outside author -- Jim Underwood -- unlimited access to its employees and management.The principles he reveals in this book have already influenced the lives of hundreds of thousands of men and women around the world - and they can do the same for your organization.

Reviews (8)

Highly Recommended!
Mary Kay, Inc., is perhaps best known for two things: the cult of personality surrounding its founder, Mary Kay Ash, and the fact that it rewards successful salespeople with pink Cadillacs. In this illuminating book, management expert Jim Underwood delves into the guiding principles of Mary Kay, Inc.'s daily operations, which remain, 40 years later, true to Ash's founding vision. Countries or corporations founded by a charismatic leader often sag or sink when that leader inevitably steps down. Mary Kay's leadership was unique in that she built a solid foundation for the company so it could continue without her day-to-day guidance. This corporate biography represents the first time the privately owned company allowed an outsider complete access to its managers and employees, enabling Underwood to persuasively illustrate nine leadership rules with testimonies from members of the "Mary Kay family." We recommend this to anyone who aspires to leadership. Mary Kay may look fluffy, but it's all about the firm.

"Nothing happens until somebody sells something."
The book was interesting enough to keep me listening all the way until the end. I listened to the 6 CD version of the book on the way to work.
Without being associated with Mary Kay, I had a hard time relating to the experience the author was trying to convey.
If I had some first hand experience with the product or the sales staff, my opinion of the book might be different.
It sounds like a fine company. Based on the individual stories in the book and the company sales statistics, the company merits high praise. It seems as if they offer a wonderful culture and opportunity to anyone who might be interested in selling. I must say after reading Jack Straight from the Gut first, I can not think of a greater contrast in management style than that of Mary Kay and Jack Welch at GE. Two successful companies - Two completely different management/leadership styles. I sounds like Mary Kay applied the Dale Carnegie method to her company and people.
The Nine Keys:
Create and Maintain a Common Bond
Create the Future: Think and Act Strategically
Make Me Feel Important
Motivate Others with Recognition and Celebration
Never Leave Your Values
Innovate or Evaporate
Foster Balance: God, Family, Career
Have a Higher Purpose
OK Never Does It: You've gotta been Great!

Highly Recommended!
Mary Kay, Inc., is perhaps best known for two things: the cult of personality surrounding its founder, Mary Kay Ash, and the fact that it rewards successful salespeople with pink Cadillacs. In this illuminating book, management expert Jim Underwood delves into the guiding principles of Mary Kay, Inc.'s daily operations, which remain, 40 years later, true to Ash's founding vision. Countries or corporations founded by a charismatic leader often sag or sink when that leader inevitably steps down. Mary Kay's leadership was unique in that she built a solid foundation for the company so it could continue without her day-to-day guidance. This corporate biography represents the first time the privately owned company allowed an outsider complete access to its managers and employees, enabling Underwood to persuasively illustrate nine leadership rules with testimonies from members of the "Mary Kay family." We recommend this to anyone who aspires to leadership. Mary Kay may look fluffy, but it's all about the firm.

Very inspirational...
This is not a self help type of books for MK consultants. It describes the type of leadership you will find at the MK headquarters and throughout the company. Many business owners and corporations could learn a thing or two from this book, as well as the lay person in search of living a better life and improve their interpersonal skills. I am a consultant and now I understand many things I've been learning from my directors. If you are in MK you MUST get the book. If you are a business owner, YOU MUST also get the book.

A BOOK ANYONE CAN BENEFIT FROM!
I am a MK Consultant and this book is a great recruiting tool! A must-have for ANY MARY KAY Independent Beauty Consultant OR Director. Also, a perfect book for any employer or large corporation to read and apply the nine Leadership keys! ... Read more

