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Cold Hard Truth: On Business, Money & Life

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Kevin O’Leary shares invaluable secrets on entrepreneurship, business, money and life.
 
Can you make millions just by “visualizing yourself rich” as some business prophets suggest? Don’t buy it, says Kevin O’Leary. If you want to be a successful entrepreneur and amass wealth, you’re going to have to work for it. But the good news is: with the right guidance, focus and perseverance, you can turn entrepreneurial vision into lucrative reality and have the personal freedom that only wealth can buy.  

Kevin O’Leary would know. The much-feared and revered Dragon on the immensely popular show Dragons’ Den (and Shark Tank in the U.S.) started his company in his basement with a $10,000 loan from his financially savvy mother. A few years later, Kevin sold that company for more than four billion dollars. In this compelling, candid and, above all else, brutally honest business memoir, Kevin provides engaging, practical advice and lessons that will give anyone a distinct competitive edge.

256 pages, Hardcover

First published September 27, 2011

62 people are currently reading
1325 people want to read

About the author

Kevin O'Leary

14 books105 followers
Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name on the goodreads data base.

Humble Beginnings
Kevin O’Leary was born to a middle class family in 1954. The combination of Kevin’s mother’s family heritage as merchants and his father’s Irish charisma truly meant that O’Leary was born for business. Kevin learned most of his business intuition from his mother. She taught him key business and financial insights from an early age. These became Kevin’s core philosophies, and the pillars upon which he would one day build his empire.

The Turning Point
Kevin’s approach to business went through major changes as a teenager. During his second day on the job at a local ice cream shop, his boss came into the front of the store where Kevin was scooping ice cream. She looked at Kevin and asked him to perform a task that he wasn’t expecting. What happened next had a profound effect on Kevin – one that stayed with him for the rest of his life.

Foundations of an Empire
As a university student, Kevin’s innate business sense led him along several different paths – including some very unusual, very entrepreneurial ways of making a profit.
Not long after he finished his MBA, Kevin had a meeting that changed his life forever. He met a man who had a strange idea for a software product – an idea with huge, high-profit potential that Kevin immediately recognized.
After years of ups, downs, sacrifices, challenges, and lessons learned — not to mention a critical phone call that nearly cost him everything — the opportunity that Kevin saw eventually turned into a computer software giant that was acquired for more than $4 billion dollars.

Investor Extraordinaire
After his extraordinary success at the software company he founded – and a difficult period of obstacles and legal disputes – Kevin eventually found himself on television, quickly becoming a sought-after host and personality on a range of shows – including Discovery’s Project Earth, CBC’s Dragons’ Den, and ABC’s Shark Tank.
Kevin has since launched O’Leary Funds, an investment fund company; O’Leary Fine Wines; and a best-selling book series on financial literacy.
In 2014, Kevin founded O’Leary Financial Group – a group of brands and services that share Kevin’s guiding principles of honesty, directness, convenience, and above all, great value.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 115 reviews
Profile Image for Josephine.
139 reviews15 followers
December 31, 2011
I’ve never watched Dragon’s Den,but I have heard Kevin O’Leary on John Tory’s talk show from time to time — and you know what? I can’t help but respect a guy who tells it as it is when it comes to business.

In his book, Cold Hard Truth, he writes about how, one of the hallmarks of being a great boss is to never consider your employees your friends — it just makes it tough to reprimand them or fire them.

I know I continually harp about this, but over the course of my career so far — and we’re wrapping up a decade now in the work force — the one thing I’ve come to hate the most is cronyism and nepotism.

It just completely flies in the face of what we were taught in school and by our parents — that notion that, as long as you work hard, you’ll succeed. But you know what? Time and time again, I’ve seen people hired because they’re friends of someone in a position of power; and I’m sorry, but I think that’s an abuse of power and shouldn’t be allowed to happen…but it does and I’m old enough and smart enough to know by now that only losers crave equality.

Another thing that O’Leary points out in his book?

