Book Review: Start Something That Matters
Mycoskie, Blake. Start something that matters. Spiegel & Grau, 2011.
In this interesting and readable account , a young man decides to live a life of meaning by pursuing his passion, and by devoting himself to a social cause while simultaneously earning a living. In the book Start Something that Matters, author Blake Mycoskie tells the story of TOM’S One for One, a start-up shoe company that gives one pair of shoes to a poor child for every pair sold to first world customers.
The story begins when Mycoskie, a 29 year old entrepreneur on vacation in Argentina, notices that few impoverished rural children there wear shoes. With no experience in the retail business or in the footwear industry, Mycoskie learns to design, manufacture and sell Argentine alpargatas (espadrilles) for the US market. The shoes become fashionable with young people, and at the end of the first five years, a million pairs of shoes have been given to destitute children in South America.
Mycoskie shares his story to encourage others to start something that matters and to lead a life of meaning. He shares practical tips for getting started and discusses principles for sustaining the company. He also tells the stories of other entrepreneurs who have led lives that mattered. This inspirational book is about one man who created a movement and made a difference to a million impoverished children.
© Reviewer: Meg Trauner & Ford Library – Fuqua School of Business.
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Tags: Company history, Entrepreneurship, Philanthropy, Social responsibility