Amazon.com

IDEO, the world's leading design firm, is the brain trust that's behindsome of the more brilliant innovations of the past 20 years--from the Applemouse, the Polaroid i-Zone instant camera, and the Palm V to the "fat" toothbrushfor kids and a self-sealing water bottle for dirt bikers. Not surprisingly,companies all over the world have long wondered what they could learn from IDEO,to come up with better ideas for their own products, services, and operations.In this terrific book from IDEO general manager Tom Kelley (brother of founderDavid Kelley), IDEO finally delivers--but thankfully not in the step-by-step,flow-chart-filled "process speak" of most how-you-can-do-what-we-do businessbooks. Sure, there are some good bulleted lists to be found here--such as thesecrets of successful brainstorming, the qualities of "hot teams," and, towardthe end, 10 key ingredients for "How to Create Great Products and Services,"including "One Click Is Better Than Two" (the simpler, the better) and "GoofProof" (no bugs).

But The Art of Innovation really teaches indirectly (not to mentionenlightens and entertains) by telling great stories--mainly, of how the bestideas for creating or improving products or processes come not from laboriouslyorganized focus groups, but from keen observations of how regular people workand play on a daily basis. On nearly every page, we learn the backstories ofsome now-well-established consumer goods, from recent inventions like the PalmPilot and the in-car beverage holder to things we nearly take for granted--likeIvory soap (created when a P&G worker went to lunch without turning off hissoap mixer, and returned to discover his batch overwhipped into 99.44 percentbuoyancy) and Kleenex, which transcended its original purpose as a cosmeticsremover when people started using the soft paper to wipe and blow their noses.Best of all, Kelley opens wide the doors to IDEO's vibrant, sometimes wackyoffice environment, and takes us on a vivid tour of how staffers tackle a designchallenge: they start not with their ideas of what a new product should offer,but with the existing gaps of need, convenience, and pleasure with which peoplelive on a daily basis, and that IDEO should fill. (Hence, a one-piece children'sfishing rod that spares fathers the embarrassment of not knowing how to teachtheir kids to fish, or Crest toothpaste tubes that don't "gunk up" at themouth.)

Granted, some of their ideas--like the crucial process of "prototyping," orincorporating dummy drafts of the actual product into the planning, to work outbugs as you go--lend themselves more easily to the making of actual things thanto the more common organizational challenge of streamlining services oroperations. But, if this big book of bright ideas doesn't get you thinking ofhow to build a better mousetrap for everything from your whole business processto your personal filing system, you probably deserve to be stuck with themousetrap you already have. --Timothy Murphy ... Read more

Reviews (49)

Less than expected
The Art of Innovation is the story of the famous Palo Alto based design firm, IDEO. The book is easy to read and moves quickly. The author, Tom Kelley, is the brother of founder David Kelley. Tom is the General Manager and is an ex-management consultant. This is important because the book really devolves into a light treatise on business management practices. This makes sense since given Tom Kelley's responsibilities at IDEO and his background. It also explains the Tom Peter's Foreword. If you like Tom Peter's books, you will enjoy this book.

If you are looking for real insights into the IDEO design process you will be disappointed. Most of the insights are of a personnel management nature, and even those are at a relatively high level. Mr. Kelley pokes more than a few veiled barbs at the slow industrial giants who simply cannot compete with the brain power and management prowess at IDEO. That may sound sarcastic, but Mr. Kelley's pride in his company often crosses that fine line into arrogance.

There are a few actual projects described to point out how valuable a certain IDEO practice is. There are repeated references to IDEO's contribution to the invention of the Apple mouse and follow-up work on the Microsoft Mouse. Also, a great deal of time is spent talking about the redesign of the common shopping cart that was done in one week for a segment on Nightline. I know that IDEO has had many important clients and recent important projects. Perhaps they can't talk about them because of non-disclosure agreements. There are color pictures of some products at the beginning of each of 15 chapters but often there is no mention of those products in the text. Some black & white photographs of products and the IDEO workspaces also accompany the text. There are no diagrams or illustrations.

A great deal of the book outlines the emphasis that IDEO puts on the treatment of their employees and their penchant for quick and frequent prototyping as a key to success. All projects start by assigning a "hot" team and letting them brainstorm and prototype their way into some great ideas. No details are given on how the teams are formed or managed.

