Ratings77
Average rating4
I guess I was expecting less of an autobiography and more advice on running a business. Tony Hsieh seems to have stumbled his way into success, which I HIGHLY doubt is the case, but from his story, it really seems like it was all dumb luck. Many of the chapters ran on for too long and felt repetitive. An editor could have told him this, but within the first few moments of the audiobook, he admits the manuscript he is reading from is unedited. It needed some editing. He glazes over the work that went into his business and only focused on the ending success or fails. I thought there were some good bits and his story was entertaining at parts but if you're looking for a book that will help you in your career or business - this isn't it. If you're looking for an autobiography about a successful entrepreneur, this one is a few chapters too long.
All right, so, the first half of this book was... not the most interesting. I was definitely going for a 2 or 3 star review until things took a turn for the better. I'd say if you want to read this book, know that the first half is biographic and the last half is actually about culture and happiness and all the different thoughts that Zappos brings to mind (other than shoes, of course). I ended up deciding that it was worth 4 stars, but if I went back I would probably skip most of the first few chapters.
The beginnings of Tony Hsieh was not that intriguing for me but the background of Zappos was very informative. Well worth a read for anyone in the customer service market.
I've really enjoyed reading Tony talk about his business endeavors. It's interesting to get some insights into how to create a strong thriving business that people love to work for.