Review of When Business Is Love
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Review of When Business Is Love
[Following is a volunteer review of "When Business Is Love" by Jan Ryde.]
When Business is Love opens with the author’s declaration of unconditional love for the reader—not your typical way to start a business book! Right off the bat, the narrative rejects conformity and embraces authenticity. This remains a common theme throughout the book.
Jan Ryde, fifth-generation CEO of Hästens, takes us through the history, values and philosophy of the premium bed-making company. It is a journey that goes all the way back to the saddlery business operated by their grandfather’s grandfather. The book is bursting with insights into the enterprise’s core values of love, abundance, and gratitude. I enjoyed the deeply personal nature of the storytelling. Ample spotlight is given to the ups and downs of the company and the author’s mental state. The way the author’s personal experiences informed their philosophy and leadership principles is also impactfully conveyed.
Here, I note that I did not find a single typo or unintentional error throughout the book. This is a great accomplishment and demonstrates impressive professionalism in proofreading.
My favourite part of this book is its unapologetic nature. The author asserts their spiritual values and philosophy clearly across multiple chapters, with some sections fully devoted to the importance of spirituality in business. Using their own employees in anecdotes is an interesting choice that pays off. There are also some shocking reveals about the details of their business which interested me greatly. Entrepreneurs will find value in Hästens’ unconventional practices within servant leadership, budgeting, and employee hiring and training processes.
Unfortunately, while the spiritual angle is unique, it meanders at times. It can be jarring for some readers to be introduced to many highly spiritual ideas one after the other. Furthermore, ideas are repeated constantly without contributing to the flow of the narrative. More editing and better structuring would help tighten the book. I would also prefer if the anecdotes and statistics were allowed to breathe instead of being immediately explained. This causes the tone to get preachy at times. It would be much more impactful if the reader were allowed to draw their own conclusions. For these reasons, I give this book a rating of 4 out of 5.
Overall, this is as much a book about love, spirituality and philosophy as it is about the Hästens enterprise. These inseparable factors result in a satisfyingly refreshing and thought-provoking read.
******
When Business Is Love
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
When Business is Love opens with the author’s declaration of unconditional love for the reader—not your typical way to start a business book! Right off the bat, the narrative rejects conformity and embraces authenticity. This remains a common theme throughout the book.
Jan Ryde, fifth-generation CEO of Hästens, takes us through the history, values and philosophy of the premium bed-making company. It is a journey that goes all the way back to the saddlery business operated by their grandfather’s grandfather. The book is bursting with insights into the enterprise’s core values of love, abundance, and gratitude. I enjoyed the deeply personal nature of the storytelling. Ample spotlight is given to the ups and downs of the company and the author’s mental state. The way the author’s personal experiences informed their philosophy and leadership principles is also impactfully conveyed.
Here, I note that I did not find a single typo or unintentional error throughout the book. This is a great accomplishment and demonstrates impressive professionalism in proofreading.
My favourite part of this book is its unapologetic nature. The author asserts their spiritual values and philosophy clearly across multiple chapters, with some sections fully devoted to the importance of spirituality in business. Using their own employees in anecdotes is an interesting choice that pays off. There are also some shocking reveals about the details of their business which interested me greatly. Entrepreneurs will find value in Hästens’ unconventional practices within servant leadership, budgeting, and employee hiring and training processes.
Unfortunately, while the spiritual angle is unique, it meanders at times. It can be jarring for some readers to be introduced to many highly spiritual ideas one after the other. Furthermore, ideas are repeated constantly without contributing to the flow of the narrative. More editing and better structuring would help tighten the book. I would also prefer if the anecdotes and statistics were allowed to breathe instead of being immediately explained. This causes the tone to get preachy at times. It would be much more impactful if the reader were allowed to draw their own conclusions. For these reasons, I give this book a rating of 4 out of 5.
Overall, this is as much a book about love, spirituality and philosophy as it is about the Hästens enterprise. These inseparable factors result in a satisfyingly refreshing and thought-provoking read.
******
When Business Is Love
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: When Business Is Love by Jan Ryde
