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The Art of Being Unreasonable
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The Art of Being Unreasonable

Lessons in Unconventional Thinking

Eli Broad
Wiley, 2012
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Editorial Rating

7

Qualities

  • Engaging

Recommendation

Self-made multibillionaire Eli Broad personifies the American Dream. Philanthropist, entrepreneur and founder of two Fortune 500 companies, Broad is the son of Jewish-Lithuanian immigrants who owned a Christmas theme store, though they did not celebrate Christmas and had no prior retail experience. In this autobiography, Broad attributes his accomplishments to his “unreasonableness,” thoroughness and gutsy style. He explains how he made his fortune and offers tips on management and investing. Broad paints his personal story in bright primary colors with the simplest brush strokes, but he’s glad to teach you how to get ahead in life and business. getAbstract recommends his saga to ambitious entrepreneurs, managers and investors.

Summary

An Unreasonable Man

Eli Broad is completely unreasonable and always has been. As a boy, Broad changed the pronunciation of his last name to rhyme with “road” instead of “rod” to stop his schoolmates from teasing him. As a young man, he maneuvered his future wife, Edythe “Edye” Lawson, into going out with him, even though she had no idea who he was. He proposed to her a couple of dates later. They have been married since 1954, and he says marrying Edye was the best decision he ever made. To begin with, soon after their marriage, she allowed him to sell their wedding china for money to invest in one of his first ventures. Broad’s proclivity for smart unreasonableness influences his personal and business decisions to this day.

KB Homes

Broad may be unconventional, but he is never irrational. Gifted with numbers, he is an accountant by training. He demanded a raise so many times at his first accounting job that the boss fired him. He studied the US home construction marketplace and formulated a clear picture of its future.

In 1957, Broad set up his first business, Kaufman and Broad Home Corporation (later renamed KB Home), with Donald Kaufman, the husband...

About the Author

Self-made multibillionaire Eli Broad is an entrepreneur, philanthropist and museum patron. He and his wife, Edythe, co-founded The Broad Foundation and lead other Los Angeles charities.

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