Leading By Design: The Ikea Story
Average customer rating: 3 out of 5 stars
  • Misunderstood!
  • Nice Store, [bad] Story
  • Progress by Experiment According to Family Principles
  • A fascinating history of a unique man and his vision
Leading By Design: The Ikea Story
Ingvar Kamprad , and Bertil Torekull
Manufacturer: Collins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0066620384

Amazon.com

Leading by Design is really, of course, the story of Ingvar Kamprad, the Swedish furniture retailer who turned Ikea into a company that now has 41,000 workers at 150 stores in 30 countries who annually distribute 100 million catalogs and sell $6.25 billion in goods. And what a story it is. Based on extensive conversations with the subject, 100 additional interviews, and various documents both public and private, business journalist Bertil Torekull employs an unusual mixture of blunt first-person recollections and narrative overviews delivered with literary flair to peel away the intricacies of Kamprad's life. Along the way, Torekull reveals the creative forces that propelled Kamprad's distinctive entrepreneurial drive and fashioned a successful company. "Imagine one of the coldest little countries in the world. Think of the most barren part of that country. See in front of you a godforsaken place deep in the wild spruce forests," Torekull begins. "This book is about a man who grew up in that harsh environment, which was to mark his whole life and fundamentally color the philosophy with which he built his vast empire." Delving into a fascinating career that began taking shape at the unlikely age of 5, Torekull presents this tale in a way that entertains as well as educates. --Howard Rothman

Book Description

Based on exclusive interviews with the legendary founder of IKEA, Ingvar Kamprad, Leading by Design tells the inside story of Kamprad's humble roots and of the visionary concepts and innovative strategies that turned a small, Swedish mail-order company into a worldwide commercial giant.

When in 1943 at age seventeen Ingvar Kamprad founded IKEA, he had no way of knowing that IKEA would come to represent dedication to quality, a distinct design style, and convenience to the harried modern consumer. Today, more than 195 million people worldwide frequent his 150 stores in thirty countries, and almost 100 million catalogs are printed each year.

As the grandson of German immigrants who went to Sweden in search of a better life, Ingvar Kamprad grew up on a farm in a rural village. But he was no farmer. Early in his life, he discovered his natural affinity for business. From cigarette lighters and fish to Christmas cards and pens, young Ingvar devoted himself to importing and selling anything he thought he could make a profit on. Furniture was just one item in a long and fairly undistinguished list'until, in an effort to best his main competitor, he took a chance on an armless nursing chair he called Ruth. It quickly sold out. Adding a coffee table and then a sofa bed and then a chandelier, Kamprad was astonished by how quickly the merchandise moved.

The rest is business history. In Leading by Design, Bertil Torekull, a well-known Swedish journalist, reveals the genius and the secrets behind IKEA's extraordinary success. With candor and detail, he offers insights into Kamprad's cutting-edge management strategies, his enthusiasm to embrace innovative methods (such as producing ready-to-assemble merchandise and using a car door factory to produce affordable products with universal appeal), and the tools he used to grow the IKEA brand into a veritable industry unto itself.

More than a standard business history Leading by Design captures the essence of Kamprad himself. It is a testament to the inspiration, the ideas, and the innovations that make a good business great.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Misunderstood!.......2002-10-20

Really, this book describes the IKEA way really good. But after reading others people reviews of this book I can understand how hard it is for non-swedes to grasp the real lessons learned in this book. It doesnt make it better that the guy that wrote this book is a quite "boring dude".
The book is well written and researched, all the facts are true and THE MAN HIMSELF Ingvar KAmprad has had a finger with in this book.
AND INGVAR KAMRAD IS IKEA. You cant separate the founder of IKEA from the company itself. Yes, Ingvar has put his soul in to this company and it is this mans thoughts and actions that has made this company to what it is.

At first glanze this book is really boring. But if you give it time, let it melt in and try to see how it was in Sweden for 50 years ago: IF you can put the book in to context you really get a complete and a invaluable picture of THE IKEA WAY.

Without sounding to cooky I just wanna say that this book is right up there with the books about Nordstroms, Jack Welch and etc.

Really, buy this book if you wanna learn lean and mean business the IKEA way. The customers rule....this is the IKEA way...

So you think Jack Welch is better? Just wanna tell you that Ingvar Kamprad made the 50 riches people in the world list!!! THATS SOMETHING!!!

2 out of 5 stars Nice Store, [bad] Story.......2002-03-10

Who doesn't like IKEA? Too bad this book isn't as good as the store is. What's wrong? Certainly not the subject of the book, but rather, the writing is repetitive, monotonous, circular, and repetitive...egad...it's contagious!

