Dad of Divas' Reviews: Book Review - How To Be Like Walt, Capturing The Disney Magic Every Day Of Your Life

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Book Review - How To Be Like Walt, Capturing The Disney Magic Every Day Of Your Life

How To Be Like Walt, Capturing The Disney Magic Every Day Of Your Life
 photo disclaimer2_zps8af35ac1.jpg

About the Book
These are but two of the Walt Disney-isms that pepper the pages of the latest book on the man, How To Be Like Walt: Capturing the Disney Magic Every Day of Your Life (HCI Books - $13.95 – August 2004) by Pat Williams with Jim Denney. The authors conducted over 1000 interviews to present the man behind the myth. To tie them all together, Williams and Denney share lessons they gleaned from their in-depth study of this icon of American family entertainment.

Williams, whose personal fascination with Disney began when he relocated to Orlando, Florida in 1989 to build a new NBAA basketball team, considers Walt Disney to be one of his mentors. In fact, his team, the Magic, was named in honor of one of Disney's most famous creations, the Magic Kingdom. The name was chosen not only because the team's proximity to Disney World, but also as a tribute to how Walt Disney's "magical personality” touched his community.

To help readers make their own dreams come true, the authors have assembled the following lessons learned by observing Walt Disney's extraordinary life:


  • Lesson 1: Live the Adventure
  • Lesson 2: Be a Salesman
  • Lesson 3: Dare to do the Impossible
  • Lesson 4: Unleash Your Imagination
  • Lesson 5: Become an Animated Leader
  • Lesson 6: Take a Risk
  • Lesson 7: Deal with Loss
  • Lesson 8: Plus Every Experience
  • Lesson 9: Be a Person of Stick-To-It-Ivity
  • Lesson 10: Be a Sponge for Ideas
  • Lesson 11: Ask Yourself – "How About Tomorrow”
  • Lesson 12: Live for the Next Generation
  • Lesson 13: Build Complementary Partnerships
  • Lesson 14: Stay Focused
  • Lesson 15: Accept Your Mortality
  • Lesson 16: Make Family Your Top Priority


How To Be Like Walt follows Disney from his humble childhood years on a farm outside of Kansas City until his death in December of 1966. What is clear throughout the book is a life of imagination, perseverance and optimism. And, although some controversy accompanied Disney's legacy, his impact lives on in the hearts and minds of people all around the globe.

As friend and colleague, Art Linkletter, says: "Of all the books written about Walt Disney, this may be the most important.”

About The Authors:

Pat Williams is senior vice president of the Orlando Magic and author of more than 30 successful books, including 4 books in the How to Be Like series.

Jim Denney is a professional writer who has collaborated with Pat Williams on several books, including How to Be Like Jesus and the upcoming Three Success Secrets of Shamgar.



My Take on the Book
I have been a fan of Walt Disney for years, not only for what he built, but for what he stood for and believed. This book brought into focus many new facets of both Disney's life but also his wisdom. You can tell that the author has a deep respect for Disney and he brings out the qualities that made him great and shows the readers how they can turn these qualities into something that they can incorporate into their own lives.

Even though the book shares a ton of inspirational ideas that can be incorporated into all of your lives, the book also is a biography of sorts and you get a much better understanding of Walt Disney the man.

I found a ton of transferable concepts that I know that I can use in my own personal and professional life and know that this will be a book that I will read over and over again and will share with others as I continue on my own journey.

All-in-all I highly encourage you to read this and learn and grow with each page that turns!


----------------------------------------
New to the Divadom or to Dad of Divas Reviews?
Please Subscribe to my RSS Feed! Subscribe in a reader
Questions? Drop me a line at dadofdivas@gmail.com

No comments: