This book pertains particularly to the United States of America as it talks of the system that prevails there but which is now seen in every other country of the world.
The pilgrims from Europe were the first entrepreneurs in the history of the United States. To reach the new world, the pilgrims made agreements with London bankers for the money they required for their trip. Once the debt was paid off, the pilgrims became completely independent, requiring no outside influence for economic prosperity. As the first entrepreneurs, the pilgrims saw entrepreneurial success as freedom and independence.
Within the federalist era, another defining principle of an entrepreneur was one'scharacter, which was the ultimate judge of personal wealth. Because the dependency on others was high, entrepreneurs functioned as a part of small communities. Characteristics such as honesty, integrity and self-reliance were highly valued. People lived simple lives to serve the community. In today'ssociety, similar groups share this value and the intrinsic definition of success is recognition by the community and security in one'sfamily.
Building on these principles, entrepreneurs gave birth to the great American industrial power. Some famous entrepreneurs like Henry Ford, Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller started creating new enterprises and new gadgets to make life easy. These entrepreneurs had one characteristic in common ? the ability to dream and the drive to pursue that dream.
An important aspect of reading this book is to apply the knowledge to one'slife and work and undertake the exercise of self-discovery. The book has been written by the owner of multiple businesses as well as a well-known educator and researcher around the world.
(Macmillan India Ltd, 2/10 Ansari Road, Daryaganj, New Delhi-110 002.)
