I've Seen a Lot of Famous People Naked, and They've got Nothing on You!

Training Media Review, March-April, 2006 by Mireille Massue

I've Seen a Lot of Famous People Naked, and They've got Nothing on You!, by Jake Steinfeld, Book, 2005, American Management Association, $21.

My problem with books is that I get seduced by their titles. Admit it: the title I've Seen a Lot of Famous People Naked, and They've Got Nothing on You! Business Secrets from the Ultimate Street-Smart Entrepreneur piques your interest. It did mine.

Jake Steinfeld is a personal trainer who, through a lot of hard work, made it big in Hollywood. He is the founder of and the driving force and brand name behind, Body by Jake, a global fitness company.

What's in it?

The book has two premises:

1. A degree is not a requirement for big-time success, something I agree with. Take a look at the number of rich people--Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, for example--who didn't finish university.

2. "If Jake can do it, anyone can succeed." I disagree with this premise. If you are to have any measure of success, you have to have a number of key characteristics, some of which are persistence against all odds, determination, and belief in what you're doing.

I chose to read and review this book not just because of the attention-grabbing title, but also because I wanted to learn more about entrepreneurship. I have no interest in starting my own business; I do, however, plan on starting a new training department in a mid-size company. I wanted to get ideas for marketing and promoting learning within my organization.

And given the employment climate on both sides of the Canadian-U.S. border, we should all be thinking of ourselves as "Me, Inc." We are all, as Tom Peters says, our own brand, and with regular career changing becoming the norm, you could make a case that many of us are startups.

Steinfeld makes points that are useful but by no means novel or innovative:

* Love what you do. Ask the question: Can I see myself doing this for the next five, 10, 20 years?

* Turn failures into springboards to success. Not everything will succeed; accept it.

* Your belief in what you do will become your brand.

* Network, network, network and mean it. Don't wait until you need something to start connecting. People don't make instant connections.

* Partner up for mutual growth. Strategic alliances only work if both businesses are compatible and both benefit.

* Have the courage to take risks and to know when to walk away.

* Market, market, and do more marketing. It's all about what people see, hear, and do. What resonates is what will stick.

* Working for yourself is hard, but so is having a job you don't like.

* Continually evolve. You're only as good as the last thing you did.

How good is it?

Whether this book resonates with you or not, you have to give the author credit. As he says, "My business success offers you a real life, real world example because, when you get right down to it, I built a multi-million dollar empire with starting assets that boiled down to a towel, a broomstick, and a chair!"

Still, a side of Steinfeld is evident in the book that you might not want to emulate. It raises these questions:

  If money isn't supposed to be the prime motivator, why does he mention
  it so often?

  If the brand is strong, why does the author indulge in so much name
  dropping? The books sometimes reminded me of an infomercial.

  Seinfeld's personality comes through loud and clear. He is down to
  earth and pumped. But does he have to sound like a Pollyanna?

Recommendation

Despite the arresting title and some of the war stories, I've Seen A Lot of Famous People Naked has very little that hasn't been covered fully in other business books. I was disappointed. As they say "Where's the meat?"

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Review by Mireille Massue

Product Ratings

I've Seen a Lot of Famous People Naked, and They've Got Nothing on You!

Holds user interest  * 1/2
Value of Content     ***
Self-Study Value     *
Instructional Value  * 1/2
Value for the money  * 1/2
Overall rating       * 1/2