Everybody is replaceable. Only delusional people like to think that they’re not — but almost anybody can be replaced.

I love reading books like this and often wish that more executives would read them, too — because I think someone as successful as Kevin O’Leary definitely knows a thing or two about how to run a company.

His secret to success?

It’s really very simple: you work for it.

You know, I’d really love to meet the man — though, I have no idea what to say to him.

The CEO that I used to work for — he just retired this past month — actually had the opportunity to appear on The Lang and O’Leary Exchange on CBC (though, I don’t think that Kevin O’Leary was actually on that episode) and I think it would have been amazing to have been on the set of that. (Though, O’Leary advises against having an entourage accompanying you wherever you go.)

In this book, O’Leary talks about how he’s often perceived as “the mean one” on both Dragon’s Den and the American version, Shark Tank — but I think that people who don’t mince words and who call a spade a spade are often labelled as “mean” simply because people don’t like hearing the truth.

Some takeaways:

In the real world, interpersonal skills often trump academic achievements. (This is so true. I’ve known a couple of people who’ve had Masters degrees who acted like they were above doing certain tasks — despite the fact that this was what they signed up for when the accepted the job offer. Having a Masters degree means squat if you can’t even make a simple photocopy right.)
If you make mistakes, own up to it — and show that you’ve learned from them and that you won’t let them happen again.
Don’t fear change — the only constant in life is change; so accept it and move on.
Tears don’t add value — life’s hard. Get over it.
Execution is everything.
Profile Image for Jeffrey  Sylvester.
111 reviews10 followers
December 17, 2011
It didn't have a lot of substance but it was okay. Initially, I expected O'Leary to come from poverty and be entirely self-made which isn't the case. Although, it was interesting to trace through his entreprenurial tale. It evoked the business side of my youth, and marks the beginning of my own journey back from a stray into public service and academia. Plus, it gave some personal insight into a controversial Canadian figure I knew little about. It gave him a soft spot, which was cool and intrigued me to learn more about his investment strategy.
Profile Image for Hilary.
133 reviews39 followers
February 28, 2014
Picking up this book is all the evidence I need that I enjoy Shark Tank more than I should. I’ve never read an investing or money-themed book before (sorry, Martin Amis), because I’m just not the target demographic (I imagine people who know about stocks and bonds and...whatever else people invest in don’t buy as much ramen as I do). I’m not really sure how much any book like this can offer - like any diet book, which has to spin “diet and exercise” into two hundred plus pages, most of the points here are as simple as “spend less and save more,” which isn’t terribly insightful. There were a few interesting points, like focusing on paying off debt over investing, and that renting can be better than buying a home, but most of these tips weren’t particularly applicable to me. After all, it’s a bit late for a prenup, and thanks to student loans, I won’t be worrying about a mortgage or home remodeling until there are flying cars and (hopefully wisecracking) robot manservants.

Still, this book has a good amount of possibly semi-intentional comedic value. It’s amusing to read the self-anointed Mr. Wonderful’s shameless self-promotion (there are two full-page ads for his companies at the end of the book, because 250 pages of his brilliance and tales of how he earned his money aren’t enough), his comically cold, robotic fixation on money (the book begins, “This book is the story of my money, and the personal journey I went on to make it”; he recommends that all couples sign a prenup or cohabitation agreement, because “[c]ontract talks are a fantastic vetting process”; he calls pets “an expensive story, with an expensive ending”), his failed attempts at humor (calling his imaginary wedding planning company “Love Don’t Cost a Dime, Inc.”), his strange reminiscences (“Going to the mall wasn’t a twice-weekly trip. It was saved for special occasions. Times are different now.”) and ridiculous phrases (“cars are here to stay”).

