If you're thinking of going back to school to get your MBA, read this book first. Kaufman's premise is that MBA programs are very expensive and teach outdated material. Unless you're going to a top tier school where its name on your degree will yield connections and ins to high finance, you don't need to accrue all that debt to learn what you need.Kaufman started by compiling a reading list of the top 100 business books on his website, PersonalMBA.com. His book takes all the best pieces he learn...

I don't know what went wrong with this book. I think I had my expectation way too high.I was disappointed with the lack of depth of information. The entire book is about a list of concepts with some definition and a small example. This kind of information is completely useless. I'm a developer and it taught me the different types of marketing which does not help me in any way.I think it's okay if you're into business and going to delve further in each topic discussed in the book. The book is lik...

I just finished my third listen of the Personal MBA and still enjoy it alot. In short, it is a great high level summary of many important topics in both business and personal development. I does not go into detail about each topic, but gives you a primer on the most important elements. The book is focused around the mindset of entrepreneurs and teaches you the «first principles of business thinking».The opening premise of the book is that MBAs are a «waste of money» if you do not want to work at...

I'm studying an MBA at the moment (actually, for the last few years, almost done!) so I feel qualified to discuss this book.To the book. It's a nice high level overview of a lot of the topics that an MBA will touch on, and quite a few that an MBA won't touch on at all. It is likely to be very helpful to all sorts of people. Anyone, even someone with an MBA, would be able to get something from this, particularly as it also covers "soft" subjects like personal development.But be clear, this is no

"Risks are known unknowns...... Uncertainties are unknown unknowns." p.357Do I believe, after having read this book cover to cover, that I have earned the equivalent of a MBA from a state college or university or amassed the same knowledge as one who has graduated with a MBA? No.Do I believe I will grasp what the recent B-school graduate is saying as he/she begins spouting MBA-speak in the next meeting? Maybe.Do I believe this book is a valuable beginners guide which arms me with the necessary i...

The Personal MBA: Master the Art of Business by Josh Kaufman is one of those “have to read” books. The whole premise behind The Personal MBA: Master the Art of Business is the same as for the Redneck MBA. That is, one does not have to go to a business school or even takes courses on-line to have the equivalent of an MBA. Kaufman provides explanations of many different concepts and defines numerous terms in a simple, easy to read, format. The only problem I saw with the book was that 8% of the bo...

Someone told me about this book and said that reading it was the equivalent of learning everything they teach in an MBA program, without going hundreds of thousands of dollars into debt. That’s exactly what the author touts in the first section entitled “Why Read This Book?”I can definitely see his point. I found the format excellent: sections with clear goals and chapters illustrating one concept after another in an interesting and straightforward manner. As each concept was being explained I t...

I am in Chapter 11 out of total 14 chapters. So I think it's fair to predict my review for this book won't change a whole lot from what it is now.The author claims this book summarizes the knowledge gained from a typical MBA degree. If this is true, MBA is the most worthless degree I have known to date. But I am doubtful an actual MBA will be so much useless.In the end, I feel the rate of return (time spent vs knowledge gained) for this book is very low. Not that I disagree with the content, but...

I bought this book mainly for the finance section, so the rest was somewhat boring to me. Too much "self help" for my taste. Even the section I was interested in was sort of elementary. This book is marketed towards those who want to skip business school. However, I plan to get my MBA and still found parts of the book helpful for a general idea of things to know. Edit: Will graduate with my MBA from Texas Tech in December 2015 and this book just doesn't have enough substance for anyone to really...

I wrote this book, so I may be biased...

I’m a sucker for silver bullets like this.It’s a pretty decent, digestible glossary of the most prevalent business terms de nos jours – he says ‘models and concepts’ but I think that’s an overstatement. It’s readable by virtue of no subject extending beyond a handful of paragraphs and it’s a pretty good reference, really. The sections on value and marketing are the best. Its tone is also pretty likeable too – and I salute anyone who can tell me that any MBA is a waste of money (though I still do...

Cheesy and shallow. To be fair, I was attracted to the prospect of a 400-page book that summarizes the most important ideas in business. But this was too thin and too soft. Think of a 400 page crêpe. Worse – and despite the shallow familiarity – it read like something the author was pushing to finish as quickly as possible, which I gather he was. A case in point are the quotes with which he begins each passage: it's obvious that he hadn't collected these from his supposedly extensive readings bu...

Heavy on terms and aphorisms but light on detailed case studies or dissections of different management processes. The whole thing feels fluffy; each chapter is broken down into one- or two-page segments, with an introductory quote providing some borrowed authority.It's not a bad book. The opening section is persuasive in arguing against assuming the debt of an MBA program (although that's not something I was considering anyway). The examples can feel slight, but Kaufman is good at harnessing the...

This book provides a very high-level overview of many different business topics. It is divided into short one-page definitions of terms you are likely to encounter in business literature. These terms are defined clearly and simply, with examples or anecdotes that highlight the issues at hand. Sometimes it is also accompanied by a short analysis by the author. It is generally very sensible advice.For some, I'm sure this book will offer new, useful information, and I might keep it around as compac...

This is not a book this is a map and I think should be treated as such. It gives you a good overview of the terrain, allows you to start strategise about how to spread and move your forces, but, like any map, its not the real land and until you go into the battle you will never know what its really like.And actually a real MBA is not a real battle either (its just a fancier 3D map). So this is to answer some of the negative reviews.Josh quotes Seth Godin in the book saying that dedicated reading...

Surprisingly useful tidbits about entrepreneurship, management, leadership, etc. Nothing earth-shattering but the author does a good job with all his little summaries. Silly title.

I took this book out of the library and spent the afternoon with it. For a long time, I had been a fan of Kaufman's website. I have personally referred a number of business students to it as a tutor for a professional college. The book was just as easy to read and reference as the website. I was able to obtain everything I wanted from the book in about two to three hours of reading. For me the most useful parts of the book were on managing one's self, analyzing systems, and marketing. More impor...

If you're like me and never took a business class in college - but want to learn more about business - this should be the first book you read in the genre. It's a great introduction to all the critical fields of business: value creation, marketing, sales, finance, working with yourself, working with others, and systems. The subchapters, which are centered around specific concepts, are bite sized and can be consumed in a relatively short amount of time - perfect for the busy, working adult. The w...

Did you know that if you run a business, you can't just look at all the money coming in, and that you have to subtract costs such as taxes, produce and labour? Did you know that if you buy something to sell on, and then damage that item, you won't be able to sell it for as much as you could have done whilst it was undamaged? Did you know that motivation sometimes runs out? Did you know know that if you price certain items too high, your sales might suffer because fewer people are willing to pay

There are a lot of great things in this book. Thousands of great ideas and things to think about, but unfortunately none of them are given the space to actually be discussed. This book feels more like a glossary of business terms and productivity advice, rather than a thorough business education. Although I enjoyed the writer's voice, I thought the format style of hundreds of very short "posts" was distracting and didn't allow for enough substance.