An Enterprising Life: An Autobiography [Hardcover]

Jay Van Andel (Author), Paul Harvey (Foreword), Rich De Vos (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1998

The first glimpse into the life of a quiet giant, An Enterprising Life chronicles the life and times of billionaire entrepreneur Jay Van Andel, a founder of the wildly successful Amway Corporation.
-- Together with partner Rich DeVos, Jay Van Andel -- ranked #6 on Forbes magazine's wealthiest persons list -- created Amway, one of the world's largest direct-sales operations.
-- With an army of 3 million distributors in 80 countries worldwide, Amway earned $7 billion in annual sales in 1997, based on the 450 nutrition and wellness, personal care, home care, and commercial products available through Amway catalogs.
-- Amway co-founder Rich DeVos's own book, Compassionate Capitalism (Dutton, 1994), was a New York Times bestseller.

Jay Van Andel has led an extraordinary life, filled with adventure, hardship, faith, and, of course, great success. This autobiography now sheds new light on his life, providing Amway employees and distributors (over 400,000 in North America alone), as well as businesspeople and entrepreneurs, with the story of a great leader whose vision has created a company that goes beyond commercial -- a company that has for decades helped people help themselves.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Few large American companies are as controversial or, reportedly, as secretive as Amway. Some previous books laud the American monolith as an inspirational organization that has helped hundreds of thousands of people to financial independence by putting the right products and sales know-how in their hands. Others have indicated that the company is a cult, pyramid scheme or fraud. And still more have been written by or about flamboyant cofounder Rich DeVos, who is credited with the drive that built the company. An Enterprising Life is the autobiography of the other cofounder, septuagenarian Jay Van Andel. He is the quieter of the two, and is thought by some commentators to be the financial and management expert behind the direct sales giant. Readers curious about the true nature of Amway and the principles behind its growth, however, will be disappointed by his report. Only four of the 21 chapters deal with the company (offering little new insight), while five others mechanically recite Van Andel's life from birth to age 25. Most of the balance is more animatedly devoted to essays on his political and philanthropic activities, as former chairman of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and director of the Gerald R. Ford Foundation, among other posts. Details of each project are interspersed with philosophical asides about Calvinist theology and conservative Republican politics, and with family reminiscences. Clearly and simply spun, Van Andel's prose has a rhythm that sustains interest in the absence of drama. A less sincere and humble person might have written a more exciting autobiography, but it is unfair to blame the book for being true to its subject. Illustrations not seen by PW.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Along with partner Richard de Vos, Van Andel founded Amway in 1959. Its success worldwide has made De Vos and Van Andel together among the 10 richest people in the U.S. Although avoiding the spotlight, Van Andel has always been a strong voice in support of Christian and conservative values. As he approaches 75, he offers this personal look back at how Amway got started and grew into a company with three million distributors and $7 billion in sales. He also offers his views on politics, government regulation, multiculturalism, the medical establishment, taxes, the environment, and the responsibilities of the wealthy. What Van Andel seems to relish the most of all Amway's successes is its "vindication" after attacks in the media and investigation by the Federal Trade Commission. He recounts his relationships (and influence) with political figures such as Presidents Bush and Reagan. Van Andel concludes with a rightfully proud account of his 46-year marriage and the medical research being funded by his Van Andel Institute; and throughout is his emphatic acknowledgment of the role that God and the Bible have played in his life. David Rouse

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 234 pages
• Publisher: Collins; 1st edition (September 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0887309976
• ISBN-13: 978-0887309977
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #199,347 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Needed more Vitamin D, October 18, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: An Enterprising Life: An Autobiography (Hardcover)

Were others reviewing the Amway business, Van Andel, or the book? I see that a few were of the book, and this is too.

I loved the first part where he talked about their other businesses and travels through S. America. Great detail and I could really feel the joys and pangs of their challenges. It was fun. I wish that the rest of the book had been this way.

What made Amway? What made MLM? What changed the course of business history in the US and possibly the world? The battle with the FTC! Amway winning this case alone has created thousands of millionaires in the US and possibly the world and has allowed for hundreds of other legitimate MLM firms to become successful. But this part of the book WAS ONLY ABOUT 12 PAGES!

Deciding to keep the book short to get more readers was the wrong way to go with this story. Like it or not, Amway changed business history. The story needed more detail and feeling for how they changed history.

The story further deteriorates as the writer chose to use the book as a soapbox (esp. towards the end). This took away from the suspense and flow. I expected an autobiography, not a pontification.

2 1/2 stars. Good book for those interested in business from a purist point of view. Van Andel was a good example of tenacity and no-quit in action.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Strength and Honor, August 31, 2009

By 

Box 5 Books "B5B" (Meridian, ID USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: An Enterprising Life: An Autobiography (Hardcover)

What an impressive individual, and a well documented and well-written book. Wow, what an inspiration, not just to Amway Global IBO's, but to all entrepreneurial thinkers and businessmen in general.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A true story of an American Hero, March 22, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: An Enterprising Life: An Autobiography (Hardcover)

This is a book which exemplifies true leadership & courage. It brings out the lost values in the current society. A business built on a strong foundation of honesty, Integrity and Godly principles will continue for generations to come.