Review by LUCIAL -- Underdog Thinking by Atul Vir
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- Latest Review: Underdog Thinking by Atul Vir
Review by LUCIAL -- Underdog Thinking by Atul Vir
[Following is a volunteer review of "Underdog Thinking" by Atul Vir.]
Underdog thinking , by Atul Vir is the inspiring autobiography of an immigrant to the U.S.A., centered on more than twenty years of entrepreneurial expertise in the laundry business, an industry dominated by major multinational corporations. Despite the obstacles he had to face, Atul Vir shows us the perseverance he needed to succeed in another country, keeping his positive attitude, and never forgetting his school’s motto of “Never Give In”. Even when failure seemed inevitable, he maintained his work ethic and the customer committed attitude that he learned when he was young, which were helpful when he succeeded in bringing his business back to life.
He had a humble beginning as an Indian native and followed a good job that took him to Africa. During his first working years he was admired for his knowledge, yet things changed quite fast, and after the company failure Vir took his business from Africa to England, and then to America. There he started his import/export business: he sold the combo washer-dryer laundry machine because he wanted to help his wife with the laundry, and because he realized it was not available in the market. Ten years later, his company Equator had become a strong contender in the American home appliance industry.
Travelling through continents and cultures, the author takes the reader on an adventure through the many difficulties and joys of an entrepreneurial voyage and he shows the importance of perseverance and honesty. From reaching a very good level of success to facing personal betrayals, Atul Vir analyses many aspects of business: global business, overcoming fear and failure, and innovation. He describes the real risk of financial distress and depression that accompany a loss in business. He teaches also a lot about entrepreneurship, leadership, and ethics.
This book is a guidebook on ‘lessons learned’ and it is suitable for entrepreneurs who run a company and who give priority to their customer’s needs, and for innovators who are looking for ways to turn ideas into reality. It is written in a friendly and personal style; the sections are divided into different events and every chapter has inspirational quotes and advice. I enjoyed the story-telling style and the 101 lessons learned while reading it, and I loved the quotes at the beginning of every chapter. I am not gifted with an entrepreneurial spirit, yet the ideas suggested by Mr. Vir are useful for many aspects of life.
I admired his determination to put forward his business values such as team-work and cultural knowledge, and the advice to “listen to those closest to the action”. The part I liked most about the book are his reflections on different cultures while travelling around the world. I enjoyed the first half of the book, but I found the last part very slow: the inclusion of charts for clarification were useful but made me lose interest in the story. For this reason, I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars.
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Underdog Thinking
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes | on Smashwords
Underdog thinking , by Atul Vir is the inspiring autobiography of an immigrant to the U.S.A., centered on more than twenty years of entrepreneurial expertise in the laundry business, an industry dominated by major multinational corporations. Despite the obstacles he had to face, Atul Vir shows us the perseverance he needed to succeed in another country, keeping his positive attitude, and never forgetting his school’s motto of “Never Give In”. Even when failure seemed inevitable, he maintained his work ethic and the customer committed attitude that he learned when he was young, which were helpful when he succeeded in bringing his business back to life.
He had a humble beginning as an Indian native and followed a good job that took him to Africa. During his first working years he was admired for his knowledge, yet things changed quite fast, and after the company failure Vir took his business from Africa to England, and then to America. There he started his import/export business: he sold the combo washer-dryer laundry machine because he wanted to help his wife with the laundry, and because he realized it was not available in the market. Ten years later, his company Equator had become a strong contender in the American home appliance industry.
Travelling through continents and cultures, the author takes the reader on an adventure through the many difficulties and joys of an entrepreneurial voyage and he shows the importance of perseverance and honesty. From reaching a very good level of success to facing personal betrayals, Atul Vir analyses many aspects of business: global business, overcoming fear and failure, and innovation. He describes the real risk of financial distress and depression that accompany a loss in business. He teaches also a lot about entrepreneurship, leadership, and ethics.
This book is a guidebook on ‘lessons learned’ and it is suitable for entrepreneurs who run a company and who give priority to their customer’s needs, and for innovators who are looking for ways to turn ideas into reality. It is written in a friendly and personal style; the sections are divided into different events and every chapter has inspirational quotes and advice. I enjoyed the story-telling style and the 101 lessons learned while reading it, and I loved the quotes at the beginning of every chapter. I am not gifted with an entrepreneurial spirit, yet the ideas suggested by Mr. Vir are useful for many aspects of life.
I admired his determination to put forward his business values such as team-work and cultural knowledge, and the advice to “listen to those closest to the action”. The part I liked most about the book are his reflections on different cultures while travelling around the world. I enjoyed the first half of the book, but I found the last part very slow: the inclusion of charts for clarification were useful but made me lose interest in the story. For this reason, I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars.
******
Underdog Thinking
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes | on Smashwords
Latest Review: Underdog Thinking by Atul Vir
