Rework [Kindle Edition]

Jason Fried (Author), David Heinemeier Hansson (Author)

Book Description

Most business books give you the same old advice: Write a business plan, study the competition, seek investors, yadda yadda. If you're looking for a book like that, put this one back on the shelf.

Rework shows you a better, faster, easier way to succeed in business. Read it and you'll know why plans are actually harmful, why you don't need outside investors, and why you're better off ignoring the competition. The truth is, you need less than you think. You don't need to be a workaholic. You don't need to staff up. You don't need to waste time on paperwork or meetings. You don't even need an office. Those are all just excuses. 

What you really need to do is stop talking and start working. This book shows you the way. You'll learn how to be more productive, how to get exposure without breaking the bank, and tons more counterintuitive ideas that will inspire and provoke you.

With its straightforward language and easy-is-better approach, Rework is the perfect playbook for anyone who’s ever dreamed of doing it on their own. Hardcore entrepreneurs, small-business owners, people stuck in day jobs they hate, victims of "downsizing," and artists who don’t want to starve anymore will all find valuable guidance in these pages.


From the Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Amazon Exclusive: Seth Godin Reviews Rework

Seth Godin is the author of Linchpin, Tribes, The Dip, Purple Cow, All Marketers Are Liars, and Permission Marketing, as well as other international bestsellers. He is consistently one of the 25 most widely read bloggers in the English language. Read his exclusive Amazon guest review of Rework:

This book will make you uncomfortable.

Depending on what you do all day, it might make you extremely uncomfortable.

That's a very good thing, because you deserve it. We all do.

Jason and David have broken all the rules and won. Again and again they've demonstrated that the regular way isn't necessarily the right way. They just don't say it, they do it. And they do it better than just about anyone has any right to expect.

This book is short, fast, sharp and ready to make a difference. It takes no prisoners, spares no quarter, and gives you no place to hide, all at the same time.

There, my review is almost as long as the first chapter of the book. I can't imagine what possible excuse you can dream up for not buying this book for every single person you work with, right now.

Stop reading the review. Buy the book.--Seth Godin

---

Review

"Jason Fried and David Hansson follow their own advice in REWORK, laying bare the surprising philosophies at the core of 37signals' success and inspiring us to put them into practice.  There's no jargon or filler here just hundreds of brilliantly simple rules for success.  Part entrepreneurial handbook for the twenty-first century, part manifesto for anyone wondering how work really works in the modern age, REWORK is required reading for anyone tired of business platitudes."
--Chris Anderson, New York Times bestselling author of THE LONG TAIL and FREE
 
"House-husband, housewife, Fortune 500 CEO, cab driver, restaurateur, venture capitalist -- this is 'the book for you,' a book of true wisdom, business wisdom, life wisdom. The clarity, even genius, of this book actually brought me to near-tears on several occasions. Just bloody brilliant, that's what!"
--Tom Peters, New York Times bestselling author of IN SEARCH OF EXCELLENCE, THRIVING ON CHAOS and LEADERSHIP
 
"If given a choice between investing in someone who has read REWORK or has an MBA, I'm investing in REWORK every time.  This is a must read for every entrepreneur."
--Mark Cuban, co-founder of HDNet and Broadcast.com and owner of the Dallas Mavericks
 
"Inspirational...REWORK is a minimalist manifesto that's profoundly practical. In a world where we all keep getting asked to do more with less, the authors show us how to do less and create more."
--Scott Rosenberg, Co-Founder of Salon.com and author of DREAMING IN CODE and SAY EVERYTHING

"The brilliance of REWORK is that it inspires you to rethink everything you thought you knew about strategy, customers, and getting things done. Read this provocative and instructive book—and then get busy reimagining what it means to lead, compete, and succeed."
--William C. Taylor, Fo...

