“A leader can create a company, but a community creates a movement.”

I read this book for my business class, but ended up throughly enjoying it. It was very well written and informative. I also felt that a lot of the concepts within the book would not only apply to a new business, but also just to life in general.

This quote in particular felt applicable outside of business:
“When you micromanage, you’re effectively telling people that you don’t trust their judgment and that, unless you’re personally involved in every detail, the project won’t get done right. That attitude hardly inspires confidence.”
I felt like this quote is also applicable to parenting, friendships, and even romantic relationships. I also feel like it’s something to consider when managing my own life. I can’t control every little aspect of life, I just have to trust that it’ll end up okay.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is interested in any aspect of business, or anyone just looking for an enjoyable, yet informative, read.

I also wanted to include my favorite quote from the book, though it doesn’t have anything to do with business at all really.
“Books are different from other possessions-they’re more like friends.” ( )

This book will be on my gift-giving list this Christmas, and it should be on yours. Easy and fast to read with many profound thoughts and ideas. It's partly the story of TOMS, but also the story of many other similar companies, briefly, including some sage advice for anyone who wishes to start a company with an integrated charity component. More than all that, there are pearls of wisdom in it for living well for every reader.

In these challenging economic times, the message is clear. Help someone else; it will definitely help you to do so, while helping them. And if you think it's unwise to start a business now or to find a way to give, read this book. This is great reading for younger generations, and the lessons here are readily picked up by children and teens.

Reach outside your nest and see what's possible by people just like you. ( )

Blake Mycoskie gives wonderful anecdotes about different entrepreneurs who have made a difference in this world while making profit. The one story that really got my attention was about his Mom who self published a cook book and later on was picked by an actual publisher. It's a great read. ( )

There are certainly parts of the Tom's story that are uplifting and inspirational, and Blake manages to keep the gushy over-the-top-save-the-children stuff to a minimum. The interesting parts detail the struggles the company had and case studies from other do-good for-profits. However, he does seem to gloss over quite a few lucky breaks that put a rocket boost behind the initial success of Tom's. The saying "It's not what you know, it's Who you know that matters" definitely plays here. Not to mention a workforce of unpaid interns. Overall an easy read, his main thesis is good but slim (I'm sure it would have many business school professors spinning at their lecterns). Very self-centered focus when discussing customer and employee interactions with the "mission" - the free shoes play second fiddle to the "life-changing experiences" of the shoe-droppers (without any discussion of sustainable local support or aid besides foot coverings). ( )

Start Something that Matters is the story of Tom’s Shoes Founder Blake Mycoskie, and his One to One initiative to provide a pair of shoes to a child in need for each one sold. In addition to detailing the formation of and inspiration for the company, it is a how-to book for starting your own “something”. Mycoskie, and co-writer Gene Stone, share the details of Toms Shoes unique business model - a for-profit company that has charity built into its operating system, not as an after thought for public relations or tax benefits, and one that trusts and empowers its employees. It is an inspirational read as the authors challenge the reader to “Commit to seeing the world through the lens of how you can initiate meaningful change.” Even if we can’t all start up a business, Mycoskie reminds us that we can all change the way we think about these issues. In keeping with Tom’s one-to-one initiative, for each book sold, Random House is donating a book to a child in need through Firstbook.org. ( )