Wet Behind the Ears
By Bruno Gideon
Matterhorn Publishing
$21.95 Cdn.
By Atara Beck
Tribune Correspondent
Wet Behind the Ears: The Adventures of an Entrepreneur and the 7 Essential Lessons Learned, by Bruno Gideon, is not the typical, unrealistic guide to business success. It’s an enjoyable, captivating autobiography of a Swiss Jew who grew up during the Holocaust, and the advice offered is beneficial to any employer or employee. Each chapter ends with important life lessons acquired from the author’s experiences. The reader is given the opportunity to learn from his invaluable insight and people skills as well as from his mistakes.
Gideon’s family was fortunate to have avoided deportation. However, they certainly experienced fear and antisemitism, and the horrific news of the murder of millions of innocent people, Jewish and non-Jewish, affected them profoundly. After the war, Bruno’s parents took in four Jewish orphans to their farm, not far from Zurich.
His determination to succeed amidst challenge and adversity, which he describes as his “inner rebel,” is what helped Gideon to prosper. Well-known in his native country as a pioneer in marketing – he opened Pickpay, a discount food chain, and Microspot, the first computer store in Switzerland – he’s the best-selling author of seven books, including Don’t Take No for an Answer, of which more than 50,000 copies were sold.
“Every success and every downfall usually has to do with the seven essential lessons taught in Wet Behind the Ears,” Gideon told the Jewish Tribune. He emphasized the value of listening to other people and accepting criticism.
Asked about the comments he received on his books, he replied that “almost everybody who wrote or phoned found some parallels to their personal lives. That is what makes a book a best seller.”
Gideon moved to Toronto in 1996 and eventually became a proud Canadian citizen. He had visited here during a number of business trips and was impressed by the multicultural environment and the atmosphere of freedom. He believes deeply in the importance of community, of giving to others. One of the first personal commitments he made in his adopted country was at the Bernard Betel Centre for Creative Living, where he spent quality time with an elderly blind man every week until the latter’s unfortunate demise.
The ‘1-minute email,’ a short motivational message circulated at no charge, has grown from six subscribers to more than 30,000 worldwide. To join the list, go to www.brunogideon.com.
Index | Letters to the Editor | Main Page | Op Ed | Photos
Send Letters To The Editor:
editor@jewishtribune.ca
This site hosted by:
vex.net
