Book Review: Wise Guy by Guy Kawasaki

Wise Guy, Guy Kawasaki’s 15th book, is his most casual, leisurely, and personal of all. Not a memoir or autobiography, rather it’s a loosely constructed series of stories from his life, each teaching lessons and imparting wisdom. Having worked for both Steve Jobs in the early years of Apple, and Google, Guy certainly is a wise Guy!

As he says, “Always tell stories. Use them to illustrate your key points. Stories are ten times more powerful than bullshit adjectives.” With very few adjectives, Guy tells many touching, funny, even embarrassing and self-deprecating stories about his fascinating life. After each story, he shares the wisdom learned and the takeaways we can all apply to our own lives.

Unlike your average business book that fist pumps, shouts and cajoles you, Wise Guy is like a night in a bar with a good friend, enjoying a few beers as he entertains you with amusing tales of his travels through life. You feel like he’s talking to you–which is Guy’s great gift of being able to speak freely and easily, no pretension, no bullshit, as he says.   

One of life’s great lessons for all of us is that we need to enjoy every minute of life and never waste our time or talents. “There are plenty of people who are more talented than me,” says Guy. “And plenty of people who work harder than me, but very few who do both.”

As Guy advises, “Seek out and embrace people who challenge you. You will learn more from them than from the folks who hold you to lower standards.” I have always sought out Guy’s books because he challenges me and holds me to high standards. You can’t go wrong with the Wise Guy!