Tell To Win Club Reviews

Tell to Win: Connect, Persuade, and Triumph with the Hidden Power of Story. Peter Guber. Crown. 272 pages. 

This most enjoyable and enlightening book is a must read for anyone who negotiates, sells, motivates or interacts with others in the social and business world. Marvin Stein, Coral Springs

I found this book to be well written and easy to understand.  It teaches the reader how to tell a story that will win over their audience.  While not talking down to you, it never assumes you have all the answers, either.  I would recommend it to others. Terri Bryant, Davie

Hurray for Mr. Guber in recapturing the lost art of the past. It is an art that will distinguish your point of view from others. Enrique J. Ventura, Jr., Cutler Bay

While many of the stories in Tell to Win were interesting, I found the endless storytelling to be boring. As I read, I had this sense that Guber wanted to show the world that he has a first-name relationship with many successful people across multiple industries and disciplines. Did the book deliver what it promised?  I answer that in the affirmative. Could he have done it in far fewer pages?  Absolutely. But then we would have missed out on knowing who Guber knows. Claudette J. Spence, Flushing, NY

This book lays out a very strong argument for the power of telling a compelling and emotionally engaging story in its first two chapters.  Unfortunately, after that, it becomes a tedious, name-dropping, anecdote-filled tome that only seems to benefit the author’s large ego. Albert Sanchez, Coral Gables

Overall, I enjoyed the book. The author delivered on his message about telling stories to inspire action. This is exactly what it did for me as it opened my eyes to realize all the times I have been inspired after hearing a motivating story. Osvaldo Valdes, Sunrise

Very useful information told in anecdotal format makes everything easy to remember. I tried this technique, resulting in success in my latest project.  Would recommend this book as this applies to almost everything in life. Sandra Pollack, Coal Gables

Guber, who built an extremely successful career in the entertainment industry, clearly has an extraordinary amount of gumption and imagination, as well as a prodigious gift of gab. Amid an entertaining and eclectic series of anecdotes (as well as a lot of name-dropping), he teases out some tangible suggestions. Unfortunately, the book itself doesn’t feel like a particularly cohesive narrative. It’s somewhat repetitive and not all that well-organized; some of the stories recounted feel a bit tangential to the theme. It feels, quite literally, anecdotal. Readers whose eyes start to glaze over after awhile (as mine did) may choose to simply skim the book for stories they find particularly engaging. Barbara Pierce, Miami

The section at the end of each chapter barely saved any value that this book had for me. The stories were all about the rich and famous that almost all audiences wouldn’t be able to relate to or get anything beneficial from. Bob Preziosi, Davie

The book is very easy to read, you can read it while watching TV or even while playing video with your little kid, as I did during some pages. It seems that the writer just needed to write about something in order to reach the 250 pages required to be considered a book. The idea to tell a story during a pitch or speech is fantastic, but hardly new; I have been doing it for years and with great success. Alejandro Silvestre, Miami

The broad colorful range of characters depicted in Gruber’s book is impressive; from presidents to CEOs they all seems to have a vulnerable side that can be boosted with a story; the right one of course. It is all about the important to personalize the story for the event. It is about making the emotional connection with the audience. Doron Zilbershtein, Miami

My favorite motivational story teller in this book is Coach Pat Riley because when he speaks, you can actually feel you are at one of his games, even with your eyes open, just by absorbing his words, his powerful message clearly speaks to you and goes directly to your emotions. You are one with the story and smiling alongside a champion in just a few pages. Trisha Molina, Miramar

The stories were interesting at first, but then started getting repetitive. It didn't seem like this book gave you any tools to become a storyteller to win. At most, it gave you bits and pieces of tools scattered throughout the book. There didn't seem to be a central theme or thread to this book, just stories about famous people simply for the entertainment value of it. This book is more a story of Peter Guber's life than it is a business book with takeaways for the typical business book reader. Frank Donn, Miami

The stories were entertaining and sometimes instructive, but I think the book could have been much shorter to get its point across. As a book for business people below the level of CEO or Chairman I think the book misses the mark. He uses milestone events going back nearly forty years and a lot has changes in business since then; the pace and competition just two. The author is clearly accomplished and his many admirers vouch for his credibility. I will certainly take something away from reading the book and continue to think his methodology over and try to find ways to incorporate it into the lower level struggle to get ideas heard and executed. Asmar Madyun, Plainfield, NJ

Tell To Win is a wonderful book about storytelling told as a story. That sentence recaps how I feel about book. Tell To Win is not the first book that I have read about the power of storytelling. But it is the best. but effective. In light of the simplicity of the message, I believe that the book could have been shorter while maintaining its effectiveness. Some of his points drag on a little too long. Carlos Calderin Dalton, GA