The Self-Made Myth Format: Trade Paper

“Powerful, compelling, and well researched . . . demolishes what may be the most destructive myth in America.” —David Korten, author of Agenda for a New Economy
 
The Self-Made Myth exposes the false claim that business success is the result of heroic individual effort with little or no outside help. Brian Miller and Mike Lapham not only bust the myth; they present profiles of business leaders who recognize the public investments and supports that made their success possible—including Warren Buffett, Ben Cohen of Ben and Jerry’s, New Belgium Brewing CEO Kim Jordan, and others. The book also thoroughly demolishes the claims of supposedly self-made individuals such as Donald Trump and Ross Perot. How we view the creation of wealth and individual success is critical because it shapes our choices on taxes, regulation, public investments in schools and infrastructure, CEO pay, and more. It takes a village to raise a business—and it’s time to recognize that fact.

Brian Miller is executive director of United for a Fair Economy (UFE), drawing on nearly twenty years as a community organizer, coalition leader, media spokesperson, writer, and nonprofit director.
Mike Lapham is the project director, a cofounder, and a member of UFE’s Responsible Wealth project, a network of over 700 business leaders and wealthy individuals.