Rating: 
Summary: An insightful read - much better than the typical CEO tract
Review: I was pleasantly surprised as that number of insights I picked up in Howard Schultz' tale. He and Dori Jones Yang really appeared to have connected in the writing of this book. There's an effortless flow in the telling that gives you a 'fly on the wall' insider's feel without getting bogged down in coffee arcania or management dribble.Schultz walks you through some of the thought processes and actions that led to important advancements in Starbucks' success with their customers. And, he's not afraid to point out when he's been dead wrong. He's strong enough to admit being dead set against the Frappuccino & totally missing the boat on what ended up being a blowout product for the company. One comment - it's hard for me to reconcile Schultz' recent fixation on the Internet, going so far as ruminating about buying Williams-Sonoma for its online potential, with the clear-headed thoughts expressed in this book. [Yes, let's see...I'll have a latte and this leather couch, thanks.] Throughout the book, Schultz shows a complete understanding of a company's need to please Wall Street via growing profits, and also is quite clear of having to evaluate each decision by asking "Will it strengthen or dilute the brand?"
Rating: 
Summary: drips of truth and passion...
Review: Starbucks- the very name conjures up images of a brand not of coffee, but of passion , love, sincerity and superb customer service; that the coffee too is great (though expensive)is an added plus.. But here is a brand in the most common of products and having arrived to the top of the minds in less than a decade- how did it all happen? Pour Your Heart Into It is a fascinating saga of the Starbucks journey, written by the man -Howard Shultz- who made it happen! This is one of the best business biographies I have ever read for its storytelling of a person"s passion to his idea and then betting his life and much much more onto it.. While going through the book, I came across some very inspiring and meaningful quotes, either mentioned in the beginning of the chapter or as part of the narrative, here are some of them which have stayed with me even today months after I finished reading the book Highly recommended book for anybody who wants to live- and maybe die- by his or her BIG IDEA! Amazes me how in prime Mid Town Manhattan ;how a mere coffee store can have probably 8 shops in a 6 blocks radius - around 42nd and Madison but Starbucks is not coffee any more; I do not say now" Lets have coffee", we just say"Lets have a Starbucks"! POUR YOUR HEART HEART INTO IT: 1. A HUNDRED TIMES EVERY DAY I REMIND MYSELF THAT MY INNER AND OUTER LIVES DEPENDED ON LABORS OF OTHER MEN,LIVING OR DEAD AND THAT I MUST EXERT MYSELF IN ORDER TO GIVE IN THE SAME MEASURE THAT I RECIEVED..... 2.IF IT CAPTURES YOUR IMAGINATION..IT WILL PROBABLY CAPTIVATE OTHERS TOO. 3.SOME MEN SEE THINGS AS THEY ARE AND SAY..WHY. I DREAM THINGS THAT NEVER WERE AND ASK..WHY NOT! 4.IF YOU SAY NEVER HAD A CHANCE,,PERHAPS YOU NEVER TOOK A CHANCE. 5.VISION IS WHAT THEY CALL IT WHEN YOU CAN SEE WHAT OTHERS CAN NOT SEE 6.WHENEVER YOU SEE A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS...SOMEBODY SOMEDAY MUST HAVE MADE A COURAGEOUS DECISION... 7.WE JUDGE OURSELVES BY WHAT WE FEEL CAPABLE OF DOING.. WHILE OTHERS JUDGE US BY WHAT WE HAVE ALREADY DONE... 8.SOMETIMES..SINCERITY SELLS BETTER THAN BUSINESS PLANS 9.THE ULTIMATE MEASURE OF A MAN IS NOT WHERE HE STANDS IN MOMENTS OF COMFORT AND CONVINIENCE ,BUT WHERE HE STAND AT TIMES OF CHALLENGE AND ADVERSITY... 10.EVERYTHING MATTERS 11.WHEN YOU SEE THE OPPORTUNITY OF A LIFETIME..MOVE QUICKLY 12.A 100 STOREY BUILDING NEEDS A FIRM FOUNDATION 13.DO NOT BE THREATENED Y MEN SMARTER THAN YOU 14.THE BEST EXECUTIVE IS ONE WHO HAS GOOD SENSE TO PICK UP GOOD MEN TO DO WHAT HE WANTS DONE AND SELF RESTRAINT TO KEEP FROM MEDDLING WITH THEM WHILE THEY DO TI. 15.THE ONLY SACRED COW IN AN ORGANISATION SHOULD BE IT"S BASIC PHILOSPHY OF DOING BUSINESS.. 16.TO STAY AHEAD,ALWAYS HAVE THE NEXT IDEA WAITING IN THE WINGS.. 17.THE BEST WAY TO BUILD A BRAND IS ONE PERSON AT A TIME. 18.THE FUNDAMENTAL TASK IS TO ACHIEVE SMALLNESS WITHIN A LARGE ORGANISATION.. 19.VALUES SHOULD NOT WHITHER AS SALES GROW.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Inspiration for aspiring Entrepreneur
