Kevin O’Leary’s book, while an autobiography, is mostly about making money. He shares his own business experiences and expertise with regards to running a successful business and accumulating wealth. His expertise encompasses both management and investment. O’Leary’s main claim is that capitalism creates freedom. He believes that the more wealth one accumulates the more freedom and independence one will have. As a result of having money, one is presented with more choices and opportunities. O’Leary has made massive amounts of money throughout his business career in various ventures. His views are considered by some to be extremely capitalistic (a label he does not run from, but embraces to a point). He can come off as arrogant however he is the first to point out his own weaknesses and has no qualms about partnering with or hiring people who excel in the areas that he does not. One of his main contentions is that you cannot be successful in business without being able to identify your own weaknesses and being able to partner with people who complement and compensate for these weaknesses. This ultimately makes you able to act and react confidently and quickly in an ever changing and fast paced business environment. Another of his contentions is that emotion has no place in business. He asserts that business decisions must be made based on facts and numbers as these two things do not lie. Decisions based on emotions will sink a company. Another big contention is that money trumps all in business. A business must be loyal to its shareholders and to do that, it has to make as much money as it possibly can. People invest in a company expecting returns and to meet expectations, a company has to exceed them. The book is full of firsthand knowledge of one of the most successful venture capitalists in the world. As such, the value of its contents as it pertains to business and money should be regarded as a well-tested recipe for success. If the purpose of a non-fiction book is to explain, inform, or persuade, then Kevin O’Leary gets full marks. His passion for the subject is very obvious and his confidence is evident to the reader. As an autobiography however, it is not as strong. The book focuses so much on the business side of his life that you hear very little about the family side of his life in adulthood. If the purpose of an autobiography is to inform the reader about one’s life, this book accomplishes two thirds of its goal. Overall, this book as a learning tool for aspiring entrepreneurs and businessmen is a must read. If you anticipate anecdotes about O’Leary’s life then this book is not for you. But if you are interested in things entrepreneurial and practical that actually matter in the grand scheme of things (i.e. how to make money or run a business) then this book is one of the best out there.
In short, The Cold Hard Truth is about how you can increase your financial success by using the practices and ideas that have been refined and perfected throughout Kevin O’Leary’s life. It aims to show the reader that by implementing the strategies used by Kevin, it will not only benefit your finances, but also your relationships with others. The book used an autobiographical structure to demonstrate how Kevin’s ideas have positively influenced his life. The thesis of this book is how exponential growth of wealth and happiness can be sustained by employing O’Leary’s financial strategies. Although it primarily focuses on how to handle capital, there are also anecdotes throughout, that relate the concepts of investing to life and success. The life experiences in the book show how the author implemented his strategies of investing to problems with both his personal and professional life. However, there is naturally a small amount of bias within the book, regarding the reasons as to why past relationships have failed and the authors’ opinion of those who he didn’t get along with. Regardless of the slander, the bias doesn’t distort any of the main ideas. A common topic in each chapter is how to maintain strong relationships with those around you. Whether you’re an employee, CEO or partner of a business, the book gives very good advice on how to flourish in the role you have been given. Regardless of your status in the company, it is consistently restated that the relationships built with others will benefit you if you treat them with respect, similar to how currency should also be treated. Another correlation that is consistent throughout the book is how wealth should be treated like a human being and, if done properly, one’s wealth will increase. If money is treated with respect, not used frivolously and left untouched, it will grow and the benefits will be endless to those who follow these guidelines. The final assertion commonly found throughout The Cold Hard Truth is the idea that perseverance is the root of success. All of the lessons in the book are useless and won`t produce success if the applicant does not possess the drive to achieve. This is made clear through examples in the author’s own life. Mistakes and difficult times are imminent, but with perseverance one can overcome these obstacles. The major strength of the book is the incorporation of the authors life experiences into the lessons taught. By adding personal pictures and stories it helps the reader to relate on a personal level, making the book an interesting read and an affective medium for learning. On a personal note, this is the best book I have ever read and personal relations through stories and pictures made it captivating, even for those who tend to be uninterested in literature. Furthermore, I think that the effectiveness of the book places it in the upper echelon in business literature. The ideas presented are very effective and applicable to those interested in the finance. Not only is it a very informative read, but it also has the ability to spark interest in the reader without compromising the lessons within, which is a feat that is at times difficult to achieve in books relating to this topic.
