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Review: You Call The Shots by Cameron Johnson
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When you start the book, you might be tempted to think that You Call The Shots will be just one big lovefest about Cameron Johnson, how awesome he is, how enterprising he was, and how just gosh darn great it was that a young guy like him was able to do so much. In fact, the beginning of the book goes pretty heavy on the credentials, which is a fair way to start a book if you think that you’re going to learn all the great business ideas from someone in their early twenties, but I see the value of the book elsewhere.
You Call The Shots breaks down your traditional thinking about working, earning a living, and making money by taking you along a journey started by a kid who didn’t know he wasn’t supposed to be successful starting businesses online. Cameron Johnson isn’t some child prodigy who was given a head start either, he started as a kid not willing to fit what society thinks children should do, and he just did whatever he wanted – and it worked. He became a sales manager at his family Ford dealership through hard work, not nepotism (in fact, he said that being the son of the owner probably made his ascension much harder, which is probably right), and he started multiple businesses just because he had an idea and the moxie to execute.
Sure, the book offers 19 secrets to entrepreneurship (and they are excellent secrets framed with even better anecdotal recounts) and it follows the wild ride that was and is Cameron Johnson’s life, but the value is really in that it shows what happens when you’re willing to ignore what other people think you should be doing and doing that which you love.
I really enjoyed reading this book and it’s one of the few books that I’ve reviewed where I’ve read it from cover to cover, in part because I identify with him and his personality and also because I’m a sucker for these anecdotal books. If you are the enterprising, entrepreneurial type, I strongly recommend picking this book up and reading it (and to date, I don’t think I’ve given as strong a recommendation for any book I’ve reviewed).
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any chance you’ll toss me a free copy? hehe ^_^
There are actually a few giveaways in the pipeline, I’m currently in China so those types of things will have to wait until I return. Just to whet your appetite a little, I’ll be giving away copies of this book, five USB keys, and perhaps some bigger ticket goodies in the near future.
hey wow you’re on the spot that you never really had a book review where you said, “go and read this book.”
hate to admit it but I judge the book by its cover and passed on it. will go grab it at the library now.
I’m a fan of anecdotal books and this one resonated me because this blog is an online venture of sorts (on a smaller scale than Cameron’s stuff)… it’s fun.