1,000 dollars and an Idea-A Book Review

1,000 dollars and an Idea-A Book Review

I enjoyed reading this book quite a bit, but I can’t say it has a whole lot of “green-ness” to it, other than the subject and author realizing he needed to change his life, making those changes, and following them up with actual cash investments. I have a business background, and I’ve read a lot of business books. Some good, some bad. This book from a business standpoint certainly has merit and has useful information and tips. I love reading about past successes and what made that person successful. Using these same traits would make you successful whatever you decide to do.

The website has a snippet which gives a great summation of this book, which is one that is hard to pin down to one subject.

Sam Wyly created best-of-breed companies on the leading edge of advancements in technology, energy, retail, and investments over a career spanning 45 years. Now this fast-paced, fascinating, and candid memoir reveals the creative process, relationships, and financial strategies behind his amazing entrepreneurial success.

Here’s the story of how, after his first job in which he broke sales records at IBM, he risked $1,000 of his savings to found the first “computer utility” and became a millionaire before he was thirty, and how he succeeded in:

Waging an anti-monopoly battle against AT&T while building the first telephone company for computers

Growing the modest Bonanza Steakhouse chain to 600 restaurants

Creating software companies Sterling Software and Sterling Commerce (sold for $8 billion)

Growing a small arts-and-crafts company into more than 900 Michaels stores

Creating Green Mountain Energy, arguably the most profitable green business in America

Part autobiography and part inspirational business guide, 1,000 Dollars and an Idea is full of refreshing insights and homespun life lessons about what it takes to create, grow, and build successful companies.

The green motto I took away from reading this book was that people can change and when they change they can bring their resources to bear on a problem. That gives me hope that every person in America can change and if that’s the case the resources we all bring to the table will be quite remarkable.