Business Is Beautiful: The Hard Art of Standing Apart

Accepted wisdom tells us that business should come before pleasure, or that the two should never be mixed. Business, it seems, was never intended to be pleasurable. During an economic crisis, in particular, business is easy to portray as a cold, unforgiving environment. But business isn’t like that. Business is people—people who come together to achieve more than is possible individually. Achievement is easily measured through profit, but value is a much bigger concept. Beyond profit, businesses have the ability to make valuable contributions to society. A man in Denmark has turned his love and compassion for his deaf wife into a business that helps millions, as well as makes millions. A doctor has set up a new model hospital to provide affordable healthcare in India. Business provides countless examples of companies that have achieved greatness; companies for whom profit is necessary but not a sufficient condition for success. These stories and the business lessons (often immeasurable) they provide are brilliantly captured in this highly original book.