Who Owns the Ice House? Eight Life Lessons From an Unlikely Entrepreneur

I bought this book after I had spoken to one of the authors, Gary Schoenberg. His description of the book intrigued me. I was not disappointed. An easy read, and it laid out the author's road map to successful entrepreneurship. But even more compelling was the story of Clifton Taulbert, the co-author, who learned many life lessons from his Uncle Cleve, which guided him to many successes in own life.I then gave the book to my son, who owns several businesses, to read. This is his comment to me once he finished it: "I finished that book so the next time I see you I’ll give it back to you. Thanks for lending it. It was a great book. I saw many similarities in my mindset actually. Definitely less disciplined then uncle Cleve obviously though. LOL."I highly recommend this book, and feel that it should be required reading in every high school in the country. Definitely teaches that no matter what your challenges in life, they can all be overcome if you put your mind to it.

I bought this book for an upcoming class that I am taking on entrepreneurship. I started reading it already and I have been enjoying the story line. It is a great story about an elderly colored man in the south that has all the essentials of what it takes to be a good business owner. He didn't have much formal schooling but was able to read quite well and he an an appetite for knowledge. He read books and taught himself how to do many things, and he became an accomplished business man respected by all. The story is told through his young nephew, who he takes on as sort of an apprentice. Very easy, enjoyable reading!

When I can't put a book down, that's when I know I love it; the book wins over all else -- the TV, the football game, the Facebook -- everything is put off until the book is read in its entirety.This was one of those books.As an author myself of an entrepreneurial/finance book (The Millionaire Fastlane) I am often asked and approached, what entrepreneur books do I recommend? Sadly, my list is few because most entrepreneur books are written by authors first, entrepreneurs second. Most entrepreneur books are simply full of "feel-good" self-important BS platitudes that do nothing but promote a false reality of entrepreneurship and what it takes to succeed in entrepreneurship.Who Owns the Ice House puts all the critical "success" factors into perspective, and tells it from a gripping perspective that shows you, if Clifton can do it, there's no way in hell you shouldn't be to do it!Unfortunately, as I read the book I became acutely aware that it probably wouldn't sell a lot of books simply because the content is NOT what people want to hear: The cold-hard truth behind what it takes to succeed in entrepreneurship is a firm commitment to your customer and hard work (NOT 4-hour work weeks, NOT outsourcing, NOT "do what you love", NOT "follow your passion"). Solve needs. Fix problems. Always put the customer first. Your personal motivations in the entrepreneurial transaction become irrelevant and the story of Clifton Talbert shows the positive result of that commitment. Nowadays, books like this (ones that hit the nail on the head) are passed over for the stuff that people WANT to hear (You can make millions "following your passion" and working 10 hours a week from your basement! Blah Blah) ... don't pass on this book, I'm glad I didn't.

The power of this book is the narrative format. It tells a story about a minority child growing up in a poor community in Mississippi and what he learns by working for his Uncle Cleve. Uncle Cleve has become successful as an entrepreneur not because of advanced education or technology or brilliance but because of simple life lessons such as saving for the future, treating people with respect, being persistent, and making the right choices when opportunities arise. The book and its story will be inspirational to those who face challenges, particularly challenges that seem unfair. It also provides some basic guidance to the everyday entrepreneur who is not looking to be the next Apple Computer but rather to pursue a passion and build a reasonable lifestyle.I had a chance to meet Gary Schoeniger, who provides most of the narrative based on Taulbert's story. Gary has personally been very inspired by the story and its simple lessons, and he is passionate about helping others learn its message. This passion really comes through and adds a special quality to the book.It is not a how to book, but an inspirational message with valuable lessons that seem obvious but are rarely followed.

I enjoyed reading this book when I took the trainer course of the Entrepreneurial Mindset class offered by the Entrepreneur Learning Institute (elimindset dot com). Good stories. An easy read. Sad events. Triumph. Work habits. Well worth the read. I bought the book so I could pass on the same lessons to a friend.

This book has become a text book for some college classes in entrepreneurship. It is also featured prominently in the materials of such heavy-weight entrepreneurship organizations as the Kaufman Foundation.What is special about this book? It is about Uncle Cleve, an everyman in segregated Mississippi who refused to get on the truck which transported black laborers to the cotton fields. Instead, he bought an icehouse and delivered ice to both sides of the railroad tracks. And then he did much more. And Uncle Cleve became economically very successful against impossible odds. How he did it, his habits, his ways of thinking, how he related to other people and with whom he chose to associate, are all subjects of the book.Are you well-motivated but lack opportunity? This book is for you.Are you a young person looking for direction; maybe looking for work with no luck? This book is for you.I wrote very short summaries of each chapter and have them saved on my phone. I read them periodically in order to maintain focus--they are life-changers.

Whether you are planning to start a business or not, these 8 life lessons for developing an entrepreneurial mindset are pure gold.

I've read a lot books on entrepreneurship, but this book is my personal strong recommendation to all aspiring entrepreneurs.This book is all about Entrepreneurial Mindset and it will set you free from all the traditional beliefs of entrepreneurship & will help you discovered the hidden gems of the journey of entrepreneurs to break the status quo and instead of living the life as society wants them to live they dared to take the risk and live the life as they always desired.

"Who Owns the Ice House?" is much more than a book on entrepreneurship. It is a book about how the mindset and actions of the good & reliable stands out from the average. It is a series of stories that reflect the good old values of how one carries oneself in life.The wise way to approach life is not bound by time, location or circumstance. These ways are common among respected people in all walks of life. What authors did was a great job in organizing these them in easy-to-absorb stories that we can all incorporate into our own lives.Reading this book is like living out the internship with the successful and respected uncle we all wished we had. I am ordering extra copies for my dearest family & friends, and keeping copies for future generations. This one's a classic.

Tenía muchas expectativas de este libro. Escuché una conferencia de Gary Schoeniger y pensé que hablaría del resultados de sus investigaciones o desglosaría la historia en conceptos más profundos.Sin embargo, es una buena historia y consejos para un emprendedor que iniciará.

Una historia real muy inspiradora combinada con consejos prácticos muy poderosos que podemos aplicar a nuestra vida real. Imprescindible si eres emprendedor o te planteas seriamente convertirte en uno. Muy recomendable.