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• File Size: 3832 KB
• Print Length: 271 pages
• Publisher: Crown Business; 1 edition (March 9, 2010)
• Sold by: Random House Digital, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B002MUAJ2A
• Text-to-Speech: Not enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Not Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,529 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
  • #20 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Business & Investing > Management & Leadership > Motivational
  • #33 in Books > Business & Investing > Small Business & Entrepreneurship > Entrepreneurship
  • #65 in Books > Business & Investing > Management & Leadership > Motivational

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

902 of 980 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Signal vs. Noise in Book Form March 11, 2010

By Philip A. Moore

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

One of my biggest gripes about the early reviews to come out about Rework is that they had no substance. Words like "inspirational", "brilliant", and "rethink" generally trigger my BS alarm, so I really didn't know what to expect with Rework. I've been reading Signal vs. Noise, the design and usability blog by 37signals, for a few years now, and I've had plenty of time to become acquainted with Jason and David's style. That I even refer to them by their first names should clue you in to their style. They come across in writing as they do in their live webcasts and presentations: familiar. Point is, I've been irked by the longest by those vapid early reviews to come out. They meant nothing to me. Hopefully you'll find this review more much helpful for determining whether or not Rework is worth your time.

TL;DR Version: Buy the book if you have no idea what 37signals stands for. If you do, expect SvN on paper.

Long Version: If you've never heard of 37signals or read Signal vs. Noise and you're a business owner or someone who needs to buy a book for an "entrepreneur" (Jason and David prefer the term "starter"), then this is a pretty good book to purchase. It's 273 pages, but most of that is filled with white space and somewhat relevant artwork (almost too much artwork, really), so it's an easy read. From start to finish I spent just over a few hours reading Rework, and I'm no speed reader by any stretch of the imagination. Don't expect to be blown away by any revolutionary ideas, either. One of the early reviews to come out said, "The clarity, even genius, of this book actually brought me to near-tears on several occasions" (Tom Peters, New York Times bestselling author). I don't want to bad mouth the guy, because I don't know him, but that's some wicked crazy rad hyperbole.... This is a simple book that's just a by-product of the blog. Nothing more, nothing less.

If you are someone who is very familiar with 37signals and has spent a considerable amount of time reading the blog, then don't feel like you need to pick up this book immediately. Don't get me wrong, $12 (or however much it costs when you buy Rework) is entirely worth it, if even just to have some good night time reading material. But if you think that Rework will bring you any additional insight into 37signals beyond what is available online, then you are thinking incorrectly. Rework felt like a package of SvN blog posts from 2007 to 2009. I'll explain why in a bit.

The Major Takeaways:

If you're strapped for cash and still want to take away lessons from this book, just read the table of contents and then cross-reference those words with the 37signals blog. Jason and David do a heck of a job being straightforward about what they are writing about. For example, "Ignore the real world" (page 13) can be found on their website. In fact, a whole bunch of their content from Rework can be found on their website. To wit:

"Learning from mistakes is overrated" (Rework, page 16): "Learning from failure is overrated" (Feb. 3rd, 2009)(SvN)
"Planning is Guessing" (Rework, page 19): "The Planning Falacy" (Jun. 12th, 2009) (SvN)
"Workaholism" (Rework, page 25): "Fire the workaholics" (Mar. 7th, 2008) (SvN)
"Enough with 'Entrepreneurs'" (Rework, page 28): "The word entrepreneur and its baggage" (Apr. 22nd, 2009) (SvN)
"Scratch your own itch" (Rework, page 34): "What's your problem?" (Getting Real)
"No time is no excuse" (Rework, page 40): "There's always time to launch your dream" (Mar. 10, 2009) (SvN)
"Outside Money is Plan Z" (Rework, page 50): "Fund yourself" (Getting Real)

And that's just the first 50 pages! You see where I'm going with this. If you are an avid reader of 37signals and have kept up with them for 6-12 months, then most of what you read in Rework will simply be a regurgitation of what's already been written online. That's why the early reviews really irked me. Is this book insightful? Clearly. Is it legendary or tear-worthy? Give me a break! The grand language is really making me distrust books, and if I didn't already know the great work that 37signals does or if I were not already a long time customer with 37signals, I wouldn't have bought this book. The flowery language of the early reviews just made me expect the world from Rework, and all I really got was the hardcover form of Signal v. Noise, with better edits and word choice.

