Customer Reviews

Peterman Rides Again: Adventures Continue with the Real "J. Peterman" Through Life & the Catalog Business

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

The is one of the most interesting and best written business books that I have read about a single company.

Strange as it may sound, this book is a cross between Field of Dreams and The Disney Way. John Peterman was a founder of the J. Peterman Company which developed much notoriety for its unconventional catalog and offerings. As a young man, he had been a professional baseball player. He draws on his experiences in fulfilling his dreams of playing major league baseball to help you understand the lessons of his entrepreneurial voyage. Starting with items like his always-present cowboy duster, he offered ways for others to have more fulfilling lives with "dream" goods that would transport people into the imaginery world of the beautiful copy and illustrations in the company's Owner's Manual. When the company strayed from its dream concept, it faltered, and Chapter 11 became a living nightmare. Mr. Peterman then recounts the lessons of his experience, and describes how he is ready to ride again in a new entrepreneurial venture.

This book has many good qualities not usually found in a business book. First, the text includes many examples of copy from the J. Peterman catalog. These are uniformly well-written and interesting. They also help give a sense of the "dream" that the J. Peterman Company was selling. Second, the personal stories about baseball are very well connected to lessons for running an entrepreneurial business. These are very well thought through and executed. You will never think about baseball in exactly the same way again . . . or business, for that matter. Third, the "war stories" about buying trips and developing new items are fascinating. I would have enjoyed a whole book that just focused on those. Fourth, the story is told like a business school case history. You get to observe the mistakes being made that brought the company down, but without comment at the time. You can imagine yourself in Mr. Peterman's boots (and duster) and wonder what you would have done. As a result, the lessons of the company's successes and failures become more personal and useful to the reader.

The company's mistakes seem to be primarily related to weak financing and pursuing aggressive growth at the expense of keeping to its values and strengths. These problems were compounded by "trusting without strings." If a trusted person suggested the company jump off a cliff, people would follow. In essence, they did not "play within themselves" in keeping with the sports analogies in the book. Major changes can be good for a company, but it's a good idea to test them first before plunging ahead to "bet the company." J. Peterman often bulled ahead without testing after its sales success became too heady for its leaders.

There is a lot of popular culture embedded in the book. You learn a lot about people by understanding which J. Peterman items sold best, and what dreams they represented. The J. Peterman Company was like a big focus group among upscale, well-educated consumers. What really interested me was that the amazing television publicity that the company got on Seinfeld and on Oprah came from the television writers' awareness of the catalog, not from company public relations efforts. That experience spoke volumes to me about the deep emotional needs that the company was touching. We see those needs continuing to be met today in the Dudified resort towns of the Old West like Aspen and Jackson Hole.

One of the most interesting "what ifs" that occurred to me was what might have happened if the company had gone in the direction of the Internet rather than retail stores near the end. Perhaps it would be a very valuable and successful company today, if it had.

The ugliness and unpleasantness of Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings described here will serve as a cautionary tale for all entrepreneurs that job one is keeping the company in enough cash to operate. That may mean getting the most reliable financing, rather than the cheapest.

After you finish dreaming along with Mr. Peterman, I suggest that you think about ways that no one helps people fulfill their dreams today. How could you design a service that would do that and build it into a successful business?

Dream on and test to help the optimistic dust settle away from your decisions!

You remember Peterman, don't you?

The "Owner's Manual" that read like literature? Open it, and you found yourself sipping martinis on the veranda at Raffles (you know, don't you, that gin was invented so the British could choke down their quinine tablets). Or sharing a tent with the Tuareg under the endless stars. Or watching an entrancing -- and very well dressed -- young woman glide through the Gare de l'Est, the crowds parting effortlessly before her.

How many catalogs made you want to run a bath and settle in to read about luggage and clothes?

This book is like that. But different.

Different?

Different.

It has some of that same flair. Some of the same locales. Even some of the same copy, printed in excerpts (and a name to go with it, copywriter Don Staley, my new hero).

But it's not escapist. It's valuable, real-world information ... like what to do when you find yourself stranded up the Yangtze with nothing but a toothbrush and silver cuff links, the kind an archduke would have worn to a Vienna ball.

Okay, not that.

But it does take an honest look at the rise and fall of a company many people loved. A catalog countless people waited anxiously -- really! -- to receive. So many people wanted it to work. "Clearly, people want things that make their lives the way they wish they were."

In some ways, it was a classic case. Entrepreneur with vision, passion, soul, creates a company with soul too. The business catches fire. It gets huge. Too huge. Too much time crunching numbers. Soul gets crowded out.

"Classic cases" become classic because people keep making the same mistakes.

For years, the business looked like nothing could stop it.

Then the bottom fell out.

Peterman knows why. And he tells you why. Some of it was his fault, and he doesn't pull punches, even when they're directed at himself.

I like that in a man.

I like that in a book, too.

Being a big Seinfeld fan, I knew once I saw this book I had to have it.The back cover carried many quotes, the first being, "As my boat sank into the Zambezi I watched my luggage float downstream over Victoria Falls. But the day wasn't a total loss..." If there was ever a question that I'd actually get the book, those two lines convinced me to pick it up.

After reading it, I feel as though I've sat down with John Peterman himself and listened to his triumphs as well as his failures. Feel like I've had a beer with the man as he described some of his most memorable trips as well as the beginning and end of his catalog and outlet business. Listened to him tell about the many people he's met through his adventures, including the man that would play him on TV.

