Product Description

With truly startling statistics and a wealth of anecdotes, Silbiger reveals the cultural principles that form the bedrock of Jewish success in America.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #48364 in Books
• Published on: 2000-05-25
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 256 pages

From the Publisher
Steven Silbiger is also the author of The Ten-Day MBA: A Step-By-Step Guide to Mastering the Skills Taught in America's Top Business Schools. He lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Customer Reviews

Becoming A Jew
Fantastic information on how a person learns to be a Jew. How parents raise their children with the values and culture to be a Jew. Great information.

Incidental traits- not the fundamental Jewish teaching
This is an effort to teach people how to be successful through principles derived from Jewish life and experience. Its emphasis is on the business, and financial success. It teaches seven principles, 1) To understand that learning is portable 2) Take care of your own and they will take care of you 3) Successful people are professionals and entrepreneurs 4) Be selectively extravagant but prudently frugal 5) Celebrate individualism and promote creativity 6) Have something to prove. A drive to success. 7) Develop your verbal confidence.
The author claims that these principles can be learned by anyone, and thus his argument is that these traits are cultural and not genetic.
The work does not explain the many Jews like myself who are not financially successful.
The writer does however have a sense of humor and should be valued for that. The advice if it could be taken, which is always the problem with ' advice' probably would help people become more successful.
I would just point out that the traits cited by the author are incidental ( except perhaps the one of caring for others) to fundamental Jewish religious teachings. Those teachings emphasize walking in the way of God, by being kind and considerate to others. And they also emphasize working to improve the world and make it better for all. Perhaps these teachings too have something to do with financial ' success'
I would also make another point though. The Jewish tradition teaches the truly wealthy person is the one ' satisfied with his lot'. This is a contradiction of one of the principles listed above.

A Must Have Motivational/Inspirational Book
If you have an interest in becoming successful give this book a read. It takes no time to complete and gives plenty of suggestions to choose from on how to improve yourself professionally and that you can make a difference. For the Jewish Community it should be a required read. Several examples of how well off the Jewish Community is is illustrated in the book in order to explain how they have become so wealthy as a group. As a Gentile I found it to be enlightening as to how and what some of the differences are between the two religions just on a busniess level alone. You always think of the religious differences but not necessarily the other components of our lives, i.e. success in the business world. Please keep in mind this is not a religious book but rather a business book with stories of how the Jewish community is so successful in the world. Now we all know what the phenomenon is.