Kevin O’Leary’s book, while an autobiography, is mostly about making money. He shares his own business experiences and expertise with regards to running a successful business and accumulating wealth. His expertise encompasses both management and investment.
ReplyDeleteO’Leary’s main claim is that capitalism creates freedom. He believes that the more wealth one accumulates the more freedom and independence one will have. As a result of having money, one is presented with more choices and opportunities.
O’Leary has made massive amounts of money throughout his business career in various ventures. His views are considered by some to be extremely capitalistic (a label he does not run from, but embraces to a point). He can come off as arrogant however he is the first to point out his own weaknesses and has no qualms about partnering with or hiring people who excel in the areas that he does not. One of his main contentions is that you cannot be successful in business without being able to identify your own weaknesses and being able to partner with people who complement and compensate for these weaknesses. This ultimately makes you able to act and react confidently and quickly in an ever changing and fast paced business environment. Another of his contentions is that emotion has no place in business. He asserts that business decisions must be made based on facts and numbers as these two things do not lie. Decisions based on emotions will sink a company. Another big contention is that money trumps all in business. A business must be loyal to its shareholders and to do that, it has to make as much money as it possibly can. People invest in a company expecting returns and to meet expectations, a company has to exceed them.
The book is full of firsthand knowledge of one of the most successful venture capitalists in the world. As such, the value of its contents as it pertains to business and money should be regarded as a well-tested recipe for success. If the purpose of a non-fiction book is to explain, inform, or persuade, then Kevin O’Leary gets full marks. His passion for the subject is very obvious and his confidence is evident to the reader. As an autobiography however, it is not as strong.
The book focuses so much on the business side of his life that you hear very little about the family side of his life in adulthood. If the purpose of an autobiography is to inform the reader about one’s life, this book accomplishes two thirds of its goal.
Overall, this book as a learning tool for aspiring entrepreneurs and businessmen is a must read. If you anticipate anecdotes about O’Leary’s life then this book is not for you. But if you are interested in things entrepreneurial and practical that actually matter in the grand scheme of things (i.e. how to make money or run a business) then this book is one of the best out there.
In short, The Cold Hard Truth is about how you can increase your financial success by using the practices and ideas that have been refined and perfected throughout Kevin O’Leary’s life. It aims to show the reader that by implementing the strategies used by Kevin, it will not only benefit your finances, but also your relationships with others. The book used an autobiographical structure to demonstrate how Kevin’s ideas have positively influenced his life. The thesis of this book is how exponential growth of wealth and happiness can be sustained by employing O’Leary’s financial strategies. Although it primarily focuses on how to handle capital, there are also anecdotes throughout, that relate the concepts of investing to life and success.
ReplyDeleteThe life experiences in the book show how the author implemented his strategies of investing to problems with both his personal and professional life. However, there is naturally a small amount of bias within the book, regarding the reasons as to why past relationships have failed and the authors’ opinion of those who he didn’t get along with. Regardless of the slander, the bias doesn’t distort any of the main ideas. A common topic in each chapter is how to maintain strong relationships with those around you. Whether you’re an employee, CEO or partner of a business, the book gives very good advice on how to flourish in the role you have been given. Regardless of your status in the company, it is consistently restated that the relationships built with others will benefit you if you treat them with respect, similar to how currency should also be treated. Another correlation that is consistent throughout the book is how wealth should be treated like a human being and, if done properly, one’s wealth will increase. If money is treated with respect, not used frivolously and left untouched, it will grow and the benefits will be endless to those who follow these guidelines.
The final assertion commonly found throughout The Cold Hard Truth is the idea that perseverance is the root of success. All of the lessons in the book are useless and won`t produce success if the applicant does not possess the drive to achieve. This is made clear through examples in the author’s own life. Mistakes and difficult times are imminent, but with perseverance one can overcome these obstacles.
The major strength of the book is the incorporation of the authors life experiences into the lessons taught. By adding personal pictures and stories it helps the reader to relate on a personal level, making the book an interesting read and an affective medium for learning. On a personal note, this is the best book I have ever read and personal relations through stories and pictures made it captivating, even for those who tend to be uninterested in literature. Furthermore, I think that the effectiveness of the book places it in the upper echelon in business literature. The ideas presented are very effective and applicable to those interested in the finance. Not only is it a very informative read, but it also has the ability to spark interest in the reader without compromising the lessons within, which is a feat that is at times difficult to achieve in books relating to this topic.