Customer Reviews

Pushing the Envelope All the Way to the Top

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have been a fan of Harvey Mackay since reading Swim with the Sharks. Pushing the Envelope is even better.If you are in business or want to be, read this book and learn from a master..

Pushing the Enveople: All the Way to the Top by Harvey McKay was captivating, insightful and clever.

Inspiring, well spoken, easy to follow and entertaining is the most adequate way to describe Harvey McKay's newest book: Pushing the Envelope: All the Way to the Top. Written not only for the business minded, but appealing to just about anyone who happens to come upon it. Sound practical points and advice, Harvey states it simply through a series of humorous and witty analogies throughout the book.

Harvey Mackay is a Minneapolis businessman who successfully built a $75 million dollar company over the past 40 years-Mackay Envelope Corporation. He is also the author of four bestsellers: Swim with the Sharks without Being Eaten Alive; Beware of the Naked Man Who Offers You His Shirt; Sharkproof; and Dig Your Well Before You're Thirsty. Well read, Harvey's work can also be seen in the local newspaper with his own column.

Clever, intelligent, and motivating, Harvey sets the reader at ease instantly during the first chapter. This is done with stories from his own experiences that he shares throughout the book. He leaves you with an understanding of his vision, his character, and his captivating charm.

Quoting movies is where Harvey claims to get the best of his one liners, such as "Hold your friends close and your enemies closer" using the theory that you need to know your customers, but even more so, you need to know your competition. Throughout the book, Harvey sums up the chapter using what he refers to as Mackay's Moral. Amusing synopsis of the point of the story, for example- Mackay's Moral: The reason you always dance with the one who brought you, is `cause when the party's over, you may need a ride home. Another example- Mackay's Moral: Start your New Year today. Remember that anyone can make a resolution. Very few people can keep one.

I actually didn't read this book, I listened to it on audio...over and over and over again-3 times to be exact. It was entertaining, and difficult to put down...or should I say, "turn off".

Did I read the same book as the rest of these reviews? I like Harvey Mackay and enjoyed Swim With the Sharks, but I thought this book was a fairly simplistic brain dump of cliches and unoriginal thoughts. I do believe Mackay's geniunely decent nature come through and most of the concepts were fairly well presented, but I found very little here I hadn't already heard. I kept thinking to myself that this was Harvey's publisher squeezing out another book under contract. Sorry.

From Author of "Script Magic: Subconscious Techniques to Conquer Writer's Block: Want to get motivated? Want to do the impossible! You can, with Harvey MacKay as your guide! There are many poignant messages in this book, but the two that touched me the most was the fact that MacKay aimed for and achieved his desires, despite the "odds." And secondly, the subtle message I get from him and his book is that generosity is really the best policy. Tuck it under your pillow at night and read it for inspiration!

Hey Amazon--spell Harvey's last name correctly--anyone else catch that error?

First let me say that I always hate finishing one of the Shark's books--that means I will have to wait a year to read the next one. His online site is a good snack, but I love a seven course meal of his best insights and keys to success.

Some of the chapters seemed a bit too familiar, as in "Haven't I heard this from Harvey before?" but I love how he can put into perspective almost everything that happens to you in your professional career.

Harvey is not shy about telling you his mistakes and what he has learned from them. That's the key, learn something from your failures as well as your successes.

A must read for any young professional (as is Dig Your Well...) But like all his books--take notes and/or dog ear pages or risk forgetting some of the many nuggets included.

Bravo Harvey, another job well done.

I highly recommend Pushing the Envelope. It's fast-paced and contains loads of practical advice that you wish you had thought of yourself but probably didn't. The numerous stories and anecdotes make it extremely fun to read. I enjoyed it immensely and want everyone in our office to read it.

Mostly geared towards leadership in the sales industry; but even a techno-weenie like me got a lot out of it!

Harvey Mackay is a great communicator and an incredibly successful CEO. That is a rare combination and one to pay attention to His humor, modesty and care for people come across easily. He also makes us feel comfortable by stating that we all begin in the dark. Fortunately, he has suggestions about how to get results using examples to show that anyone can achieve success. I like it a lot. There is an eight step process that I have used in my work, which is described in THE 2,000 PERCENT OLUTION, a wonderful recent addition to my business library, that gets us to great results by focusing on the ideal best practice, rather than today's best practice. What does it take to get there? Knowing the value of measurements and measuring every thing for your important activities, locating where best practices will be down the road, moving beyond these best practices, identifying the ideal best practice (the best that can ever be done) and approaching it, matching the people+incentives+task to get the vest results and starting again, for you will find new and better ideas each time. Read PUSHING THE ENVELOPE to see what can be achieved. Read THE 2,000 PERCENT SOLUTION to help show you how to get there, or better, get way beyond there to approach the ideal!

"Pushing the Envelope" not only filled in missing pieces to my business education, but did it in an entertaining, readable way that made it hard to put down. Harvey knows, probably better than any business author, how to make a point using stories and anecdotes, and time after time he brings it back to real-life business situations. Anyone at almost any level will get solid business advice from "Pushing the Envelope," and have a great time in the process.

Remember all those life lessons or business things that you learned but forgot to use as you developed your personal business plan? Harvey has a way of breaking down business into simple, everyday strategies that come together to form a package that can be used by the new entrepeneur or the "wisened" business veteran. Taking the suggestions one at a time leaves you thinking, "I already knew that", but taken together leaves you realizing that you have a lot to learn. Mackay's success is no accident.