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Against the Odds: An Autobiography (Business icons)
 
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Against the Odds: An Autobiography (Business icons) (Paperback)

by James Dyson (Author)
4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Paperback: 312 pages
  • Publisher: Texere Publishing,US; 2nd Revised edition edition (7 Dec 2000)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 1587990148
  • ISBN-13: 978-1587990144
  • Product Dimensions: 23.2 x 15.2 x 2.4 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 186,039 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  • See Complete Table of Contents

Product Description

Daily Telegraph
This is a book against the traditional way of doing business.

M2 Communications, November 14, 2001
An excellent read about a rather excellent product, its history, development and inventor.

See all Product Description

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Customer Reviews

8 Reviews
5 star:
 (6)
4 star:
 (2)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
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Average Customer Review
4.8 out of 5 stars (8 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Intrieging, fascinating and inspirational., 26 Jan 2001
This intrieging, fascinating and compelling story should be an inspiration to all would-be inventors and entrepenuers. With humility and candour, James Dyson injects his own unique brand of passion, tenacity and enthusiasm, offering a wealth of interesting technical facts and even a little home-spun Dyson philosophy into this beguiling autobiography.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A British manufacturing success story, 26 Mar 2000
By A Customer
This review is from: Against the Odds: An Autobiography (Paperback)
This is a great story, because the good guy wins in the end - against all the odds. Ranged against Dyson were rapacious American multinationals, deadwood British manufacturers, and financial organisations and government agencies that poured cold water on Dyson's dual cyclone ideas. But he turned the tables on them all, and how he succeded is a rare British manufacturing success story that ought to be compulsory reading for Britain's politicians and business leaders. In it Dyson presents his own agenda for a manufacturing revival in Britain, with creativity restored to prime position, rather than finance or advertising as is usually the case.

The book is written in an enjoyable informal style, and peppered with the occassional slightly rude expression, making it readable and often funny.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars James Dyson chased his dream. You'll want to after this., 30 Oct 1998
By A Customer
This review is from: Against the Odds: An Autobiography (Paperback)
The book is the story of James Dyson. It covers his upbringing and describes why he believes he has the mindset that he does. It covers his education and training and the lucky breaks he received along the way. It details his first forays into design and marketing on other people's behalf. It explains his moment of realisation when he made the quantum mental leap from a machine in his workshop to a vacuum cleaner design. It then covers the more than 10 years he struggled to make it a mainstream product and delves into the nasty things big multinationals will do to slow you down.

It describes the huge lengths he went to during this period to get to the point where he was making vacuum cleaners. How much personal debt he accumulated. How much he spent on legal battles with multinational companies trying to cheat him. How it affected his personal life. It is easy to sympathise with him while reading the book and in similar situations it is hard to imagine many people would have continued.

The book is written in a friendly style and broken up into chapters covering chronological sections of the story. It would be good reading for anyone entering the design or manufacturing business.

I don't agree with all of the opinions he includes in the book, but they are certainly food for thought.

I really enjoyed reading this book.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly entertaining
I thoroughly enjoyed this highly entertaining account of James Dyson's long journey in bringing a number of products to market from the ball-barrow to the very successful Dyson... Read more
Published 23 months ago by Munster for ever

5.0 out of 5 stars Slow and steady wins the race
Well I picked up this book when it was referred to in a management magazine(!). Despite this the book started off at a very slow pace, but gently building up momentum. Read more
Published on 14 Mar 2006 by kapman

5.0 out of 5 stars Stories of an Innovator: Building the Better Vacuum Cleaner
This book is subtitled "an autobiography," but it isn't really about James Dyson, the man. Read more
Published on 21 Dec 2005 by Rolf Dobelli

5.0 out of 5 stars Exciting and inspirational reading
"Against the Odds" is an accurate metaphor of how Dyson developed his vacuum cleaner product. Read more
Published on 22 Dec 1999 by tomdean@alamy.com

5.0 out of 5 stars A true heroic tale of a Brit winning by being better
This is a glorious story and like all great stories it is both true and unlikely. It chronicles deeds of deering do that overcame seemingly overwhelming vested interests in the... Read more
Published on 22 Feb 1999

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