There’s also a strange blend of cheapness and complete Rich Guy out-of-touchness that’s pretty hilarious. In one section, O’Leary sets up several compound interest charts while decrying any expenditures us suckers make on off-the-rack magazines, alcohol or coffee, pointing out that a $6 per week coffee habit over 10 years costs $3,120, and instead, if that amount were invested with a 3% return, you could have $3,920 - an extra $800! That’s a lot of charts and hypotheticals to tell us that when you buy things, you longer have that money. Also, $3,000 for ten years of coffee sounds like a pretty amazing deal, though I appreciate that some billionaire is recommending I “[i]nvest in a thermos, a vinyl lunch bag, and a good coffee maker,” because the idea of a billionaire taking the time to pack his own lunch in one of his many homes before taking his private jet to work is great.

In other sections, O’Leary shows that, despite his familiarity with the concept of a “thermos,” he hasn’t interacted with an actual human being in decades, like when he demands that all couples get a prenup that will cost “anywhere between $5,000 and $25,000,” and he adds, “don’t forget vacation property, timeshares, and lake houses.” Remember, Kevin, we’re the people from a few chapters ago who apparently can’t afford our $6 per week coffee habit, much less our $10 per week magazine habit. Even though we’re now saving that cool $6k over the next decade thanks to your hot tip of not buying those things, we’re not exactly in the lake house market, unless it’s a copy of The Lake House on DVD, because everyone’s emotionally wealthy if they give two hours of their lives to a movie where Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves somehow interact through a mailbox that sends love letters through time. Since Mr. O’Leary spends a bunch of time bragging about “only” spending $10,000 on your wedding and honeymoon, where does he get off advising people to spend up to two and a half times that on the prenup? What partner is going to be excited about marrying someone who places an equal or greater value on the financial fallout from the end of a marriage that hasn’t happened yet than on the ceremony that is the beginning of that marriage?

The possibly semi-intentional comedy (chastising people who gave a friend of his their used baby stuff because it was high quality and they “might have made a buck on the resale,” complaining about the expense of his lake house and Porsche - though they’re okay because those are “indulgences,” not “investments”) made this more fun than I would have thought, but still not something I’d recommend.
Profile Image for Sue.
1,400 reviews5 followers
October 6, 2011
Kevin O’Leary "Cold Hard Truth" shares invaluable secrets on entrepreneurship, business, money and life.It is not easy to review this book and do it the kind of justice it deserves.This is the story of the memoire of Kevin O'Leary's journey, the path that he followed, the lessons that he learned, the discipline that he adhered to be a successful entrepreneur and amass wealth.He told us that you have to work for it. But the good news is: with the right guidance, focus and perseverance, you can turn entrepreneurial vision into reality and have the personal freedom that only wealth can buy.

Kevin O’Leary would know. The much-feared and revered Dragon on the immensely popular show Dragons’ Den (and Shark Tank in the U.S.) started his company in his basement with a $10,000 loan from his financially savvy mother. A few years later, Kevin sold that company for more than four billion dollars. In this compelling, and honest business memoir, Kevin provides practical advice and lessons that will give anyone a distinct competitive edge.He composed a Bible of skills, lessons learned, and lessons to follow for the entrepreneur to succeed in being financially truly free.

I live in Toronto, work from home and really enjoyed reading this novel and the insight it gave.Very thought provoking.But most of all he stuck to the simple rule of Keep it simple.A definate 5 star rating.
Profile Image for Timothy Elliott.
5 reviews
December 5, 2013
What a jerk!!! Ha, just kidding. For anyone who's watched Dragon's Den or Shark Tank has seen "Mr. Wonderful" be a jerk to people pitching their ideas. After watching Shark Tank now for a couple of seasons I've got to say that Kevin O'Leary does start to grow on you, particularly when even I can see the that someone has brought in a dog of an idea. So after reading his book I now understand why he comes off as an asshole to some. Simple put, he tells it like it is. Actually, I don't think he's a jerk, he simply doesn't sugar coat the truth. If someone has a bad idea he tells them so. People who come up with an idea for something will treat that something as their baby and will take it personally if someone tells them that their baby is stupid. Yea, of course they would get pissed. Some ideas and products are simply bad ideas.

