• Delivering Happiness

  • A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose
  • By: Tony Hsieh
  • Narrated by: Tony Hsieh
  • Length: 8 hrs and 17 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (8,106 ratings)

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Delivering Happiness  By  cover art

Delivering Happiness

By: Tony Hsieh
Narrated by: Tony Hsieh
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Editorial reviews

Tony Hsieh is a really nice guy. This is what makes him a very unusual CEO, which is what makes his company so interesting. It also makes him a writer who doesn't use much corporate lingo, and a terrifically casual reader of his own book on the growth and development of Zappos, his unique company. One part memoir, one part philosophy, one part corporate handbook, and all silly optimism, Delivering Happiness will appeal to a surprisingly wide audience.

Hsieh begins with his business history, which adequately conveys his wackiness. First, there was the worm farm in elementary school. All the worms escaped, and he lost money. Then there was the mail order button business in middle school, so successful that he passed it along to his younger brothers in succession. In high school, he learned a bunch about programming, thereby combining his instincts with an appropriate knowledge base. He laughs out loud at his own computer club lunchtime antics, and so will you. Then there was the pizza business in his dorm at Harvard, where Hsieh found innovative ways not to attend any classes, and a high-paying corporate gig after graduation where he once again did as little as possible.

This is a man who likes to take business risks, and as he explains how he made decisions that caused him to grow from slacker into a Red Bull-pounding, 24-hour working machine, you'll be amazed that it sounds like he's smiling the entire time. From his first major start-up, which was subsequently sold to Microsoft, to his repeated close calls where Zappos almost went under before it was eventually bought out by Amazon, this true story of one man's corporate odyssey will leave you believing that anything really is possible. It will also at least make you want to shop at Zappos, if it doesn't make you want to move to as Vegas to work there.

Shot through with brief guest-narrations using the actual participants relevant to Hsieh's fast-paced world of entrepreneurship, there are a wealth of memos, emails, and testimonials that all serve as evidence to his weird intellect. And if you played a drinking game where you drank a shot every time Hsieh mentions having a drink, you'd be drunk before the book is half finished. From the tone of his voice to the story he tells, this is clearly a guy who needs his work to be fun and challenging. Just as Zappos has done, Hsieh's book casually fires the opening volley in a new era of corporate culture and management.

This eye-opening treatise on how to be happy at work has the added bonus of an hour-long conversation between Tony Hsieh and Warren Bennis, who has been universally considered one of the most significant leadership gurus for the past 40 years. Much of what Hsieh says is a more concise version of what he says in the book, though insights from the aging but still hilariously astute Bennis do offer something extra exciting. They discuss happiness in a way that is useful to all people, not just corporations. Megan Volpert

Publisher's summary

In this, his first audiobook, Tony Hsieh - the widely admired CEO of Zappos, the online shoe retailer - explains how he created a unique culture and commitment to service that aims to improve the lives of employees, customers, vendors, and backers. Using anecdotes and stories from his own life experiences, and from other companies, Hsieh provides concrete ways that companies can achieve unprecedented success. Even better, he shows how creating happiness and record results go hand-in-hand.

He starts with the "Why" in a section where he narrates his quest to understand the science of happiness. Then he runs through the ten Zappos "Core Values" - such as "Deliver WOW through Service", "Create Fun and A Little Weirdness", and "Build a Positive Team and Family Spirit" - and explains how you and your colleagues should come up with your own.

Hsieh then details many of the unique practices at Zappos that have made it the success it is today, such as their philosphy of allocating marketing money into the customer experience, thereby allowing repeat customers and word-of-mouth be their true form of marketing. He also explains why Zappos's number-one priority is company culture and his belief that once you get the culture right, everything else - great customer service, long-term branding - will happen on its own.

Finally, Delivering Happiness explains how Zappos employees actually apply the Core Values to improving their lives outside of work - and to making a difference in their communities and the world.

©2010 Tony Hsieh (P)2010 Hachette

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Even the most successful entrepreneurs had to start somewhere. When it comes to groundbreaking technology, the people who became leading business executives often began as lone visionaries with nothing but an idea. Now that they’re global industry leaders, many of them have shared their amazing stories in memoirs. These tales of heartbreak and triumph will bring you along on the roller-coaster of success, all the while showing you the secrets of how business greats transformed their dreams into reality. Read on to find your next great inspiration!

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Awesome! Tells the True Key To Great Business.

Would you listen to Delivering Happiness again? Why?

Yes because the story he tells should be the basis of any business that is trying to grow and thrive.

What other book might you compare Delivering Happiness to and why?

Not comparable. It's in its own category!

What does Tony Hsieh bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He has this quirkyness to his voice and actions.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Delivering Happiness.

Any additional comments?

none

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delivering happiness

great book! i enjoyed the whole time. wish i were working at zappos right now

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How to create culture

I don't think it matters how mature your company is Delivering Happiness can help improve your company culture, customer service, and overall brand. If it's your first time and you just want to learn more about improving customer service jump to chapters 4&5. And next time start from the beginning. This is a book you should listen to at least once every other year.

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One of my favorite book

One of my favorite book. It's a very easy reading and I'm confident that anybody listening can learn something new.

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Very inspiring

A true inspiration for how we as people and entrepreneurs can make the world a better place!! Makes you want to join the movement!

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blockbuster customer service for any business

awesome book, real world application. my eyes were opened by some of the customer service stategies

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like talking to a friend.

I enjoyed the book beginning to end very easy to listen to. he also recommended several other books some I have read others I plan to.

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GameChanger LyfeChanger WOW

AmazingREAD
INcorperating "Delivering Happiness " to INsatiableNyghts Continuing Education training and LyfeSkills Coaching
THANK YOU
Chef Booker T

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I liked it

Life isn't Finding Life is about Creating. Tony Hsieh shared his wonderful business experiences and work space culture and about core values.

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Excellent Audio book for anyone

The success story of Tony and his team is remarkable. I thoroughly enjoyed listening and learning about many cultural and environmental achievements that they've accomplished.

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