Previously, we’ve discussed the important role that reading plays in developing your skill set (and value) as a business person. If you’re looking for an informative and educational business book that doesn’t read like the boring text books you remember from school, Pour Your Heart Into It by Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz may be just the ticket.
In Pour Your Heart Into It, Schultz tells the little known story of what Starbucks was like before the company’s meteoric rise. Schultz’s casual style of storytelling makes the tale of Starbucks' growth both entertaining and accessible while providing some excellent case models of the struggles the company faced early on.
It’s interesting to learn how a company that we so often think of as ubiquitous had to battle through the early days of start-up. It is humbling and inspiring to know that such a profitable and well-respected brand went through many of the same issues and struggles that new companies do today. Add into the mix the fact that many of us are frequent consumers of Starbucks products and reading this book is almost like reading about the childhood of a family friend.
Throughout the story Schultz focuses on the importance of passion and people, and shares many anecdotes about how Starbucks owes its growth to the ideas of its employees (or partners). Over the course of the book, you get to know several of the key characters in the Starbucks tale and each of their stories provides ideas and inspiration that you can easily transfer to your own work.
One word of warning: the book's time line ends in 1997, so while all of the stories are packed with lessons and interest, it does leave you wanting to learn more about the next amazing growth wave that Starbucks encountered. Perhaps a second volume will hit the shelves someday to give us all the double-shot that we’ve become so used to from Starbucks.
Overall the book is a quick, energizing read and well worth the time. The proceeds even go to charity, so it’s tough to come up with a reason not to put Pour Your Heart Into It onto your reading list.