Mr. O'Leary has certainly had his own failures but learned from them to the point of correction to still come out on top. He describes his journey from building a small business out of his house into a large corporation, and into TV history telling people that some of their ideas suck and some ideas are fantastic. If you are a fan of business, a fan of Dragon's Den or Shark Tank, then you will enjoy this book.
Profile Image for Richard Podsada.
24 reviews1 follower
July 29, 2012
I was interested in reading Kevin's book simply because he's such an interesting character. His seemingly single-minded focus on money seems so far removed from what most normal people experience. It's interesting to dive into his head and see how he thinks. But like most people, Kevin's an onion with many layers. You can see he is quite artistic and even has a soft side (which he seldom reveals in his public appearances.)

This is a great book to learn about Kevin's life story and pick up a few general lessons about money and business along the way. Of course, not everybody will agree with his strict management style or all of his philosophies, but it seems to work for him.

If you are looking for a step-by-step guide to financial freedom, this probably isn't the best book to buy. He rarely dives into instruction and tactics and mostly focuses on anecdotes from his life story. 'Rich Dad, Poor Dad' or 'Increase Your Financial IQ' by Robert Kiyosaki would be a better read if you are looking for something more instructional.
Profile Image for Laurie.
347 reviews32 followers
September 27, 2011
I went into this book with a different idea of what it was going to be, I liked it. Not mean I didn't want to read the book or I didn't think it would have good information but the life part was very interesting and told in a way that was witty and a little funny. Most Interesting was to find that the seeming cold hearted dragon had to over come disabilities and family separations in a few very hard ways that help him separate the feelings from business. Thought out the book at the end of each chapter there are summaries of the main points made and what you should have taken from it. So if your really lazy I'm sure you could get the point by read each one of these, but I would recommend the read.
Profile Image for Leah.
739 reviews115 followers
September 11, 2019
Kevin is actually a pretty cool guy, he seems so harsh and cold on tv but reading his words changed my opinion of him. He's so driven and ambitious it's infectious. It was interesting to see where he's come from and his background. He has a lot of set values that I admire and he inspires me.

Notes:
- what every you focus on grows
- even though money does't care about me or you, to make money requires us to care deeply about it
- spend the interest - never the principal
- assholes get rich because they're not afraid to ask what they want
Profile Image for Tosin Omotoyinbo.
2 reviews2 followers
June 18, 2018
Mr. Wonderful is such an interesting character. His simple no-BS approach to business and ultimately making money in general is so interesting, coupled with his sense of humor and wit, fully expressed in the book, you could almost hear him affirming the cold hard truth of business wisdom into your ears, with the aim of preventing you from disrespecting money, this the best time investment I've made in any book this year.
Profile Image for Willi Braun.
Author 24 books2 followers
April 22, 2015
What a great book. Learned so much from it and couldn't stop reading until I finished. I can recommend that book to everyone who is open to learn about business from people who actually made it. Kevon O'Leary is one of them. I enjoyed the Shark Tank a lot and now, thanks to this book, I can understand his devisions on that show even more.
Profile Image for FAIZAN KHAN.
70 reviews4 followers
November 12, 2019
This Book Isn't For The Timid,
Contains A Lots of Facts That Might Be Difficult For Some To Swallow.
I'd Rather Suggest, A Fictional Noval...


But If You Can handle The Truth, Honestly & Appreciate Mr. Wonderful's Thought Process You'd Really Enjoy This One.

