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Title details for Copy This! by Paul Orfalea - Available

Copy This!

Lessons from a Hyperactive Dyslexic Who Turned a Bright Idea Into One of America's Best Companies

by Paul Orfalea
Paul Michael
Audiobook
2 of 2 copies available
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2 of 2 copies available
Copy This!, Paul Orfalea's inspiring personal story of turning lessons into lemonade, may be the most unusual business memoir ever published.
Paul Orfalea struggles mightily to read, to write, and to sit still through business meetings. So what's the problem? By working with the obstacles life dealt him–he call his dyslexia and ADHD "learning opportunities"–he grew a 100-square-foot shop named Kinko's into a $1.5 billion-a-year company that Fortune named one of the best places in America to work.
The is the story of a boy who flunked out of second grade–a boy who was fired by a gas station for writing illegible receipts. But it's also the story of a boy who learned from the world directly, who was brave enough to fail, who knew he had to rely on other people. When Paul Orfalea first looked out on the worried, hopeful faces of his customers, he knew that he was in the problem-solving business–at four cents a page. Kinko's doesn't much handle paper as it handles dreams.
Paul Orfalea really did do it his way. With humor, wisdom, and compassion, he shares his invaluable experiences and unorthodox business lessons with the millions of those who are just a little bit "different," and who wonder if there's a place for them in the world. There is: at the top.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    August 30, 2005

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9780739330081
      • File size: 235512 KB
      • Duration: 08:10:38

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      In an unusual acknowledgment, the author, the founder of Kinko's, admits he's dyslexic and didn't write his book. What follows purports to be a guide to his professional success, but it seems more like a mishmash of personal anecdotes, recountings of illnesses, and stories from company picnics. Paul Michael injects himself into the narrative so well that he sounds as though he were telling his own life story. Using cues from the text, he varies his expression and pace to keep the interest level elevated. His clear speech and comfortable pace make every word easy to understand as he renders a disorganized businessman's autobiography into something more pleasing than he started with. J.A.H. (c) AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine
    • AudioFile Magazine
      The youthful sounding Todd Cummings is perfect for the charming story of Kinko's founder, Paul Orfalea. A dyslexic misfit whose family nurtured his deepest ambitions, Orfalea developed a philosophy of life that emphasizes character, social initiative, ingenuity, and a willingness to partner with talented people. His message will be enormously inspirational to anyone whose talents and disabilities make schoolwork impossible or who has unrealized aspirations. The mundane details of his path to success provide a motivating picture of what's possible when you believe in yourself and are realistic about your limitations. The production also looks squarely at what it takes to be successful in a large retail business today. A lively interview with the author gives additional texture to the program. T.W. (c) AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      July 11, 2005
      The now-retired founder of Kinko's mixes autobiographical anecdote with large doses of business advice in this candid, conversational account of his entrepreneurial rise. With the help of coauthor Marsh, Orfalea replicates much of the usual business wisdom, like customers come first and keep your co-workers happy and motivated. More original are his autobiographical sections, which explain how a man with dyslexia, an uncontrollable temper and a mistrust of authority managed to grow a tiny California copy shop into a $2-billion-a-year company. His difficulties gave him "learning opportunities," he explains. "They propelled to think differently," he says, and to develop "an unorthodox, people-centered, big-picture business model" that relied heavily on the intelligence and skill of his franchise managers. Orfalea's exuberant and irreverent attitude—he freely admits to cheating in school and relying on others to get him through college—will entertain many readers, and his sanguine acceptance of his dyslexia will inspire many others.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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