There are phonies in this world, the highest class of which are bullshit artists, and then there are people who are genuine. These people aren't always the nicest people, so it's delightful when someone is simultaneously charming and genuine. That's what you get with Richard Branson. You also get someone who is absolutely dedicated to a good time. This book is in fact dedicated to convincing the reader that creating a quality business is a really good time... the best time that could be had, in

There were a few raised eyebrows when I announced this was what I was reading next. Despite being a non-fiction hater, I have a business degree, and I manage a team. I bought this book back in the university days, read a few pages, then left it to languish on my bookshelf, always favouring the excitement of the fiction world over business facts and advice. I should have stayed there.Branson is one of the main men in business today. Virgin is one of the most diverse brands on the planet - he has

He certainly has a different way of thinking from me. Or vice versa.It is even in the way that he writes; almost but not quite perfunctory.But while it is unlikely that I will start up a typical business, there are some absolute nuggets here, especially in the last chapter: 'Epilogue:Success''Success for me is whether you have created something that you can be truly proud of.' (See my son John and his family :-)'What you are bad at actually doesn't interest people, and it certainly shouldn't int...

Good introduction to a fascinating individual. I'm intrigued by several things:1) His admiration for Nelson Mandela2) His varied interests 3) His take on calculated v. foolish risks4) His take on entrepreneurs v. managers5) His set of good practices including reading widely, reconciling with opponents, partnering with differently-skilled leaders.6) His interest in doing well by doing good.

Sometimes his braggadocio drives me fucking mad, but at the end of the day I suppose he has a lot to boast about really. This read also came at an interesting time, when I was considering giving Qantas the flick for good after repeated shitty service, and if Branson's claims about the amount of money he's diverting from his airline profits into clean energy research are true then perhaps it's about time I made the switch. From a business perspective there was definitely a lot to be learned from

While there is nothing earth shattering in these pages, there is value that can be applied to any business career. It cannot be denied that Richard Branson is a force of nature. His approach to business and life is commendable. Reading Business Stripped Bare felt as if I was sitting with him and absorbing his stories. From his beginnings as a publication start up through 2010, he covers a wide range of industries and situations. What can you learn from hearing the thoughts, processes, and proced...

Branson comes across as a mixture between a very down-to-earth guy and a complete dick. On the one hand, he’s so rich that he just doesn’t live in the same world as the rest of us. On the other hand, he’s always very aware of the people who make his empire run. It’s hard to tread the line between patronizing and considerate, but I guess that’s pretty much where he lives.As advice for entrepreneurs go, it's better than most. Yes, it's loaded with platitudes, but he doesn't hesitate to tell it lik...

This book was actually recommended to me by my boss while I was interning a few years ago. Richard Branson does an incredible job detailing his own life as an entrepreneur and how he was able to make his vision a reality. One of my favorite quotes is his “Clients do not come first. Employees come first. If you take care of your employees, they will take care of the clients.”, this is such an important idea that I think oftentimes goes overlooked, especially in today’s money-first mindset. I will...

A really interesting book. It provides a great insight into how the business functions. Sir Branson has indeed narrated his experience, a topsy-turvy one, in excellent way. The best part of the book ,which i liked, is however the ending chapters where he concentrates a lot on being socially conscious and being more environment friendly. His efforts towards environmental sustainability is noteworthy. The book is greatly detailed and Sir Branson tries to explain how he tries to keep intact busines...

Great book. I enjoyed his view on business and the anecdotes about some of the ventures he started. Surely, if everyone was this engaged, the world might explode.

A must read for small business owners or entrepreneurs . Loved it!

basic book with few good points, especially the personification of the brand but also at times highly apologetic and giving praise to his employees. looks like a brand trick with very few insights.

Business Stripped Bare is a book I struggled to enjoy. After reading a number of books charting the success of motivational speakers, personal coaches, freelancers, private investors, bloggers/writers and the like, I was looking forward to learning about how one man had almost singlehandedly built one of the world's most recognisable and successful brands, a brand that was active in a large variety of traditional economic sectors as well as new ventures. However, although there are certainly pa

This is a great book to read even if you are not starting or running a company or business. I found the advice etc very useful in my style of life which is one of being structured and organised and treating people fairly and with respect.....which I guess is a good way to be not only in business but in life.I have always had respect for Richard Branson and admired his energy for work and of all he is involved in. I was a student in the 1970’s when Virgin Records started and I saw then the potent...

I thoroughly enjoyed "Business Stripped Bare" by Richard Branson. A bit dated [2008, updated 2010] but the hindsight only adds to the wisdom shared from the man who is the only person in the world to lead 8 different businesses from scratch to billion dollar status, and the fastest to ever get to billion dollar status; he shares his insights on organization development, branding, business ethics, trusting people, and fun. We've come to expect successful people to be ruthless. In Sir Richard's ow...

More "A business stripped bare" than "business stripped bare.". With this work, Branson attempted to provide his own insights on the Virgin collective and what makes it successful. What you get more of, however, is Branson reminding you that it is successful. This book felt like 300-some pages of Branson reminding you his business succeeded. How? He seems to only sort of know. Can he help you reproduce it? Not really. I wish he would have explored further how to help your business evolve into so...

Book Review: Business Stripped Bare: Adventures of a Global EntrepreneurBy Richard BransonI think the best way to sum up this book is “He gets it.” One would think that a well-known business tycoon like Sir Richard Branson would not have a clue about how a small mom and pop venture works. The writing in this book indicates that he does get it.This book tells us some of the challenges that Branson has run into while being in almost every business imaginable. Branson’s Virgin Cola went up against

Another great Branson book. The only thing I didn't care for about to book was the incredible detail about the business proceedings, but I'm sure that was a favorite of many.Always inspirational. The really nice thing about Branson's writing is I feel he's sitting in the room with me talking to me.

Very inspiring book. Changed my view on entrepreneurship :)

Richard Branson an iconic entrepreneur, founder of Virgin group - shares many inspiring and wonderful anecdotes from his life as an entrepreneur. This book spans from brand, delivery, innovation, entrepreneurship to social responsibility (well, they are actually chapters of this book). The take away from this book is that in business, as in life, one has to protect against the downside - and make a difference! The brave may not live forever - but the cautious do not live at all....!