If you're a Seinfeld fan, pick this book up and read about the actual J. Peterman. If you're starting your own business, pick up this book for inspiration (and maybe for some of the things you should avoid in business). Lastly, if you're looking for something with a light-hearted approach to life, PICK UP THIS BOOK!!

Well, well, well... a success story that begins with the failure of the central business described. This book is both seemingly honest and refreshing, with none of the pretense presupposed by the character as portrayed on the Seinfeld TV show. The pleasant conversational style which reveals what are basic but not so obvious business truths is a pleasure. It is an upbeat and easy read.

Peterman rides again...and he is riding high in the saddle. If you don't believe in reincarnation, you will after reading Mr. Peterman's book. He has more lives then the average house cat, as he continues to re-invent himself: baseball player, businessman, entreprenuer, world-traveller, television icon, farmer and now, author. Mr. Peterman's writing is witty and intelligent, juxtaposing past and present, business and pleasure, triumph and failure. It would be difficult to categorize "Peterman Rides Again". It is part biography, part sports history, part business management, part travelogue, part motivation, part inspiration, part entertainment journal. Whatever section of the bookstore it winds up in, head straight for that section! There is much to learn about the real J. Peterman...and much to learn from him. Congratulations John Peterman. I look forward to the next ride.

This book is for those of us who may have forgotten that we all have dreams, passion and ability - - and that it is never "too late". John Peterman offers us wisdom and insight and then challenges us to have the courage to look inside, find our own dreams, and do what it takes to make them real. Thank you John.

Peterman rides again...and he is riding high in the saddle. If you don't believe in reincarnation, you will after reading Mr. Peterman's book. He has more lives then the average house cat, having continually re-invented himself: baseball player, businessman, entrepreneur, world traveller, television icon, farmer and now, author. Mr. Peterman's writing is witty and intelligent, juxtaposing past and present, business and pleasure, triumph and failure. It would be a difficult task to categorize "Peterman Rides Again". Just where do you put this marvellous book in the bookstore? It is part biography, part travelogue, part sports history, part business management, part inspiration, part motivation, part entertainment journal. Wherever they put it, head straight for that section. There is much to learn about the real J Peterman...and there is much to learn from him. Congratulations John Peterman. I look forward to the next ride.

I remember getting the J. Peterman Owner's Manual in the late 80's early 90's. A different approach, a different kind of company (sounds like the Saturn line). I think this book should be required reading for all CEOs. Perhaps if Ken Lay had read this book, he would know the difference between honor and greed.

This country needs more people like Peterman. A true entrepreneur, enlightened individual. When I first got the book in the mail, I read it cover - to - cover. An incredible read, brings back some fond memories of my childhood, and has a good nostalgic feel to it.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is, or wants to be a leader and free spirit.

John Peterman became a legend in his own time. The creative entrepreneur is best known for establishing and growing The J. Peterman Company, a unique catalog company. Through his innovative work, his name became a household word for 40 million Americans. He is less well-known for playing second base for the Pittsburgh Pirates, though baseball has been an important part of his life for many years.

J. Peterman opened in 1987 with a $500 investment and grew to become a $75 million company before hitting a cash flow crisis and being sold under the dark cloud of Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1999. It was a wild ride that set new standards and broke new ground in the catalog industry.

Reading this book is like sitting at the feet of a giant of a man who took risks, challenged tradition, and changed the way an entire industry did business. Peterman was a maverick. People like this always have fascinating stories to tell, and Peterman is no exception. In page after page, he weaves the exciting account of how he built his company. Woven throughout are baseball metaphors as he connects his sports life with his business life . . . and his personal life. It's almost like listening to Uncle John spin the tales.

As you might expect, the guru has lots of wisdom to share. His down-to-earth advice is disarmingly simple, but valuable. It appears almost without warning as the text flows. Consider these examples: "Once you realize that most people are keeping up appearances and putting on a show, their approval becomes much less important." Subscribe to the 'Economist' and the "Utne Reader' as well as 'Time' and 'Newsweek.' Try Ethiopian food. Strike up a conversation with a truck driver. It's a big world." "I might have a bad day, you might have a bad day, but that's OK; I'll come through for you on your bad day, and you'll come through for me on mine."

"Most people related to the catalog in a very personal way," Peterman explains, "almost as if it were a letter written by a good friend who can take you out of yourself, out of your routine-or remind you of who you really are." The watercolor illustrations and caring prose attracted a loyal following of readers-some who never bought anything but still did not want to be removed from the mailing list.

Did Peterman learn from his experience? As the book comes close to closing, he reveals a truth that should be heeded by all entrepreneurs. "Entrepreneurs genuinely need to take on many roles in their understaffed companies, at first, from chief cook to bottlewasher. It can be exhausting, but feeling indispensable is habit-forming. Insidious, really. I never consciously pulled the tricks some founders do to feed the habit, like setting managers against one another in order to play Solomon. Still, I tended to be more involved in too many tasks, too much detail. Overinvolvement sapped me of my energy, perspective, and judgment at precisely the moments where they were needed the most." Great advice . . . and the book is full of such statements.

Interesting informal book with more learnings that you expect.

This is one of those books you just can't put down once you start reading it. It takes you on a wonderful journey, gives very practical business advice, and just plain makes you feel good. Mr. Peterman has my highest admiration as a business person and a human being. You go Cowboy! We are all rooting for ya!