CFN – I was delighted to be asked to review W. Brett Wilson’s book “Redefining Success: Still Making Mistakes”. For those of you who have watched “Dragon’s Den” you may be familiar with him.
A highly successful business man and philanthropist, his principles for business should be taught to every MBA student. If all Corporate CEOs followed his philosophy, we would not have quite the corporate greed that is so prevalent these days.
One disappointment is that I really don’t feel the real Brett Wilson comes through. Yes, he writes about his upbringing, his business successes, his marriage failure and his health issues but it felt as though he was just relating facts not the emotions – I would like to know more – to learn his foibles and other sides to him that I feel lurk underneath the business like writing. But perhaps that was not his intention.
The approach to each chapter is quite unusual; a photo of himself accompanied by a short piece of writing by Aritha VanHerk – an attempt to set up the chapter as well as to cast Brett as a deep thinking, esoteric person. Probably true, but in my mind, his writing contradicts that. Yet I do want to know him better – in his words – because otherwise he comes across as a successful but aloof person.
One of the more interesting parts of the book are the write-ups of his successes on Dragon’s Den. It is truly inspiring when he describes some of the ideas that were presented to him along with the problems, as well as the grit and determination of these entrepreneurs who wanted to succeed. As a person who has more ideas than the time and energy to promote them, I admire these people immensely.
It is a good read especially if you want to become your own boss. For some reason while I read the book, II kept thinking back to “Atlas Shrugged” by Ayn Rand and the speech by John Galt. I read it twenty-five years ago so cannot remember why this kept slipping into my mind but I decided to read it again.
Final word? Worth reading for sure.
“Redefining Success: Still Making Mistakes” by W. Brett Wilson
ISBN 978-0-14-318420 (pbk)
ISBN 978-0-670-06694-0 (bound)
Penguin Canada Books Inc. – available at fine Book retailers across Canada!
Cornwall writer and artist, Lorna Foreman was a journalist for 10 years writing on the arts for the Cornwall Free News, Standard Freeholder and subsequently, The Glengarry News. As well, she is a contributor to Fifty-Five Plus magazine, having written her column “The Rest is Best” since 1998. She is currently working on two children’s books and has published “When Life Becomes Real” a compilation of 12 years of her columns as well as “Wheat Watchers” a cookbook for gluten intolerant appetites.