The Go-Giver: A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea (Hardcover)

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Key Phrases: five laws, stratospheric success, famous coffee, Debra Davenport, Nicole Martin, Neil Hansen (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This modern-day business parable, a quick read in the spirit of The Greatest Salesman in the World and The One Minute Manager, should do well with eager corporate-ladder climbers, who may at first be confused by its focus: on putting the other guy first-be it a colleague, competitor, customer, friend or family member. Told through the fictitious story of an ambitious young salesman named Joe, Burg and Mann communicate their points through the advice of an enigmatic (and highly likeable) mentor character known as Pindar. Rather than help Joe snag a fast sale, the consultant introduces him to series of "go-givers" who personify the "Five Laws of Stratospheric Success." Over the course of five days, a restaurateur, a CEO, a financial advisor, a real-estate broker and the mysterious "Connector" teach Joe about the laws of value, compensation, influence, authenticity and receptivity-concepts that make more immediate sense in this fictional context than they would in a formal business book. Burg (Endless Referrals: Network Your Everyday Contacts Into Sales) and Mann (You Call the Shots) write with a simple, informal style that offers a working-person's interpretation of the old adage "give, and you shall receive."
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Review

“The Go-Giver is one of those rare books that entertains with a great storyline while simultaneously delivering an uplifting, life-affirming message that we can apply immediately.”
-- Darren Richardson, Science of Mind

“This modern-day business parable, a quick read in the spirit of The Greatest Salesman in the World and The One Minute Manager, should do well with eager corporate-ladder climbers … Over the course of five days, a restaurateur, a CEO, a financial advisor, a real-estate broker and the mysterious “Connector” teach Joe about the laws of value, compensation, influence, authenticity and receptivity—concepts that make more immediate sense in this fictional context than they would in a formal business book.”
–Publishers Weekly

“The powerful business idea referenced in the title is that ‘shifting the focus from getting to giving and putting the other person first is the key to business success and personal fulfillment.’ … Explanations of these concepts and how to employ them are clear and to the point, and as with all successfully written business books, it will provoke thought and probably action as well.”
—Booklist

"Burg and Mann have crafted a business parable that is drawing comparisons with Dr. Spencer Johnson's wildly popular 1998 book Who Moved My Cheese?... How one receives this message may vary, but learning and understanding it is essential ... the world always needs a fresh approach to its most important messages. For this purpose The Go-Giver is a great way to continue to spread a positive and enriching message."
—Soundview Executive Book Alert

“Not since Who Moved My Cheese? have I enjoyed a parable as much as this. You owe it to yourself to read The Go-Giver and share its message with those who matter most to you. It is a beautiful book that will touch your soul and inspire your heart.”
—David Bach, #1 New York Times bestselling author, The Automatic Millionaire

“The Go-Giver does everything I would wish a good book to do. Read it to the very end.”
—Michael E. Gerber, author, The E-Myth

“This terrific book wonderfully illuminates [the] principles of contribution, abundance, service, and success.”
—Stephen M. R. Covey, author, The Speed of Trust

“A lovely reminder to us all that the world is abundant and rewards those who act with a generosity of spirit.”
—Lois P. Frankel, Ph.D., author, See Jane Lead and Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office

“Most people don’t have the guts to buy this book, never mind the will to follow through and actually use it. But you do. And I’m certain that you’ll be glad you did.”
—Seth Godin, author, The Dip

“The Go-Giver is the best business parable since The Greatest Salesman in the World and The One Minute Manager.”
—Pat Williams, author, Souls of Steel, and senior vice president, Orlando Magic

“Burg and Mann have demonstrated that adding value to people’s lives is the way to climb the ladder of financial success.”
—Fran Tarkenton, Hall of Fame quarterback and founder and CEO , GoSmallBiz.com

“These five simple principles will help you achieve your goals and fulfill your dreams!”
—Brian Tracy, author, The Psychology of Achievement

