Customer Reviews

Rediscovering American Values: The Foundations of our Freedom for the 21st Century

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DeVos inspires us to take charge of our lives, to live it to the fullest. Outlines principals and values we all should be living by. If we all did, this world would be a better place to live and work.

Rediscovering American Values, written by Amway President Richard DeVos, is a book about freedom and the steps necessary to make freedom reality. Many books have been written about this subject, but this one takes a slightly different approach than others; combining the ideals of moral values and character building with the notion of freedom.

DeVos believes that strong character and a strong moral foundation are essential for anyone to be truly free and he emphasizes this belief on most every page of this book. Starting with honesty, integrity, fairness, etc., DeVos lays down the building blocks that he feels are most essential for humans to achieve freedom. In DeVos' mind, freedom isn't achieved until one strives to behave according to a strong moral code that includes basic ethics and decency. In his view, one will not be truly free until these building blocks are in place. And even then, the path toward freedom will not be complete until one learns to encourage freedom in others through forgiveness, compassion, service to mankind, etc.

This book offers some good, common sense advice on old- fashioned moral values and most people would certainly agree that traits like honesty, humility, compassion, and stewardship are desirable qualities for all people to possess. But I do have some problems with the approach this book takes on the freedom issue, as well as its overall message. I can agree that most of the foundations laid out are important for achieving individual freedom, but I don't agree with some of DeVos's assertions about freedom in general. He uses a few too many extremes when he writes, leading the reader to believe that freedom absolutely cannot be achieved unless each and every one of the traits he mentions are firmly in place and routinely practiced. I know many people, for example, who have achieved freedom and yet are not all that humble or all that inclined toward stewardship. I also do not necessarily agree with the general direction of this book. DeVos refers to religion constantly as he writes and he seems to believe that religion is a necessary prelude to freedom. I know many people who would strongly disagree with this assertion. Not only would some disagree, they would also make some very convincing counter- arguments that religion diminishes freedom rather than enhances it.

DeVos likes to offer examples to illustrate his points and there are countless stories in this book about people DeVos has known through the years who have lived their lives according to the principles mentioned and have something to share that seems to back the author's line of reasoning. These examples are sometimes helpful, but other times, they are a little too distracting. The problem is that there are a few too many of them, and they often get in the way of a sound discussion on the topic at hand. It almost seems like DeVos was running out of gas in a few instances; unable to offer any more personal anecdotes for his thoughts and thus inclined to offer a story about someone else instead, as a substitute for intellectual discussion.

When I think about this book, its message, and its style, one common thought keeps going through my mind: If an average Joe or Jane had written a book like this, it most certainly would have never been published. The reason I feel this way is because this book, while certainly sensible overall and chock full of good ideas, isn't very original or intellectual. It doesn't really offer anything new and what it talks about has been stated in far more convincing ways by other authors. These facts convince me that the only reason this book ever went to press is because of the person who wrote it. And I find this very ironic, considering that part of the book's theme is the ideals of freedom. I guess the freedom to get a book deal is enhanced exponentially when your father is a rich and famous businessman.

Overall, Rediscovering American Values is a book that earns an average grade, making it good enough to recommend reading if nothing else is available. What the book discusses is generally good and its emphasis on certain character traits will likely lead to becoming a better person overall, even though what it talks about has been said a thousand times before and often in a more convincing way.

I was pleased that the book was NOT another GREAT AMWAY oracle. Practical applications outlining true leadership qualities we all should aspire towards. Coming from the "Business Community" a real breath of fresh air!

This book is not about Amway. It's about how we can learn to shape our personal and professional lives on principles that are so simple, yet so strong. Put DeVos in the same league as a Stephen R. Covey. If you want to be a better person, mother, father, businessperson ... this can serve as your compass. This man didn't wake up one day and was given the keys to the business. He didn't start out in an Armani and wingtips ... He started by taking care of the grounds...driving forklifts and trucks ... he was given a taste of the whole business before he took over. He takes characteristics like honesty and integrity and breaks them down so simply and reminds you that this is how this country was built. There are the jokes about Amway out there, but who is having the last laugh? At $7 billion annually, Amway is helping a lot of ordinary folks making a good living by taking the principles in this book and making them work once again.

I have to admit that I thought this book was going to be about Amway. I was very surprised to find out how little this book even mentions the corporation. I instead found that the book provides refreshing and innovative insights on the true never-fail principals this country was founded on. I would say that this book is a must read for any person who considers themself in anyway patriotic. It is one of the best books I have ever read.

Every American should read this book. Devos talks about the issues that are hurting our country and what we need to do to change. His background and business history preceed him as a man who practices what he preaches.

There are many great books in our local libraries and on booksites around the world. No doubt this is one of them. This is a book not only worth buying, reading, re-reading and applying. It is a book worth sharing!

During turbulent times such as these in our schools: crime, drugs, alchol abuse, teenage pregnancies, and now even MURDERs are becoming commonplace. We must rediscover those values which have made our country great.

Adults and youth alike are scrambling to find themselves in counter cultures and in personal liberties. Ask the Chinese, where personal liberties get them. Personal freedoms are important but as Mr. DeVos shares with us, freedom for all is much more critical. If we are to be a country of individualists, than we will be subject to lie in the bed we have made for ourselves. More accurately, we will be subject to sleeping with those FEW individuals whom are driving their own agendas.

My hope is that we (together) strive to uphold the vision our forefathers provided: to make our bed of universal freedoms -- a comfortable bed indeed.

More fascinating to me than anything in the book, was the following incident. Mr. DeVos arrived at my home on a quiet street to submit to an author interview while he was on a book tour. Seconds before he arrived, two black SUVs pulled up in front of my house and blockaded the street and set up surveillance, communicating by wireless devices, presumably to others not in view. When I asked Mr. DeVos how his humble book warranted such a fanfare, he replied that with all the disgruntled former Amway dealers out there, he had reason to believe he might be in danger.

This book is nothing more than statements about how someone must work hard to become successful, written by someone who was basically handed their massive inheritance by their father. DeVos writes that he worked in many jobs at Amway, but there is no question that had he not been the son of the co-founder, he certainly would not have risen to the top of the management food chain at that company. Don't buy this book -- buy something written by someone who got there through hard work, intelligence, and skill... not some book on how to be successful written by someone born with a silver spoon in his mouth.

Kind of preachy book with a lot of ego thrown in for good measure. The message is that good people prosper (implying bad people don't).

This man inherited his billions from his dad, the founder of Amway. He didn't get rich living a Christian life full of values - he inherited his position. He talks about values in this book but in real life blatently downsized almost a thousand jobs from his home town to China.

He is very motivational and I will give him credit for that. However, his real life seems to completely contradict what this book says about the connection between values and business.