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A Brief History of Entrepreneurship: The Pioneers, Profiteers, and Racketeers Who Shaped Our World (Columbia Business School Publishing) Kindle Edition

by Joe Carlen (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 16 ratings
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A Brief History of Entrepreneurship charts how the pursuit of profit by private individuals has been a prime mover in revolutionizing civilization. Entrepreneurs often butt up against processes, technologies, social conventions, and even laws. So they circumvent, innovate, and violate to obtain what they want. This creative destruction has brought about overland and overseas trade, colonization, and a host of revolutionary technologies—from caffeinated beverages to the personal computer—that have transformed society.

Consulting rich archival sources, including some that have never before been translated, Carlen maps the course of human history through nine episodes when entrepreneurship reshaped our world. Highlighting the most colorful characters of each era, he discusses Mesopotamian merchants' creation of the urban market economy; Phoenician merchant-sailors intercontinental trade, which came to connect Africa, Asia, and Europe; Chinese tea traders' invention of paper money; the colonization of the Americas; and the current "flattening" of the world's economic playing field.

Yet the pursuit of profit hasn't always moved us forward. From slavery to organized crime, Carlen explores how entrepreneurship can sometimes work at the expense of others. He also discusses the new entrepreneurs who, through the nascent space tourism industry, are leading humanity to a multiplanetary future. By exploring all sides of this legacy, Carlen brings much-needed detail to the role of entrepreneurship in revolutionizing civilization.

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  1. Print length
    258 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Columbia Business School Publishing
  5. Publication date
    October 11, 2016
  6. File size
    1469 KB
  7. Page Flip
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  8. Word Wise
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Editorial Reviews

Review

A Brief History of Entrepreneurship is an unbelievably enthralling and inspirational book, especially so for enthusiasts, practitioners and students of entrepreneurship and business. -- Sapphire Ng ― Impeccable Business

Joe Carlen delves in primary and secondary sources, including texts on modern management, and presents them in readable and attractive prose. A Brief History of Entrepreneurship is a light and enjoyable read. -- Ali Kahn, Abram Hutzler Professor of Political Economy, Johns Hopkins University

Entrepreneurs will come to better understand who they are and what they do by reading this book.... Highly recommended. ― CHOICE

Carlen's enlightening book considers many aspects of the historical development of entrepreneurship and will attract business-minded readers. ― Library Journal

I believe that continually expanding our understanding of the roots of entrepreneurship and what’s changed are key to being a good business owner. A page turner...thrilling. -- Barbara Weltman ― Big Ideas For Small Business

Covering millennia and the whole planet, Carlen provides us with the fascinating story of how those individuals taking risks in the search for profits not only adapted and responded to seemingly unsurmountable challenges but also (and more importantly) shaped the world we live in. -- Marcelo Bucheli, author of Bananas and Business: The United Fruit Company in Colombia, 1899-2000

This enjoyable book is full of great stories and practical ideas that any entrepreneur can use to be more successful faster. -- Brian Tracy, author of The Way to Wealth

About the Author

Joe Carlen is the cofounder of Know Thy Market, LLC, and a certified valuation analyst. He is the author of The Einstein of Money: The Life and Timeless Financial Wisdom of Benjamin Graham (2012).

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01LWZY4XN
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Columbia Business School Publishing (October 11, 2016)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 11, 2016
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1469 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 258 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 0231173040
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 16 ratings

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Joe Carlen

Joe Carlen

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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
16 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Leela
5.0 out of 5 stars but we have never made you feel bad about this
Reviewed in the United States on May 2, 2017
Verified Purchase
This should be on the reading list for all college and AP beginning economics classes. Reading this history, one often gets ah-huh moments, such the author's comments that enterprise does poorly in authoritarian regimes with reactionary agrarian ideals. (The example given is Rome; my mind connects the dots to the antebellum South, Mao and Pol Pot)

Very well written and engaging especially when the author cites from actual sources:

" 30 years ago you left the city of Assur, you have never made a deposit since, and we have not recovered when shekel of silver from you, but we have never made you feel bad about this. Our tablets have been going out to you with caravan after caravan, but no report from you have ever come here we have addressed claims to your father but we have not been claiming one shekel of your private silver. Please, do come back right away; should you be too busy with your new business, deposit the silver for us. We have never made you feel bad about this matter but we are now forced to appear, in your eyes acting as gentleman should not. If not we will send you a notice from the local ruler and the police and thus put you in shame in the assembly of merchants..."