“This book is exactly what is meant by the phrase ‘Great things come in small packages.’”
—Tom Hopkins, author, How to Master the Art of Selling

"A cross between Jonathan Livingston Seagull and Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, The Go-Giver is a tale of transformation...For those who've stalled out on The Secret's emphasis on what we want, want, want, the Chairman offers another secret--his trade secret: giving...Bob Burg, who travels the world sharing the principles of The Go- Giver, and John David Mann, author of The Zen of MLM, collaborate on this uplifting, quick-read of a book that will appeal to customers who want to bring more heart and a holistic sense of mission to their livelihoods."
--Connie Mears, New Age Retailer

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Portfolio Hardcover (December 27, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 159184200X
• ISBN-13: 978-1591842002
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (139 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #4,882 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 5 Laws of success that guide how you work with others, January 19, 2008

By	Craig Matteson (Ann Arbor, MI) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)

OK. You know what a go-getter is. Maybe you are one. What is a go-giver? This book is one of those business parables that presents its ideas in the guise of a story. Business stories usually have a protagonist who is in real trouble, meets a wildly successful but mysterious guru who will share the Secret of the Universe with our hero. The hero will at first reject the simplicity of the idea, but will try it out and find that the idea works. The guru will them reveal the rest of the mystery and the hero solves his problem, finds great success, and the story ends happily. Why they all have to be along these lines, I do not know and this one only differs in the details. I mean, it is a pleasant story, but it is fiction. For me, business principles are always more convincing when presented with actual business case studies and even then they tend to be qualified in their applicability.

In any case, this book has five key principles based on the notion that your success comes from working with other folks and rather than trying to and take from the world and get all you can while giving as little back as you can, the truth is just the opposite. You give as much as you can and you will get more back. Remember the story of casting your bread upon the water?

Here are the Five Laws of Stratospheric Success (which are restated at the back of the book):

1) The Law of Value: Your true worth is determined by how much more you give in value than you take in payment.
2) The Law of Compensation: Your income is determined by how many people you serve and how well you serve them.
3) The Law of Influence: Your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other people's interests first.
4) The Law of Authenticity: The most valuable gift you have to offer is yourself.
5) The Law of Receptivity: The key to effective giving is to stay open to receiving.

The story nicely demonstrates what is meant by these principles and fleshes out the ideas in an attractive way. I think the principles are sound and if they interest you then you should get a copy of the book and dig into it.

Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Ann Arbor, MI

50 of 64 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The Secret of Success, December 30, 2007

By	David Enzel (Chevy Chase, MD USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

More and more, I see new books in print that would have made good magazine articles. The author has a decent message that honestly doesn't take too many pages to express. Today, publishers feel comfortable putting those words between two hard covers and charging a lot more than the price of a magazine for the message. Focusing one's life on giving rather than getting is one such message in my opinion. It is useful as a general proposition to read that "[y]our compensation is directly proportional to how many lives you touch." So rock stars make more many than school teachers. While this is so I'm not sure it's healthy. Still, it is useful to know. The parable presented here is an agreeable read. Yet what's tough to swallow is that the man who is taught the five secrets of success presented by the author is immediately rewarded with riches. What could have been presented as a nice zen like way to live that almost certainly will be calming and emotionally rewarding is presented as a road to riches.

20 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This Book Ruined My Evening Plans, December 30, 2007

By	Bill Lampton, Ph.D. "Speech Coach for Champions" (Gainesville, GA United States) - See all my reviews

When I received a copy of The Go-Giver, I set aside the last forty-five minutes of the day to start reading the book. Good plan, right?

However, my intent to quit reading at a reasonable hour and get to bed at my usual time disappeared. Within a few minutes, I knew that The Go-Giver had all the suspense of a top-line mystery novel. I couldn't stop until I had read the entire book.

Thanks to Bob Burg and John David Mann for this stimulating parable, filled with enriching thoughts. Everyone who reads this book will re-examine his or her approach to business and customers.That alone will be a "powerful business idea," as the subtitle says.

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