Must Read! No, Dont Read... Study It!
100 % Worth Your time,
Profile Image for Kendra Kleiner.
8 reviews3 followers
August 2, 2013
Five Reasons I Love Kevin O'Leary

1) He doesn't have a ghost writer.
2) He gives very sound advice.
3) He's proud of his accomplishments and failures.
4) He's "mean" for kind reasons.
5) He's never boring.
Profile Image for John Magdaraog .
35 reviews2 followers
July 5, 2014
Most of the given information on this book was based on making financial wise decision.
My main concern is it doesn't help you acquired assets. Instead, the book tells you to do is SAVE.SAVE & SAVE and live in a frugal lifestyle. All in all, it is simple to understand.
Profile Image for Pulak Mehta.
2 reviews2 followers
June 28, 2016
Any shark tan fan would love this book.(Shark tank is an American business reality TV show)
The books details his key turning moments that made him successfully. Written in a blunt fashion, any shark tank fan can relate with the book.
Profile Image for Chase.
157 reviews
May 13, 2021
I enjoyed the inside look into Dragon's Den and some sound investment advice, but I still think Kevin is an asshole who prioritizes money over all else. Not cool.
Profile Image for Faith Wood.
Author 17 books20 followers
July 7, 2015
What does it take to be a successful and wealthy entrepreneur? According to Kevin O’Leary (one of the original Dragon’s Den and Shark Tank Venture Capitalists) it takes hard work, strong partnerships and a willingness to think like money. “Money has no feelings” and according to Mr. O’Leary, “it doesn’t care about yours”. “There is no place in business for emotional baggage.”

Whether you agree with his philosophies or like his persona on TV, there is no argument that Kevin O’Leary has carved out a wealthy niche for himself in the world of capitalism. Success in business is clearly something he can speak about with a level of authority and credibility.

I loved that this book was written in the first person, and the tone feels like you could actually be sitting down having a coffee with him while he shares his personal stories of triumph and failure. (Of course he would never do that as his valuation of time comes down to whether or not it will actually make him or his shareholders a lot of money).

While reading this book, I grew to understand how Kevin O’Leary became the man he is today. Like many of us, his beliefs and values grew from childhood influences and real-life experience. He does not celebrate the typical rags to riches philosophy that permeates much of North American culture. Instead,
he attributes his successes to a steady commitment of hard work, logical decision making and money values established early on through antecedence and parental coaching.

Born a natural salesman, Kevin O’Leary believes strongly in clear communication and relationship building. He encourages business owners to be honest about identifying their personal strengths and weaknesses early and then partner with individuals who shore up those weaknesses while complimenting your strengths. Everyone needs to be committed to the journey with no overlap in decision making if a partnership is to be most effective. He encourages business owners to be clear and concise about the bottom line and never hesitate to ‘off-load’ those who are not contributing in positive
ways.

Throughout this book are the stories which created his persona. I was touched by the challenges he faced as a child (such as overcoming dyslexia and long separations from family) and was fascinated by his manner of connecting the dots. With a candid and often witty look at the past and present, he crafts
an easy to read and enjoyable story of the moments that molded him. I was surprised to discover his reverence for creativity since we usually celebrate the left brain dominance in the business world. This was a refreshing approach to matching and celebrating the value both sides of the brain bring to business.

As an entrepreneur myself, I absorbed some great take-a-ways from a book which speaks honestly and openly about the need for solid relationships on the road to success. No person can become wildly successful in isolation. The universe rewards swift action and constant and consistent course corrections. Success is rarely a steady incremental climb to the top.

