Sunday, May 20, 2012

The Art Of Being Unreasonable: Lessons In Unconventional Thinking By Eli Broad

The Art of Being Unreasonable: Lessons in Unconventional Thinking

The Art Of Being Unreasonable: Lessons In Unconventional Thinking By Eli Broad

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Product Description

Unorthodox success principles from a billionaire entrepreneur and philanthropist

Eli Broad's embrace of "unreasonable thinking" has helped him build two Fortune 500 companies, amass personal billions, and use his wealth to create a new approach to philanthropy. He has helped to fund scientific research institutes, K-12 education reform, and some of the world's greatest contemporary art museums. By contrast, "reasonable" people come up with all the reasons something new and different can't be done, because, after all, no one else has done it that way. This book shares the "unreasonable" principles—from negotiating to risk-taking, from investing to hiring—that have made Eli Broad such a success.

  • Broad helped to create the Frank Gehry-designed Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Broad Contemporary Art Museum at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and The Broad, a new museum being built in downtown Los Angeles
  • His investing approach to philanthropy has led to the creation of scientific and medical research centers in the fields of genomic medicine and stem cell research
  • At his alma mater, Michigan State University, he endowed a full-time M.B.A. program, and he and his wife have funded a new contemporary art museum on campus to serve the broader region
  • Eli Broad is the founder of two Fortune 500 companies: KB Home and SunAmerica

If you're stuck doing what reasonable people do—and not getting anywhere—let Eli Broad show you how to be unreasonable, and see how far your next endeavor can go.

Product Details
  • Amazon Sales Rank: #290 in Books
  • Published on: 2012-05-08
  • Original language: English
  • Number of items: 1
  • Dimensions: .0" h x .0" w x .0" l, .0 pounds
  • Binding: Hardcover
  • 192 pages
Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world. The unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends upon the unreasonable man."
George Bernard Shaw

"Reasonable" people come up with all the reasons something new and different can't be done, because, after all, no one else has done it that way. Eli Broad's embrace of "unreasonable thinking" has helped him build two Fortune 500 companies, amass personal billions, and use his wealth to create a new approach to philanthropy. He has funded scientific research institutes, K–12 education reform, and some of the world's greatest contemporary art museums.

The Art of Being Unreasonable shares the unreasonable principles—from negotiating to risk-taking, from investing to hiring—that have made Eli Broad a success. From understanding "the value of being second" to embracing the thrill of taking a risk, Broad shares the insights and practices that have propelled him to the top. The book explains how to ask unreasonable questions, pursue the untried, relentlessly revise expectations upward, be restless, and most important, seek out the best in everything—the best values, the best investments, the best people—and the best in yourself.

If you're stuck doing what reasonable people do—and not getting anywhere—it's time to get unreasonable, and see how far your next endeavor can go.

From the Back Cover

Praise For The Art of Being Unable

"In The Art of Being Unreasonable, my friend Eli Broad lets us in on his secrets to success in business, philanthropy, and life—and he asks the right questions, looks for the right answers, and never stops working until he gets results. At a time when our country needs to focus on what works, Eli's book is a blueprint for effective public citizenship."
President William Jefferson Clinton

"Reading Eli Broad's The Art of Being Unreasonable may not turn you into a billionaire philanthropist, but it will surely make you stop and think about the thousands of hours you waste stopping and thinking, when you could be out there doing. Eli is the exemplar of how to succeed in business and in life by really trying and only taking yes for an answer."
Morley Safer, Correspondent, 60 Minutes

"As a creator of successful companies, Eli Broad has few equals, and The Art of Being Unreasonable clearly shows why. It's also a book that powerfully makes the case that wealth finds its ultimate purpose in public service."
Bill Gates, Co-Chair, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Chairman, Microsoft Corporation

"The art of being effectively unreasonable has propelled Eli Broad to the pinnacle in four careers. But he also is completely delightful, as is this book. It will teach you how to become a success by merrily bending reality."
Walter Isaacson, author, Steve Jobs, and CEO, Aspen Institute