Pass on THIS book and learn about IKEA and its very interesting challenges, history, strategy, and product line (and its founder) from better authors around the Internet.

2 out of 5 stars Progress by Experiment According to Family Principles.......2000-09-03

If you read many of my reviews, you already know that I seldom rate a book this low. I would normally not finish such a book, and not write a review. However, I felt that this book would attract a lot of readers who, like me, wanted to learn more about the lessons of IKEA's success. What I found instead is one of the most poorly constructed case histories of an interesting company that I can imagine.

The book claims to tell the IKEA story, but really focuses on writing a biography of Ingvar Kamprad, the company's founder. As a biography, the strength of the book is in describing the family and physical environment that were early influences on Kamprad. Past about the first 30 pages, the book doesn't add much. The most interesting parts of the biography come late in the book when Kamprad's early associations with a fascist group are detailed in the context of press reports exposed in the late 1990s. These should have been fully developed early in the book, rather than treated as a later discussion of how to handle bad publicity. Most good biographies teach you something that you need to know. When I was done with this one, I didn't feel like I had learned anything. There probably were lessons there to be drawn out, but the author did not succeed in helping me find them. That meant that I knocked the book down one star.

IKEA has been an interesting international success with an unusual formula. The book assumes a great personal knowledge of that formula. Yet there are very few of the IKEA stores in most countries, so many people who will read this book will lack the experience of knowing about what is being described. Originally written for the Swedish market, that lack of handling the perspective of what the store experience is like limits the book's ability to translate its lessons. I rated the book down one more star for insufficient background early in the book on the reasons why the business works and how it works today. These are dropped in occasionally, so many of them are there by the end. You would then have to read the book a second time to really understand the relevance of the points.

Next, the book attempts to describe the company's success. A lot of time is spent on this, but the author seems to lack the perspective to pick out what is important and what is not. Kamprod is a classic experimenter. If something works well, he does a lot more of it. After a while that pattern becomes something he will not vary from. Since he was not a systemmatic experimenter, it meant that many developments were delayed. On the other hand, he always made it a place where people liked to work so he had someplace to stand on for continuity as the experiments continued. Without the necessary perspective, this is a little like reading 30 annual reports. Unless you have lots of management background, you will have trouble seeing what the important management lessons are in this book.

Basically, Kamprod is an advocate of low-priced distribution of low-cost, mass-produced goods based on high quality designs. His personal values are those of family and treating people with hospitality (like an honored guest). Having started his business from the family farm in Sweden with family and neighbors having been the first customers and employees, you can see the influences quite easily. What is unusual is that his business model developed earlier than that of other furniture merchants. It was reasonably complete by 1960. Only in the last ten years have we seen a reasonably similar store experience in the Boston area.

The best part of the book is that it contains lots of first-person stories from Kamprad. As such, this book will be a valuable source for the first person to write a good book about IKEA as a management case history. I hope that book will soon be written. There must be important insights to be gained about how IKEA developed its business model so many years ahead of others, but I could not figure out what those insights were.

In the meantime, unless you have a compulsive interest in learning more about IKEA today, skip this book.

4 out of 5 stars A fascinating history of a unique man and his vision.......1999-09-20

Leading by Design has been well researched and covers not just to good times, but also the major challenges faced by Ingvar Kamprad while building IKEA. The interesting conflicts of satisfaction at a job well done and insecurity about choices and the future is a well developed theme. The conclusion I draw is that this is a unique man and his successful company that could only have started in Sweden with it's own interesting social mix.
Leading By Design: The Ikea Story
Average customer rating: Not rated
    Leading By Design: The Ikea Story
    Ingvar; Torekull, Bertil Kamprad
    Manufacturer: Collins
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Paperback
    ASIN: B000OFDV9S

    Gretzky's Game (Hockey Heroes Series)
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • Book-Gretsky's Game
    Gretzky's Game (Hockey Heroes Series)
    Mike Leonetti
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    NonfictionNonfiction | Hockey | Sports | Sports & Activities | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
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    Part of The Hockey Heroes series, Gretzky’s Game tells the story of a young boy who loves to play hockey. Because he’s small for his age, he’s always getting pushed around by the other players. However, he’s determined to make the team — even though it means a lot of extra practice just to pass the tryout. Throughout the long hours at the rink, the thrilling exploits of his hero, Wayne Gretzky, who is leading the Edmonton Oilers to their first-ever Stanley Cup, inspire him to keep trying. Hockey’s golden age is recalled in vivid detail in this tale of hard work, determination, and the importance of holding on to one’s dreams.

