Customer Reviews

101 Things I Learned (TM) in Business School

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

What we have in this easy-to-dismiss book (because of its cutesy title and unorthodox shape) is a collection of remarkably interesting, in some instances valuable insights or explanations provided by the co-authors, Michael W. Preis and Matthew Frederick, who presumably learned more than 101 "things" (a useless word when you think about it) within and beyond a business school community. Preis and Frederick stick to business basics with this approach: following an assertion ("X is...." or "Y is not necessarily...."), they provide a brief but insightful delineation that corrects or modifies a misconception. For example:

"Not all capital is economic." (#5)

"A mission or vision statement that is impossible to disagree with might not be saying much of significance." (#15)

"Cannibalize your own sales." (#27)

"Profitable, fast growing companies can be chronically short of cash." (#38)

"Promoting the best performer to manager is often a mistake." (#67)

"Sacrifice the trivial few for the vital many." (#77)

"Obsolete does not always mean useless." (#81)

After each of these and the other 94 "things," Preis and Frederick offer a brief explanation of the given assertion's significance. None offers a head-snapping revelation but together, throughout the sequence in which they are presented, the "nuggets" provide a thought-provoking and informative briefing on key business concepts, issues, and concerns.

I urge those who share my high regard for this book to check out these, listed in alpha order:

The Future of Management
Gary Hamel

Hard Facts, Dangerous Half-Truths and Total Nonsense: Profiting From Evidence-Based Management
Jeffrey Pfeffer and Robert I. Sutton

Mastering the Rockefeller Habits: What You Must Do to Increase the Value of Your Growing Firm
Verne Harnish

Reality Check: The Irreverent Guide to Outsmarting, Outmanaging, and Outmarketing Your Competition
Guy Kawasaki

Rework
Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson

Think Big, Act Small: How America's Best Performing Companies Keep the Start-up Spirit Alive
Jason Jennings

I perused this book in a Barnes & Noble. I read up to the 70th point. I don't have time for a full on review but I just wanted to inform potential readers that it is in fact an excellent resource especially for people who are into business and entrepreneurs.

I was worried that too many statements would've been too plain or general, albeit some were, most were very interesting things to note.

I'm going to look up on my iPad if there's an ebook version.

Great read

As a small business owner and management consultant, I found "101 Things" to be both a gripping read and a ready reference work. I first bounced around randomly through the many straightforward lessons, enjoying the author's resuscitation of some old lessons that lay dormant in my mind. Then, faced with some nagging business issues of my own, I found myself returning to the same lessons for clarity and guidance. In the process I was entertained and enlightened--an enormous ROI on a small investment of reading time.

This book is an excellent primer if you, like me, wished you had taken a Business 101 course but never got around to it. It is part conventional wisdom and part how to adapt to an ever-changing world.

Right from the start, the most startling realization is that the term "business" is simply a collection of many interconnected subjects such as accounting, marketing, finance, organizational behavior, etc.

Some of my favorite bits of wisdom include: There's a trolley every 15 minutes. (i.e. It's better to wait for a good business opportunity than to invest your time and money in a bad one out of fear.) People buy copy machines because they need copies, not because they want a copy machine. (i.e. People buy things to solve problems so sales should primarily address the problem and not the product.) Hire your own boss. (i.e. Being good at a particular task rarely means you'd be good at managing a group performing the same task.)

The best advice is probably "If you want to be a good leader, you must be a good reader." This statement attests to the ever-important skill of adaptability and ongoing education.