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10 reviews for:
Running with Purpose: How Brooks Outpaced Goliath Competitors to Lead the Pack
James Weber, Warren Buffett
3.95 AVERAGE
10 reviews for:
Running with Purpose: How Brooks Outpaced Goliath Competitors to Lead the Pack
James Weber, Warren Buffett
3.95 AVERAGE
When I read the intro and the forward, I wasn't sure I was going to like this book, but as someone who runs in Brooks' sneakers, I enjoyed the corporate history lesson. I found the spin out from Fruit of the Loom fascinating, and the interaction with Berkshire Hathaway was very much a surprise. While I didn't much care for Weber's personal bio, it served as a good framework for how he and Brooks got to where they were as of his writing. I feel like it could have been better edited. Some pieces were repeated. Overall, a pleasant surprise.
I immediately connected with Jim. His brief on his childhood helped me understand his drive and how he ended up at Brooks. As he began to go into the strategies of building Brooks into the brand I know and love, my mind raced to how I could use these tactics to make something great. I will be using his work at Brooks as a guide to building brand values, image, and a customer-centric approach.
The book's final chapters left me a little bored, and I personally did not find value in them. But I'm not a CEO or ready to rehash the pandemic.
Overall, this is a good book if you like running, business, and finding purpose in your every day. I'm really glad I picked it up!
The book's final chapters left me a little bored, and I personally did not find value in them. But I'm not a CEO or ready to rehash the pandemic.
Overall, this is a good book if you like running, business, and finding purpose in your every day. I'm really glad I picked it up!
Listened on Audible. This book was generally very boring. I liked the beginning of the book that talked about Jim’s journey to becoming CEO of Brooks Running. When the book dove into his time at Brooks, it became an absolute snooze. The book then reads like a business school reading homework assignment. There’s only so many times you want to learn about a specific strategy memo he wrote…
Lastly, this book’s second to last chapter was very political and didn’t really relate to the rest of the book. It seemed like Jim wanted to randomly add in his personal opinions on politics so added a chapter.
Overall, the structure was just bad. This book didn’t know what it wanted to be. Would not recommend unless you love CEO biographies, there are so small nuggets of wisdom to pull out.
Lastly, this book’s second to last chapter was very political and didn’t really relate to the rest of the book. It seemed like Jim wanted to randomly add in his personal opinions on politics so added a chapter.
Overall, the structure was just bad. This book didn’t know what it wanted to be. Would not recommend unless you love CEO biographies, there are so small nuggets of wisdom to pull out.
This was recommended as a marketing book, and while there was some of that in it, it had more of a memoir feel. I’m not a runner, but I still found value in hearing the story of Jim Weber’s rise to the top of Brooks.
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Good in parts. Obtuse and corporatety in others. I feel like the first half was pretty good and then it just started to become jargony and a little too full of buzz words.
Just not in the mood for it. I think I would have loved it on audio. I’ll wait until that comes to the library and try again!
Cilantro Rub On A Perfectly Cooked Filet Mignon. Yes, the title of this review is an allusion to a particular meeting covered in this book, wherein Warren Buffett once invited James Weber to enjoy a steak with him in Omaha - and yet also describes this book to a T. Part memoir and part business leadership book, this is the story of James Weber pre-Brooks, and Brooks with James Weber at its head. And when the book is in either of these modes, it is truly tremendous. And I don't just say this as a Millenial former runner (who needs to get back into that) who *loves* his Brooks Ravenna line shoes. I also note this as someone who has read and reviewed over 800 books in just the last 3 years alone across a wider range than most any other reader out there. Weber's tale is remarkable, and his business insights and leadership principles are sound - and seem like they would be great guiding principles for those starting out or even those (like myself) in mid-career. The cilantro rub comes when Weber starts diving into political issues near the end of the text - though he *is* careful to come back to his own story and Brooks' story after, in a classic sh*t sandwich layering approach. Why is there a cilantro rub on this great filet mignon? Well, like cilantro, the political discussion is going to be one you either love or you hate - there likely isn't going to be any middle ground there, and there likely won't be any convincing of those on the other side that they should change sides. So if you agree with the somewhere-left-of-center politics he describes... yay! You're one of the ones that likes this cilantro! If not... read the book anyway. There really is a lot to be learned here. Very much recommended.