What do you think?
Rate this book
The Promise of a Pencil: How an Ordinary Person Can Create Extraordinary Change
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Business Books (2014)The riveting story of how a young man turned $25 into more than 200 schools around the world and the guiding steps anyone can take to lead a successful and significant life.
Adam Braun began working summers at hedge funds when he was just sixteen years old, sprinting down the path to a successful Wall Street career. But while traveling he met a young boy begging on the streets of India, who after being asked what he wanted most in the world, simply answered, “A pencil.” This small request led to a staggering series of events that took Braun backpacking through dozens of countries before eventually leaving one of the world’s most prestigious jobs to found Pencils of Promise, the organization he started with just $25 that has since built more than 200 schools around the world.
The Promise of a Pencil chronicles Braun’s journey to find his calling, as each chapter explains one clear step that every person can take to turn your biggest ambitions into reality, even if you start with as little as $25. His story takes readers behind the scenes with business moguls and village chiefs, world-famous celebrities and hometown heroes. Driven by compelling stories and shareable insights, this is a vivid and inspiring book that will give you the tools to make your own life a story worth telling.
*All proceeds from this book will support Pencils of Promise.
Adam Braun began working summers at hedge funds when he was just sixteen years old, sprinting down the path to a successful Wall Street career. But while traveling he met a young boy begging on the streets of India, who after being asked what he wanted most in the world, simply answered, “A pencil.” This small request led to a staggering series of events that took Braun backpacking through dozens of countries before eventually leaving one of the world’s most prestigious jobs to found Pencils of Promise, the organization he started with just $25 that has since built more than 200 schools around the world.
The Promise of a Pencil chronicles Braun’s journey to find his calling, as each chapter explains one clear step that every person can take to turn your biggest ambitions into reality, even if you start with as little as $25. His story takes readers behind the scenes with business moguls and village chiefs, world-famous celebrities and hometown heroes. Driven by compelling stories and shareable insights, this is a vivid and inspiring book that will give you the tools to make your own life a story worth telling.
*All proceeds from this book will support Pencils of Promise.
272 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 2014
556 people are currently reading
13295 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,088 reviews
May 4, 2014
I wanted to like this book. I really tried. But I would hardly call this a guidebook to turn your big dreams into a reality as the cover sleeve suggests. Adam was born into a family a privilege, worked carelessly (and recklessly) in a prestigious Wall Street firm, then was incredibly self-congratulatory about his project while weaving-in cliche "you can do it" mantras in each chapter.
Don't get me wrong, the organization he built is incredible, but I just could NOT connect with this author at all. I wouldn't recommend.
Don't get me wrong, the organization he built is incredible, but I just could NOT connect with this author at all. I wouldn't recommend.
March 30, 2016
Best reading of 2016 so far. Inspiring stories from a man of action.
Young, smart, enthusiastic and passionate, Adam Braun started with an idea, then came to live his dream and changed the world. What he experienced during the journey was beyond his imagination, he made the world a better place, getting to associate with a lot of great people, doing things he loved and becoming a person he wished to be.
I like his humble and neutral way of expressing himself, not a narcissistic personality we see a lot nowadays among talented people, those just try to impress people and get more followers. From what he writes, he shows us just a normal person daring to do what he loves and sharing his stories along the way. And we can learn a lot from his stories. And we know we can do the same. If we really want.
The world need more people like that.
Young, smart, enthusiastic and passionate, Adam Braun started with an idea, then came to live his dream and changed the world. What he experienced during the journey was beyond his imagination, he made the world a better place, getting to associate with a lot of great people, doing things he loved and becoming a person he wished to be.
I like his humble and neutral way of expressing himself, not a narcissistic personality we see a lot nowadays among talented people, those just try to impress people and get more followers. From what he writes, he shows us just a normal person daring to do what he loves and sharing his stories along the way. And we can learn a lot from his stories. And we know we can do the same. If we really want.
The world need more people like that.
January 27, 2015
Great read. Fascinating, thought provoking and heart warming. It also achieves an extraordinary level of honesty for both the good and the bad times in Adam's life.
For me, however, it did not achieve what it seems to have set out to do. He talks about how 'anybody' can make a big change to the world, emphasising how PoP's bank account started with just $25. But, unlike his organisation's bank account, Adam's beginnings were far from modest. He was born in a wealthy area into a well connected, supportive family, which led him to be successful in sport, school, and work experience before he even started college. In the following years he was lucky enough to have a variety of rare experiences through which he earned connections, skills, experience and insight into both the world's biggest problems and the world of big business.
Adam is a brilliant and inspiring man who has achieved an astonishing amount in his life for such a young guy. He just doesn't exemplify how 'anybody' can achieve great things since the book mainly describes his own successes and he had such an unusually great set of opportunities. On a more positive note, I believe there are many people in the world who do need to read this book. These people are skilled, hard working people with lucrative careers ahead of them who wrongly believe they can't have any meaningful impact on the world beyond themselves and their families. He brilliantly outlines how these people can turn their potential to help themselves into the power to change the world using his own life as a well-framed example. He shares which of his behaviours he believes led to the organisation's success as well as confessing his own mistakes and what he learned from them, giving an incredibly raw edge to the narrative. I think this book's substantial value lies in its potential to craft world changers from affluent, talented people like himself.
