This was one of the three business books I picked up at random from the Library. I think my only expectations of this book were that it would be mainly educational, a study of how paper delivery relates to big business and that it would have something to do with how weather affects business or outside factors affecting sales or something.
The latter assumption was way off, the first was a bit closer to the mark but it did happen quite like I thought.
The first two thirds of the book are the story of Rain the paperboy. Either a fictitious character or based on Fox' childhood memories of delivering papers. Either way the story sets up perfect situations for Rain to navigate through and give us a chance to analyze business principals.
To start of with I thought this was a real kid with a strange name but as the story progressed it got me thinking, there's no way I would have done that as a thirteen-year-old. I did have a paper route for a while but I was way more interested in cutting corners than customer service. Maybe if English people tipped I might have had some incentive.
It would be interesting to see what teenagers thought of this book, if it would inspire some entreprenuerialism. Maybe ill find it again in ten years and give it to my son.
The book sounded like it was being read by Fat Tony from the Simpsons. I felt like I was going to be made an offer I couldn't refuse by the end of the book. Perhaps this is because the Mafia happen to be very creative in their business endeavors.
One slightly odd point that was made in the book was in the chapter 'Crime and Punishment.' Rain skips school and is punished by having to help out at an old peoples home, where he manages to get even more newspaper sales. The point being made was obviously 'take advantage of all situations that arise' but just as obvious was 'you don't have to follow all the rules.' In business maybe but I might have to talk my son through this one.
I'll look at a few random things in the 'Things that made me think' post on this book.
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