More Than a Hobby: How a $600 Startup Became America's Home and Craft Superstore [Hardcover]

David Green (Author), Dean Merrill (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 19, 2005

More than a Hobby takes readers inside the mind of a low-key, likable Oklahoma entrepreneur who has created a unique shopping experience. How did his company go from a $600 loan to $1.3 billion in annual sales in just thirty-one years-especially when he wasn't groomed for this work either by heritage or by education?

Green was willing to go against the tide, allowing faith to play a huge part in the business. More Than a Hobby describes how this wildly successful business was built not on business-school theory, but on the founder's own experience as a grassroots store manager.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson (July 19, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0785208313
• ISBN-13: 978-0785208310
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #316,540 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Smart Man, Smart Business, August 17, 2008

By 

Leslie C "Lesc71" (Northwest Georgia, United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: More Than a Hobby: How a $600 Startup Became America's Home and Craft Superstore (Hardcover)

David Green is a smart man, there is no doubt. "More Than A Hobby" profiles Green's background from his childhood through the present. He writes of the strong influence his parents had on his work ethic and the values that drive him to make a difference in the way his business is run.

He outlines how he found a void in the retail store in which he was employed and set out with some business partners to create the product and bring it to market. He describes the lean times he and his wife encountered and the faith that kept them going.

As we know, he built a successful business. What I wanted to hear was how he runs his inventory system and how they can possibly survive without a Point of Sale system. I was amazed how he specifically addressed my question and found his answer to be quite logical. (I hate to spoil the book for anyone reading this review...I tend write simply an overview of the book.)

I liked the book - it was an easy read and informative. I admire his business acumen and kudos to his wonderful successes. This is the kind of employer which should comprise our marketplace - that is, his logic, morals, faith and humanity toward employees are great characteristics. Unfortunately he and his business have fallen prey to the import of CHinese goods however can any US businesses survive today without importing from the Far East? His business dealings there are only logical with the bottom line always in mind - as well as his customers.

Read the book - it is interesting. It should be required reading for anyone studying business, marketing, retail management.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How business should be done!, November 25, 2007

By 

Steven A. Creasy "Homeschool Dad" (The South!) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: More Than a Hobby: How a $600 Startup Became America's Home and Craft Superstore (Hardcover)

My wife "discovered" Hobby Lobby while I was training for my job in Oklahoma City several years ago. We were newly weds at the time, and my wife was far from home with no friends, and was very homesick. She enjoyed going in and looking around the store as an escape, and eventually took some classes there.

After a couple of weeks, we went to a local church to visit, and the most pleasant woman came up to us and greeted us. She was kind and charming, and was one of the very few that morning that truly made us feel welcome. She was Barbara Green.

At the time, we did not know that the Green's were the owners of Hobby Lobby. We learned later what you get a great sense of in this book. David and Barbara Green are genuine, good folks. Everything that Mr. Green espouses in his book is true, and he actually does live what he believes.

It is refreshing to read a book that goes against the grain of the cut-throat retail business and the politically correct landscape of America today. I enjoyed reading "Not Just a Hobby" very much, and did so in an afternoon. The book is very engaging and well written, in my opinion, and is just like sitting across the table from Mr. Green as he reminisces about his past and the lessons that he learned along the way. As a bonus, you get some sage advice for living, that you would do well to consider!

This book is good for anyone who likes to read a book where the good guy wins! I would HIGHLY recommend it to anyone with a teenager who will soon enter the job market. If everyone would set their goals as high as Mr. Green did, and as he expects his employees to do, it would be a greater pleasure to go shopping.

Thanks, David, for writing this book, it is an inspiration. God bless you also for being a father and grandfather of principle, and for building God's kingdom in ways no one will ever know about but Him.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth reading, December 14, 2007

By 

Shay Smith "nortie" (Columbia, SC USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: More Than a Hobby: How a $600 Startup Became America's Home and Craft Superstore (Hardcover)

I thought the book would be the success story of Hobby Lobby but it is much more. The author's principles of retailing are solid practices that all retailers should adopt. That is the reason the store is a delight to shop.