    Customer Reviews:

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    This book is a winner for little boys with big hockey dreams. My son enjoyed the story, along with the historical information on the back page.
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    Peter Maloney and Felicia Zekauskas really did win a Gretzky hockey stick at an auction, and The Great One subsequently did go into a slump. The authors have turned their adventure into THE book for young sports fans, with clever rhyming verse, witty pictures, and a heartfelt theme about what it means to give. They will donate a percentage of proceeds from this book to the New York Presbyterian Hearst Burn Center for Pediatric Burn Care, which held the original auction.

    American Bookseller made the duo's first book, Redbird at Rockefeller Center, a fall 1997 Pick of the Lists, and called it "reminiscent of Dr. Seuss classics." With The Magic Hockey Stick, they've done it again!

    Customer Reviews:

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    5 out of 5 stars The Magic Hockey Stick.......2007-04-03

    Once again, you have sent a book that will also become my grandson's favorite reading. It is a pleasure ordering books through this website.
    Jan

    5 out of 5 stars The Magic Hockey Stick.......2007-03-09

    Recommended to us by the PR staff at the Carolina Hurricanes and we love it!

    5 out of 5 stars For the ultimate child hockey fan.......2007-01-09

    This book is fun to read, cute artwork, with a lesson for all. My son enjoyed it very much and read it to his class for this birthday. Easy to read, fun to dream, easy for kids to connect.

    5 out of 5 stars My Little Hockey Junkies Love This Book.......2006-03-11

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    Wayne Gretzky: The Making of the Great One
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    • If you love Gretzky, you'll love this book/ fantastic photos
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    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars If you love Gretzky, you'll love this book/ fantastic photos.......1999-09-08

    An easy to read and interesting account of Gretzky's career. He is truly a hero and this book really tries to capture his spirit. This book is appropriate for hockey lovers of all ages - I bought it for my 11 year old son and found myself enjoying it immensely. The photos are fantastic and there are many of them. This book is great for any hockey player or coach and ours is kept on our coffee table.
    Wayne Gretzky: Hockey Player (Ferguson Career Biographies)
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      Wayne Gretzky: Hockey Player (Ferguson Career Biographies)
      Michael Benson
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      • The Great One: Life and Times of Wayne Gretzky
      The Great One : The Life and Times of Wayne Gretzky
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      Manufacturer: Triumph Books
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      Book Description

      One of this century's greatest athletes, Wayne Gretzky, The Great One, never failed to enthrall hockey fans with his incredible talent and skill.

      It was with bittersweet sadness that the hockey world accepted the retirement of its most beloved player after the 1998-99 season. For the past twenty years, Wayne Gretzky above all has epitomized the toughness, power, and excitement of hockey. A class act, admired by teammates and foes alike, holder of numerous records, and always a consummate sportsman, Gretzky simply defines the game of hockey.

      Including more than 120 extraordinary black and white and color photographs, The Great One celebrates Gretzky, from his early days as Brantford, Ontario's whiz kid, all the way to his Stanley Cup glories. The Great One includes a compilation of number ninety-nine's records of achievement and game-by-game statistics for his two decades of excellence.

      Expertly written and researched by hockey historian Andrew Podnieks, the book also includes rare interviews, anecdotes, and little-known facts about Gretzky.

      With Wayne Gretzky's retirement, hockey fans everyone mourned the passing of an era. But Gretzky's words and achievements live on in The Great One. There is no better way to remember the career of hockey's most superb and charismatic player.

      ANDREW PODNIEKS is the author of many books on hockey, including The Blue and White Book, Portraits of the Game, and Shooting Stars. A hockey historian, photographer, and former creative writing teacher, Andrew lives in Toronto.

      Customer Reviews:

      3 out of 5 stars [Out of Four stars] Wayne accomplished more than Andrew expresses but still a good read on the 'Great One'.......2007-04-27

      Wayne Gretzky obviously is the greatest Hockey
      player ever (and Mike Modano is the best we
      Amre-I-cans have produced, so far). Though
      this book is more show than tell, it still
      is a worthy tribute to Gretz. There are others
      better though.

