I'll Make You an Offer You Can't Refuse: Insider Business Tips from a Former Mob Boss (NelsonFree) [Hardcover]

Michael Franzese (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 31, 2009

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What secrets can a former mob boss share about how to do legit business? Let’s have a sit-down and find out.

By age 24, charming mob boss Michael Franzese was one of the wealthiest people on Furtune magazine’s survey. As one of the rare people who quit the mob and lived to tell about it, Franzese has a unique perspective on how business is done. And one thing he noticed was that the way he made millions per week in business inside the mob can be applied to doing business outside the mob (minus the illegal part):

·          Mob Rule # 4; Be an Early Riser & Avoid Getting Killed in Your Pajamas

·          Mob Rule # 5: Ya Gotta Have a Crew

·          Mob Rule # 7: Cook the Pasta, Not the Books

“Anyone who sells the mob short when it comes to its ingenuity, its ability to connect with people from all walks of life, and its substantial profit margins is simply kidding themselves.” This book promises a mob’s eye view of business that will change the way you see business forever.

 

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Michael Franzese was one of the mob's biggest earners since Al Capone, and the youngest individual on Fortune magazine's “Fifty Biggest Mafia Bosses.” Then, after dodging the law for years, Franzese pled guilty, accepted a ten-year prison sentence, and quit the mob.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson; First Edition edition (March 31, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1595551638
• ISBN-13: 978-1595551634
• Product Dimensions: 5.9 x 0.7 x 9.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (118 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #642,549 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars I really wanted to like this more... May 4, 2009

By Chris Jaronsky TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

Its a pretty good book and an easy read at only 155 pages (even though the Amazon site lists this book at 224 pages, where are my other 69 pages?) I enjoyed the mob stories, and I could understand the connection between mob business and honest business. Although the more I think about that last sentence the more I realize that the so called honest business world seems to have a lot more crooks in many of the top jobs. How does that work?

The book has a printed hardcover which I think is superior to a dust jacket. I also liked that I could download a copy of this in e-book format and also in audio book format. I downloaded the first 5 chapters of the audio book and listened to it on my Crackberry Storm while I watched my sons T-ball game. It was my first ever audio book and I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it. Lets me multitask, and that's always a good thing.

The book basically tries to say that some mob guys could run successful legitimate businesses. Maybe. I grew up in an Italian family in the Bronx. I have spent many hours in and around "Italian social clubs", and while there were some pretty sharp guys there, very street smart, I do not think they would be that good running a large corporation. The mentality seemed to me to be more about instant gratification and not directed at long term growth. But then again when I look at the headlines of newspapers and see what most of these CEOs are doing, maybe a wiseguy could do at least as good a job? or better?

The final chapter of the book, "pick your philosopher" is a final test. Machiavelli or Solomon? Do you want to crush your enemies at any cost, or do you want to do the right thing with a clear conscience?...

I really wanted to like this book more, but I could not take it seriously as a business/motivational book. Its not a great business book, but it is a good, light read after you have read all the other great business books. Read more ›

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Breezy, Light Advice Guide From A Wise Guy May 28, 2009

By Todd and In Charge VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

I'll admit, I don't read a lot of self-help books and have pretty much avoided the genre entirely. What intrigued me about this book is how the author, a former mob hotshot who got pinched by his bookkeeper, claims he can apply what he learned managing a mob empire to the "legitimate" business world.

On the whole, it works because of the breezy, conversation style of the author, who keeps it light and entertaining with numerous war stories, asides, and bits of advice from King Solomon and Sun Tzu.

If you are looking for simple words of wisdom from someone who has run a huge criminal money-making operation, this is your go-to guide.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Good stories, same information May 26, 2009

By Michael Combs

Format:Hardcover

Overall this book has a lot of good information about how to be successful in business, unfortunetly you can find it in a lot of business books. What makes this book worth reading is the stories Michael Franzese has to tell about his life in the mob. I would much rather it had been completely about that and left it to me to find the wisdom in how the mob does business. To clarify, he does show what the mob does wrong as well.