Review: This book is written in a conversational manner that describes how the author has innovated a new way of drinking coffee in America. It retells some of the challenges the author had to face to make his dream alive. It focuses a lot on having a Passion, having an eye for opportunity, having a vision and perserverance. If you are looking for a book to inspire you onwards with your entrepreneurial dreams, this book might just be the one.
Rating:
Summary: You will never look at Starbucks the same way again
Review: This is one of the best business biographies I have ever read. It is truly inspiring. One simple, and telling, output from reading this book on a plane was that as soon as we landed I headed to the local airport Starbucks for a latte. I rarely even drink coffee! So powerful are the imagery and the passion for coffee in his story that you can almost smell the roasted dark beans, feel them running through your fingers, hear the sounds of the espresso machine and taste the coffee itself! Why is this imagery so important? Because behind the corporate image of a relentless pac-man like machine churning out new locations at a rate slightly above the national birth rate it seems, is a simple vision of passion for coffee combined with Italian neighborhoods and a warm and friendly place where the worlds best coffee and social friendship intermix. That is what Starbucks was all about. The book itself is a remarkable insight into this journey. It was even more special for me, as I grew up with Starbucks - literally. When Howard talks about the vision he had to treat even his part time employees with full benefits and ownership in the company through stock, I know it was more than just a nice sounding corporate manta, it really worked. Friends I went to high school with in Bellevue in the mid to late 1980's worked at the first stores, and raved about this little coffee company and couldn't imagine working anywhere else. So, from firsthand experience I can tell you that what he says about the passion and vision coming to life in Seattle is all true While company history is quite interesting, and the book itself just hums and glides without ever getting mundane, the real gems are in the emotional reality Howard displays. He talks about being overwhelmed to tears, about the rejection he faced while trying to get funding for his fledgling company, about the naysayers and others who nearly took it all away, and the struggle with having a hand in everything and slowly letting go. You know that you are reading about a real person, someone who came from a poor neighborhood in Brooklyn with working-class roots, not an image generated by a large corporations PR spin doctors The value of people, so often lost in corporate bureaucracy, is evident here. Starbucks grew because it struck an emotional chord with people. He knew that in order for the company to be successful he needed people who shared the values. This is often spoken of, and rarely practiced in the corporate world where systems, forecasts, processes and other such tools become the focal point, and the simple fact that all results come through people is lost. He speaks throughout the book of people who helped him, coached him, mentored him, challenged him, and made the company what it was. One quote in particular summarizes his views: "If people relate to the company they work for, if they form an emotional tie to it and buy into its dreams, they will pour their heart into making it better." (Page 6) This theme comes through in every decision. Overall, this is a wonderful book, and is truly inspiring. I would work for him tomorrow, if it really still is the way it's portrayed here. I encourage you to read this book and see your neighborhood Starbucks in a new light.
Rating:
Summary: Straight from the heart, great read! Howard says it best!
