Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6250 in Books
• Published on: 2007-03-27
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 268 pages

From Publishers Weekly
What do the Anchor Stream microbrewery and underground rock star Ani DiFranco have in common? The two are among Burlingham's examples of privately held businesses that have become "giants" in their field without becoming huge corporations. (And if you don't think being a rock star is a business, consider that DiFranco's dealings with local vendors in her Buffalo neighborhood have led to the creation of more than 100 new jobs.) For the 14 small companies profiled here, success comes by getting richer, not by getting bigger. Burlingham's central conceit, that these are companies that excel in generating "mojo," may seem abstract at first, but he carefully demystifies the term by focusing on issues like community relations and customer service. The owners he interviews speak from hard-won experience about resisting the pressure to simply keep expanding or sell the company to the highest bidder and staying true to their original visions for excellence. Burlingham, an editor-at-large at Inc., closes his account with a tribute to the magazine's late founder, Bernard A. Goldhirsh, whose celebration of entrepreneurship and loose managerial style clearly provided a lasting influence. (Jan.)
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Customer Reviews

Short on details, lacking in structure
It could be made into a really great article, instead it is a long winded book.

The structure of the book should have been a series of articles, clearly that is the author's talent.

Instead he wanted to write a book and thus walked away from his best skill. It meanders and fails to make points, instead drawing things on and on.

It is great if you want to read little sections and feel inspired to go out there and find or build a great workplace, but it is difficult to sit down with this book, it is like trying to have a long, meaningful conversation with someone who has ADD.

It has great examples and lovely research, I just wish the author had more respect for his own talent and didn't ignore it trying to be good at something else. That does seem especially odd since the book is about people learning to focus on what they do best.

Incredibly useful....
I picked up this book while on vacation. Was so impressed I bought a copy for my business partner, and seven more for people who work for us. If you own/operate a small company and you need useful, actionable advice on how to build (everything from hiring to financing to succession), buy this book today!

Have a look a Amazon.com for a more accurate rating
Great book - don't let the 2/5 stars phase you. If you check out Amazon.com you will see the avg rating is 4.5/5

I highly recommend this book if you are trying to figure out whether bigger is better? And the validation that small is the new big.