For me, one of the most poignant gaps in the book relates to his relationship with his wife and children. There is little contained in the pages about their partnership or family ties. In his quest to succeed it is almost like he forgot about them. I was not surprised to discover that the marriage had broken down following the writing of this auto-biography. Perhaps it is a warning to ‘WE’ entrepreneurs out there – never forget to remain committed to the partnership at home as much as the partnerships created for business. Or perhaps, the idea that “wealth creates freedom” may be truer than you first considered.
Profile Image for Hamza Nasir.
14 reviews
December 28, 2015
Kevin O’Leary got his 9 figure net-worth through the founding of his computer software company which created children’s educational software such as Reader Rabbit and others. He’s a Venture Capitalist who makes appearances on Dragon’s Den in Canada, and Shark Tank in America. The book takes a little bit to take off, but once in the middle there are so many great business, life and finance lessons.
Key Takeaways:
1) Build great teams. O’Leary was a great marketing and sales guy, however his mind was disorganized. So to make sure his business went smooth he would hire very methodical partners to deal with the operations management side of the business. O’Leary says that make sure that your business partners make up for what you lack and vice versa. O’Leary’s key formula for a great team is: an equal partner, a numbers expert, a sober second thinker, and an efficiency expert.
2) You can only become truly WEALTHY if you own equity. If you’re an employee in a good company take stock, this also acts as a motivator to perform your best work. Also, O’Leary sights the fact that 70% of capital appreciation comes from dividends or interest not capital gains. So he suggests when investing in securities make sure they pay a dividend yield.
3) Have a healthy appetite for change. In the book, he presents a test judging how enthusiastic you are for change. If your score is too high that shows that you are a tad flighty, if the score is too low that means that you need to become more comfortable with change. SO if your company has a new software, be the first to learn how to use it. If you’re company is experiencing a merger be the first to understand the new capital structure and chain of command.
4) The art of the pitch. O’Leary on his two shows has investors pitch ideas to him ALL the time so he has a keen understanding of what makes a good pitch and what doesn’t. He says: Dress well to look the part, make sure the pitch is simple yet lively, concisely demonstrate what the business is and what your plan to do with the potential capital investment, and finally understand your business’ numbers to a TEE. Be able to answer the following: What would you do if things went wrong? How much inventory do you need to build? What were the margins the first 3 years? How much market share would the company need in order to meet projected sales?

Finally this is a GREAT book with some nice life lessons and a lot of practical business lessons. Highly recommend checking it out.
Profile Image for Stefania.
23 reviews
July 24, 2012
I got this book because I love to hate Kevin O'Leary on Dragon's Den and Lang & O'Leary Exchange and I am an entrepreneur, curious to learn about the life of others. Canada is a country where being "nice" is central to our culture, so someone like O'Leary who is brutally honest and is not afraid to tell the truth is an amazingly fresh breath of air (even if I don't always agree with him).

I find the book delivers, and I was interested to see how O'Leary made his money, his advise along the way and his thoughts on business and life. The sections giving general business advice were more irritating, since they were not based on researched management principles, but on O'Leary's life and opinions only. I felt that some of the advice was glib, and although that is what we expect from Kevin O'Leary, I wish he focused on it being a biography rather than offering general business advice at all. An example is of how he seemed to think that every company should be run like a software company. Well, I have worked in that industry, and that culture does not work everywhere. I also found that he gave a rather one-sided account of TLC's acquisition by Mattel, which was considered by many as one of the worst acquisitions in history.

That being said, there is good advice in there from his life. The advice about no friends in business, but just mutual interests was good. The advice about the logic of money, and where it goes is good. I also liked learning about the ups and downs of his life, which is something most entrepreneurs can relate to. I think if you are curious about him as a person, and you are willing to overlook some glib overgeneralizations, this is definitely a good book to read.
Profile Image for Julie Johnson.
143 reviews27 followers
January 21, 2012
My father in law leant me this book...it's not a book I would have picked ordinarily, I'm not really into business, considering myself something of a hippie chick...

Butit is a fascinating read. This guys has balls, moxie, chutzpah...you name it. The pleasure of reading this book is his no nonsense, tell it like it is wrieter's voice. Often very humorous. The story of his meeting Steve job's is quite something!

I do enjoy reading success stories...of how people from ordinary backgrounds make something of themselves. And after reading Sir Ken Robinson's The Element I can't help but see that O'Leary is very much in his Element when it comes to money and business. He speaks of the joy of it, and he also describes the creativity of it...there is one moment in an intense meeting where a flash of creative brilliance hits him...it is very well described.

I always get inspired by people living as they are meant to, in their 'Element'.

I didn't take this as a how-to-get rich manifesto, though he does sprinkle some advice thru out the book. Lots of it seemed tongue in cheek to me. Just more of his personality coming thru.