Review: GOT BEANS? If you ever wanted to learn why Starbucks is such a strong BRAND, this will tell you in every detail how we became such a leader in the coffee industry. It's all about PEOPLE and PASSION. Through the ups and downs, the hearts of the partners were what kept this company in the #1 position for over 25 years. I am a Starbucks partner, but before I became one, I had heard much about what Starbucks did for its people. This book will tell you with enthusiasm and honesty how it was truly built, one cup at a time. Even though there are more than 20,000 partners across the US and abroad, there is a special comraderie that I have felt nowhere else. Read it! No matter if you're self-employed, a VP, or homemaker, you will be inspired by Howard's way of doing things. Never compromise quality and just say yes! It will bring you to a great understanding of the world of business--it's not just great coffee, it's great people and great relationships! Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Nice Conversational Tone and Some Surprises
Review: This is an excellent book about an entrepreneur who understands the business world. First, Starbucks understands the "personal touch"--from its name, to its unique coffee brand names (Frapuccino, for instance, whose origins are discussed in detail in the book), to the style of the stores, to its pricing system, and even understands its customers. Starbucks realizes that its typical client is upscale, affluent, college-educated, left-of-center politically (and thus the focus on "fair trade," and all the environmental goals they set out to enforce as a company). There were things I did not know before I read this book. For instance, the amount of training each barista receives -- enough training to discuss the various coffees in great detail. In fact, because Starbucks trains its employees to such a large extent that it is fearful of allowing any franchisers to run Starbucks because then they would not be assured of the quality control of the company. That is certainly debatable, of course. Starbucks provides its workers with incredible benefits, as we all know, but I didn't know how strong those benefits were. On top of your sallary, you receive 14% in stock options (which, in most companies, are reserved for higher-level managers and executives), and health insurance, even for part-timers. Well, looks like the high prices for the coffee go someplace! Starbucks is not Wal-Mart, however. Coffee competitors need not fear Starbucks, Schultz says, because, after all, he charges more than his competitors do. One irritating part of the book is that he refers to his coffee as gourmet or exceptional at least 20 times, which can be a bit tiring. Yes, I understand the point! Your coffee is good. Point headed. ; ) In any case, this book was fairly well-written and had a conversational tone to it. Michael Gordon
Rating:
Summary: A must for entreprenuer wannabe
Review: I loved his passion and the story of how starbucks grew and growing. Impressive and heartwarming book!
Rating:
Summary: Secret of Success: Beautiful Logo
Review: How did the plain-tasting $9.00 cup of joe become such an international success? How did a store that sells you a cup of flavored ice for $6.00 and a teeny-weeny slice of mediocre chocolate cake for $7.50 come to be one of the hippest hangouts in history? This fascinating book answers the question: it's all about the dedication and passion of its founders and its thousands of partners who run the ubiquitous coffee shops and stands around the world. Not surprisingly, the company employs not a single person who knows anything about coffee. As the book covers in great detail, Starbucks workers everywhere are passionate and dedicated to the sole concept of clever marketing and egregiously over-priced coffee and pastries. Certainly, the coffee and deserts you get at the Vietnamese and Thai restaurants in the Cinatown are infinitely better and are sold at a fraction of the price. But in the end, it all boils down to the beautifully designed logo and magical color scheme of the cups and the brilliant packaging of the coffee beans.
Rating:
Summary: interesting, will capture your attention, want to learn?
Review: story of vision, perseverence, hard work and belief. howard's idea was pioneering. learn how he thought of growing a chain of high end stores. great read. you will appreciate your Fourbucks coffee even more after diggin these pages.
Rating:
Summary: Inspiring and Captivating!
Review: Whether you are a coffee lover or not, Pour Your Heart Into It, is captivating. It is the story about how one man's curiosity led him to uncover a passion that has driven him to excellence and affected millions. Howard Schultz, New York salesman was curious about a small company in Seattle that was selling more Hammarplast drip coffee makers than all the major department store accounts he serviced. The year was 1981. His curiosity led him to Seattle, where in one day he became hooked on great coffee and the Starbucks vision. This led him to working for and then ultimately purchasing the company, taking it from a coffee-bean only retail outlet in one city to a worldwide phenomena. This book, by Starbucks Chairman and CEO, Howard Schultz, is both interesting and inspiring. It is a story of vision, leadership and passion. It will have you looking at Starbucks in a whole new way.
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