      1 out of 5 stars Not this time Wayne.......2005-02-26

      I admire everything about Wayne Gretzky and everything he has done. But i also think Andrew did a poor job reflecting how much wayne gretzky has really accomplished. He is not just a great player , he is a great person. The book lacked certain detail and as the other reviewer said. It probably is only meant for a 3rd grade level =)

      5 out of 5 stars The Great One: Life and Times of Wayne Gretzky.......2000-05-16

      I bought this book for my 3rd grade son to write a paper with, and found myself completly engaged in it. For someone who didn't know much about "The Great One", I am now as big a fan as my son! Tells a lot about his younger years and doesn't just focus on the goals. AWESOME
      On the Ice With Wayne Gretzky (Matt Christopher Sports Biographies)
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      Customer Reviews:

      5 out of 5 stars da bomb" gretzky".......2000-03-17

      I thought this book was sweet.I liked it because it told me about his life and how he would play hockey with kids twice his age and still get goals.It said how he would win Stanley Cups and Art Ross trophys(a highest goal scorer of the year).Ialso liked it because it wasn't very long.

      5 out of 5 stars Thie was a great book about the greatest player in hockey!.......1999-03-13

      This book was very good. It told about Wayne Gretzkys life, his stats and how great he really was. Thats why his nick name is the Great One. He set more than 61 records and has set untouchable ones. This is one of the best sport books ever made.

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      Walter Gretzky: On Family, Hockey and Healing
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        Walter Gretzky: On Family, Hockey and Healing
        Walter Gretzky
        Manufacturer: Random House Canada
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Hardcover

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        ASIN: 0679311149
        Release Date: 2001-10-23

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        The inspiring story of an ordinary man who, from humble beginnings and against the odds of a devastating illness, has led—is leading—an extraordinary life.

        To many people, Walter Gretzky is the ultimate dad, the father of the Great One, Wayne Gretzky, and the first inspired coach to a talented young boy. Walter’s major insight into hockey—that a player should “go where the puck is going”—guided Wayne’s brilliant style, and Wayne himself has said about his talent: “It’s God-given. It’s Wally-given.” It’s safe to say that no other famous hockey player’s father is held in such high esteem, and that Walter Gretzky has carved out this singular niche in his own right.

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        Jean Beliveau: My Life in Hockey
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          Jean Beliveau , Chris Goyens , and Allan Turowetz
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          Wayne Gretzky , and Rick Reilly
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          2. For the Love of Hockey: Hockey Stars' Personal Stories For the Love of Hockey: Hockey Stars' Personal Stories
          3. Messier Messier
          4. Wayne Gretzky: The Making of the Great One Wayne Gretzky: The Making of the Great One
          5. They Don't Play Hockey in Heaven: A Dream, A Team, and My Comeback Season They Don't Play Hockey in Heaven: A Dream, A Team, and My Comeback Season

          ASIN: 0061099309

          Customer Reviews:

          4 out of 5 stars GREATEST AUTOBIOGRAPHY EVER!.......2006-05-12

          I really liked this book, part of the reason for me liking it is that i like hockey a lot and i am a hockey fan. It was cool to learn about some of the history of one of the greatest players ever. the best part about this book was when wayne wrote about his childhood and his roots as a hockey player, it was also good when he talked about his carrer with the edmonton oilers and his four stanley cup championships and all of the art ross trophys and hart tropheys he won for all the years he was an MVP and leading scorer. However i thought that i got very boring towards the end of the book when he started talking about his marriage and his friends and other hockey players. But i liked the book and i learned a lot about hockey and the history of great players

          4 out of 5 stars Good Book.......2006-03-03

          Rick Reilly's autobiography on Wayne Gretzky is a life long story about the Gretzky family and Wayne's career. Gretzky tells about his life growing up, his career with the Edmonton Oilers, and how he captained them to four Stanley Cups. His disappointing trade to the Los Angeles Kings, the "deal of the century" for $15 million is also described. Reilly talks about Gretzky's records, the all-time NHL point scorer and assist maker.
          The negatives about this book are if you do not like hockey or Wayne Gretzky you probably wont like it. I liked how Rick Reilly wrote about the first Stanley Cup. He had great detail and it really got me into the book. Gretzky handles a hockey stick and puck unlike anyone in the history of the game. This book was very interesting to me, but kind of boring when he talks about all of his friends and other hockey players. I would probably buy this book if I had never read it.

