donnatella reviewed How Starbucks Saved My Life: A Son of Privilege Learns to Live Like Everyone Else on + 11 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 8
This is a quick, easy read about how Starbucks works and how a guy down on his luck found his calling when he started working for the company as a barista. However, Gill doesn't know when to stop name-dropping. I don't really care to see every famous person he's ever met mentioned in a single book, especially when they have little to do with the story. It's almost like Gill thought to himself, "Hey, Frank Sinatra is on the playlist at my Starbucks! I'll mention the time I met him!. And we serve scones! I'll talk about the time I had bad manners and bumped into the Queen of England!" I kept wanting to punch him.
Gini F. (passionforbooks) -
Helpful Score: 6
I really enjoyed this book. Michael Gill is brutally honest about his reduced circumstances and the subsequent trials and tribulations he suffers as he searches for work and learns to cope in a job he is over qualified and unprepared for. His candid evaluations of himself as well as others was very interesting. The story has a happy ending even though we can't predict his future. You come away knowing that his attitude is what makes him successful.
Nancy W. (Nancybw) reviewed How Starbucks Saved My Life: A Son of Privilege Learns to Live Like Everyone Else on + 2 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 5
What might have been an interesting magazine article becomes a repetitive, over-long walk through a fairly uninteresting year in this man's life. The audio CD especially becomes a "know-what's-gonna-happen" snoozefest long before it's over. Do yourself a favor and skip it.
Ashley B. (daredevilgirl013) reviewed How Starbucks Saved My Life: A Son of Privilege Learns to Live Like Everyone Else on + 746 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 4
A wonderful book that makes you wonder, would my life be better if I did a job I thought was under me? Would it make a difference. I amazed to find out the benefits that Starbucks gives (it's even better than my current job!!!) and how they really care about their "guests" and their "partners". It shows that people really do matter and care to Starbucks. Just a really great book that gives you insight to how Starbucks changes not only those that come in, but those that work there as well.
Heather B. (Heather-and-Raven) -
Helpful Score: 4
I go to Starbucks 2-4 times a week, it's my happy place. Drinking Starbucks is like a hug to your insides. I would rather be dipped in a vat of hot latte than listen to this drivel. I didn't make it past disk 4. I don't care about this guy's "amazing" and "special" daughters. I don't care that he cheated on his wife, got the cheatee pregnant, and left her hanging too. He's boring, boring, boring. I thought it'd be an inspirational look on how working at Starbucks could turn someone's life around, but it's like way more about how he finds himself "so helpful" to the down-and-out African American female store manager - ordering her about on how to make PowerPoints and stuff - and less about Starbucks itself.
H M. (anchovy) reviewed How Starbucks Saved My Life: A Son of Privilege Learns to Live Like Everyone Else on + 296 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 4
I worked at Starbucks for a while, and heard many different stories from the diverse people working there about how they'd ended up in their job (for me it was the benefits and the ability to get extra hours pretty easily even at other stores - a perfect college job), but I didn't work with someone quite like Michael Gates. This was a very easy read, and fairly repetitive, but a very interesting story.
Sabra S. (BookKat) reviewed How Starbucks Saved My Life: A Son of Privilege Learns to Live Like Everyone Else on
Helpful Score: 3
I picked this book up for my son who had to read if for freshman college.
I flipped through it because the name Starbucks caught my eye.
After the first couple of pages I was hooked and read it in 1 day.
It was interesting to see how a man my same age who grew up in a
wealthy family and had college and jobs handed to him dealt with
getting fired from a career he had put his life into and coming
out on top. How does a man who has had everything handed to him
start from scratch at a job at Starbucks that ultimately "saved
his life" and made him a much better person for it? Read the
book and you will find out. You won't be disappointed. I wasn't.
I flipped through it because the name Starbucks caught my eye.
After the first couple of pages I was hooked and read it in 1 day.
It was interesting to see how a man my same age who grew up in a
wealthy family and had college and jobs handed to him dealt with
getting fired from a career he had put his life into and coming
out on top. How does a man who has had everything handed to him
start from scratch at a job at Starbucks that ultimately "saved
his life" and made him a much better person for it? Read the
book and you will find out. You won't be disappointed. I wasn't.
