High on Business

I learned about Alan Newman from reading the autobiography of Jim Koch of Boston Beer Company "Quench Your Own Thirst". Newman is someone who follows the beat of his drummer and reading about his journey gives inspiration and ideas for entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs looking to do the same. His businesses such as Seventh Generation and Magic Hat beer became very successful consumer companies that met the needs of the "PLMs" the People Like Me. He shares the advice on building a business and some painful lessons on what happens when an entrepreneur loses control. Don't let the cover fool you, Newman's advice is very serious and really meant for those who are 100% committed to living and breathing entrepreneurship. He takes you through the research he did, the fundraising, the negotiation and selling, but what comes across from this unique man is also the imperative that you must decide to have some creative fun along the way.

If you're thinking about starting a business, or starting your next business, read this book and stir up your thinking. Alan Newman has been around the block more than twice and his book lets us all benefit from his varied experiences, unique perspectives and often-unconventional wisdom. He also offers candid thoughts about what business school can and can't teach you about being an entrepreneur. I learned of this book in the bibliography of another useful biz-bio, "Quench Your Own Thirst" by Jim Koch of Boston Brewing, and the recommendation was spot on.In a similar vein, also check out "The Wisdom of Doing Things Wrong" by Ron Donovan.  The Wisdom of Doing Things Wrong: Surprising Insights From an Unusual Approach

This book is just fun. You get a flavor for what the Vermont business community has been like over the last twenty five years. Along the way you get to meet some of Vermont's true characters that make doing business in Vermont so much fun. The lessons that Alan has learned are those that many entrepreneurs and business owners get to learn....some of them good and some not so much.If you're a true entrepreneur, you'll have to learn these lessons yourself. If your a private business owner you can learn through reading this book and deciding things really aren't going to be different for you. Yes, money people are only concerned with money. And, yes people starting businesses never really think about what money people want. Only one of many lessons that Alan shares with us on this fun and wild ride.Read this book, you'll enjoy it and you might even learn a thing or two.

Saw this dude on the beer ads and looked him up. He really is a remarkable entrepreneur character. I referenced many of his influences from the book and found some really cool older subsistence books that are PDFs online. The book was laid out kind of strangely, somewhat like an early Tarrantino movie, with chapters jumping around in chronology and sort of tying up in the end. Alan is 71 now and has lived the lives of 5 men, and he still is going strong. Never underestimate the baby boomers.

Working for Alan Newman changed the way that I view work and life. His book is full of funny, inspiring and many times gut-wrenching stories and lessons. He takes you on a journey through his life, not just his business ventures, and holy crap, what an awesome life he has led! I will own a business one day, and Alan's lessons will be helpful in making that happen. It only takes a couple hours or so to get through the book, yet you can easily pick it up time and time again for timeless and universal lessons and principles from which everyone can benefit.

Good book, worth to read.

Buckle your seatbelt. It's a wild ride through the highs and lows of any entrepreneur's journey, and ever more so if you're Alan Newman. In a delightful, tell-all tale of success and failure, triumph and betrayal, Newman brings home the lessons in succinct and readable fashion. What is it with these Vermont entrepreneurs, already? And now here's another one, with buddies Ben & Jerry weighing in. Seasoned pros and the newcomers alike will find much to admire in this good-humored, most human saga.

This is without a doubt a book that should be added to any business curriculum or to those that are wondering how to move forward when all seems to block their efforts to succeed. A humorous trip through life's experiences and travails with a wonderful perspective of what business is really like for those of us who are not "corporate"! A book you can not set down until the final page is devoured.Thanks Alan for telling this story! Ross