ARA Review by Alan Baker of Big Things Have Small Beginnings
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Alan Baker
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ARA Review by Alan Baker of Big Things Have Small Beginnings
[Following is an OnlineBookClub.org ARA Review of the book, Big Things Have Small Beginnings.]
Review of Big Things Have Small Beginnings
5 out of 5 stars
I have to admit; I have never read this genre (motivational/instructional/self-help). Most of my non-fiction reading was either science or history. I came away very impressed with the book and its overall message. Berry does a great job in this book illustrating his points both by drawing from his own experiences and experiences of others.
Big Things Have Small Beginnings is a quick read. It is divided into three main parts. In the first part, Berry goes through some foundational building blocks for success and lays the groundwork for the rest of the book. There he has a discussion about ambition and motivation that I found interesting.
Part two is where the book really started to pick up for me. Berry gives us his life story. Being a lover of fiction, I’m partial to stories even if they are about real life. He does a wonderful job in this part hitting the high notes of his life experiences without being too drawn out or including too much about himself that isn’t necessary.
Part three he goes over business management and keys that he used to succeed. I found that his discussion of how to find the right people to work for you, to be the most useful part of the book. I own my own business and I have made a lot of mistakes in hiring people and will incorporate a lot of what he talks about in my practice.
I only had one issue with the book. Nevertheless, I still gave it five stars. I thought that the personal retrospective found in the middle of the book should have been at the beginning. I’ll admit I did not read the author bio or the about the book before I started reading. Halfway through Part I, I was wondering to myself, “Who is this guy and what has he done?” At that point I read the bio, but I did not relate to it nearly as much as I did when he went into his life story.
The overall writing is very good. The book flowed and was well edited. The author admits at some point in the book to not being a “Harvard or Yale” trained business man, but I came away very impressed with his writing style and his business acumen. He did a good job keeping the book diverse by drawing from many different examples and historical figures. He even quotes movies and pop culture; I especially like his reference to the movie The Untouchables.
The book is very instructive. I went to business school myself and I found that what you learn in the real world is far more valuable than any theory you find in any text book. Foundationally, I completely agree with the Author’s message. The small things and the consistency in doing those small things day in and day out are really what separate people in the real world. The Author is himself living proof of that very ideal.
I think this book is a good read for anyone. It is marketed to help those in business for themselves or looking to open a business, but I really think a lot of the discussion is applicable to any career. As the Author learned so much from others in becoming a success in his life; his readers will no doubt come away with some valuable knowledge after reading this book.
***
View Big Things Have Small Beginnings on Bookshelves
Review of Big Things Have Small Beginnings
5 out of 5 stars
I have to admit; I have never read this genre (motivational/instructional/self-help). Most of my non-fiction reading was either science or history. I came away very impressed with the book and its overall message. Berry does a great job in this book illustrating his points both by drawing from his own experiences and experiences of others.
Big Things Have Small Beginnings is a quick read. It is divided into three main parts. In the first part, Berry goes through some foundational building blocks for success and lays the groundwork for the rest of the book. There he has a discussion about ambition and motivation that I found interesting.
Part two is where the book really started to pick up for me. Berry gives us his life story. Being a lover of fiction, I’m partial to stories even if they are about real life. He does a wonderful job in this part hitting the high notes of his life experiences without being too drawn out or including too much about himself that isn’t necessary.
Part three he goes over business management and keys that he used to succeed. I found that his discussion of how to find the right people to work for you, to be the most useful part of the book. I own my own business and I have made a lot of mistakes in hiring people and will incorporate a lot of what he talks about in my practice.
I only had one issue with the book. Nevertheless, I still gave it five stars. I thought that the personal retrospective found in the middle of the book should have been at the beginning. I’ll admit I did not read the author bio or the about the book before I started reading. Halfway through Part I, I was wondering to myself, “Who is this guy and what has he done?” At that point I read the bio, but I did not relate to it nearly as much as I did when he went into his life story.
The overall writing is very good. The book flowed and was well edited. The author admits at some point in the book to not being a “Harvard or Yale” trained business man, but I came away very impressed with his writing style and his business acumen. He did a good job keeping the book diverse by drawing from many different examples and historical figures. He even quotes movies and pop culture; I especially like his reference to the movie The Untouchables.
The book is very instructive. I went to business school myself and I found that what you learn in the real world is far more valuable than any theory you find in any text book. Foundationally, I completely agree with the Author’s message. The small things and the consistency in doing those small things day in and day out are really what separate people in the real world. The Author is himself living proof of that very ideal.
I think this book is a good read for anyone. It is marketed to help those in business for themselves or looking to open a business, but I really think a lot of the discussion is applicable to any career. As the Author learned so much from others in becoming a success in his life; his readers will no doubt come away with some valuable knowledge after reading this book.
***
View Big Things Have Small Beginnings on Bookshelves
