Body and Soul

by Anita Roddick

Book Overview

Controversial businesswoman and environmentalist Roddick, creator of The Body Shop (located in England, America, and 36 other countries), tells her amazing success story and explains her philosophy of... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0517585421
• ISBN13: 9780517585429
• Release Date: September 1991
• Publisher: Crown Publishing Group (NY)
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 1.58 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 6.4" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

Excellent book to read! Excellent ideals for business!

Anita Roddick is truly an amazing woman. This book is like a mini-biography about Anita Roddick and the creation of the Body Shop. This is a great book for people who believe in social responsibility and have concern for the well being of people and the earth. It is rare that one will ever read about a busineess woman that will use her business not just for power and profit but as a vehicle to social awareness. I bought this book for a management class and it is a great reference book for non-traditional management. Roddick truly draws humanity and spirit back into the white collar world.

No BS

This is very unconventional business book. This is a story about Anita Roddick and her leadership role at cosmetic company called The Body Shop. Anita Roddick exposes the common myths about management. She illustrates perfectly that to be successful we need the only tool - a vision. When her first The Body Shop opened in 1976 in Littlehampton, England, this hippie woman borrowed money for a beginning of her business. She wants her stores to be clean, exciting, and the people who work there to be passionate about their work. And now she do not like to hire anybody from Harvard Business School, but her The Body Shop today is comparable with Revlon or Este Lauder, her unachievable rivals.

Inspiring story of a vionary woman talking common sense

I loved it. Anita Roddick exposes the myths about mangement. She illustrates pefectly that to be successful we need a vision. Her vision was simple. Employ people who care, employ people who are proud, employ people who will question, employ people who will rattle the cage from within. She perfectly illustrates, in her story about borrowing money, how fickle the typical bank manager was in the 1970's - how we would like to think things have changed. She is also a realist - she pulls no punches she says.... "Im in this for me!" - yes sure she has an ego to satisfy .... dont we all? - her great quality is that she admits it. Most people do not have the honesty to say it.I just love how she roots her beleifs about business success in common sense ...... like welcoming new ideas and original thought, trusting your staff and listening to your customers - and then change things.She also has values that are explicit and wants people who work with her to! also work from a values base Thank you Anita for a wonderful read - here's to the next edition!!

Profit DOES go with true liberal business ideals.

Interesting to note how few reviews there are of this book. The Body Shop does not kiss the ring of greed and avarice, but shows how holding true liberal priciples of social justice, economic growth through trade, local effort, AND profit go together. Given the lack of female role models in the business world, I would have Body and Soul as a part of any business curriculum. In fact, I am going to do that in my own company's internal training work.

A unique approach to business/A good book!

This is the noteworthy story about Anita Roddick and her founding, and leadership role at The Body Shop. More than any single point, she stresses the importance of PASSION (in what you do) with religious zeal. You'll enjoy reading about the life of this fascinating entrepreneur, and the loyal and dedicated people that helped elevate The Body Shop into the international success that it is today. This is not a conventional business book. Just thumbing through, you'll notice page-after-page of illustrations, photographs and an inspiring and unique way of looking at the world--both in a business sense and a humanitarian sense. I was so inspired after reading this story, that I felt compelled to visit The Body Shop nearest my home. Anita Roddick isn't afraid to tell you how she feels. I wish I could've been there when she delivered her speech to an audience of advertising executives and their clients on, "Why I would never use an advertising agency." Funniest Line in the Book: "I'll never hire anybody from Harvard Business School." You've got to read the book to appreciate it. She wants her stores to be clean, exciting, and the people who work there to be passionate about their work. This book should be recommended reading for WAL-MART executives, and there employees. Actually, it's a good book for anyone interested in business, the environment or serving as a didactic for what women can achieve in this world. I plan on encouraging my daughter to read it when she grows up. Good work Anita!