I wouldn't write this long, rambling review if I wasn't passionate about the line of work that 37signals is in. I owe much of my organization and peace of mind to 37signals products, so count me as one of the 37signals "audience" members. I think Rework is an exceptional book in that it serves as a reminder of many of the lessons and "recipes" that Jason and David have given us through the years. It is definitely worth the money if you have not already internalized much of the lessons contained in the Rework table of contents. If you have, and you are an avid fan of Jason and David already, then there's really no need to read Rework unless you have some extra time on your hands.

And to Jason and David, if either of you actually read this review, then I hope in your next book you'll ditch the early BS reviews. That's my main gripe. If you want to recycle SvN from 2009-2011 and turn it into a book called ENHANCE! in 2012, that's fine by me. I'll be the first one in line to read it; but know that I, and many other readers, will expect to see the same stuff that we've already read on the blog. I love the work you two do; I mean I REALLY love the work that you two do. But come on. Don't set me up for the stars and then throw glitter in my face.

All in all I give Rework a 7/10. It's worth a read if you have no clue what 37signals stands for. Even if you do, buy the book for a friend or out-of-touch boss. Read more ›

212 of 234 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Good advice, but not really anything new March 12, 2010

By M. Brown

Format:Hardcover

This book is filled with some great advice for those who want to start their own business, have their own business, or are just interested in the subject.

As a fan of 37 Signals the company and a frequent reader of their blog, I was excited when Rework was first announced (so excited I pre-ordered it). From the initial descriptions, I was excited to read a full-length book from Jason Fried and David Heinemeir Hansson. My hope was that they would expand on the ideas frequently discussed on their blog and elaborate on some more of their personal experiences in running a very successful small company.

Unfortunately, if you are familiar with the authors, their blog, or their previous book "Getting Real", then very little of the content in this book is new. All of the lessons and chapters feel like retreads of previous material, even down to some of the analogies such as "be like a chef" or "be a curator".

So while I think some of the lessons in this book are great, I feel that it deserves a 3 star rating because so few of these lessons are new material.

On a similar note, I think my biggest gripe here might be with the length of the book: it may appear to be 270 pages, but there are only about 100 pages of actual content in Rework. The book is really about 100 or so one-page essays, separated by a full page illustration between each section.

I really wanted to be excited by this book but having read their previous output, unfortunately I found very little new material to digest and the illustrations between sections feel like nothing more than filler.

So if you are not familiar with 37 Signals or their blog, and you dream of one day starting your own company, then this book is filled with great advice.... But if you are familiar with the company, their blog, or "Getting Real", there is almost nothing new here for you. Read more ›

55 of 60 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Little gems of common sense. March 9, 2010

By J. Fox

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

"Rework" is one of those books that doesn't take itself too seriously. It is a quick read. While I didn't uncover any revolutionary secrets, I did appreciate the authors' attitudes toward common business practices. They have built a successful small business. They've eschewed the grandiose plans for IPOs, org charts that cover entire conference room tables, and all the other BS that typically accompany the "modern tech company". Their advice is, that it's ok to do that. Build a business you can live with rather than one you can sell. You'll end up doing something that you find worthwhile, rather than always chasing smoke and mirrors. This book is somewhat light on substance, however, it provides a decent antidote to all the demotivating process and bureaucracy that plagues business. Worth a read to be sure, even if just for the distraction.