I find Michael Franzese an amazing person that I really want to learn more about. To walk away from millions of dollars and a lifestyle that he had been in his who life to go straight is truly remarkable.

Even though this effort wasn't fantastic, I look forward to reading more from this author.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Not the Business Book Readers May Think July 3, 2009

By Sheryl L. Tuttle

Format:Hardcover

In I'll Make You an Offer You Can't Refuse, Michael Franzese, former capo in the Colombo crime family, shares his insight and wisdom in running and making the most of your business. From the basics, like creating a written business plan, to keeping it legal, Michael offers antidotes and stories that describe how he reached success while a high ranking member of the mob.

But therein lies the problem. There were double standards throughout the book. For example, Michael Franzese tells us to put together a clear, focused, and written business plan. However, not if you are a mobster. A mobster's objective is always to get as much money as possible, as fast as possible, and they prefer not to have paper trails as these can be incriminating. So if Michael Franzese did it the mobster way, without a written plan, why is he telling his readers to do it another way?

The business information contained in the book wasn't particularly unique or fresh. Play it straight, learn to listen, put a lid on greed, don't gamble, and operate with integrity are just some of the significant messages explored in the book, but a lot of the information felt like common sense. Certainly good lessons with moral appeal, but not new, insightful, eye-opening information for most people (perhaps I think too highly of the integrity of the human race?).

One of the best aspects of I'll Make You an Offer You Can't Refuse is its strong message of motivation and encouragement. Michael Franzese devotes an entire chapter to failures. He explains that failure is normal, and that some failure in life is to be expected. But value comes from using the failure as a tool for learning and improving, and the best way to handle failure is to pick yourself up and dust yourself off....

Michael Franzese writes with a strong, wise-guy voice that is easy to read and entertaining, but may not be the business book readers think. He writes, "Life is all about the ingredients." Put in good ingredients and you'll get a good product. I'll Make You an Offer You Can't Refuse is less a lesson in running a business, and more instruction in living a good moral life. Read more ›

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars It's an offer - but you "can" refuse it. April 4, 2010

By Susanna Hutcheson TOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:Hardcover

I have an incredible amount of respect for Michael Franzese -- for reasons too personal to discuss in this review. I almost didn't buy this book, however, because it's published by Nelson, a religious title publisher. I don't buy that type of book. However, I was curious about it and actually thought it was about making offers. It's not. Nor is it especially religious EXCEPT that up to a point it is.

The bottom line, cut to the chase message is a comparison of Machiavelli and King Solomon. Made men and most all politicians and probably two-thirds of the successful businesspeople in the world follow the former philosopher while only a handful follow the latter.

The author gives us the distinct difference in the two and how they apply to business. It's hard to agree with Solomon when we see a liar and immoral man like ol' Joe Kennedy achieve tremendous wealth using Machiavellian ways. And he's only one of many. But, you have to judge for yourself.

The author also blames the recent meltdown on businesspeople's greed. I disagree. Oh, they're greedy. But the Fed had an awful lot to do with creating the debacle.

This book is well written and well-edited, as you'd expect from Nelson. The author is a wonderful writer and different from the current crop of business writers. He's honest about his life and where he's been and he uses his experiences to attempt to help people and create a better world. He's doing an admirable thing.

This book is probably unlike any business book you've ever read. You may not agree with all or part of it. But you'll enjoy it and it will get you to thinking. You may want to change. You may want to stay the same. But I'll bet you want to look deeper into King Solomon and do some deeper comparisons for yourself.... At least that's what it did for me.

Oh, as a bonus, Nelsonfree lets you download the book in audio and pdf and mobile formats! I listened to the audio as I read. It's read by the author and it's just great. This is a wonderful benefit of buying Nelsonfree books and I wish other publishers would do this.

Highly recommended.

- Susanna K. Hutcheson Read more ›