Praise
Gold Medal Winner (Memoir/Autobiography) - 2009 Axiom Business Book Awards
Learn about these annual awards, given to exemplary business books and their creators. Read more here.
"A joy to read… Sam Wyly is a wonderful American character: a natural entrepreneur and builder with an outsized personality and humor to match his success. From selling rings at Louisiana Tech to creating businesses from steakhouses to software, he has a Midas touch and a gleam in his eye. This book is both a how-to guide as well as an inspirational autobiography. It captures the magic of the American dream."
"Wyly clearly loves beating the competition and pursuing goals…[he] keeps looking for new forms of success."
"1,000 Dollars and an Idea is more than mere memoirs. Each personal tale, written with humor, candor and spirituality, has an underlying business or life lesson."
"1,000 Dollars and an Idea is an American archetype: the rags-to-riches story, with plenty of references to football, farming, hard work and small-town sensibilities. It’s a retelling of lessons learned, challenges accepted—and usually overcome—deals made, and money amassed. All told in a writing style that is simple and straightforward."
"I cannot think of a proper way to salute Sam Wyly. He has accomplished a great deal, and his success has always been accomplished with honor and integrity. His book should be widely read."
"Self-made billionaire Sam Wyly offers a business pep talk wrapped in a memoir. His philosophy is quite folksy. 'Business is a lot like football,' he asserts; 'roots are good'; 'obstacles are only challenges.' His humor is without frills. When considering a business, he advises, ask yourself if you can create customers: 'Will the dogs eat the dog food?' Wyly may drive a Prius, but his autobiography is authentically Texan. From nearly dirt poor to filthy rich, it's his audacious story."
"In 1,000 Dollars and an Idea Sam Wyly provides a powerful argument for the power of markets to provide solutions to both economic and environmental problems. From his astonishing battle with AT&T to end the government-sanctioned communications monopoly blocking many of the possibilities offered by early digital technology to pioneering green energy companies Green Mountain Energy and BeGreenNow.com, Sam has been an extraordinary visionary for the long-term. Ever the optimist, Sam believes, like me, that entrepreneurs can change the world for the better and he has proven this to be true many times in his fascinating life. I highly recommend this exceptionally entertaining and inspiring book."
"Country boy makes good in this down-home tale... Wyly stresses the power and privilege of self-creation and speaks honestly about what he’s learned: that failure is crucial to achieving success, independent thought is imperative, luck serendipitous and power useless unless it is wielded for good."
"Reading Sam’s book brings to mind an exciting time in our technology history when computer software and services companies were the focus of the great American entrepreneurial spirit. Sam’s contributions to the development and progress of these industries cannot be overstated. His book is an inspirational journey through the early years of online computing, the creation and growth of the software products industry and the many and diverse achievements of one of the most important entrepreneurs of the 20th century."
"Sam Wyly is an entrepreneurial genius who inspires both new business ideas and spiritual renewal. He has inspired my Interfaith Power and Light Campaign, a religious response to global warming, which includes the use of clean technology. 1,000 Dollars and an Idea is a courageous tale of a creative and generous life."
"Spanning four decades and remarkably diverse industries, the career of Sam Wyly—a true original—shows what good ideas, strong will and access to capital can accomplish. It’s a compelling story of how to achieve the American dream by creating value that stands the test of time."
"1,000 Dollars and an Idea reads less like a business memoir and more like a thriller. Wyly describes early business meetings and infuses them first with real suspense, then the exhilaration of success. It feels like you and Wyly are sitting in his living room, and he’s telling you stories."
"Helpful with tips and advice on how to establish one’s own business when one doesn’t have much to play with. Entering the mind of a financial genius, 1,000 Dollars and an Idea is solid and highly recommended to aspiring business people."
"As a highly successful entrepreneur who has been involved in a steady stream of successful business ventures, Wyly could have felt compelled simply to write the usual autobiography. Instead, he also shares with the reader a set of universal lessons that he learned throughout his life and that he adroitly weaves into his story... A solid business memoir; recommended for business collections."
"An engrossing read that is a combination of an autobiography, an entrepreneur's handbook, a history of computer systems, a study of American society, an environmentalist's tract, and self-help and motivational lessons. It is quite a surprise that 1,000 Dollars and an Idea is also a heart-warming read. If you are suffering some setback, or feeling pessimistic and lacking in confidence, this book might help you see things clearer -- and maybe inspiring towards daring to aim for loftier targets in life."