1,067 of 1,273 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars I HATE that I hate this book April 16, 2010

By DougA

Format:Hardcover

SECOND REVISION: 37Signals is now ACTIVELY MANAGING the comments about this horrid book. They sent a barrage of fanboys to this page to "unlike" this post to move it down the page. There it is in a nutshell folks. Everything I said in this original review -- about 37Signals being an empty suit -- is proven true. Apparently, 37Signals' advice to "pick a fight," means to pick a fight with anyone but them.

REVISION: Have you noticed that every time a negative review is posted about this book, the book is magically bombarded with positive one- and two-line reviews that "move" that negative review down the page and keep the book in the four- to five-star range? There's your 37Signals pathology. We don't have to have a good product as long as people THINK we have a good product. We can be paper-thin content-wise, but as long as we keep our four-star rating -- and keep negative reviews buried -- we'll continue to be "successful." Classic.

ORIGINAL REVIEW: I had high expectations for this book. I really wanted to like it. But, let's face it: this book is not operating in the real world; it's operating in the 37Signals world. I'm happy they developed their company from scratch and have managed to keep it small and profitable. It is true what they say in the book that your company is more nimble and flexible when it is small. Growth is not only difficult to manage, it's difficult to maintain and even more difficult to sustain. They claim that the reason they've managed to stay small is because they won't compromise their principals and add things to their products THEY don't think their customers need. What they call the "simplicity" of their products, most people call the "limitations" of their products.... But, if you look at the 37Signals products, you will see that they are horrifically over-priced. You get far less for your money than with many other comparable products. I should know. I've tried them all.

And let's get something else out of the way too: this book IS NOT 288 pages long. Oh, there are 144 sheets of paper folded in half and glued into a book with writing on them to make it LOOK like there's 288 pages. But this book is really about 100 pages long. I read the entire book in about two hours -- and I'm a "meticulous" reader. Almost every other page is some sort of graphic. All the chapters end abruptly and within four or five pages (with the exception of one or two chapters).

Yes, I teach at a business school. And, yes, business school theory is pretty much the antithesis of what is in this book -- or, rather, what is in this book is the antithesis of business school theory. That appeals to some people for its heretic value. But I can tell you that I also counsel budding entrepreneurs, and the theoretical foundation established in business school works for more people than the devil-may-care-let-the-chips-fall-where-they-may laissez-faire attitude purported in this book. It's common knowledge that the way to sell books is to buck conventional wisdom. Take the opposite point of view. That's fine if you want to write a book bucking conventional wisdom, but MAKE YOUR CASE. Don't fill a book full of platitudes, opinions and unsupported, unsubstantiated evidence (and using your own company as an example most of the time) and then expect us to swallow it without questioning it.

In all fairness, one of the tenets of this book is to keep things simple. This book unabashedly attempts to make the case that the more you can simplify, the easier your life will be. Undeniably. But complexity and details are what the real world is made of. Following their own advice, everything in the book is stripped down to bare bones. They even say in the book that there was a wholesale reduction in the size of the book just before it went to print. I would have liked to have seen what they threw away. There might have been more substance, more detail -- and it might have been a more likable book.

Instead, this book attempts to make the case for the following:

* Don't work hard
* Don't plan for anything
* Don't have meetings
* Charge more (for less)
* Above all else, limit growth as much as possible
* Emulate drug dealers (not kidding)
* Follow your heart, not your customers (huh?)
* "Underdo your competition" (that's a direct quote)
* BAD-MOUTH YOUR COMPETITION (this might be the dumbest advice I've ever read in a book. Try this experiment sometime: go into a job interview and say extremely bad things about your former boss. Watch how fast you're shown the door).

Some reviewers (and the book itself) have stated that this book is for new entrepreneurs. If you start a business of any substance and you follow the rules in this book, you will fail.

And, $22? SERIOUSLY?? This book (and the pricing of it) is a metaphor for the entire 37Signals company: stripped down product, very little substance and a high price tag.

Again, I hate that I hate it, because I really wanted to like it when I first started reading it. Two hours later, I was done with it and no smarter than I was when I started it. Read more ›