This book is for you if you are looking for a light management practices book and just a little insight into a premier design firm. You will probably be disappointed if you want to find out how products are designed or what specific processes are used to manage the design process. You also will not get a great deal of competitive information about IDEO. The book assumes that you have at least a general idea of what Industrial Design is about.

Tom Kelley admits that workshops about the "IDEO way" have been turned into a profit center. They give seminars on how to organize product development at client companies. I could see IDEO including this book with their seminar, or perhaps they could give it to a prospective client to whet their appetite. It definitely leaves you wanting more information. I am left wondering, "How much is that seminar, and will they let me in?"

Innovation for Fun as Well as Profit
There are dozens of excellent books which discuss innovation. This is one of the best but don't be misled by the title, "Lessons in creativity from IDEO, America's leading design firm." Unlike almost all other authors of worthy books on the same subject, Kelley does NOT organize his material in terms of a sequence of specific "lessons"...nor does he inundate his reader with checklists, "executive summaries", bullet points, do's and don'ts, "key points", etc. Rather, he shares what I guess you could characterize as "stories" based on real-world situations in which he and his IDEO associates solved various problems when completing industrial design assignments for their clients. "We've linked those organizational achievements to specific methodologies and tools you can use to build innovation into your own organization...[However, IDEO's] 'secret formula' is actually not very formulaic. It's a blend of of methodologies, work practices, culture, and infrastructure. Methodology alone is not enough." One of the greatest benefits of the book is derived from direct access to that "blend" when activated.

It is extremely difficult to overcome what James O'Toole characterizes, in Leading Change, as "the ideology of comfort and the tyranny of custom." He and Kelley seem to be kindred spirits: Both fully understand how and why truly innovative thinking encounters so much resistance within organizations. Whereas O'Toole suggests all manner of strategies to overcome that resistance, Kelley concentrates on the combination ("blend") of ingredients which, when integrated and then applied with both rigor and passion, may (just may) produce what Jobs once referred to as "insanely great." What both O'Toole and Kelley have in mind is creating and sustaining an innovative culture, one from within which "insanely great" ideas can result in breakthrough products and (yes) services.

"Loosely described", Kelley shares IDEO's five-step methodology: Understand the market, the client, the technology, and the perceived constraints on the given problem; observe real people in real-life situations; literally visualize new-to-the-world concepts AND the customers who will use them; evaluate and refine the prototypes in a series of quick iterations; and finally, implement the new concept for commercialization. With regard to the last "step", as Bennis explains in Organizing Genius, Apple executives immediately recognized the commercial opportunities for PARC's technology. Larry Tesler (who later left PARC for Apple) noted that Jobs and companions "wanted to get it out to the world." But first, obviously, create that "it."

Kelley and his associates at IDEO have won numerous awards for designing all manner of innovative products such as the Apple mouse, the Palm Pilot, a one-piece fishing mechanism for children, the in-vehicle beverage holder, toothpaste tubes that don't "gunk up" in the cap area, "mud-free" water bottles for mountain bikers, a small digital camera for the handspring Visor, and the Sun Tracker Beach Chair.

With all due respect to products such as these, what interested me most was the material in the book which focuses on (a) the physical environment in which those at IDEO interact and (b) the nature and extent of that interaction, principally the brainstorm sessions. In the Foreword, Tom Peters has this in mind when explaining why Kelley's is a marvelous book: "It carefully walks us through each stage of the IDEO innovation process -- from creating hot teams (IDEO is perpetually on 'boil') to learning to see through the customer's eyes (forget focus groups!) and brainstorming (trust me, nobody but nobody does it better) to rapid prototyping (and nobody, but nobody does it better...)." Whatever your current situation, whatever the size and nature of your organization, surely you and it need to avoid or escape from "the ideology of comfort and the tyranny of custom." Granted, you may never be involved in the creation of an "insanely great" product but Kelley can at least help you to gain "the true spirit of innovation" in your life. I join him in wishing you "some serious fun."

