Everything I Know About Business I Learned From Monopoly: Successful Executives Reveal Strategic Lessons From The World's Greatest Board Game - Hardcover

Axelrod, Alan

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0762413271 ISBN 13: 9780762413270

Publisher: Running Press, 2002

Synopsis

Everyone has his or her own strategy about how to win at the MONOPOLY game--bank lots of cash, invest prudently in real estate, or take plenty of chances and hope for a windfall from the Community Chest. The reality is that many entrepreneurs had their first real estate and finance experience while playing the world's most popular board game, and many formulate lifelong business philosophies as they learn to balance skill, luck, competition, and social interaction. In this authoritative, thought-provoking book, America's top executives and entrepreneurs--including the likes of Michael Dell, Carly Fiorina, and Jeff Bezos--reflect on the lessons they learned from rolling the die in the fantasy game of self-made wealth and power. Their insights are both practical and entertaining, and they also prove the enduring popularity of the MONOPOLY game.

About this title

About the Author

Alan Axelrod is the author of numerous books on the subjects of history, business, and management, including Elizabeth I: CEO, Patton: A Biography, and Thomas Jefferson: A Critical Life. He has also been a creative consultant to several television documentaries and series, including The Wild West, for the WB Network, and Civil War Journal, for The Discovery Channel. He lives in Atlanta, Georgia.

From Publishers Weekly

Money-minded readers who gaze longingly at their Monopoly boards' Broadway and Park Place properties will undoubtedly chuckle over Axelrod's irreverent entrepreneur's guide. The author (Elizabeth I, CEO) here playfully examines how to apply the game's strategies to real-life business situations. After an introductory historical chapter-Monopoly debuted during the Depression and has since sold about 200 million sets-Axelrod covers game strategies and how they can be applied in real life. His advice is generally sound, and at times comically simple ("Cheating and other unethical conduct are not sustainable... You can win a game or two by cheating, but unless you devote yourself to it, you cannot win consistently"). In discussing salary, Axelrod writes, "Successful business people understand salary much the way that good players of Monopoly understand `Go.' Salary is about subsistence and survival. To get beyond this basic level in business, you need to get beyond mere salary. You need to put money at risk." In some ways, the game is a perfect example of how the business world works. For instance, the best Monopoly games are dynamic, with players putting up properties for auction, just as in real life. Cards that mimic the game's own are sprinkled throughout the text, carrying the sentiments of famous business leaders. While it's a bit of a stretch at times, the book is still fun and an ideal gift for the gaming entrepreneur.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Running Press
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 0762413271
• ISBN 13: 9780762413270
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 256