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Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman
 
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Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman (Hardcover)

by Yvon Chouinard (Author)
4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Hardcover: 272 pages
  • Publisher: Penguin Press HC, The (6 Oct 2005)
  • ISBN-10: 1594200726
  • ASIN: B000YFE8FO
  • Product Dimensions: 23.4 x 19 x 1.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)

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Customer Reviews

6 Reviews
5 star:
 (5)
4 star:
 (1)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
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Average Customer Review
4.8 out of 5 stars (6 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A Landmark Case History, 12 Jan 2006
By Professor Donald Mitchell "Jesus Makes Me a P... (Boston) - See all my reviews
(TOP 10 REVIEWER)      
This review is from: Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman (Hardcover)
Most people want to read about what Jack Welch, Bill Gates and Warren Buffett have done as managers. They would learn a lot more by reading about what Yvon Chouinard has to say about how he developed Patagonia.

This case history is filled with the kind of common sense wisdom that almost all companies and business leaders lack, including the best-known celebrity CEOs. Accounting rules don't require us to look at environmental damage so most companies don't think about the harm they cause in this regard. Yet if we don't do what we can to do less environmental harm, what's the point of having money in a spoiled world?

Most people don't really want to run or work in businesses full time. They would rather be doing something they enjoy more. Mr. Chouinard's approach to Management by Absence and letting his people use flex-time to go surfing when conditions are good examples of how such flexibility can be created in a successful enterprise.

Most importantly, Mr. Chouinard is a good example . . . a model leader. That's true because, in part, he wants to set a good example . . . something most business leaders don't care about today. They just want to make money.

A hundred years from now, people will be reading this book as a model of doing the right thing . . . long after everyone has forgotten the names of the best selling business CEOs today. Get ahead of the curve by starting with this book.

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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Makes you want to run a business, 18 Jun 2007
By Mr. D. Ferguson - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman (Paperback)
Who would've thought you could read a book that inspires you to climb, surf, make obscure pieces of ironmongery, design clothes and run a company - all in one slim volume.

Yvon Chouinard is one of the most important business leaders around today because he's made a values-lead business highly profitable. Any aspring business leader (and, more importantly, those already running businesses) should be forced to read this. It's the future.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars the service profit chain in action, 7 Jan 2009
By Dominic Monkhouse "service guru" (Lymington) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman (Hardcover)
You see its all just plain old common sense. You find something you can be passionate about and turn it into a business. Then you surround yourself with like minded others and you can change the world, a bit at a time. Yvon puts it all beautifully. He even seems a little embarrassed about having been so successful without any formal training, however, he is very proud of his team's achievements. Formal training doesn't exist for the leadership he displays, you either have it in your heart or you don't. The book takes the concepts of the service profit chain model and walks you though their genesis in, Patagonia. I can't recommend this book enough. Sadly, I have only recently read it and wish I had come across it several years ago before I had to learn much of this the hard way from personal experience at Rackspace and itlab.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars A different approach
An interesting mixture of outline autobiography and leadership philosophy. Compelling in parts but difficult to follow to the end.
Published 1 day ago by M. Martin

5.0 out of 5 stars amazing and inspiring
I found out about the brand Patagonia before i knew anything about yvon chounaird, i was a little unsure of what to expect, but it has to be one of my favourite books, it gives a... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Mr. K. E. Johnson

5.0 out of 5 stars If only
I brought this book as I was captivated by the title

I couldn't put it down
The enthusiasm of the Chouinards is met only by their ethics at creating a place... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Ms. A. J. Hooker

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