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  • Am I Being Too Subtle?

  • The Adventures of a Business Maverick
  • By: Sam Zell
  • Narrated by: Sam Zell
  • Length: 8 hrs and 57 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (140 ratings)
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Am I Being Too Subtle?

By: Sam Zell
Narrated by: Sam Zell
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Summary

The traits that make Sam Zell one of the world's most successful entrepreneurs also make him one of the most surprising, enigmatic, and entertaining mavericks in American business.

Self-made billionaire Sam Zell consistently sees what others don't. From finding a market for overpriced Playboy magazines among his junior high classmates, to buying real estate on the cheap after a market crash, to investing in often unglamorous industries with long-term value, Zell acts boldly on supply and demand trends to grab the first-mover advantage. And he can find opportunity virtually anywhere - from an arcane piece of legislation to a desert meeting in Abu Dhabi.

"If everyone is going left, look right," Zell often says. To him, conventional wisdom is nothing but a reference point. Year after year, deal after deal, he shuts out the noise of the crowd, gathers as much information as possible, then trusts his own instincts. He credits much of his independent thinking to his parents, who were Jewish refugees from World War II.

Talk to any two people and you might get wild swings in their descriptions of Zell. A media firestorm ensued when the Tribune Company went into bankruptcy a year after he agreed to steward the enterprise. At the same time, his razor-sharp instincts are legendary on Wall Street, and he has sponsored over a dozen IPOs. He's known as the Grave Dancer for his strategy of targeting troubled assets, yet he's created thousands of jobs. Within his own organization, he has an inordinate number of employees at every level who are fiercely loyal and have worked for him for decades.

Zell's got a big personality; he is often contrarian, blunt, and irreverent, and always curious and hardworking. This is the guy who started wearing jeans to work in the 1960s, when offices were a sea of gray suits. He's the guy who told The Wall Street Journal in 1985, "If it ain't fun, we don't do it." He rides motorcycles with his friends, the Zell's Angels, around the world and he keeps ducks on the deck outside his office.

As he writes: "I simply don't buy into many of the made-up rules of social convention. The bottom line is: If you're really good at what you do, you have the freedom to be who you really are."

Am I Being Too Subtle? - a reference to Zell's favorite way to underscore a point - takes listeners on a ride across his business terrain, sharing with honesty and humor stories of the times he got it right, when he didn't, and most important, what he learned in the process.

This is an indispensable guide for the next generation of disrupters, entrepreneurs, and investors.

©2017 Sam Zell (P)2017 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"The notoriously blunt businessman shares the ups and downs of his career and the lessons he’s learned in business - with just a little profanity - in a new book, Am I Being Too Subtle?" (The Wall Street Journal)

"Here we have the real Sam Zell: one of our nation’s most interesting, provocative, and successful practitioners of business and life. He’s a wise man who hates fuzzy thinking. He is a biker, wearer of leathers and jeans and boots and his signature quirky beard. He points his skis straight downhill. You know, all the usual things that the few really smart (but not too smart for their own good) business people do." (Steve Roth, chairman and CEO of Vornado Realty Trust)

"A highly readable and revealingly personal book filled with unique insights and unvarnished straight talk about business, people - their quirks and potentials - and about life itself." (The Huffington Post)

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What listeners say about Am I Being Too Subtle?

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  • FJ
  • 26-04-23

Great content, slightly monotonous reading

you can find yourself learning a lot from a man that actually made it to the top coming from very little.

the reading, though, is a bit monotonous and I found myself rewinding a lot, because I kept drifting..

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Brilliant

There’s everything to like. Compares to Jim Rogers a gift to my children! Thank you Sam Zell!

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Fascinating story and lessons learned!

I am grateful that Sam Zell decided to share his thoughts, lessons learned, principles he uses in decision making and also a remarkable story of his family that put things in perspective. It’s worth listen I enjoyed it and will like listen again in the future,

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This is one of the greatest business books out there

I’m so grateful to have come across this book. Sam is a masterful story teller and business titan. A titan though who rides motorcycles, hates wearing suits and fosters ducks in the office!!!! The man is a living legend.
Can not recommend this book enough.

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One of the best books I have ever read

I would recommend this book! It’s worth reading. Sam has a great way of simplifying things. My biggest take from the book was about risk and how Sam Zell assesses it! Keep your downside limited and know your risk!

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    4 out of 5 stars

Enjoyable listen, lacking any depth of detail

An interesting biography of a great brain and eye to spot an opportunity. Sam Zell shows the benefits of a 'can do' attitude, the importance of understanding the mindset of the other side and how first mover advantage can bring massive gains.

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Fascinating story.

Interesting read/listen about a man who was involved in business at incredible levels. Inspiring but also full of ideas to implement into your business life.

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Truly inspirational.

As a successful fellow entrepreneur the fundamentals you preach will stay constant for eternity. I listened to the whole book in 2 days.
What a wonderful humbling story from beginning to end. Thank you for sharing it with the world. Lord William Haughey.

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A business genius

I’d never heard of Sam until I saw an interview he gave on Bloomberg. He was very improbably dressed for a rich man was my first impression. The interview clearly showed his intellect when it came to business matters and his very deep knowledge. I then heard some of his other broadcasts on YouTube and I became a fan. This book has reinforced my opinion of him as being a business genius and I don’t say this lightly. A must read for anyone aspiring to be successful in business. Full of very deep insights that anyone can apply in their own business life.

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Great book

I usually choose books that have some bad reviews. I don't think there's a perfect book send that one book has everything. this is an insight into one man's life and his thinking. I liked it but I did find it hard to focus in the beginning because of the hoarse voice. However, the message is much more important then the clarity of the voice and Zell has a lot to share of how he sees things and what matters to him.

Sidenote
I like that he build "the bridge" while others were trying to build the wall.

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