Flip

How to Turn Everything You Know on Its Head---and Succeed Beyond Your Wildest Imaginings

By: Peter Sheahan

Narrated by: Simon Vance

Length: 7 hrs and 46 mins

Publisher's summary

"Business today requires new perspectives," argues Peter Sheahan, one of the youngest and fastest-rising international consultants. In Flip, he shows that to succeed in a small-world economy, companies must distinguish themselves by finding a new way of doing business, one that systematically reexamines every single aspect of running a company.

Flip reveals what the superstars of modern business have in common: an ability to "flip"---to think counterintuitively and then act boldly, with no regard for business-as-usual conventions. The only rule: there are no rules. Those who heed his proven advice will be well placed to join other "flipstars," including entrepreneurs Richard Branson and Rupert Murdoch and such visionary corporations as Google, Toyota, and Apple. But those who run with the pack and stick to the business school curriculum will find themselves perilously left behind.

Presenting perennial wisdom in a fresh new way, Sheahan teaches today's decision makers how to embrace change and successfully operate in an economy that runs on new ideas.

©2008 Peter Sheahan (P)2008 Tantor

Critic reviews

"Sheahan illustrates his points convincingly with examples pulled from the business headlines." ( Publishers Weekly)

Contains a Key Learning

The novice walking this material will find it valuable. Otherwise, Sheahan has crammed a lot of well known principles into this book. However, the book contains a principle which is particularly well presented and that is "move forward despite ambiguity." It is better to act and learn from what happens than to stand down and wait for adquate information. He presents the idea in a particularly useful fashion.

I believe that if a book provides one usuable idea or insight to the reader - it is worth while. Read that section at least and congratulate the author for bringing together well worn thinking and putting it into useful form.

Great, Informative read. Funny too

Great read. Reader’s accent was easy to listen too. Left me motivated to become a flip star

Hard to follow

What did you like best about Flip? What did you like least?

I liked the facts that the books gives. I did not like the way it was read.

Did Flip inspire you to do anything?

no

Good advice on sale!!!!

What made the experience of listening to Flip the most enjoyable?

Now is the time to read this one. A look over your shoulder at what just (7 yrs) happened? Twitter's IPO-Is it a "Flip"?. Read the book and see if you are a "flipper".

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

History

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I want to flip at the right time.

Any additional comments?

With the current events this is dated information.
His examples are in the news (Or gone "MySpace") and gave the book a comfortable way to explain his observations (mid 2000s) and conclusions. The models are sound and will work in many situations as the facts are deduced.

Total Waste

Would you try another book from Peter Sheahan and/or Simon Vance?

Never by Peter Sheahan

Would you ever listen to anything by Peter Sheahan again?

Never

How did the narrator detract from the book?

I don't blame the narrator, its the author, never on track.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

nope

Any additional comments?

Outdated, out of context, does not have any value.

Interesting Stories, Flawed Logic

Had there been more research, this could have been an interesting book. Unfortunately, it falls well short, coming to the absurd conclusion that to succeed, you must simply do things that everyone thinks will fail. How many times this destroys the person's career or company Sheahan doesn't know, since they didn't become successful so he didn't look at them. He seems completely unaware that his thesis results from a simple case of selection bias.

What we really need to know is the decision process at the time that enabled people to tell when to go with and when to go against the tide. Instead of examining this, this book simply uses hindsight, leaving the reader with the unsatisfying conclusion that these people were successful because they succeeded.