The E-Myth Revisited

Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It

By: Michael E. Gerber

Narrated by: Michael E. Gerber

Length: 8 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

In this audio edition of the totally revised underground best seller, The E-Myth, Michael Gerber dispels the myths surrounding starting your own business and shows how commonplace assumptions can get in the way of running a business. He walks you through the steps in the life of a business, from entrepreneurial infancy, through adolescent growing pains, to the mature entrepreneurial perspective, the guiding light of all businesses that succeed, and shows how to apply the lessons of franchising to any business, whether or not it is a franchise. Finally, Gerber draws the vital, often overlooked distinction between working on your business and working in your business. After you have listened to The E-Myth Revisited, you will truly be able to grow your business in a predictable and productive way.

©1955, 2001, 2003, 2004 Michael E. Gerber (P)2004 HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Gerber loves to exhort people to develop powerful visions for their companies." (Fortune)

E-Myth Revisited Review

Excellent read and recommend listening to it once a year. Challenges small business owners to work yourself out of your job and to delegate. In order to build a self sufficient company with total freedom, one must develop systems that the "least" qualified employee in your organization can follow. It's all about the SYSTEMS in your company.

A must have business book.

I was going into this book with apprehension, a fear that this was yet another "I'll show you how it is done and you will live a great life forever". But I decided to buck the critic on audible who said it was awful and got it. Well I was surprised. It gives you the basics on running a business, a department, or anything...really. It shows you some of the obvious things that you never think about and then allows you to expand on them for yourself. It's a book that I have read a number of times...well listened to, but the first that I took notes on. E-Myth Mastery is next.

Great information in a wasteful format

This book offers a great number of insights for any small business owner trying to create and expand a company rather than just make money performing a service. (If the difference between the two is hard for you to see this is a great book for you.)

However, for those who can absorb and apply business information quickly, the make pretend "story" this book keeps bouncing back to about Sarah and her pie shop is trying too hard to be a novel and steals hours of your life.

At least half of this book is told as a parable to offer an application example, which isn't a bad idea... Gerber is no Hemingway though and he's apparently unaware of this. In the very beginning when he starts describing the haze of flour in the air being struck my sunlight you know you're in for a long ride.

He's a slow and methodical reader which doesn't help either. This is the first book I've ever increased the read speed on.

I'd still recommend the book, but just fast forward through the "story" if you've actually been operating a business for awhile. You're not missing anything unless you haven't actually opened your business yet. If you're currently a "wantrepreneur" Sarah's story may be more helpful.

Great fundamentals

Great business fundamentals and mostly inspiring, but a little too much mansplaining to Sara the poor baker. Also the jazz interludes haven’t aged well.

Exactly what I needed to hear

Being a small business owner myself, this is like fuel for the soul. Motivation. A kick in the a$s to make a change. After 5 years of doing things by discretion, I now have order in my business. Control. Systems in place. I owe most of this to Michael Gerber, who was recommended to me by Tim Ferriss.

If you're a small business owner that works MORE than you want to, listen to this book. That's it. Just do it. You won't regret it.

This will literally get you unstuck from the day to day grind, freeing you to do what matters— grow your business and make a change.

Plus the way Gerber tells the stories is entertaining in itself. This is not a boring monotone monologue. Gerber has a beautiful way of telling stories.

Give it a listen if you like actionable items to improve your business.

Just what I was looking for!

Great book! Simply laid out many of the questions I wanted answered and dispelled many assumptions.

Great ideas and lame presentation

What made the experience of listening to The E-Myth Revisited the most enjoyable?

The main idea in this book is fantastic - small business owners need to create a system for their business that allows it to run without them. It's the franchise model - you could sell the system to someone else and they could set it all up and run their own successful business. Or you could walk away from your own business and it would be successful without you.

However the book is told in a weird narrative format that I hated listening to. The author was a door-to-door encyclopedia salesman and I feel like I'm getting sold for half the book. There is also a lot of principles without any real world application.

I loved the example of the hotel the author stayed at in northern california, and the idea that a small business owner has to be a technician, manager, and entrepreneur. Overall I'm glad I read the book, but I'll never read (or listen) to this cover to cover again.

great book

helps you understand how to create consistency in your business and personal life reccomend to anyone trying to get ahead.

Great book.

You definetly must read it if you want to understand the mindset of small business owner.

Easy to understand and motivating.

Loved it, I feel motivated to work on businesses instead of just in them. The entire time spent listening to this book I felt as though an elder was telling me some vital information that I missed along my journey.