This is the way I would run my company
This should be the first book you read when you get out of college. Much of what Tom Kelley says would probably make your boss turn away, going against many theorems taught in management classes.

But just maybe he is re-defining the perfect environments for the the ideas that change the way we interface.

a handbook of innovation
It is a handbook for innovation, the book share the experience of IDEO, the methods and the work practice to generate new ideas and the process of turning ideas to product. The first one is observation, people many ignore this point or pay little attention on that point. Tom mentioned a point that, we should user-oriented. Observed people how actually use a product instead of only interview them. Because some of customers are lacking product knowledge they cannot express the difficulty of using the product, even they do not fully utilize the product, so you may only get limited insight from interviewing them only.
I know that many people know the term of Brainstorming, which is a method of ideas generation. However, how to have a good brainstorming is a difficult task.

The third process is making prototype. It helps to solve the problem in 3-D, and let you know the problem or mistake in early stage of the process.

The last insight is about the quality of the team members. They should broad in their skills and interests, deep in their knowledge and experience in one or more disciplines. All these could enhance the cross-pollination. All they should accept the divest within the team.

Waste of time.
Reading this book is a waste of time. I know, It is tough to explain how someone can do innovating thinking etc. But this book does not help any. Read books on mindmapping instead. ... Read more

Book Description

The Art of M&A, Third Edition, is the leading answer book in today's fast-changing, enormously complex merger world. Written in a handy, easy-reference Q&A format, this no-nonsense handbook covers everything from the early stages of locating a suitable target--or finding that you are a target--through the postmerger trials of turning multiple companies into one.

Synopses of nearly three dozen landmark cases give real life insights into legal rulings from previous high profile mergers. Over the past decade, The Art of M&A has helped thousands of executives make sound decisions. Now, let it provide all the information you will need to buy or sell companies, whether public or private, domestic or foreign. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Great Reference Book
This is a fantastic reference tome for anyone involved with M&A. As a private equity Associate, I have found this book to be invaluable on multiple levels as both a reference guide for securities law, as well as for procedural issues such as sample formats for term sheets, DD check lists, etc.

Also, while it is a dense read, I think this would be invaluable for people just entering either Investment Banking or Private Equity to read as an introduction to the rules, regulations and procedures surrounding mergers/acquisitions.

A Definitive Manual for M&A Transactions
If you only were allowed to have one book on this subject in your library, this is the one that you want. It gives good coverage to all of the important topics needed to evaluate, price and execute a transaction. The footnotes at the end of each chapter are an excellent reference. It also benefits from a very detailed index. The Q&A format of the text is a bit unusual for a work of this type, but is actually quite useful when browsing or quickly finding the key theme of each paragraph or section. It also contains a good selection of sample documents and checklists. Overall, it delivers a lot of high quality information the investment banking professional can really use.

Yes, this is a very focused topic, but it is a great book!
The very size of this book on such a specialized topic may seem daunting. However, the writing is so lively and the organization by question and answer is so easy to use that you will find this a very useful and comprehensive handbook.

It is NOT a theory laden textbook. Rather, it is a very useful and practical guide to the field and will help the careful reader avoid many pitfalls. There are many ways to make mistakes in buying companies and this book can open your eyes to quite of few of them. In fact, if you are the target of a buyout, this book can be of special importance and interest.

I admit to being fascinated by this topic so take that into consideration when evaluating what I say about this book. But even so, mergers and acquistions are so much in the news (for good and ill) that it can only help to get more background on what is really going on and how these deals are (or at least should be) put together.

The book reads MUCH shorter than its size and is fairly comprehensive on the subject - from the methods in selecting candidates for acquisition to what to do when you are a target of an acquisition to some very specialized topics. It also deals with M&A issues with both public, private, and even family firms.

Honestly, I am surprised at how glad I am that I bought this book. It is terrific.

Highly Practical
I have been an M&A practitioner for twenty years and rarely have I found a book that is as readable and useable as this one. The author is able to synthesize difficult concepts and communicate them in a highly user friendly way.

