Sam WaltonSam Walton: Made In America

"Sam Walton Made in America" is an exceptional exploration into the life and legacy of the visionary entrepreneur, Sam Walton, who founded Walmart. The author's storytelling is captivating, offering readers a personal and insightful journey into Walton's remarkable journey of building and expanding one of the world's largest retail giants.The narrative skillfully unveils the intricacies of Walmart's culture, ideals, and foundational principles. Through the pages, readers gain a profound understanding of Sam Walton's innovative approach to business, which played a pivotal role in shaping Walmart into the global powerhouse it is today.What sets this book apart is its ability to make the reader feel a genuine connection with Sam Walton. The narrative delves into his character, providing a deep insight into his leadership style and the ethos that drove him. The admiration for Walton and his unparalleled achievements is palpable throughout the book.One of the notable strengths of "Sam Walton Made in America" lies in its wealth of leadership examples and entrepreneurial insights. Readers are not only treated to the story of Walmart's rise but also given practical tips and lessons on thriving as an entrepreneur. The book serves as a valuable resource for those seeking inspiration and guidance in the business world.In conclusion, I highly recommend "Sam Walton Made in America" to anyone interested in business, leadership, and the journey of a true visionary. It's a compelling read that not only educates but also instills a deep respect for the man behind the Walmart empire. This book is a testament to the enduring impact of Sam Walton's legacy and is sure to leave a lasting impression on its readers.

"It was a real blessing for me to be so green and ignorant, because it was through that experience that I learned a lesson that has stuck with me through all the years: you can learn from everybody. I didn't just learn from reading every retail publication I could get my hands on, I probably learned the most from studying what John Dunham was doing across the street."Sam WaltonThis book was fun to read. Sam didn't want to write it at all, but John Huey won him over just in time. This book was written while Sam was on his death bed.Sam Walton: Made In America is written in a way that it feels like Sam Walton is sitting in front of you, telling you everything that happened in his life.The first two chapters, "Learning to Value a Dollar" and "Starting on a Dime," were great. Since reading them, I have picked up every coin I have seen laying around. At the end of the second chapter, Sam tells you about his Ben Franklin store that was making $250,000 in sales a year, with $30,000 t0 $40,000 of it being profit. After 5 years, his lease was up, and his landlord would not renew it for any price. He bought the store from Sam Walton, and Sam had to completely restart.I think that most people would have given up in that situation. Working hard and smart for five years to build the best Ben Franklin in the region just to lose it would be tough, but Sam didn't let it stop him. Every one of the biographies I've read has that in common. Sam Walton, Jeff Bezos, Tim Tebow, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Conrad Hilton, Jerry Weintraub, etc., all faced challenges that were a lot bigger than most people ever do, and they all overcame these challenges and became extremely successful.After he talks about his first setback, there are 300 more pages to read if you buy the paperback version for only $6.While Sam's book taught me how he became successful with Walmart, I learned something even more important from reading it. He taught me the importance of staying humble:"I still can't believe it was news that I get my haircut at the barber shop. Where else would I get my haircut? Why do I drive a pickup truck? What am I supposed to haul my dogs around in, a Rolls-Royce?" -Sam WaltonAt the end of the book, Sam gives a list of 10 rules that helped him become successful. To learn how Sam Walton overcame adversity, how he built Walmart, the value of being humble, and to read his list, buy Sam Walton: Made In America by Sam Walton with John Huey.This review was originally posted on my website where I write book reviews over biographies, classics, and inspiring nonfiction.thewrightread.com

I’ve recently finished a fascinating book on the history of Walmart, as told by its founder, Sam Walton. Written in the last year before he died in 1992. At that time Walmart was a $53billion turnover company, and for some context, if you had bought $100 shares at its initial IPO in the early 1970’s, they would be worth $3.8million today (the shares split so many times over the years).This is a very easy read with no effort required, but offers a great insight into how he managed the growth of such a large corporate.He had some wonderful ideas and asked a lot from his managers – namely keeping the customer in mind at all times. He wanted everyone (and I mean everyone) to be on the shop floor at least once a week and engaging with a shopper.There are lots of “ah ha” moments in the book (history of Sams club), why Walmart has greeters (very surprising reason), and how he is proud to say he has the biggest fleet of millionaire trucker drivers in the country (everyone has stocks in Walmart).Also beautiful tales of how he stole ideas from all the other retailers including Kroger, Target and JCPenny.He held all his management meetings on a Saturday morning as he didn’t believe real retailers worked 9-to-5. He also wasn’t a believer in having the company pay for things – so when the corporate headquarters got a new gym and sports centre, he said that the $3M should come out of his pocket and not out of the shoppers pocket. To this day (1992), he is proud that their offices in Bentoville will never win any design awards.This book was on the short list for Jeff Bezos as he was inspired by Sam’s attention to the customer that he “stole” that idea for Amazon.

La historia de Sam Walton, vista a través de su actividad incansable en Walmart, es un libro que se disfruta de principio a fin.La energía y entusiasmo de Sam Walton te contagian en cada página. Este no es un libro motivacional, pero las anécdotas y logros increíbles que aquí se cuentan son una fuente de inspiración para cualquier persona que desee trabajar duro para lograr sus sueños.¡Uno de los mejores libros que he leído hasta hoy!

Paperback is of good quality. Havent finished reading it yet.

Great story

Un incontournable du business

Great book with interesting stories from Sam Walton of how Walmart became the behemoth it is today.