This book is part of the NelsonFree program where you can get the physical book, the ebook (pdf, kindle or mobi), and audiobook all included in the price of buying the physical book. I will review the NelsonFree program in another post.

In my opinion, the best way to consume this book is the audio version. It’s much more enjoyable to hear this than it is to read it and I’m usually the person who will prefer to read the book. In the written text, I do like that each chapter is summarized at the end.

The book itself is summarized quite nicely in the first chapter so I quote:

- The importance of cutting to the chase.
- The value of having a good crew and consiglier
- What you can learn from reading wiseguys like Machiavelli or Solomon
- Why loose lips sink ships (and threaten business)
- How to handle yourself in a “sit-down”
- How gambling can trip up your business (and your employees if you’ve got them)
- What to learn from your failures
- The danger to yourself and your business of bending the rules.
- How to think of real success.

The more unique points of this book:
- Discussion of choosing to run your business from the point of view of Machiavelli where the end justifies the means vs. Solomon where honesty, integrity and hard work are the cornerstones of a successful business model.
- Implement the “sit-down” instead of the average American meeting. Come prepared, listen, learn, don’t let your ego rule and make the meeting about being productive, resolving matters and getting things accomplished.
- How gambling can affect your business and it could be your employees gambling problem and not your own that’s the problem. Gambling can distract people from their work (online poker for example) to entice someone to embezzle money.
- The danger to yourself and your business of bending the rules – don’t think you won’t get caught if you’re doing something illegal.

Much of the information can be found in other business books said different ways. This may actually be a perk for some people though since sometimes something said a different way will sink in or make a connection and make sense. All in all, there is some good information in this book but it’s not one of my top picks.

Three out of five stars.

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