Books about business are not supposed to be both educational and so rivetingly entertaining that you laugh till you cry! In this respect this book was a unique experience for me. It is one fo the most worthwhile entertaining and educational books I have read to date!
It’s a biographical story by a man who started life as ‘a kid from the streets of New York’ and chiselled an unlikely and inspiring career as a business manager who worked behind the scenes for some of the greatest stars who ever lived including Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra and John Denver.
For anyone who is interested in understanding the art of dealmaking in business this is a must read, it reveals aspects of the DNA of all the successful ‘Dealmaker business leaders’ that I have worked with.
If you like to listen to audio books, this is one I would recommend because the audio book is read by the author himself and the humorous, grounded tonality of his voice adds something really special to the experience of hearing his story.
The most I laughed was a chapter about how Weintraub discovered and then managed John Denver and in this chapter there is a story about how he managed a tricky situation with John Denver – I can’t say the details in case I ruin it but when Weintraub delivers the punchline at the end of the story I cried out loud with laughter so much that my ribs ached. Some of the deals that Weintraub faciliated are as relevant today as they were back then. This is multi-dimensional book, a highly educational and wonderfully entertaining hero’s journey, that I know will stay with me forever.