"Eli Broad is the only entrepreneur ever to create two Fortune 500 companies in different industries, and in this movingly personal and wonderfully plain-spoken book, he not only describes how he did it, but also the lessons anyone can take from his career. It's a story rich in engaging anecdotes and human detail."
Maria Bartiromo, Anchor, CNBC's Closing Bell and The Wall Street Journal Report

"Eli Broad is a man of great accomplishments in many fields. Few will read his book without a twinge of envy; almost all will learn a lot. And what you learn will be useful in your career and your life."
Donald E. Graham, Chairman, The Washington Post Company

About the Author

Eli Broad is an entrepreneur, philanthropist, and the founder of two Fortune 500 companies, KB Home and SunAmerica. He is an internationally known art collector and museum patron and has been profiled on 60 Minutes, in Vanity Fair, and in the New York Times for his role in the creation of Los Angeles cultural institutions, including the Frank Gehry–designed Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Broad Contemporary Art Museum at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and The Broad, a new contemporary art museum he and his wife Edythe are building in the heart of downtown Los Angeles. He and his wife have been the driving force behind a genomic medicine research powerhouse—the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT—and three stem cell research centers in California. He is a life trustee on the boards of MOCA, LACMA, and the Museum of Modern Art in New York and is regent emeritus of the Smithsonian Institution.

Customer Reviews

Most helpful customer reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful.
5An Interesting Business Autobiography
By Mark Sanborn
I'm not always fond of business biographies or autobiographies as they often focus more on "what I've done" than "what I've learned." While this books in not a tactical primer, it does provide insights into a very colorful and successful entrepreneur. It focuses more on the what and the why than the how, but I enjoyed it for the perspective it provided, especially in terms of philanthropy. Learning how successful people think is as helpful as learning what they think and that is the strong suit of this book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful.
3Very pleasant
By Lisa
This book is so pleasant. Surprising from one who terms himself unreasonable.

Perhaps it's just my recent mindset but after reading two books (this one included) by business successes that were glossed over and lacked much real depth I'm done with the genre before reading a lot of reviews beforehand. Contrast many of these books with Jack Welch's Winning, in which we learn amazing insight into business, and these other books lack substance.

On the positive, Broad sprinkles in a few facts about his life, which one might guess is very interesting. The book is easy to read, uses simple language and is well organized. He gets the third star for the wonderful way he speaks about his wife (I was genuinely touched).

On the negative, there just isn't a lot of here here. Do you need to be told to take risk if you want to be a big success? To set high standards and work long hours? Broad claims to be "unreasonable" but doesn't really define the term in his own context or why it lead to his success (or perhaps he just means high standards, long hours, etc = unreasonable = success). For example, he mentions that Frank Gehry was designing his own personal residence, that didn't work out and then Broad had to cooperate with him in the building of Walt Disney Hall (Gehry designed it). There must be a very interesting story in that clash - you won't find it in here.

I actually wish I hadn't paid for this book but, again to be fair, it's a very quick, light easy read so not a big commitment. I just wish I'd learned something valuable. But to be fair, my expectations of what I was getting tainted my reading experience (it wasn't the book I thought it would be) so hopefully this review will clarify the contents for those interested.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful.
5Unreasonably informative on business, art and life.
By Lighthouse Keeper
Although I am retired from corporate America and now enjoy the nonprofit sector I can't seem to grow out of my love for business books. This is a terrific one and like the good ones Broad's advice applies to business, art and life in general. The provocative title may lead the reader to think that it is another rant by yet another billionaire with a puffed-up chest, but it is compact, surprisingly subdued, sometimes self-deprecating and shines the spotlight on his team over the years--especially his wife, Edythe. I highly recommend it for anyone with an entrepreneurial dream, a tough management job or a thirst for learning about an amazing success story.

http://astore.amazon.com/amazon-book-books-20/detail/111817321X

 
 

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