Big Bucks! (Hardcover)

by Ken Blanchard (Author), Sheldon Bowles (Author) "Len had two pair: jacks and sevens..." (more)
Key Phrases: perpetual prosperity, raving fans, expense control, Rabbi Silver, Father Murphy, Pastor Edwards (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
In Raving Fans, Blanchard (The One Minute Manager, etc.) and Bowles, a consultant, concentrated on the importance of delighting customers. In Gung Ho!, they focused on how companies could become "the employer of choice" and attract the best employees. Here they complete their trilogy with a look at how businesses--and employees--can make more money by properly focusing their time and energy. As in the authors' previous titles, the points are presented through a parable. In this case, a man struggling to make ends meet goes on a journey to discover the secret to becoming rich and meets three wise (and successful) people who present simple truths: among them, you can't make money unless you are having fun; instead of trying to cut costs, companies should devote themselves to increasing sales; and those who want to make a lot of money need to make sure the firm they work for believes in paying employees a lot. The authors clearly prefer to provide inspiration rather than a road map. But, to their credit, the key messages are presented effectively. Fans of the series and this approach will be satisfied, while those looking for something more substantial will no doubt forge on. (May)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description

With Big Bucks! bestselling authors Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles unlock the secrets of making serious money for both you and your company.Through a series of easy-to-follow steps and powerful strategies, Blanchard and Bowles show how anyone can create lasting wealth. By focusing on concepts like commitment, intensity, purpose, and even fun, the authors have crafted a totally new--and irresistible--paradigm for unlimited success.

Written in the parable style of their previous books, Raving Fans and Gung Ho!., which were Business Week, New York Times, and Wall Street Journal business bestsellers, Big Bucks! introduces Len, who doesn't just want more money--he wants to be a millionaire. Under the direction and guidance of a group of mentors, Len must overcome three challenges on his way to attaining more wealth than he ever dreamed possible. Len learns that these three tests can be undertaken by any individual or organization in the pusuit of big bucks. And he also sees that while making big money, he can accomplish even more valuable achievements by being generous with his time, talents, and prosperity.

Packed with practical advice, Big Bucks! is a must-read for any individual or business professional seeking wealth. It's destined to become one of the major money books in the twenty-first century.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow; 1 edition (April 26, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688170358
• ISBN-13: 978-0688170356
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #388,818 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Keep the Faith...and Prosper, April 29, 2000

By	Robert Morris (Dallas, Texas) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Daily (or so it seems to me) there are 10-15 new books published which offer to help their readers get RICH (quickly or eventually) during these "turbulent times" of "unprecedented opportunities." Because of his well-deserved prominence, whenever Ken Blanchard publishes a new book, it receives special attention. He knows this. I suspect, therefore, that he feels special pressure to provide in each new book solid content which is carefully organized and well-written, content which has real value.

He and co-author Sheldon Bowles succeed brilliantly in the third "leg" of their trilogy in which they describe "the three key factors that determine the long-term success of an organization: as a provider of choice (Raving Fans), as an employer of choice (Gung Ho!), and [now] as an investment of choice (Big Bucks)."

The "story" they tell is of a fellow named Len whose quest is to learn the secrets to moneymaking. Like Bunyan's Pilgrim, Len encounters many adventures during his quest, accompanied by the reader. We are introduced to Rabbi Silver, Father Murphy, Pastor Edwards, and moneymakers from their respective congregations. At first, this seemed odd to me. What are Blanchard and Bowles up to? Why include clergy? What is the connection to accumulating "Big Bucks?" Yes, yes, of course. Regardless of their denomination, all congregations heavily depend upon financial support to sustain their good work. But isn't this book supposed to provide "guidelines to becoming a multimillionaire?" What about making "serious money" for both me and my company?

It would be a great disservice both to the authors and to the book's readers were I to reveal the aforementioned "three key factors" or to explain the relevance of the clergy and several of their congregants to the reader's own "quest" to learn the secrets of moneymaking. Read the book. Then re-read it. Judge for yourself.

Recall my previous reference to the daily appearance of books about wealth creation. I rate Big Bucks so highly on its own merits but also admire it for another reason which the authors may not have had in mind when they wrote this book: This would make an excellent gift for recent graduates of schools, colleges, and universities. Why? Because, as they embark on their own journey in search of economic health (if not wealth), this little book will help anchor them in some profoundly important values: commitment, intensity, purpose, and even fun.

One final Point: Big Bucks also provides a conceptual frame-of-reference within which to evaluate other books on wealth accumulation. For that reason alone, it is a "must read."

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If Regis doesn't question you, buy this book!, January 3, 2001

By A Customer

I'm already a millionaire several times over. My staff gave me Big Bucks! They thought it a "funny gift" for the company Christmas party. It was. Everyone laughed when I unwrapped it. I tossed it in my brief case and that evening began to look it over, then fasinated by what I saw, I began to read.

I've come to Amazon, my favorite book store, to write this review, as having read Big Bucks! I now feel an obligation to tell everyone this book will tell you in a clearer, simpler and easier to follow fashion than I ever could, how I made my money. As I read I had an eerie feeling Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles were telling my story. That somehow they had got inside my head and discovered my best money making secrets. But they aren't secrets. If you make ten million that doesn't stop me from making another ten. Actually, when the economy is booming it's easier for everyone to make money. So buy this book now and pay attention.

Big Bucks! is not a "bet the farm, get rich quick or die broke trying" book. As it says on the cover, Big Bucks! tells you how to get the energy you need, and then how and where to focus that energy. It will teach you about leverage, which means turning one dollar into a thousand. You will learn the importance of having an equity position. The lessons on how to make big bucks in the job you have now are alone worth many times what you'll pay for the book. That's my advice, and I ask only one thing. After you've read it come back here and post a review for others.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Buy this book as if your life depended on it, December 6, 2000

By	Joshua Hillis "RKC, NASM-CPT/PES, author of T... (Denver, CO) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have read dozens of personal growth books and they all purport to have the answer...27 keys to success, 15 strategies for happiness, 40 things you can do to get better. By now I probably have 1000 things I need to focus on, it's rediculous.

This book has only a few key points, but they are the most direct, to the point, and fundamental points in making huge money. This book isn't the end all, but it is absolutely essential.

I guess the reason I'm so excited about this book is it had the one key that I had been missing all these years. So many books I've read talk about discipline, delayed gratification, and million different ways to try to motivate yourself. What this book taught me, was that the very foundation of all success is doing what you love.

It sounds simple. Most people hear that and they respond "Of course." but few people really take it to heart. Everything gets really easy when you are doing what you love. Motivation is a snap. Discipline is a snap. You follow everything through because you are having so much fun.

That of course is just the foundation, the beginning. But what a beginning! Buy this book right now, it could change your life.