8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Brief, unsatisfying and repetitive, July 17, 2003
I believe that Richard Branson is a unique character and that information about his life and business philosophies would make an interesting read. Thus I chose to read this book.
However I was somewhat disappointed. Although I did learn a few things and there were some interesting passages, a great deal of the book consisted of quotes obtained from OTHER biographers and journalists attempting to document Branson's life.
Each chapter concluded with a summary (read: repetition) of the information in that chapter, and dozens of other sections/quotes/anecdotes were obviously repeated in various chapters. Perhaps because of this, it only took me an hour to read the entire book (admittedly I am a reasonably fast reader).
One thing that I can say in its favor is that the book was structured well; there were 10 main sections, each devoted to a different "Branson philosophy" (for example, "pick on someone bigger than you").
In short, although I did get some interest out of this book I am looking for another Branson biography to read because this one fell short of expectations.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Readable, yet Branson's own books are much better, December 21, 2010
This review is from: Business the Richard Branson Way: 10 Secrets of the World's Greatest Brand Builder (Big Shots Series) (Paperback)
Richard Brandson is the entrepreneur I admire the most. I had read three books of his own (Losing my virginity; Screw it, let's do it; Business stripped bare) before and I had no hesitation to pick this up as soon as I saw it. However, I am quite disappointed for three major reasons. First, the 10 secrets are not solid nor insightful at all. Second, I cant feel the passion of the author to write a good book at all. Rather, it's an economic compilation of material publicly available. Third, the writing and organisation skills shown by the author is not up to the standard of his qualification as a journalist and lecturer.
In short, if you can afford at most 30 minutes to know Branson and his way of doing business, this is fine. The many quotes from Branson and the summary in the end of each secret/chapter had saved the book and made me rate it a three star. For serious readers and those who really want to learn from Branson, please pick those I mentioned above.
p.s. Below please find some of my favorite passages for your reference.
Whenever I experience any kind of setbacks, I always pick myself up and try again. My mother always taught me never to look back in regret, and to move on to the next thing. The amount of time people waste on failures, rather than putting that energy into another project, always amaze me. A setback is never a bad experience, just a learning curve. RB pgxv
Branson deliberately targets markets where the customer has been consistently ripped-off or under-served, and the competition is complacent. He delights in casting Virgin as the cheeky underdog, faster on its feet and nipping at the heels of big business. pg5
If you go for big, fat, lazy brand leaders, it's often easy to offer better value for money. RB pg25
Make business a crusade. Branson has a remarkable ability to clothe almost everything he does in a crusading cloak. This lends the Virgin brand moral authority. pg33
Where other tycoons appear pompous and self important, Branson radiates schoolboy enthusiam. pg96
Dont lead sheep, herd cats. Virgin staff are not mere hired hands. They are not managerial pawns in some gigantic chess game. They are entrepreneurs in their own right. pg109
And in the centre of all the mayhem, there is always Richard Branson: usually working the telephone, charming, teasing cajoling, shouting, or in some other way trying to get someone to do something to the benefit of Virgin. pg117
Every time a business gets too big, we start a new one. Keeping things small means keeping things - personal. RB pg135
The Virgin Group is effective because it maximizes the entrepreneurial spirit of it staff whilst minimizing the bureaucracy of its systems. pg145
Never lose the common touch. Listen to people..Dont let success go to your head - a sense of humor helps, so does being thrown into swimming pools by your staff on a regular basis...Use your customers as consultants - they know their requirements better than the McKinseys and Bains of this world. Branson knows that the little things matter. Treat everyone as an equal. Branson is more likely to be rude to the CEO of a multinational than a check-in clerk. Be what people want you to be, and dont let them down. pg156-7
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