I give this book 5 starts because it surprised me, I wasn't expecting to like him so much and it impacted me more than I expected to the point where I was sharing excerpts with my husband who was tolerantly willing to hear me try to rationalize why I was enjoying a book about a venture capitalist when I'm a hippie chick...but there you go, we all have our inconsistencies!

highly recommend.
Profile Image for Teena in Toronto.
2,416 reviews78 followers
January 14, 2015
I work in the financial services industry (in retirement planning) and like reading books about managing money. I'd read O'Leary's book, "The Cold Hard Truth On Men, Women and Money", last month and enjoyed it.

This is his story from the time he was a kid and the lessons he learned from his mom and stepdad, realizing he is an entrepreneur not an employee, starting his first business in his basement, becoming a millionaire, his highs and lows and more. As a fan of Dragons' Den and Shark Tank, it was interesting to get the scoop on these shows ... he even provides tips on how to provide the perfect pitch. Along the way, there are quizzes and tips to see if you have what it takes to make the sale (I don't), if you are an employee or an employer (I'm an employee), rules for a successful partnerships, how to be a star employee, how to be a great boss, etc.

I liked the writing style and thought it flowed well. Since I watched the author on "Dragons' Den" and "Shark Tank", I would hear "Mr. Wonderful's" voice in his writing ... it's direct and there's no BS. He says he has no qualms about whacking (aka firing) someone and I believe it. There are pictures throughout the book of him and his family throughout the years, even pictures of Kevin with hair!

I'd recommend this book ... it was an interesting and entertaining read.

Blog review post: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2015/01...
Profile Image for Intikhab.
53 reviews
August 25, 2013
I would have been disappointed if Kevin had not maintained his Dragons' Den voice in 'Cold Hard Truth: On Business, Money & Life.' The book is an honest, frank, and interesting account of Kevin's career, life, and big businesses. He introduces his readers to the world of Big Money that he knows from inside and in doing so he walks the talk. He is as brutal in his narrative as you would find him during his Dragons' Den appearances. His writing style is as interesting as his talk on CBC TV. He is deadly honest about his love for money and that he considers it his 'military,'deploying each of his dollars as a soldier to take currency prisoner and bring it back to him. One might describe him as a brutal capitalist or a materialist short of morals after reading his account, but this is the man who does not shy away from sharing his love for money and priorities to earn every dollar of his with dignity, honesty, and through hard work. Without appearing boastful about his morality, he talks about his belief in utilizing his money to the benefit of others. He does not appear to be someone who is a miser. He uses his money for charity organizations but intelligently. It is a book that gives courage to the readers about their ability to make money by making best use of their skills and talent.
Profile Image for Karolina.
79 reviews
January 7, 2018
I picked this book up because, at the time, I was really into Dragon's Den, I actually like Kevin, and because someone in the family bought it. For a book with such a bold title, it really didn't say much. It read very much like a dictated autobiography clearly ghost-written by someone else and lightly edited.

It's very vague when it comes to talking about what exactly Kevin did while building his first business, and attributes much of it to his character. That is fair, however that makes the book title and summary pretty misleading. I'd be happier reading this without such grandiose pretentiousness. You can't call a book Cold Hard Truth, and not offer the cold hard truth.

Most of what this book has to offer in terms of information can be found on Wikipedia, as it is not even nearly intimate enough to qualify as a true biography. It's pretty clearly ghost-written and printed to profit off the success of the show at the time. If you really want to give it a try, at least it's easy to read and follow.
Profile Image for Alex.
55 reviews2 followers
August 15, 2015
As the title states, Kevin gives it to you straight. Why? Because that's how business works and any other way would just be wasting your time. Money, business, investing: they don't take excuses, nor do they sugar coat things. When you're wrong, you're wrong, and it stings. If you have been stung, it is something you never forget and Kevin is no different.

