Get Smarter: Life And Business Lessons

This book wasn't really a memoir, nor a biography, nor even really a business book. Instead, this was a collection of anecdotes about things to remember in business. It was large print, and far too little meat on the bones to think about. Comics to start ever chapter and a list of Mr. Schulich's favourite movies too... There are other, much better business novels to spend money on.

i read this book because i want to know something about the guy whose name my busniess school is named after, and it is on sale! if everything he talks about himself is true, then he is just lucky, not smart. his investment strategies is at odds with what is taught in his business school. And to tell me what kind of movies he likes at the end of the book, i don't give a damn!

While the book did contain some interesting tidbits and pieces of advice for young entrepreneurs, it's not quite the wealth of wisdom it purports to be.

The previous reviews have been both positive and negative, and I'm not surprised.

I will first acknowledge that Mr. Shulich has been very successful in his career, and has obviously done a lot of things right. I'm also slightly older than his target audience of 20-40 year olds.

Having said that, I found the book to be a disappointing collection of fairly light-weight points. The short chapters are quite repetitive, and read as though they were written at different points, and just pasted together. Shouldn't Mr. DeCloet, as the professional writer, be providing some editing here?

Mr. Shulich also warns against entering most forms of business, in most industries, in most geographies. The individual warnings are probably all reasonable, but in totality don't leave many options.

Finally, I (and a female colleague) found quite a sexist tone throughout the book. Here, I'm not referring to the obvious warning against big-breasted secretaries, but the references to the great "help" provided by his wife in raising their children. I somehow suspect that given the generation, and his business interests, she did a little more than help.

Overall, this content might have been enough for a speech similar to the infamous "Wear Sunscreen" commencement address (see below), but not enough for a full business book.

Wear Sunscreen: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-970601sunscreen,0,4664776.column