Rating: 
Summary: Every Self Employed Person Should Read This Book!!
Review: Although it is written from a Biblical perspective, EVERY self employed person needs to read this book. It is packed with common sense business principles which, in this world-gone-mad with secular humanism, most of us have lost sight of. It doesn't matter what your faith is... even an athiest would greatly benefit from the business principles taught in this book. It turned my little mom-and-pop business, and my life, around to the direction it should have taken in the first place.
Rating:
Summary: Great for causing you to think!
Review: As a christian I am thankful for God's guidance in all areas of my life through the Bible. Larry Burkett addresses areas of business that most christians "go with the flow" of what the world says is o.k. Integrity is hard to find in the workplace - even in business owned by christians. The testimonials in this book are thought provoking, inspiring as well as encouraging to do it God's way. As a small business steward (God owns it all) I am faced with opportunities to compromise God's will. Some days I don't do so good. It's great to know I'm not the only one struggling. It's even more encouraging to read of success - success the way God views success.Thank you and God bless.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: As a christian I am thankful for God's guidance in all areas of my life through the Bible. Larry Burkett addresses areas of business that most christians "go with the flow" of what the world says is o.k. Integrity is hard to find in the workplace - even in business owned by christians. The testimonials in this book are thought provoking, inspiring as well as encouraging to do it God's way. As a small business steward (God owns it all) I am faced with opportunities to compromise God's will. Some days I don't do so good. It's great to know I'm not the only one struggling. It's even more encouraging to read of success - success the way God views success. Thank you and God bless.
Rating:
Summary: Great for causing you to think!
Review: As someone who is considering starting a business, it is great to consider contrary ways to what is shown as the "everybody does it" ways of stretching out vendors, and focusing on Integrity. I HIGHLY recommend this for anyone considering starting a business.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Practical Advice for the Business Person
Review: Business By the Book is an excellent reference not only for the self-employed, but anyone engaged in business.
The book is divided into 3 main sections: Conducting Business by the Bible, Critical Policy Decisions, and Your Business and Your Life.
Some of the more helpful chapters for me were:
1. Personal Lifestyle Goals.
2. Biblical Business Goals.
3. Your Business and Your Spouse.
4. Hiring and Firing Decisions.
5. Management Selection Decisions.
6. Business Tithing.
7. Retirement.
8. Implementing God's Plan.
Whether self-employed, a manager, church or ministry staff person, or engaged in business, you will benefit from Burkett's sound biblical wisdom.
Highly recommended!
Rating:
Summary: Every Self Employed Person Should Read This Book!!
Review: I read an earlier version 10 years ago and tried many of the concepts. They were straight forward and easy to understand. I just read the latest version and it stands the test of time.
Rating:
Summary: Tested over Time
Review: I read an earlier version 10 years ago and tried many of the concepts. They were straight forward and easy to understand. I just read the latest version and it stands the test of time.
Rating:
Summary: Incorporating Godly Principles into "YOUR" business
Review: I would recommend this book to business owners who seek to run their business by God's principles. There are several chapters covering, hiring, firing, suing, and probably most importantly tithing. Not being a business owner however, I must admit it wasn't what I was looking for. If you're looking for a book on balancing your work and life while keeping God's will first- this isn't it. Nonetheless, it was a well written book; I'm interested in reading other books by this author.
Rating:
Summary: Incorporating Godly Principles into "YOUR" business
Review: I would recommend this book to business owners who seek to run their business by God's principles. There are several chapters covering, hiring, firing, suing, and probably most importantly tithing. Not being a business owner however, I must admit it wasn't what I was looking for. If you're looking for a book on balancing your work and life while keeping God's will first- this isn't it. Nonetheless, it was a well written book; I'm interested in reading other books by this author.
Rating: 
Summary: Good yet with reservations.
Review: The book covers many subjects one needs to think about as a Christian in business. It gives advice based on many many actual experiences that he's encountered while counseling including hiring, firing, and many tough convoluted business situations. For many people needing an orientation to general business and the moral dilemmas one faces these are quite fascinating. Just reading them may help you stay out of some real bad business situations and get a feel for what can go wrong. Much of his advice is buried in paragraphs rather than bold lettered or otherwise separated to make it absolutely clear. I do the best I can extracting a small bit of it below that I found somewhat extreme. Overall an interesting read that people fully knowledgeable of the bible and life will find themselves arguing with occasionally. I respectfully question from the 1998 edition:
* Says to tithe from Gross Income (aka income before taxes page 237). Apparently suggests the business should tithe as well as the individual and from Gross "before tax" income. Suggests this in spite of the fact that the individual is already tithing from personal income which includes on stock dividend income which of course means that the business is tithing via the stock owner tithing on the dividends. If no dividends are paid then the tax and tithe are due upon sale since no income is realized until sale. He plainly does not understand or sidesteps the concept of double taxation and income realization of owners though judging from his writing tone I bet he would argue bitterly saying that he does understand this. See for yourself on page 238 and all the rest of Chapter 19. In the bible the Jewish government allowed paying tithe as first fruits but our non-Christian government does not so how can we realistically disobey this?
* Suggests the twentieth century tithe is the same as old testament tithe under a biblical government. Problem is the tithe was paid to Mekezdek (spelling?) a priest-&-king and to the old testament church only when the church was acting as the church-&-government yet he says the tithe should not be adjusted in amount today when the church is no longer the government (page 234). Ludicrous.
* Says "If you aren't willing to perform what you vow (promise to do), even at the cost (of loosing) all your material assets, then you have...a spiritual problem (p. 81). So what if you make an honest mistake? Is it to everyone's benefit and does it make God happy that you loose everything trying to pay back what you can't?
* Asserts that Paul's suggestion of women as assistants to men (as Genesis also says) only applies within the church or in some family situations and maybe not in all. He worms around this issue enough to satisfy everyone and as we know you can't satisfy everyone and the bible on this issue. From a practical standpoint he really sets the bible's overall direction to the side on this issue even though underneath it all he may be more conservative than he lets on. Read the book to see for yourself (pages 119, 156).
* The bible translation used isn't named anywhere that I can find and this matters in these days of so many translations and when the translating teams contain many non-Christians who have declared an agenda to change the bible from its original intentions and evolve it to something different to their liking.
* May have confused the suing Christians issue since tells a story of a person not counter suing a person that has proved he is not really a Christian by his constant lying. Certainly you could sue a slanderous stealing non-Christian couldn't you? See page 208. He apparently sees the use of the courts as only a defense to clear their name if the other person waves the "I'm a Christian flag". Again ludicrous, as it is suggested as admirable that a certain business man allows the loss of about $200,000 to avoid suing a previous business associate that was obviously faking Christianity. What happened to treating someone who refuses the counsel of multiple Christians as though that person was a non-Christian (Mathew 18:15 to 18:17)?
Conclusion: Worth reading for those entering business for its story telling style of business situations and problems that one can fall into. The book gives much good advice and should be applauded for tackling tough issues. Deserves a 3 to 5 rating depending on weather you expect the author to be right about everything; this reader did not consider him to be.
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