The city of Assur was founded approximately 4500 years ago. Things do not change!
2 people found this helpful
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Xavier Chang Pan Huo
5.0 out of 5 stars Imagine the possibility
Reviewed in the United States on December 4, 2020
Verified Purchase
As a fairly new entrepreneur, I found "A Brief History of Entrepreneurship" to be inspiring on the possibilities with new ventures. Whether it's exploring new worlds, incorporating technology, or repackaging an existing product, civilizations and individuals that preceded us have helped to open many doors for entrepreneurs like myself.

I recommend Carlen's book to those that are embarking on a venture that may seem uncertain, terrifying, at times, but highly rewarding and fulfilling.
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Gderf
4.0 out of 5 stars Phoenicia to Silicon Valley
Reviewed in the United States on April 16, 2017
The book traces entrepreneurship, a prime mover of societal progress through the ages, but emphasizing recent developments. Carlen relates history and motives of what he calls pioneers, profiteers and racketeers. He book covers contributions of Phoenician traders and pirates beginnings of the slave trade, Mesopotamia, the Industrial Revolution complete with Luddite fears then and now, democratization of the automobile industry by Henry Ford, Prohibition era Chicago, culminating in Silicon Valley and Internet along with the PC Revolution. He says the Greeks built trading networks while the Romans were low on entrepreneurship, an arguable contention. We read about careers of Gates, Musk, Bazos and many others. Among the few practical ideas is the suggestion of good business to be made in Africa where there is a discrepancy between perception and reality. Most interesting is development of modern international trade with the British East India Company (BEIC), Dutch VOC, and French East India Company in an era of “no trade without war.” Does it continue today?
One person found this helpful
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Gerald Ryan
5.0 out of 5 stars I enjoyed the historical quality of both of Mr
Reviewed in the United States on November 2, 2016
Verified Purchase
I enjoyed the historical quality of both of Mr. Carlen's books, The Einsten of Money, ans the The Brief History of Entreprenuership.
2 people found this helpful
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Jeff
5.0 out of 5 stars The function of entrepreneurship to our society
Reviewed in the United States on October 20, 2020
Just got a Chinese version of the book and finished it. The book has lots of interesting details about Chinese entrepreneurship that even most of Chinese people do not know. But what is more interesting to me is, sometimes one may feel uncomfortable or inconfident when he or she does or thinks differently. After you read this book, you can see from history, that entrepreneurs are always those who dare to think and do things in an unusual way. It is this group of people who really changed the history and the world, and often, as a result, made a fortune and got their pride. The spirit of entrepreneurship in my view functions as a deep and primitive force for human society, somewhat like sex for a human being, per Freud.
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J. J. Van Klundert
5.0 out of 5 stars Insightful read, giving a historic, multicultural, balanced perspective on entrepeneurship
Reviewed in the United States on November 27, 2020
The history of entrepreneurship is endless and perhaps also beginless. Joe Carlen's approach is spot on, taking us from the first 'civilizations' in Mesopotamia through time, revealing and clarifying the role of entrepreneurship since. It covers the achievements and the benefits, while also unveiling the negative impacts Entrepreneurship has brought. The book has a global view and offers ample learning and perspective, emphasizing the societial role of entrepreneurship while also addressing the idiosyncracies of entrepreneurs. Accessible, relaxing and insightful at the same time. Recommended!
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Budding Entrepreneurs - Get a grip on your history!
Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2017
A Brief History of Entrepreneurship is a terrific read. Joe Carlen’s writing style is compelling, engaging and effective. It keeps the book open far too late in the night. You’ll read about business history and societies and those individuals who simply (or not so simply) took risks, commercialized inventions and innovations in times before the label, entrepreneur, even existed.

Carlen’s business history of entrepreneurism starts with the ancient world and ends in the modern day. As if listening to a lecture series by an engaging professor, Carlen takes the general knowledge or awareness of history, that most breathing business people have (or should have), and joins the dots in a delightful and entertaining manner. Page after page, the book delivers those elative "aha" moments and continually begs the question - why I didn’t think of that? Or I should have known!

Carlen leaves us with a message that entrepreneurism is a historical reality representing a series of repetitions that continue to emerge in a cycle of reinvention.

Maybe Carlen should have a lecture series as a required session for budding entrepreneurs – give them some perspective and maybe an injection of historical humility.
3 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Learn from entrepreneurs throughout history
Reviewed in the United States on March 27, 2017
This book has been extremely informative to me as an author, researcher, professor, and business consultant. We tend to think of the current entrepreneurial revolution as something unique to our time. The reality is, we have had remarkable entrepreneurs throughout the history of the world. We can learn much from them - both positive and negative - as we attempt to change and improve our world through entrepreneurial practices. This book is an important read for everyone interested in the field of entrepreneurship.
2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

sachin datt
5.0 out of 5 stars Good read
Reviewed in India on March 20, 2019
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Comprehensive
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