Kick Up Some Dust

Lessons on Thinking Big, Giving Back, and Doing It Yourself

By: Bernie Marcus

Narrated by: Fred Sanders

Length: 7 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

A candid, rollicking business memoir from the Home Depot cofounder, filled with personal stories, savvy business advice, and timeless lessons for a life well lived

With a foreword by Pitbull

"An extraordinary story. ... [Tells] Marcus's version of the American dream, from tenement to boardroom, homespun into lessons for readers wanting to make it in business or philanthropy." — Financial Times

The start of Home Depot sounds like the beginning of a bad joke: Two Jews and an Italian decide to build a new kind of hardware store... In 1978, Bernie Marcus's livelihood depended on just such a scenario. Having been fired at the age of forty-nine, he teamed up with Arthur Blank and Ken Langone on a bold new endeavor. Their first day in business was so disastrous that the next morning, Marcus's wife wouldn't let him shave because she didn't want a razor in his hands. But the last laugh would be theirs, as the business partners grew Home Depot into the world's largest home improvement retailer, empowering millions of Americans to "do it yourself."

"Doing it yourself" has been the theme of Bernie Marcus's entire life. By the time he was fifteen, he had held more than a dozen jobs, joined a gang, and worked as a hypnotist in the Catskills. The son of a cabinetmaker and garment worker who survived the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, Bernie overcame a hardscrabble upbringing to author one of the best entrepreneurial stories in American history. Today, Home Depot employs 500,000 associates at 2,300 stores and is one of the most recognized and admired companies in the world.

The same energy that made Home Depot successful has helped Bernie give away more than $2 billion and pioneer a new model for philanthropy, transforming millions of lives. There is no single, winning formula for trying to make the world a better place, but Bernie shares what he's learned—that the skills needed to build a Fortune 500 company are the same ones that can help cure cancer, treat veterans with PTSD, and transform autism treatment. And it doesn't take a fortune to make a big difference in your community.

Kick Up Some Dust will inspire you to dream, build, and give—and, maybe, change the world.

©2022 Bernie Marcus (P)2022 HarperCollins Publishers

Wow

This is a must read. Heartfelt and inspiring. I will listen to it again! Thank you Bernie.

Titan of industry on how to lead a successful business.

If you like Sam Walton’s book (him and Bernie were friends), you’ll love this one. Incredibly inspiring.

A business model must read!

will listen again! I was fortunate enough to work for Home Depot in the late 80's, early 90's, to understand first hand this man's mission! he's everything described in his own words!

Bernie is an inspiration

I really enjoyed this book and have been taking notes on what on the great charities he is involved in. Great read

A gift from a charitable and wise hardworking man

I searched for this audiobook after hearing Bernie Marcus on the "Behind the Bimah" podcast where Bernie described the philanthropic work he did for Jewish causes. It piqued my interest regarding how he achieved success in business and philanthropy. After listening to the entire audiobook, clearly a big part of the success is rooted in being honest, hardworking, charitable and applying sound business practice. There is a lot more that can be said but best to read the book or listen to the audiobook. It's a compelling story.

Great Story

definitely worth a listen. enjoyed this story from beginning to end. if nothing this book is at the very least inspiring!! It provides common Sense knowledge that is so often forgotten today.

Wow!

What a story. What a human being! I want all my friends to read this book. God bless you, Sir, and God be with Home Depot.

An inspiring read

This is the best book on business and life I listened to in quite some time. The story is inspiring and the narration was terrific. I strongly recommend it.

Bernie Marcus writes about - Doing it yourself and doing it right - A life story about service.

As a fan of home improvement and the building industry; this book was well worth reading. Bernie Marcus got fired and instead of giving up, he and his partners built a massive and successful company. He has taken the same approach to his second career, philanthropic entrepreneurship. Great read with life lessons we should all live by.

Great story and motivating last few chapters!

Great to hear about growing the business but even better the charity and advice to do it!