          5 out of 5 stars My Favorite Autobiography of All Time.......2005-12-03

          What I enjoyed the most about this book was the character of Wayne Gretzky. I think that he is very diplomatic and has an inborn sense of fairness and his story of betrayal and how he acknowledged the good things he acquired from the person shows his true character. He is very honest about life and his ability to balance the good and the bad things in life was truly amazing to me. Even if you aren't a hockey fan this book is a must read. If you have a teenager I would highly recommend this reading as it is based on the reality of a man who was born with a gift that he used but does not deny the sacrifices that he had to make to get there. In these times it is critical for youth to understand integrity counts and this is truly a man of integrity. It covers family and devotion to family for which he clearly explains if it hadn't been for the sacrifices of his father he could have never achieved his goal. Last, I also admire his stating how parents should not force a child into such a career, it must be in their heart for them to do it and he is very honest and forthright in a matter of what lies ahead should any child pursue such a career as this.

          5 out of 5 stars a GREATzky book.......2005-05-24

          i started to read this book for a school project. i chose to do it on wayne gretzkym since i love hockey, i mean it is like my life, but there were so many gretzky books to choose from, so i chose to read the autobiography, i'm glad i chose this book, it is just about the best book i have ever read, it has a lot of good information and by reading this book i learned a lot of new information that you could only find out if you knew wayne gretzky personally. he opens it up and gives you a good insight on what it was like playing professional at such a young age. not only is the book filled with facts and excellent photos, but you also have a sense of his feelings from reading the book, it takes you back in time and i would definitely recommend this book to anybody

          1 out of 5 stars He's not Whine Bratzky for nothin'!.......2002-12-31

          In an Sports Illustrated tribute issue on Gretzky, Rick Reilly claimed that getting him to talk about himself was like pulling teeth. Well, if that's the case, Gretzky must be wearing dentures!

          He imagines the kids who played with and against him growing up hated him because of his God-given talent. He takes a perverse pride in impregnating his wife 4 months before their wedding. He resentfully informs us that if a family member or friend wants to go to a game, the player has to buy the ticket. He gratingly talks about himself in the third person. Yet, his egomania is almost understandable, though not inexcusable. In an amazingly frank 1990 interview with the L.A. Times, he revealed how Walter Gretzky got his jollies toying with his boy's psyche and pushing him unforgivingly to make it beyond the 3rd line of his pee-wee team (the apex of Gretzky pere's career).

          He slams everyone from his houseboy (for not being a coffee expert even though he comes from Columbia) to a woman at a newsstand (for demanding he pay for an issue of Time he was on the cover of). But he saves most of his bile for Peter Pocklington. True, he would've become a mega-star anyway, but Pocklington came along at a time when the NHL wouldn't touch him due to his age; for that alone, Gretzky should be thankful. Promblem is, he doesn't know the meaning of the word...I don't know what bothers me more, how he paints himself as the hapless victim of The Trade (he wasn't) or the smirk on his face on the cover. If Gretzky proves anything, it's that he's petty, emotionally immature, at times, a real jerk, and even something of a bigot ...anything but the "class act" the media - and himself - believes he is.
          Wayne Gretzky: Hockey Great (Achievers)
          Average customer rating: 3 out of 5 stars
          • Wayne Gretzky
          Wayne Gretzky: Hockey Great (Achievers)
          Thomas R. Raber
          Manufacturer: LernerSports
          ProductGroup: Book
          Binding: Paperback

          Sports & RecreationSports & Recreation | Biographies | People & Places | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
          CanadianCanadian | Biographies | People & Places | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
          NonfictionNonfiction | Hockey | Sports | Sports & Activities | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
          Sports AchieversSports Achievers | Sports | Series | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
          GeneralGeneral | Baby-3 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
          HockeyHockey | Biographies | Sports | Subjects | Books
          ASIN: 0822598485

          Book Description

          After nearly two decades in the NHL, Wayne Gretzky continues to hold most of the league's major scoring records. In fact, he holds more NHL records than any other player. Growing up in Ontario, Wayne started playing hockey when he was only four, on an ice rink his father built in their backyard. He went on to become known as "the Great One," playing in 18 All-Star games, named MVP nine times, and ranked as the league's leading scorer 10 times. This completely revised and updated biography follows Wayne's exciting career, from his four Stanley Cups with the Edmonton Oilers to his achievements with the New York Rangers, and retirement from Hockey.

          Customer Reviews:

          3 out of 5 stars Wayne Gretzky.......2000-11-03

          I'm writing about the book I read in Social Studies. This book was farly good. This book talked about Wayne's life. It said that when he was a little kid he moved to Toronto to get away from all the paretens who's kids were mad that he was always scoring. At a young age Wayne played hockey with his grandmother. Wayne was also great as a young boy. Wayne was 18 years old when he started to play hockey in the NHL. Wayne has 40 Reular season records. Wayne played for 4 different teams. Wayne Gretzky is the greats or one of the greats. I think that if you like sports you should read this book.

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