Those people are not just 'anybody' though, even if they may think they are, and it grates on me to hear a man, well aware of those less fortunate than himself, refer to people like himself as 'anybody'.
If it seems as though I'm focussing on a solitary negative, that's because it really is the only problem I have with the book. But it's a facet which leaves me, rather than feeling inspired (as I'm sure I'm supposed to), to feeling less hopeful about my own future than I was before I read the book.
I really do hope this book doesn't affect others in the same way, and I'd like to hear other people's opinion on this point; perhaps you could change my mind?
For me, however, it did not achieve what it seems to have set out to do. He talks about how 'anybody' can make a big change to the world, emphasising how PoP's bank account started with just $25. But, unlike his organisation's bank account, Adam's beginnings were far from modest. He was born in a wealthy area into a well connected, supportive family, which led him to be successful in sport, school, and work experience before he even started college. In the following years he was lucky enough to have a variety of rare experiences through which he earned connections, skills, experience and insight into both the world's biggest problems and the world of big business.
Adam is a brilliant and inspiring man who has achieved an astonishing amount in his life for such a young guy. He just doesn't exemplify how 'anybody' can achieve great things since the book mainly describes his own successes and he had such an unusually great set of opportunities. On a more positive note, I believe there are many people in the world who do need to read this book. These people are skilled, hard working people with lucrative careers ahead of them who wrongly believe they can't have any meaningful impact on the world beyond themselves and their families. He brilliantly outlines how these people can turn their potential to help themselves into the power to change the world using his own life as a well-framed example. He shares which of his behaviours he believes led to the organisation's success as well as confessing his own mistakes and what he learned from them, giving an incredibly raw edge to the narrative. I think this book's substantial value lies in its potential to craft world changers from affluent, talented people like himself.
Those people are not just 'anybody' though, even if they may think they are, and it grates on me to hear a man, well aware of those less fortunate than himself, refer to people like himself as 'anybody'.
If it seems as though I'm focussing on a solitary negative, that's because it really is the only problem I have with the book. But it's a facet which leaves me, rather than feeling inspired (as I'm sure I'm supposed to), to feeling less hopeful about my own future than I was before I read the book.
I really do hope this book doesn't affect others in the same way, and I'd like to hear other people's opinion on this point; perhaps you could change my mind?
June 23, 2014
Enh...started off great then...too much awesomeness in his tone.
I think what confused me most is the subtitle. The "ordinary guy" thing just doesn't apply. Blessed by his own admission he was raised in a pretty affluent community with great schools, he then went on to Ivy League school, graduated with three degrees, was able to intern with a hedge fund at only 19...the list goes on. Someone in rural America may/may not exactly have access to any of these opportunities due to accessibility, financial limitations, or even down to the loving support of a family as Adam's.
It isn't to negate all the hard work he did, but he tries to undersell his extraordinary and very different way of BEING and THINKING that seems very uncommon (and that's a GOOD thing, just don't try to tell us your an average joe). He's driven, disciplined, and surrounded by a network of connected people and opportunities. I don't see how that's ordinary which can sometimes rub a reader (or in this case even a fan) the wrong way. Just because you are not born with a trust fund doesn't qualify you as ordinary. It sometimes reads a feigned humility like many politicians come-off as when they are speaking to a crowd.
Still, great quotes throughout.
I think what confused me most is the subtitle. The "ordinary guy" thing just doesn't apply. Blessed by his own admission he was raised in a pretty affluent community with great schools, he then went on to Ivy League school, graduated with three degrees, was able to intern with a hedge fund at only 19...the list goes on. Someone in rural America may/may not exactly have access to any of these opportunities due to accessibility, financial limitations, or even down to the loving support of a family as Adam's.
It isn't to negate all the hard work he did, but he tries to undersell his extraordinary and very different way of BEING and THINKING that seems very uncommon (and that's a GOOD thing, just don't try to tell us your an average joe). He's driven, disciplined, and surrounded by a network of connected people and opportunities. I don't see how that's ordinary which can sometimes rub a reader (or in this case even a fan) the wrong way. Just because you are not born with a trust fund doesn't qualify you as ordinary. It sometimes reads a feigned humility like many politicians come-off as when they are speaking to a crowd.
Still, great quotes throughout.
