Customer Reviews

Self-Made in America: Plain Talk for Plain People about the Meaning of Success

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I was fortunate enough to have taken an entrepreneurship and business planning graduate school class with John as the adjunct professor. He made the course worthwhile and put meaning into the work and learning we did. The story he tells is very real, and it could be you or me, but, the secret is in what you do with what you have. And knowing yourself.

John is very down to earth in his book as in life. He knows who he is, and does not profess to be anything else. And in his book, he speaks to you. Not at you. He shares some of his personal struggles on his road to and of success. And don't think he had it paved... that is the best part of the whole story. Here is someone who shares both the ups and downs, and takes you along with him on the journey. Get the book. It's easy and pleasurable to read. If you have ever dreamed of owning yor own business, get this book, read it, and remember the struggles John went through to inspire you through the rough spots in owning your own business. You will be glad you did.

John McCormack makes successful entrepreneurship seem attainable to anyone. John McCormack emphasizes the value of people and how people have helped make him successful. He further emphasizes the need for aspiring entrepreneurs to be mentored by successful people, also a key to his success. His words inspire hard work, sacrifice, and saving, the real ingredients for success. This book is a must read for all entrepreneurs

I've read biographies of folks like Richard Branson, Phil Knight and Michael Bloomberg. Enormous successes, yes...but to such a degree that it seems on a scale of Everest proportions. In contrast, the magic of John McCormack's story is that success seems so approachable after reading his 'plain talk for plain people.'

Folks, this guy is the real deal. Along with his wife Maryanne, this Texas legend has totally transformed the seemingly prosaic field of hairstyling into a cauldron of entrepreneurship. The best part of the book is witnessing the impact that his business, Visible Changes, has made on his employees. In many parts of the country, hairstyling is a dead-end job for washouts from the educational system. McCormack has totally turned conventional wisdom on its head and shown just how powerful that workforce can be when they are treated with respect.

And the personal saga of John McCormack himself is a real page-turner to boot. For that reason alone - in addition to the simple lessons he passes along - these are 220 pages that you won't soon forget.

This book describes how life is not/should not be based solely on
monetary goals. He describes the wisdom he gained from others
who were succesful and relates that America is a place where
anyone can become successful.

It is easy to find self-help books written by psycologists and students of success. Those books offer material that sounds good, but has no foundation in actual success. This book is authored by a person who went from debt and desperation to affluence in a very short time. He teaches from experience how to achieve all he has achieved and more! A must have for anyone seeking super success

I loved this book and was inspired by it. It was written in 1990, but the advice is timeless. Especially read the section on living on only 20 percent of your income. (Yeah, that's what he says!) Thought provoking in a time when our national savings rate is negative for the first time since the depression... This book is a quick and inspiring read.

I read alot of books on success and motivation and this is a great one. Very inspiring. I was a little apprehensive at first since I don't care much about the hair industry but the book is full of great inspriring stories to illustrate time honored principles.

I first read this book in the early 90's and after some moving around I pretty much lost it. I'm so glad to have this again and am reminded why I enjoyed it so much..... The author has great insight on success and does'nt sugar coat it one bit....

Jason

My father had the opportunity to meet John and hold a seminar for his top hair stylists. John has a great business mind and here you can read how he did it!

This audio book was an enjoyable listen and provided some good advice on success that the author learned from various successful immigrants. Basically live within your means, be tenacious, and use your brain. My only complaint was that most of the second half of the cassettes are devoted to the author's thoughts on the current sad state of the US educational system. Although this is obviously something the author is passionate about he spends far too much time on it, perhaps it was just bad editing on the abridged tape version.