Never Eat Alone: And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time

The critics of this book have some basis for what they are telling you. The narrator is not great and the book is very long. The author is a bit over the top as well. However, I found the message to be very important. I had avoided "playing politics" my whole career feeling that it was dishonest and selfish. This book changed my mind 100%. If you already see the value of networking you may not understand that it only truly works if it is a win-win for everyone. It should not be selfish or unethical. Help everyone while helping yourself. I think that is the point of the book. If everyone did that we could all get on with doing our jobs without all the nonsense.

Do yourself a favor and read the book, but set your mp3 player to a faster than normal speed. The narrator is much easier to take and the book only seems to drone on for a little while. It's worth the effort and it has turned out for me to be a very important book in my library.

I'm really surprised by the previous reviewers' comments. Granted, the author does like to mention his accomplishments but most authors of How-To books do so in order to give credibility to their advice. His main message is that most people in our culture value a sense of individuality that eventually leads to isolation, loneliness, and a lack of personal fulfillment. This book is an attempt to inspire you to connect to and develop your community by following your passion, helping others, and making connections among the people you know. In turn, your community will want to see you develop and be successful. I just wish I would have 'read' this book sooner.

I heard the author on Dr. Oz's radio show. He was humble, intelligent, witty, and had much gratitude for his life and all the people he's met along the way. He had a genuine sense of wanting to make a difference in his life. I was drawn to his book because of the interview.
However, I was shocked when I heard the narrator. His pace was unbelievable slow, the pauses unbearable. It was almost like he was reading in such a way to help non-english speakers understand english. The inflections were moronic almost like a bad actor trying to do Shakespeare. I agree with the other reviewers that he comes across as self-absorbed. I couldn't stay with it - my mind kept drifting off.
It's too bad Keith Ferrazzi couldn't have narrated it himself because this narrator really does a disservice to this book.

This book has some good content. It's obvious that Ferrazzi is good at networking and has learned how to meet people--especially since the entire book is peppered with name-dropping and annoying, at times condescending, self-praise. Every time I listen I get the feeling that his overarching message is: "one day you could be great, maybe even half as great as I am." I kept expecting after the first chapters for him to tell some stories from other points of view--maybe historical or from great business men, but it never happens. "I" is the most commonly used word in the book, Ya-ya the most often mentioned company (he was the CEO). The narrator's slightly nasal voice doesn't help with the tone of the book either.

All that having been said, there is definitely some good advice and reading this book provides real motivation to start forming better relationships. For example, I think his advice to look for what you can give to, not get from a relationship, is excellent.

I can summarize the book, which is 10 chapters and over 10 hours long, in a simple sentence. It is not what you know, it's who you know, so you better get out there and meet a lot of people. There are no secrets, as the title suggests, in this book. He is just taking an age old concept and repackaging it. A better audio book would be "How to Win friends and influence people".

The Book:
I've read this book and listened to the Audiobook and have to say that the info presented is of good quality, but the method of presenting the information leaves a lot to be desired. In writing the book, Mr Ferrazi has tried to present his views on networking and does a very good job of explaining how he has done this and been successful. However, he also tends to "drop names" and come of in a very "holier than thou" manner.

As a book, it's what it is...someone explaining how they have become successful at what they do and is worth the time to read. The reader will get some nice "nuggets" of information that can be used.

The Audiobook:
The narrator comes across as someone who is trying to act "high class" with a nasally voice and blue-blood attitude. There is something about his voice that has just turned me off from listening.

I really enjoyed the book.Keith gives you ideas, not only how to think of your "true calling" but how to follow through with it. Following throught requires alot more than just bringing an idea into existence, but networking with others to help you...and them get to another level. the adage that you can get there solo is false.

Personally, I find the narration of Never Eat Alone to be done well and an easy listen. Yes, there are prolonged pauses every once in a while, but it seems to be nothing more than the narrator ensuring that a heading is separated from text. Yes, there is a theatrical style to the narration, but only the same you would get with a TV or radio show. Overall, the narration does not detract at all from the excellent content. This audiobook is well worth the credit it costs.

Learn how to connect with people and grow your business. Ferazzi will teach you how to be confident and go after what you want in a respectable manner. He lists methods for reaching even the most un-reachable people and describes how to turn small talk into business deals. This is a superb marketing and personal interaction tool.

Lots of great ideas here about growing your network personally and professionally. It could be a bit shorter and communicate the same basic substance. Be sure to set your iPod reading speed to "Faster." ;)