Never Eat Alone

And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time

By: Keith Ferrazzi, Tahl Raz

Narrated by: Richard Harries

Length: 11 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's Summary

Keith Ferrazzi is a master networker who claims his secret is merely reaching out to other people. And what distinguishes highly successful people from everyone else is the way they use the power of relationships, so that everyone wins. In Never Eat Alone, Ferrazzi presents the specific steps and mindset he uses to connect with the thousands of individuals in his Rolodex.

Ferrazzi's form of connecting to people is based on generosity, helping friends connect with other friends. He distinguishes genuine relationship-building from the crude, desperate glad-handling usually associated with "networking". In the course of the book, Ferrazzi outlines the timeless strategies shared by the world's most connected individuals, from Katherine Graham to Bill Clinton, Vernon Jordan to the Dalai Lama.

Chock full of specific advice on handling rejection, getting past gatekeepers and more, Never Eat Alone is destined to take its place as an inspirational classic.

©2005 Keith Ferrazzi (P)2005 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic Reviews

"[A] useful volume....His clear and well-articulated steps for getting access, getting close and staying close make for a substantial leg up." (Publishers Weekly)
"Ferrazzi presents a whirlwind of ideas to widen your circle of contacts that goes way beyond the usual stale concepts of 'networking'." (Booklist)

Good, but self-glorifying

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.

Best

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.

Worth the Read

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.

Good book/terrible narrator

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.

An unbearable narration

The narrator of this audiobook spoke at an unbearably slow pace. This book's subject matter, while informative, is not complex. Were this book about a more technical topic, the narrator's very slow and deliberate pace might be justified. However, this narrator tested my patience. I couldn't tollerate it anymore after 15 minutes and just gave up. However, I did later read(skim) the book at the library and found the content mildly helpful.

Highly over rated

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".

Tedious

I agree with the previous reviewer. this guy really like to talk about himself.

Great stuff, a bit long-winded

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." ;)

A Pathetic, Droning Waste of Time

The narrator of this book is awful. His effete, condescending nasal rendering is really off-putting. Rarely have I forced myself to listen to such a writer who is so much in love with himself and his accomplishments. I strongly counsel against spending money on this book. Pick it up at the libary instead...

RUBBISH

I'm listening to it now & I'd prefer to listen to paint dry. I've just suffered through almost an hour of Ferazzi's self-promoting waffle to get one tiny nugget of advice: "ask for help". If the rest of the book is as bad as this, I want my money back.