Nancy S. (parsonswife) reviewed How Starbucks Saved My Life: A Son of Privilege Learns to Live Like Everyone Else on + 5 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
This story of a middle aged man who went from his ad exec job, to unemployed, to cleaning bathrooms and serving coffee fascinated my daughter and I. We came away from it with an upbeat attitude on work, relationships, and Starbucks. The book also gave me marketing ideas for my small company. One word for this book:inspirational.
Tina A. (tesandrews) reviewed How Starbucks Saved My Life: A Son of Privilege Learns to Live Like Everyone Else on + 7 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
Really enjoyed this book. What a fresh perspective on this mans life and his experiences with a chain we all either love or hate. His drive and ability to turn his life around are inspiring!
Peggy M. (ladywing) reviewed How Starbucks Saved My Life: A Son of Privilege Learns to Live Like Everyone Else on + 25 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
This book was wonderful! I truly feel that there are more people who really need to learn the lessons that *having* everything isn't *everything.* That you need to stop and respect the people are you to have that same respect returned and having the high paying career doesn't necessarily bring happiness!
Nazra K. (nazrak) reviewed How Starbucks Saved My Life: A Son of Privilege Learns to Live Like Everyone Else on + 4 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
Wow! I really loved this book. It was an easy to read, insightful, and thoughtfully written book. I read it outloud to my sister while on vacation and she couldn't get enough of it too!
Deborah B. (njdeb) reviewed How Starbucks Saved My Life: A Son of Privilege Learns to Live Like Everyone Else on + 17 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
Loved this book and read it all in one sitting. His story of riches to rags to happiness was inspiring.
Robert G. reviewed How Starbucks Saved My Life: A Son of Privilege Learns to Live Like Everyone Else on + 10 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
I am a giant Starbucks fan,..and while enamored with some of the depictions of the service attitude, I found this book very tiring to get through, a real push.
Cory K. (lovehermadly) reviewed How Starbucks Saved My Life: A Son of Privilege Learns to Live Like Everyone Else on
Helpful Score: 2
This book is great. An easy, fantastic read about a man who went from high to low, only to discover he was still high up in life. Because he is happy. It is not about money and things, it is about being happy and surrounding yourself with good people.
Patricia H. reviewed How Starbucks Saved My Life: A Son of Privilege Learns to Live Like Everyone Else on + 83 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
This was a very interesting book and poignant also. I really enjoyed reading it, especially since I love Starbucks so much, I found reading about their "philosophy" and about the "history" of coffee interesting as well. I would give this book a definite 4 star rating! I am not re-posting it because I want it for my personal collection.
Carol F. reviewed How Starbucks Saved My Life: A Son of Privilege Learns to Live Like Everyone Else on + 3 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Very good inspirational book for the older worker. Also great for those who are working at a less lucrative, or at an entry level after working their way up the ladder in another job. Good read. A little language, but otherwise very insiteful.
Sharon D. (booklit) reviewed How Starbucks Saved My Life: A Son of Privilege Learns to Live Like Everyone Else on + 473 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Makes you want to change jobs and drink more coffee.
C F. (cfroo1) reviewed How Starbucks Saved My Life: A Son of Privilege Learns to Live Like Everyone Else on
Helpful Score: 1
Enjoyed reading about the author's journey finding meaningful work in tough times.
Jeanette R. (thebeakeeper) reviewed How Starbucks Saved My Life: A Son of Privilege Learns to Live Like Everyone Else on + 167 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
someone left this on my plane trip to sydney and i picked it up. its so refreshing after reading that piece of crap eat pray love. im anti-starbucks but i do have to say that this was a great book and it made me a little less anti starbucks. its a great story about an older gentleman who loses his successful job in advertising (his own mentor fired him) and finds himself at a starbucks one day where they happen to be conducting an open house. hes mistaken for a job applicant and ends up taking the job and starting over a very different life from the one he had. its a great story of overcoming prejudices and finding changes in ones self. its simple, an east read and reminds me a lot of mitch alboms writing. great book, and like i said, i do loathe starbucks a little less. lol.