What this book is about is Kevin taking the lessons he learned through his life, both from other people (his mother for example) and from mistakes he made, and learning from them by taking that lesson to better his approach to business and investing. Yes, it sounds like your a-typical investing/business memoir, and you're not too far off. But, I guess that's what the reader expects from this book.
Profile Image for Hugh Egener.
22 reviews2 followers
February 5, 2012
If you are a budding entrepreneur who wants to find out what it takes to succeed this is the book. He even has checklists that ask you the hard questions like - do you want holidays, do you want time with your wife (on holidays), do you want to attend your kids' soccer games regularly, do you want to get 6 hours of sleep a night, do you want security of not worrying about your job - then you are not suitable to be an entrepreneur. After the launch of his book he and his wife Linda divorced. I guess she had had enough! His story solidifies my feeling that exceedingly hard work and luck are the main ingredients for success. Great book.
10 reviews2 followers
June 28, 2012
I was never a fan of Kevin O'Leary because he was a very rude and arrogant person on Dragon's Den. However, this book was great because it was very interesting, inspiring and enlightening about why O'Leary thinks and acts the way he does. I do not consider myself as a business savvy person at all but I really enjoyed this book. After reading this book, I understand why he is so cold and frank to the people pitching their businesses on Dragon's Den. Obviously, I learned more about business but I learned even more about life and what is required to be successful. He is a very well written person. It impressed me greatly.
Profile Image for Fotis Chatzinicolaou.
79 reviews15 followers
September 25, 2014
Η ιστορία του Kevin O'Leary, δισεκατομμυριούχου, δράκου στο Dragon's Den και καρχαρία στο Shark tank.

Αν υπάρχει κάτι που είναι εμφανές από αυτή την αυτοβιογραφία, είναι το πόσο συγκεντρωμένος ήταν και είναι ο Kevin στην ζωή του. Ήθελε να βγάλει λεφτά. Αυτό. Και το έχει καταφέρει περίφημα.

Μαλάκας για κάποιους, καργιόλης για άλλους, δεν είναι φιλικός. Ξεκαθαρίζει ότι τον νοιάζει πως μπορεί να βγάλει λεφτά για εκείνον και τους συνεργάτες του, χωρίς να αναλώνεται σε αλτρουισμούς.

Αρκετά ευχάριστο ανάγνωσμα, με διάφορες συμβουλές. Δεν περίμενα να το πω, αλλά και η προσθήκη πολλών φωτογραφιών από την ζωή του Κεβιν, κάνει την ανάγνωση πιο εύκολη.
Profile Image for Ozzie Jurock.
30 reviews2 followers
March 14, 2013
No nonsense book. No fluff...Yes you can be rich, but not by visualizing it...Hard work is involved.
"Running a successful business... is an all-consuming, all-encopassing venture, which totally invigorates some, totally exhausts others".

He loves Don Cherry and his rules: 'Don't be boring, alway have the first and last word'...and states that do what you like to do and what you are good at.
A good easy read.
Profile Image for Dio Handoyo.
108 reviews5 followers
March 24, 2015
One very frank message: building a successful business is not for everybody. The detailed account Kevin shared on how he built his own company, and all the subsequent events, reveals just how much hard work is necessary (100-hour weeks sounds good?) but also the sheer amount of luck and a certain type of personality needed to make it. Gives readers a background behind the hard-ass guy you see on Dragons' Den and Shark Tank.
Profile Image for Michael.
Author 5 books6 followers
January 12, 2021
Solid. As an entrepreneur and investor, I really appreciate every page. I really think this was well written and well done. I appreciate his no-nonsense talk. And his solid money management rules.

It's also a delightful story because much of his success in money management and investing comes from his mother. Which is endearing and also beautiful. I'm really glad I got this and read it. Insightful and inspiring
Profile Image for Nikolina.
89 reviews6 followers
January 26, 2013
The book gives us more insight in some traits that made him such an interesting character. I especially loved the first part of the book where he describes his childhood and how his business started. Some advices and the quiz: Are you an employee or an employer are so random, but nevertheless, the book is entertaining.
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