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Review: Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose by Tony Hsieh

June 11, 2010 By Leave a Comment

I was lucky to be chosen to receive an advanced copy of Tony Hsieh’s book, Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose.  I heard about the book from Tim Ferriss and Kevin Rose on their Random Show.

Simply put this is a mini autobiography of Tony Hsieh’s adventure with business, more specifically, Zappos. Tony goes through a lot of ups and downs and provides honest insights and gold nuggets throughout the book. It was nice to read about another immigrant Asian entrepreneur, because there were a lot of similarities on how we were raised in America.

The biggest thing I got out of the book is how important people are and how to treat them. I appreciate the out-of-the-box thinking that he provided and how to create a culture. Any company can be cloned in a matter of months and the ultimate competitive advantage is the people, both customers and employees.

Another major point that I appreciated was in the last couple of chapters where he discusses the “science” behind happiness. I think that’s all that life is all about.

After reading the book I ordered a copy of the well-known culture book and look forward to reading that as well. I only hope that I will be able to create companies that have such passionate and loyal people.

I highly recommend the book. It was a very quick read and was difficult to put down after I started reading. You can buy the book on Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose. If you know me and are close to me in Irvine, CA. I can give you my copy to read.

We need more amazing companies that truly make a positive difference in peoples lives and bring the overall happiness level up around the world. When I get the chance I plan on attending one of the free tours at Zappos’ Head Quarters in Las Vegas.

Disclaimer: Per FTC guidelines. I received an advanced review copy of the book and promise to provide an honest review.

Filed Under: Business, Featured, Inspiration, Living, Reviews

Review of The Go-Giver by Bob Burg and John David Mann

February 23, 2010 By Leave a Comment

I’ve finished reading The Go-Giver: A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea by Bob Burg and John David Mann.

It’s a parable about how giving will give you a higher quality of life.

Here’s Amazon’s description:

This modern-day business parable, a quick read in the spirit of The Greatest Salesman in the World and The One Minute Manager, should do well with eager corporate-ladder climbers, who may at first be confused by its focus: on putting the other guy first-be it a colleague, competitor, customer, friend or family member. Told through the fictitious story of an ambitious young salesman named Joe, Burg and Mann communicate their points through the advice of an enigmatic (and highly likeable) mentor character known as Pindar. Rather than help Joe snag a fast sale, the consultant introduces him to series of “go-givers” who personify the “Five Laws of Stratospheric Success.” Over the course of five days, a restaurateur, a CEO, a financial advisor, a real-estate broker and the mysterious “Connector” teach Joe about the laws of value, compensation, influence, authenticity and receptivity-concepts that make more immediate sense in this fictional context than they would in a formal business book. Burg (Endless Referrals: Network Your Everyday Contacts Into Sales) and Mann (You Call the Shots) write with a simple, informal style that offers a working-person’s interpretation of the old adage “give, and you shall receive.”
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Here are the Five Laws of Stratospheric Success (which are restated at the back of the book):

1) The Law of Value: Your true worth is determined by how much more you give in value than you take in payment.
2) The Law of Compensation: Your income is determined by how many people you serve and how well you serve them.
3) The Law of Influence: Your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other people’s interests first.
4) The Law of Authenticity: The most valuable gift you have to offer is yourself.
5) The Law of Receptivity: The key to effective giving is to stay open to receiving.

Overall it was a quick read and a good book. Hard to actually apply the lessons in your life. I recommend this book for anyone interested in adding more value to the world and wanting to live a life that makes a difference. The businesses lessons overlap into your personal life. In fact, there shouldn’t be a line dividing the two.

I plan on borrowing/reading the second book, Go-Givers Sell More, which is filled with case studies.

Filed Under: Business, Inspiration, Living, Musings, Reviews