Tracey R. (tratz) reviewed How Starbucks Saved My Life: A Son of Privilege Learns to Live Like Everyone Else on + 102 more book reviews
This book was ok - but 3/4 of the way through I felt like he was repeating himself and I knew the story. Feel good story - easy, quick read.
Jill G. S. (jillie24) reviewed How Starbucks Saved My Life: A Son of Privilege Learns to Live Like Everyone Else on + 24 more book reviews
Horrible, can't believe I wasted a credit on this. Although, perhaps I shouldn't post that until I can get rid of it...?
Nancy S. reviewed How Starbucks Saved My Life: A Son of Privilege Learns to Live Like Everyone Else on + 14 more book reviews
Quick easy read with powerful life lessons.
Karen S. (mrssmilefix) -
I was heartfelt account of a privileged man's fall and how he came back up from the bottom by working at starbucks. It is also a very nice account of the respectful startbucks and how guests are partners are treated.
Ann R. (laurel23) -
I really enjoyed this book. It is a light read, but I thought it was full of wisdom. It basically was a book about learning about different types of people and how to get along with them, how to take joy in the small experiences and victories in life, how to receive and show kindness. In it, a corporate exec type,someone born into money and society, loses his job, his health, his family and has to learn to live on a much lower income and learn new job skills, and rebuild his life.
Shauna D. reviewed How Starbucks Saved My Life: A Son of Privilege Learns to Live Like Everyone Else on + 4 more book reviews
This was a quick, easy read with a positive story that any reader, young or old, could learn from. The author has a casual, easy writing style that makes it a feel like a conversation with a friend. The author does often go off on what I felt to be tangents with little relevance to the story itself, but those did not take too much away from the message of the book. I walked away feeling happy for him and with a refreshed perspective on life's challenges and struggles.
Chris R. (Cantnever) reviewed How Starbucks Saved My Life: A Son of Privilege Learns to Live Like Everyone Else on + 161 more book reviews
I loved this book! Got it from the library and HAD to have my own copy, so PBS supplied it! Mike is a great character and he was interesting to get to know. His take on Starbucks and the business model of this company was inspiring to me. Made me want to taste my first cup of Starbucks coffee, so I did. Of course, it wasn't just like in NYC since I don't live there - but the coffee was great. And the book is too! Recommend.
Vera P. (verap) reviewed How Starbucks Saved My Life: A Son of Privilege Learns to Live Like Everyone Else on + 30 more book reviews
I wanted to like this book, I really did. The premise was great - a man who's had everything pretty much handed to him most of his life loses his job and has to learn the value of hard labor. Along the way he learns that he has been prejudiced and unfair in his perceptions of others.
As great as the premise was, the resulting book was just slightly short of terrible. Gill does not have a talent for writing (to say the least) and the whole memoir sounds like a long conversation. He dips into his past on almost every page and often for no reason, and has no connections that make the memoir an interconnected piece, instead of a jumbled collection of memories.
I appreciate his struggles and his attempts to make the best out of a bad situation, but the reality is, stories like his happen every day. There are plenty of displaced executives working as waiters, and doctors from other countries who are reduced to cashiering jobs at a local pharmacy (I've worked with many of them). While it's great that Gill wanted to bring light to his experience, he should have done justice to himself and others in his shoes and written a more coherent book.
As great as the premise was, the resulting book was just slightly short of terrible. Gill does not have a talent for writing (to say the least) and the whole memoir sounds like a long conversation. He dips into his past on almost every page and often for no reason, and has no connections that make the memoir an interconnected piece, instead of a jumbled collection of memories.
I appreciate his struggles and his attempts to make the best out of a bad situation, but the reality is, stories like his happen every day. There are plenty of displaced executives working as waiters, and doctors from other countries who are reduced to cashiering jobs at a local pharmacy (I've worked with many of them). While it's great that Gill wanted to bring light to his experience, he should have done justice to himself and others in his shoes and written a more coherent book.
Martha S. (msteph5444) - , reviewed How Starbucks Saved My Life: A Son of Privilege Learns to Live Like Everyone Else on + 32 more book reviews
I really enjoyed this quick read and recommended it to others looking for a job. It certainly makes you realize that some of your own perceptions might be a little 'off'. Don't expect this to be the best book you ever read - but it's definitely worth your time.
