Every Mistake in the Book: A Business How-NOT-To

By F.J. Lennon

"Every Mistake in the Book" collects more than 100 of the best lessons businessman Lennon learned from his mistakes, pulling them together in a pithy, witty, and universally useful format. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060393939
• ISBN13: 9780060393939
• Release Date: June 2001
• Publisher: Harper Business
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 0.62 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.0" x 0.8" x 6.0"

Customer Reviews

Great Advice from the Front Lines

After reading this book I thought Lennon was a very cynical SOB. He talks about never trusting people, people backstabbing him, etc. The book is separated into business basics, another section on money concerns, how to manage people and things, comments from the front lines and some personal advice on drinking, dressing, etc. Getting about ½ way through I thought the book was fun to read but I thought he was so cynical. Then, I got laid off and I realized two of the mistakes he made I just experienced first hand! TOO FUNNY (not really.) After recently finishing the book and chatting with my father about this book (he is a president of a $20 billion company (rev.)) he said most people should read the book. Business is ugly as my father puts it. People claw and scratch their way to the top, backstab people and very rarely put the organization first in the long-term. As my father put it, 90% of the people will backstab you in a heartbeat to get ahead. My final conclusion. A definite read for anyone getting ready to graduate as I thought a lot of comments were very appropriate and many I thought weren't I have found out were on the money.

Can You Learn from the Mistakes of Others?

Before reviewing this book, you should know that it contains many coarse words, vulgar stories, and references to immoral behavior. All of these are cautionary examples, but if such candor negatively affects you, you may prefer another book.I asked the question in the headline, because this book is primarily of value to those who can hear a story and amend their own behavior to avoid the mistakes presented in the story. Since most humans seem to have to do it the hard way, this book can also be appealing as a source of humorous stories about working in start-ups and established business organizations. Although this book will be most attractive to young people planning to start up a new business, it will also be very valuable to anyone starting a business career without much knowledge about what happens in and to companies. Mr. Lennon claims to either have made every mistake in this book, or to have observed someone else who did. Having been there, and done that gives the book an authenticity that makes its lessons more powerful than if they had merely been assembled from the business pages of newspapers and magazines. One of the CEOs I admire most once told me that he learns much more from hearing about the mistakes that others make than from the heroic sagas of success. I suspect that many people feel this way. Mr. Lennon started up a small computer game company from his college dorm room. Constantly underfunded and often distracted by problems, the company limped along for many years through different owners and technologies. Along the way, the author met many people who he describes as snakes, who took advantage of him. So . . . many expensive lessons ensued. His final advice in the epilogue is to "Be cool, work hard, play nice, use your noggin, exercise common sense, don't burn bridges, and don't be a snake." In the first chapter on Basics, he encourages you to provide useful products and services, act with integrity, have good quality, be honest, and be respectful of others. He also wants you to know its very hard to start-up businesses, and the odds are against you.In the second chapter on Money Matters, he tells you to get more than enough money, to have a business plan attractive enough to attract venture capitalists (or you are kidding yourself about your chances), follow the law in raising money (or he has great checklist of what to take with you to the penitentiary), keep your own savings secure outside of the venture, pay your employees first, and be honest with creditors.In the third chapter on How to Manage Managing, there is a delightful test of your management style that will tell you whether you are too directive or not directive enough. You also get advice to set a good example in all things, watch the booze (the stories here are pretty wild), get your hands dirty, be truthful, let people do their jobs, set expectations, and plan how to get and keep super people.In the fourth chapter on In the Trenches, you will l

AWESOME BOOK

I just loved this book. The author is funny and SMART. The guy really knows what he's talking about. This is not only a must read for business, but for LIFE. THIS BOOK NEEDS TO BE ON YOUR BOOKSHELF!!!

An excellent book

Every Mistake in the Book is a "How to Win Friends and Influence People" for the new generation. Like a modern day Dale Carnegie, FJ Lennon mines common sense advice and uncommon wisdom from his own experiences in the business world. These practical and often humorous lessons apply not only to business, but to every walk of life. An extremely enjoyable and informative reading experience.

Great resource for new managers and would-be entrepreneurs

I highly recommend this book to anyone who runs their own business, is thinking of starting one, or who is about to move into a management position. Lennon's observations are straight to the point, and the book's awfully funny as well. This book seems extremely timely given the dot com, telecom and general high tech shakeout. Lennon was running a high-tech startup before it was fashionable. Perhaps if this book had been released a few years ago we might have been spared some of the speculative excesses of the last couple years. In any event, this book is a valuable read for anyone in business. And, as I mentioned above, the book's enjoyable as well as insightful. You get the feeling that Lennon is someone you'd like to have a beer with as well as work with.