4 out of 4 stars
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Burn Zones; Playing Life's Bad Hands is a partly inspirational, partly business minded memoir about the author, Mr BusinessWeek BusinessWeek BusinessWeek BusinessWeekJorge P. Newbery. It is a beautiful book full of important lessons for anyone interested in overcoming challenges and adversaries in life especially in business and career.
Jorge Newbery, a high school dropout, could be described as an intelligent entrepreneur who had a knack for spotting good business adventures. At just seventeen, he was already a very successful businessman, owning and managing a recording studio, magazine, a music concert stage, to name a few.
This autobiography was written in a first person narrative. It is easy and enjoyable to read because the chronology of the book falls in place perfectly, each chapter prepares you for the next and I must say it was well edited too. I did not detect any spelling or grammatical error while reading the book. Also, I must add that I finished this book in record time because I found myself magnetized to its very rich content. Rather than bore us with another book listing steps and procedures on how to get things done or achieve business breakthrough, Mr. Newbery choose to be unique by using himself as the guinea pig. And it paid off!
I think it is important to note that although the central theme is about one not giving up and fighting to the end to achieve business success, it is also noteworthy that other salient messages were passed across here. Themes such racism, dealing with peer pressure (as was the case, when he was coerced into betting), police brutality on the young and often peaceful fans, the abuse of drugs as prevalent among youths who just want to " belong", among others. Overall, I enjoyed the book because it is a man's life lessons and it helps upcoming generations to do better and avoid the pits that he fell in.
What I like about this book, is the fact that Mr. Newbery developed himself to the extent that he became a "shock absorber". He had a knack for achieving things when most people (especially his superiors) did not think he could do them. And that boils down to self confidence and an eye to recognise, and seize opportunity when it presents itself. Even when he lost everything and became a debtor, he never gave up, rather, he took new initiatives and it paid off! He learnt through his many years of business that the best person to rely on to get things done, is yourself. I must also emphasize that I did not dislike any portion of this book. To me, it is truly an awesome book!
I would rate book 4 out of 4 stars because of the many practical lessons found here. I would recommend Burn Zones to everyone irrespective of your profession or career. This is due to the many life lessons and ideas carefully packaged in this awesome book. Mistakes, they say, can generation experience which leads to growth and better judgement, but rather make mistakes to learn from, why not learn from the mistakes and challenges of others like Mr. Newbery? And I promise, you will enjoy it!
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Burn Zones
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