Official Review: Driven by Max Barnet/Hugh Aaron

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Lu_rire
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Latest Review: Driven by Max Barnet/Hugh Aaron

Official Review: Driven by Max Barnet/Hugh Aaron

Post by Lu_rire »

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Driven" by Max Barnet/Hugh Aaron.]
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3 out of 4 stars
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Driven is an autobiography covering one man's journey from an ordinary salesman to a successful entrepreneur. It gives an in-depth look at the time invested from when he first buys in as part partner till when he sells out as majority shareholder eighteen years later and finally it reflects on his thoughts on retirement. From his problems with funding, difficulties with both employees and partners to tackling the fallout of the recession, we follow the highs and lows of his journey. His memoirs also describe his varied flirtations with infidelity and the causal or resultant problems in his marriage.

Detailed through the book are the author's lessons and discoveries about business, people and himself. He shows through his writing the changes in his emotions and mindset as he becomes increasingly successful. The discovery that most resonated with me is the statement; 'In the end, business is people.'

Of great importance to the story are the management strategies employed which reflect both the author’s style and his personality. Experiments were often carried to test out different systems. One such system was the setup of an incentive policy. Such systems have always existed, but in a revolutionary move; the profit was split 50-50 between the company. A negative policy was also put in place to counteract against drops in quality. This system of incentives was extended to apply to management and administrative staff with excellent results.

I found Driven to be intriguing but pedantic to read. The perspective the author gives us of his trials and successes made for stimulating reading. I liked the details and corroborating facts which gave a sense of reality to the book. Still, occasionally those same facts and verbose material made it difficult to keep my attention from wandering.

The editing of the book is excellent. I particularly liked the format of the telling which used a timeline of one year to another. This made for easy reading, allowing me to drop the book at the end of one year and pick it up to continue reading another year whenever I wished to. So while such material came across as pedantic, I still believe that the experience of reading the book would suffer without them.

I often wondered what the purpose of this autobiography was? Was it to inspire? There was too much reality injected into the contents causing it to fall short of this objective in my opinion. Or was it to advise? Certainly, this was more probable. Certain key events are ascribed to fortune though, making this argument somewhat doubtful. In the end, I decided it was simply to narrate a story. Perhaps this story would later inspire others, or it might provide cautionary advice, or it might open up new ways of looking at entrepreneurial problems in the minds of readers, but this book primarily tells a story.

I would recommend this book to aspiring-businessmen and entrepreneurs. Many of the lessons contained within such as accepting and taking control of failure, can be applied to every facet of life though. I found this book to be interesting but heavy reading and so I give it a rating of 3 out of 4 stars.

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bookierme
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Post by bookierme »

This sounds like a very interesting book with great details and advice to business people and entrepreneurs. It is always great to read and learn from those who have walked the road; learn from their mistakes, and hopefully don't make the same ones. Great review!
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Post by Helen_Combe »

Great review. I’ve seen loads of motivational books on how to be an entrepreneur but like you, I’m a bit confused as to the biography element. I suppose it’s one way of spending one’s retirement.
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Post by gen_g »

Thank you for the detailed review! This certainly seems like a book I reviewed recently, titled Boss Bitch, which also teaches you how to set up your own business, although this is definitely more emotional.
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Indayrowenapiquero92
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Post by Indayrowenapiquero92 »

The book teach us how to make a way become a successful and how to fight difficulty
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Post by Bianka Walter »

This sounds like an interesting book, even if it is heavy reading. I've noticed a few books recently along the same theme of how to succeed at business... It must be a trend :)
Thanks for the review.
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Post by Ashiyya Tariq »

A good book on management strategies. I think business people should read about the ambitious journey of the author, from a salesman to a successful entrepreneur. Thanks for your review.
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Post by Morgan Jones »

Great review! This sounds like a very inspirational and motivational plot. Definitely adding this book to my reading list😁
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Post by kfwilson6 »

I like the "in the end, business is people." That is so true and business owners and customer service people need to realize this. I hate being treated like I'm just another transaction. People are so lacking in compassion, empathy, and patience in the business world today.

Great review. Don't think this one is for me, especially since the word pedantic really put me off :)
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Julie Green
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Post by Julie Green »

This book reminds of a film I watched recently, The Founder, the story of the travelling salesman who turned McDonald's into a global phenomenon. Such stories are fascinating and this sounds like a good one too.
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Post by Cecilia_L »

I appreciate your in-depth review. In following your questions for the purpose of the book, I don't think it's for me.
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Post by Espie »

Thank you for your well-written review. The author's journey to success seems interesting. The hints of philandering escapades are not something I'd easily relate to, but the indirect yet still positive lessons could be relevant and helpful to others.
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Post by JR Mercier »

Sounds like a great read. I've never read as many books on success as I have these last few months on OBC but each of them carries a vital bit of info that can help many people.
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Post by Samantha Simoneau »

I think the fact that the style is pedantic and the purpose of the book is ambiguous will keep me away from this one. I enjoyed your review, though!
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Post by crediblereading2 »

This book sounds similar to one that I have just reviewed, which teaches a lot of life lessons and inspires business success. Thank you for your balanced review.
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