The Go-Giver

December 31, 2007
This modern-day business parable, a quick read in the spirit of The Greatest Salesman in the World and The One Minute Manager, should do well with eager corporate-ladder climbers, who may at first be confused by its focus: on putting the other guy first-be it a colleague, competitor, customer, friend or family member. Told through the fictitious story of an ambitious young salesman named Joe, Burg and Mann communicate their points through the advice of an enigmatic (and highly likeable) mentor character known as Pindar. Rather than help Joe snag a fast sale, the consultant introduces him to series of "go-givers" who personify the "Five Laws of Stratospheric Success." Over the course of five days, a restaurateur, a CEO, a financial advisor, a real-estate broker and the mysterious "Connector" teach Joe about the laws of value, compensation, influence, authenticity and receptivity-concepts that make more immediate sense in this fictional context than they would in a formal business book. Burg (Endless Referrals: Network Your Everyday Contacts Into Sales) and Mann (You Call the Shots) write with a simple, informal style that offers a working-person's interpretation of the old adage "give, and you shall receive."

December 24, 2007
This modern-day business parable, a quick read in the spirit of The Greatest Salesman in the World and The One Minute Manager, should do well with eager corporate-ladder climbers, who may at first be confused by its focus: on putting the other guy first-be it a colleague, competitor, customer, friend or family member. Told through the fictitious story of an ambitious young salesman named Joe, Burg and Mann communicate their points through the advice of an enigmatic (and highly likeable) mentor character known as Pindar. Rather than help Joe snag a fast sale, the consultant introduces him to series of "go-givers" who personify the "Five Laws of Stratospheric Success." Over the course of five days, a restaurateur, a CEO, a financial advisor, a real-estate broker and the mysterious "Connector" teach Joe about the laws of value, compensation, influence, authenticity and receptivity-concepts that make more immediate sense in this fictional context than they would in a formal business book. Burg (Endless Referrals: Network Your Everyday Contacts Into Sales) and Mann (You Call the Shots) write with a simple, informal style that offers a working-person's interpretation of the old adage "give, and you shall receive."

Copyright 2007 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2007
The powerful business idea referenced in the title is that shifting the focus from getting to giving and putting the other person first is the key to business success and personal fulfillment. The authors inform readers of the five laws of success: the law of value (your true worth is determined by how much more you give in value than you take in payment), the law of compensation (your income is determined by how many people you serve), the law of influence (your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other people's interests first), the law of authenticity (the most valuable gift you have to offer is yourself), and the law of receptivity (the key to effective giving is to stay open to receiving). Explanations of these concepts and how to employ them are clear and to the point, and as with all successfully written business books, it will provoke thought and probably action as well.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)