10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Very enjoyable -, 10 Jan 1999
By A Customer
This is a very well written book and for less than a tenner is worth getting. It manages to give some insight into the workings of Richard Bransons Virgin empire, but certainly isn't going to turn the budding entrepreneur into a multi-millionaire business tycoon. My only complaint is that large sections of the material in this publication have been 'lifted' directly from other books written about the toothy tycoon. If you're a fan of Mr. Branson (as I am)then I would recommend you order his autobiography 'Losing my Virginity' before buying this book.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Some interesting ideas, but note 'The art lies in concealing the art', 14 Feb 2009
This review is from: Business the Richard Branson Way: 10 Secrets of the World's Greatest Brand Builder (Big Shots Series) (Paperback)
This is an easy read, taking little more than a couple of hours. It carries the subtitle '10 Secrets of the World's Greatest Brand-Builder'.which offers the promise of answers to those who seek them, and might be why it's taken me so long to get around to reading it.
The book begins with a potted history of Richard's life, from schoolboy entrepreneur to rich CEO. The `secrets' of this journey are outlined in ten chapters which each refer back to examples from Branson's career.
They each make interesting reading and offer insights and ideas to explore. In a nutshell the secrets are
- Pick on someone bigger than you
- Avoid sticking with convention
- Negotiate everything
- Make work fun
- Protect your brand
- Exploit publicity
- Don't lead sheep, herd cats
- Move quickly
- Think big, but keep it simple
- Keep the common touch
Though promising secrets no doubt helps sell the book, perhaps the real secret is left to the `Last Words' where it is stated that Richard Branson's motto should be ars est celare artem - `The art lies in concealing the art'.
Here the book succinctly highlights the problem of almost all best practice adoption. You can copy what he does, but that's not where the real secret is. The real secret is to understand who he is being.
Rudyard Kipling nicely captured this,
"They copied all they could follow but they couldn't copy my mind
so I left them sweating and stealing a year and a half behind."
An interesting outline of Branson's journey, and if you're not looking for answers, the potential source of some interesting lines of thought.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Good Read!, 4 Nov 2004
This book is a handy compilation of observations, hypotheses and speculations on the subject of Richard Branson. Author Des Dearlove freely and frankly admits his debt to several other writers who have probed the Branson story in depth and breadth. There is little if anything original to be found, aside perhaps from the author's style of presentation, which tries hard to be light and deft. Although the book carries you along, its biggest punch resides in the author's list of "10 secrets" of Branson's success. Readers who would like to know in the most general terms what Branson has done and how he has done it, and who are willing to swallow a few clichés in lieu of explanations, will seize upon this book.we think you will enjoy it and, after all, enjoying your work is one of Branson's great secrets.
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