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Chris Gardner Book

Article Overview: In May 2006, Chris Gardner would release a book that would not only top best-seller lists across the country and get turned into a major motion picture, but would also inspire passion and hope in a new generation of readers and movie-goers. “The Pursuit of Happyness,” the first book by millionaire stock broker and entrepreneur Chris Gardner, tells the story of his own life in his own words.

Chris Gardner Book

In May 2006, Chris Gardner would release a book that would not only top best-seller lists across the country and get turned into a major motion picture, but would also inspire passion and hope in a new generation of readers and movie-goers. “The Pursuit of Happyness,” the first book by millionaire stock broker and entrepreneur Chris Gardner, tells the story of his own life in his own words.

With colourful language and a down to earth sense of humour, this story is more than just another of trials and tribulations that comes out with a happy ending. Indeed, from the smells in the bathroom stalls of the subway stations where he and his young son were forced to live until they could afford something better – anything better – this tale presents a look into the life of a determined young man so real that it often cannot seem real.

This story portrays the many obstacles that the entrepreneur faced on the long road to Wall Street and wealth. From his abusive step-father, to racism in the workplace, to his lack of education or credentials, he had the odds stacked against him from the get-go. It would have been easy for him to accept his circumstances and continue making less than $16,000 a year as a medical salesman.

However, this book is not about a victim. It is about the choice that Chris Gardner made early on to make something of himself. He wasn’t going to become like his stepfather, nor was he going to become just another person lost in the sea of mediocre and unsatisfying lives. No, with focus and persistence, Chris Gardner was going to become somebody.

That is the heart of this story – the story of pursuing a goal so doggedly that you can reach no other end but the one you set out for. While he had his own unique set of obstacles he needed to overcome, this book is not about racism or homelessness or violence per se. It is a book about someone who was kicked down time and again, but defiantly kept getting back up. He conquered not only the challenges thrown in his way by others, but also his own demons in order to make his dream happen.

“The Pursuit of Happyness” is a story about the vision Gardner had for himself, and the tenacity with which he pursued that vision. Published by Amistad, this 320-pager is a must-read for anyone who needs a push in getting to the next step, in breaking down the barriers in their way. It has a universal message, and demonstrates just how much everyone has in common in their own pursuit of happiness.

The recent movie of the same name was inspired by this book, with Will Smith playing the role of Chris Gardner. While it is a visual treat, anyone wishing to hear the real voice and emotions of Chris Gardner should read the book. It is a page-turner that just might turn around your own life.

Related Articles
  Chris Gardner Story
  Chris Gardner Pursuit of Happiness
  Chris Gardner Stock Broker
  From Rags to Riches: Gardner Lives the American Dream
  Chris Gardner Bio

Article Tags: bathroom stalls, best seller lists, bookin, chris gardner, earth sense, homelessness, lack of education, millionaire, motion picture, movie goers, new generation, obstacles, persistence, racism in the workplace, sense of humour, stepfather, stock broker, subway stations, trials and tribulations, young man



Related Forum Posts
Re: Millionaire or Happyness? - [quote="mphcoach":2xpspnai]I recently watched the movie 'In Pursuit of Happyness' and was rather disappointed that the 'happiness' achieved was merely the accumulation of wealth.[/quote:2xpspnai] Hi Martin, I actually loved the movie, and interpret the "pursuit of happyness" as Chris Gardner setting a goal in life and then reaching it through the process of hard work and a fighting spirit. In fact, I once heard that people who work harder are actually happier than those who are talented. The logic behind this mindset is that people tend to enjoy their success more when they feel they've struggled to earn it. However, I still think a person is better off being rich and unhappy, rather than being poor and unhappy.
My reading log - Hi OmnivoreInk, Before starting my business, I read the following books as research: -"The Art of the Start" by Guy Kawasaki -"The AdSense Code" by Joel Comm -"Don't Think Pink" and "Mind Your X's and Y's" by Lisa Johnson And since then I've continued my "research" by reading (in this order): -"Technical Tennis" by Rod Cross -"For One More Day" by Mitch Albom -"The Twits" by Roald Dahl -"Little Black Book of Connections" by Jeffrey Gitomer -"The Secret" by Rhonda Byrne -"The Profitable Retailer" by Doug Fleener -"Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell -"Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude" by Jeffrey Gitomer -"The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" by C.S. Lewis -"Little Green Book of Getting Your Way" by Jeffrey Gitomer -"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling And I'm currently reading and am in the process of finishing the following: -"There's No Such Thing as Public Speaking" by Jeanette and Roy Henderson -"The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell -"The Book of Tells" by Peter Collett -"Little Red Book of Sales Answers" by Jeffrey Gitomer -"Chocolates on the Pillow Aren't Enough: Reinventing The Customer Experience" by Jonathan M. Tisch -"The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity" by Julia Cameron -"The Inner Game of Tennis" by Timothy Gallwey
My entry - 1. The Best Business Books Ever: The 100 Most Influential Business Books You'll Never Have Time to Read - this is a fascinating book about the history of Business theory, and I'd recommend it to anybody. 2. The Big Book of Small Business: You Don't Have to Run Your Business by the Seat of Your Pants, by Tom Gegax. Ditto. 3. PADI: The Business of Diving Book Okay, so this book won't be of use to anyone who doesn't want to start a scuba store, but I did, and this book was of course invaluable to me in reaching that goal.
Re: Who to profile next? - Hi Evan, Because I'm an online marketer, My recommendations will be online marketers. I think Rosalind Gardner can be the best for adding to you site. She is making more than 1.000.000$ a year and is one of the best affiliates in the world and very successful woman. Also her picute is beautiful too. (her picture looks like the same Kim Castle which is one every page of the site). Also M. FIlsaeme and R. Brunson can be my recommendations. They are making 4.500.000$ in sales a year as a marketer.
Re: 10 Reasons Who Startups Fail & Book Recommendations - Great post,but please edit the headline. I presume it is "10 Reasons Why Startups Fail & Book Recommendation


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