Trisha L. (arsx3) reviewed How Starbucks Saved My Life: A Son of Privilege Learns to Live Like Everyone Else on
I found this book fascinating! I, too, borrowed it from the library, since I use most of my credits to get books for my grandchildren. In fact, saw the title on PBS, then checked the local library for it. I would definitely recommend this book.
Jeanne H. reviewed How Starbucks Saved My Life: A Son of Privilege Learns to Live Like Everyone Else on + 2 more book reviews
I thought the book was a good and interesting read. It showed that a person can start over at any age and it can be very humbling.
Sari Lynn G. (sari-lynn) -
An enjoyable & well-written memoir about making the most out of life when things are not going your way.
Leigh reviewed How Starbucks Saved My Life: A Son of Privilege Learns to Live Like Everyone Else on + 378 more book reviews
A feel-good, inspirational memoir of an old, white man down-on-his-luck who finds a sort of redemption in working a job as a barista/cashier at Starbucks. It was good to read about such a name-dropping (seriously - about 20 names from Hemingway to Sinatra) pompous jerk get a little humbled. I like the conclusions he drew from his experience and it reminded me a lot of "Who Moved My Cheese." It also made me miss working at Caribou Coffee, which I consider the best job of my life.
Although it isn't as inspirational as the author probably thinks it is, it's a good, quick read about a man's life and what change can do to it. I enjoyed reading it and I'm glad I did. The zen of finding happiness in anything in life, from a high-powered white-collar job to cleaning toilets - is a beauty everyone should know about. Gill does a decent job telling his story.
Although it isn't as inspirational as the author probably thinks it is, it's a good, quick read about a man's life and what change can do to it. I enjoyed reading it and I'm glad I did. The zen of finding happiness in anything in life, from a high-powered white-collar job to cleaning toilets - is a beauty everyone should know about. Gill does a decent job telling his story.
Darris B. (imperfectveganmama) reviewed How Starbucks Saved My Life: A Son of Privilege Learns to Live Like Everyone Else on + 13 more book reviews
I do not understand how this book was rated anything over one star and that would be for effort. This book was not an easy read for me, it was painful. Mr. Gill's self image is so poor it made me uncomfortable. There are so many things I could say about this book but I'll leave it up to you whether or not your tempted by the fact that it was on the New York Times Best Seller List (baffling to me).
Maureen M. (momack) reviewed How Starbucks Saved My Life: A Son of Privilege Learns to Live Like Everyone Else on + 9 more book reviews
Rich people [he seriously is 'a son of privilege'] are annoying but his story is really fun to read. As Tim Gunn would say "make it work!"
Roseanne S. reviewed How Starbucks Saved My Life: A Son of Privilege Learns to Live Like Everyone Else on + 3 more book reviews
I think that this book is a good one where it talks of a total change in ones life and how they deal with it.
Shanan B. (yogimommy) reviewed How Starbucks Saved My Life: A Son of Privilege Learns to Live Like Everyone Else on + 35 more book reviews
This book was really not very impressive. The author had an annoying tendency to wonder--like he would be talking about a meeting with his boss and then go off on a tangent about meeting Hemingway and then try to go back to meeting with his boss. If this is really how he thinks/acts on a daily basis I don't know how he gets anything done.
But more then that, I really was not that impressed with the story. Was his change that much different from anyone else who changes jobs? I don't think so. If Starbucks was not in the title then I don't think that it would have even got published. And I don't think that his story is that unique except he had farther to fall when he was fired. Does that make it that much more noteworthy?
But more then that, I really was not that impressed with the story. Was his change that much different from anyone else who changes jobs? I don't think so. If Starbucks was not in the title then I don't think that it would have even got published. And I don't think that his story is that unique except he had farther to fall when he was fired. Does that make it that much more noteworthy?
Carrie E. C. (cef424) reviewed How Starbucks Saved My Life: A Son of Privilege Learns to Live Like Everyone Else on + 67 more book reviews
Really good book!