Very thorough
Very detailed source for information on mergers, acquisitions and buyouts. The question and answer format is a great way to identify the information that you need. This book really is a handbook; I wouldn't encourage reading it cover to cover, but to use it as more of a reference book. The footnotes at the end of each chapter are useful to finding more in depth information, and the book gives a generous number of websites which you can consult. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Nissan's turnaround is very compelling story; this book isnt
Carlos Ghosn is the pragmatic global citizen who rose through the ranks at Michelin and Renault before taking on the enormous challenge of turning around Nissan Motors. The performance he engineered with his teams has been extraordinary, and is certainly a story worth telling. Unfortunately, this book doesn't do the job. Instead, read "Turnaround : How Carlos Ghosn Rescued Nissan" by David Magee.

I purchased "Shift" because it was billed as having "insight into the Japanese way of doing business." Unfortunately, it fell short of that, and most anything else.This slim (200p.) whisp of work reads like a magazine article whipped up after one or two interviews; not the product of the person who catalyzed the turnaround.

Pros: Ghosn starts the book by introducing us to his beginnings, his family, and business experiences. His global worldview and background certainly served him well when he moved to Japan to take on this enormous challenge. His Lebanese, Brazilian, French, Brazilian, American, and French experiences certainly set him up to assimilate/communicate well in Japan.

Cons: Where's the beef?The book includes no relating about what it took to make things happen, how he communicated and transformed the culture of this moribund giant.

Overall, reads more like a mag article by a third party than a business memoir.

This book is not about Nissan's new products.
This is more of a story of how a guy from Lebanon, raised in Brazil and educated in France became a CEO.I was expecting more about how Nissan came up with the fantastic designs for the G35, the new Z and other cars.Ghosn does mention that he pulled the design team out from the control of the engineers, but that's it.

This is a must read for folks thinking of running a multinational company.

Rags to riches
A must read for all CEOs.As the world gets smaller and smaller through globalization, internet and superfast communications, every manufacturer from your local shop to General Motors needs to serve the 6 billion customers.Carlos Ghosn did it with passion, integrity and style.The fact that he can change the mindset of the Japanese management is truly remarkable.He is a hero in Nissan, Japan and a true role model for all CEOs. The book will be better if he can include more about the future US expansion plan. Rick Wagoner, watch out, he is after your job!

... Read more

Book Description

The success of Starbucks Coffee Company is one of the mostremarkable business stories in decades, growing from a single retailstore on Seattle's waterfront to a company with more than one thousandstores nationwide and a new one opening every business day. Starbucks haseffected a fundamental change in American life, turning coffee into anational obsession and establishing the coffee bar as a new fixture ofMain Street - a home away from home for millions of Americans. In PourYour Heart Into It, Howard Schultz, the CEO of Starbucks, shares thepassion, values, and inspiration that drive the success of thisfascinating company. Schultz gives credit for the growth of Starbucks toa foundation of values seldom found in corporate America - values thatplace as much importance on the company's employees as they do onprofits, as much attention to creativity as to growth. Schultz tells thestory of Starbucks in chapters that illustrate the principles which havemade the company enduring, such as "Don't be threatened by people smarterthan you," "Compromise anything but your core values," "Seek to renewyourself even when you are hitting home runs," and, most simply,"Everything matters." For entrepreneurs, marketers, managers, andStarbucks' loyal customers, Pour Your Heart Into It gets to the heartof a company that, according to Fortune magazine, "has changedeverything...from our tastes to our language to the face of Main Street." ... Read more

Reviews (81)

An insightful read - much better than the typical CEO tract
I was pleasantly surprised as that number of insights I picked up in Howard Schultz' tale. He and Dori Jones Yang really appeared to have connected in the writing of this book. There's an effortless flow in the telling that gives you a 'fly on the wall' insider's feel without getting bogged down in coffee arcania or management dribble.

Schultz walks you through some of the thought processes and actions that led to important advancements in Starbucks' success with their customers. And, he's not afraid to point out when he's been dead wrong. He's strong enough to admit being dead set against the Frappuccino & totally missing the boat on what ended up being a blowout product for the company.

