Customer Reviews

The Wisdom of Ginsu: Carve Yourself a Piece of the American Dream

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

As elusive a question as "Who invented Post-Its?" is "Who was behind the Ginsu Knife?" The unexpected answer to that question is two guys from Rhode Island. (Random, huh?)

I hate reading and usually avoid it at all costs, but read every word of this book and was entertained the entire time. You can pick it up, open it to any page, and understand what Ed & Barry are trying to tell you.

Their Ginsuisms are insightful, and their stories are fantastic and often funny. Why learn the hard way? They've made the mistakes for you, and they openly talk about these mistakes. They've also had successes, and the guidelines that result are great tools for any endeavor - business or not.

Screw Ron Popeil! The Ginsu Guys are the real thing!!!

"You can gas up the dinghy and go fishing with Fredo, because you are dead to me!" That line, which I laughed about on the Green Line all the way from Brookline Village to Park Street, is the attitude Ed and Barry suggest you jokingly suggest that people who don't return your calls have towards you. It's typical of the humor and good fun that suffuse this book, which would be a great read even if the advice was worthless--but it's not! More added value from the guys who brought it to consumers for decades. This is a great look at a unique period in TV, marketing, and culture, and it comes complete with lessons you can apply every day. (You think I paid full price for that secondhand newspaper at Starbucks? Not after reading The Wisdom of Ginsu!) Would you expect a boring book from a couple of guys who sold millions of dollars in cookware by dropping a raw chicken onto a diamond ring? Wait before you answer, because they also painted a ceiling in a tuxedo AND kicked a watermelon to pieces AND survived betrayal by the Guardian of the Ginsu! This book is a riot, and pretty handy at that. Don't miss it.

The "Voice" in this book is a very knowledgable yet engaging one. The Ginsu Guys really are the "guys nextdoor" only they happened to hit it big and learn a lot along the way...nuggets of acquired knowledge they are now passing along to readers nationwide ( You had to see Diane Gibson and Charlie Gibson "slicing and dicing" alongside them on Good Morning America, to believe it!)!

Some of the anecdotes told by these 1970's and 80's pioneers and acknowledged "Godfather's of Direct Response T.V." are timeless, the level of the mistakes and obstacles they overcame to become successful are peerless, and the "Ginsuisms" (lessons learned)that they share are simply priceless!

The "back and forth" bantering narrative style mimics the partnership itself, giving the book a "you are there" feel that makes it a real page turner that's impossible to put down once you get started.

There's LITERALLY "something for everyone" in this great little book: from Ed and Barry's classic All-American "Started in a small town garage" business success story, and their "How to Win Friends and Influence People" advice for a new generation,to their "laugh out loud" true tales of tremendous challenges, strategies, triumphs... and failures, The Wisdom of Ginsu" is not only a fun and funny way to pass a few hours but also a fabulous handbook for professional success, and a pocket manual for personal growth!

3 books for the price of one? What else would you expect from the guys who coined the now legendary phrase..."But wait, there's more!"

I loved this book! Becher and Valenti share important lessons learned during their many successful (and some not-so-successful) years in the business of marketing, but really their pithy and fun "ginsuisms" are everyday life lessons too. I think my favorite part of the book was that its authors don't take themselves too seriously. Yeah, painting a ceiling in a tuxedo or putting your foot through a watermelon looks silly, and they know it. But those images got people laughing and spending, and kept Becher and Valenti laughing all the way to the bank. A great gift, especially for that person who has everything. I can't wait for the 2006 Ginsuisms calendar!!!

the wisdom of Ginsu definitely Cuts the mustard. The author's "Ginsuisms"provide real-world, down-to-earth pearls of wisdom that make this book a true gem. It was a very enjoyable read.

This book is a page turner full of helpful advice and funny stories bound to keep you reading. But wait, there's more... you will also find yourself thinking about this book the next time you try something new or strive for something more, you will find yourself thinking back and trying to figure out what those Ginsu Guys would do in the situation - and hopefully the results will be as good for you as they were for them!

One of the more engaging, and easy to read, books I have read in a long time. Barry and Ed convey their experiences while keeping you learning and laughing the whole way through. A must read for any young entrepeneur yet still appeals to all walks of life. I felt like I was sitting on a bar stool, sharing a cold beer, swapping stories with the authors. Now I need to go put these principles to work!!

As a young entrepreneur this book brought me solid advice, basic tactics that make it happen and the drive to never give up! If you listen to the people that will tell you it will never happen, it will never happen. This book teaches you to believe in your dream and have it realized. It helps you think outside the box, while staying grounded in the basic skills that cultivate your business. THANKS BARRY AND ED!

I am writing to express my delight in reading,"The Wisdom of Ginsu".

I am a small business owner and have shelves of books by successful business persons.
This book I couldn't put down... read it in a day and a half, and that's while working!

I just wanted to make contact and say thanks for the down to earth style. I do things in everyday business that I have
never found affirmation for. The many examples in your book affirm to me that I am on target a good percentage of the time.
I have even started answering all my cell phone calls! The book makes you want to put their advice into practice, and that is
unusual.

I am a manufacturer. Over the years I have developed ways of processing that I have guarded like a mother hen. Many have given me grief for being so protective. When I read the chapter on guarding your secrets I smiled continually. I never had a mentor.
The advice in this book was the first time anyone wrote like they were writing specifically to me.

Small business is a gauntlet, this book is a drink of cool water. It was to me anyhow.

This is a must read. I cannot imagine anyone not getting some valuable wisdom from this book. Should sell for WAY MORE!