One comment - it's hard for me to reconcile Schultz' recent fixation on the Internet, going so far as ruminating about buying Williams-Sonoma for its online potential, with the clear-headed thoughts expressed in this book. [Yes, let's see...I'll have a latte and this leather couch, thanks.] Throughout the book, Schultz shows a complete understanding of a company's need to please Wall Street via growing profits, and also is quite clear of having to evaluate each decision by asking "Will it strengthen or dilute the brand?"

You will never look at Starbucks the same way again
This is one of the best business biographies I have ever read. It is truly inspiring. One simple, and telling, output from reading this book on a plane was that as soon as we landed I headed to the local airport Starbucks for a latte. I rarely even drink coffee! So powerful are the imagery and the passion for coffee in his story that you can almost smell the roasted dark beans, feel them running through your fingers, hear the sounds of the espresso machine and taste the coffee itself!

Why is this imagery so important? Because behind the corporate image of a relentless pac-man like machine churning out new locations at a rate slightly above the national birth rate it seems, is a simple vision of passion for coffee combined with Italian neighborhoods and a warm and friendly place where the worlds best coffee and social friendship intermix. That is what Starbucks was all about.

The book itself is a remarkable insight into this journey. It was even more special for me, as I grew up with Starbucks - literally. When Howard talks about the vision he had to treat even his part time employees with full benefits and ownership in the company through stock, I know it was more than just a nice sounding corporate manta, it really worked. Friends I went to high school with in Bellevue in the mid to late 1980's worked at the first stores, and raved about this little coffee company and couldn't imagine working anywhere else. So, from firsthand experience I can tell you that what he says about the passion and vision coming to life in Seattle is all true

While company history is quite interesting, and the book itself just hums and glides without ever getting mundane, the real gems are in the emotional reality Howard displays. He talks about being overwhelmed to tears, about the rejection he faced while trying to get funding for his fledgling company, about the naysayers and others who nearly took it all away, and the struggle with having a hand in everything and slowly letting go. You know that you are reading about a real person, someone who came from a poor neighborhood in Brooklyn with working-class roots, not an image generated by a large corporations PR spin doctors

The value of people, so often lost in corporate bureaucracy, is evident here. Starbucks grew because it struck an emotional chord with people. He knew that in order for the company to be successful he needed people who shared the values. This is often spoken of, and rarely practiced in the corporate world where systems, forecasts, processes and other such tools become the focal point, and the simple fact that all results come through people is lost. He speaks throughout the book of people who helped him, coached him, mentored him, challenged him, and made the company what it was. One quote in particular summarizes his views: "If people relate to the company they work for, if they form an emotional tie to it and buy into its dreams, they will pour their heart into making it better." (Page 6) This theme comes through in every decision.

Overall, this is a wonderful book, and is truly inspiring. I would work for him tomorrow, if it really still is the way it's portrayed here. I encourage you to read this book and see your neighborhood Starbucks in a new light.

Try Working at Starbucks
This is an interesting read if looked at as a fictional account of business. As a frustrated Starbucks employee, there are many an urban legend about how great we are supposed to be treated. Howard should go to work as a barista in one of his own stores, have customers insult him, throw drinks back at him and do all of the cleaning chores expected of the people making him his millions. As for the "One Drink at a Time", I wish that were true. We are expected to whip out drinks within mere seconds of them being ordered. Don't believe all the gospel of Howard. It ain't all that he thinks it is cracked up to be.

A great read
OK. I don't read a lot of books. I am an entrepreneur. This book was great. I always liked starbucks coffee but now I have an in depth understanding of how truly amazing a company Starbucks is. You will not be dissappointed!

Good Book to Read for those who Wish to Develop Own Business
You can see from this book how Howard Schultz upheld his belief in good coffee quality from the begining. Also, he was so committed to bring in new experience to his customers which was a very important marketing strategy nowadays. The book is easy to read and has given the reader a lot of inspirations! ... Read more