August 13, 2021
Mình đã quen với kiểu sách như thế này nên khi đọc mình không quá xúc động dạt dào nhưng đây vẫn là một cuốn sách truyền cảm hứng cho những người muốn làm điều gì đó lớn hơn bản thân mình, lớn hơn là duy trì một cuộc sống với tài chính ổn định. Xuất phát từ một ý tưởng nhỏ và hành trình đi tìm mục đích có ý nghĩa cho đời mình, Adam đã dành hết quyết tâm để theo đuổi ý tưởng đó, và biến nó thành hiện thực, xây dựng hàng trăm ngôi trường trên nhiều thế giới, bắt đầu từ $25 kí gửi vào tài khoản. Có một số điểm mình thấy thú vị, như là việc xây dựng hoạt động của một NGO giống như một công ty vì lợi nhuận, phải tối ưu hoá việc sử dụng nguồn lực, và tiếp cận "khách hàng" theo phương thức của công ty truyền thống, cho dù mục đích của tổ chức không phải là vì lợi nhuận. Cách Adam phát triển Pencils of Promises mang đậm phong cách của một người đã làm việc cho consulting firm mạnh nhất nhì thế giới như Bain. Adam đã gặp được nhiều may mắn và có nhiều sự giúp đỡ từ network mà anh tạo ra. Không thể phủ nhận khả năng và sự kiên trì nhiệt huyết của anh, nhưng social capital (vốn xã hội) mà Adam có là cái không phải ai cũng có.
Cuốn sách khiến mình nghĩ rất nhiều về những ngày mình làm AIESEC, về ước mơ xây dựng thư viện của mình từ cách đây 10 năm, về một thôi thúc cho những dự án từ thiện mà mình có thể làm. "Be the change you want to see in the world".
Cuốn sách khiến mình nghĩ rất nhiều về những ngày mình làm AIESEC, về ước mơ xây dựng thư viện của mình từ cách đây 10 năm, về một thôi thúc cho những dự án từ thiện mà mình có thể làm. "Be the change you want to see in the world".
April 14, 2014
Immensely self-congratulatory.
July 22, 2014
To be honest, I don't know if I liked this book or not. Don't get me wrong, I think that what Adam Braun managed to accomplish, and what he is doing with Pencils of Promise is phenomenal. But I wasn't struck by the awe that he was clearly trying to convey with his story. Mr. Braun is a very passionate, tenacious, and most of all lucky fellow. If any of these qualities would have been lacking, his project would have failed. This book tells his story, but I wouldn't call it the guidebook to personal dream-fulfillment that the jacket reviews make it out to be.
*In compliance with FTC guidelines, I disclose that I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.*
*In compliance with FTC guidelines, I disclose that I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.*
September 1, 2014
I think I've figured it out: There are change-the-world memoirs that just blow you away...and then there are those that don't. What separates them is simple: the holy-moly-that-was-good books are the ones that focus on the people the author, or subject, was reaching out to. The others -- like this one -- focus on the author.
Which is to say that I have absolutely nothing against the author, or against Pencils of Promise. Would I want to do some independent research before endorsing the latter? Yeah, of course. But it sounds like they're doing good work. That said, this book is not about that good work -- it's not about the schools PoP builds or about the children and communities who might benefit from those schools. It's about Braun, his journey to get Pencils of Promise up and running, and his decisions to turn down lucrative job offers so as to apply himself entirely to PoP.
It's admirable. It really is. It's just not very interesting to read about when you want to know more about the communities who are potentially impacted by this. I shouldn't learn more about Justin Bieber from this book than I do about kids like Nuth, you know?
If I had a 'business' shelf, this book might go there; as it is, it doesn't fit on 'travel' or 'Asia' or 'Africa' or 'education' because even though Braun spends time travelling to Africa and Asia to build schools, that's skimmed over at best -- there is a far, far stronger focus on things like fundraising, donors, and meetings with bigwigs. Crucial parts of building a successful organisation, I am sure, but not the parts that this lay reader wants to read about.
Which is to say that I have absolutely nothing against the author, or against Pencils of Promise. Would I want to do some independent research before endorsing the latter? Yeah, of course. But it sounds like they're doing good work. That said, this book is not about that good work -- it's not about the schools PoP builds or about the children and communities who might benefit from those schools. It's about Braun, his journey to get Pencils of Promise up and running, and his decisions to turn down lucrative job offers so as to apply himself entirely to PoP.
It's admirable. It really is. It's just not very interesting to read about when you want to know more about the communities who are potentially impacted by this. I shouldn't learn more about Justin Bieber from this book than I do about kids like Nuth, you know?
If I had a 'business' shelf, this book might go there; as it is, it doesn't fit on 'travel' or 'Asia' or 'Africa' or 'education' because even though Braun spends time travelling to Africa and Asia to build schools, that's skimmed over at best -- there is a far, far stronger focus on things like fundraising, donors, and meetings with bigwigs. Crucial parts of building a successful organisation, I am sure, but not the parts that this lay reader wants to read about.
February 20, 2019
Finish reading this while waiting for my flight back home =)) and I was right1 It is a 5 star ! For sure !
July 2, 2017
Lúc đọc quyển sách này, mình đã không nghĩ là mình sẽ thích nó như vậy.
Mình hong biết nên xếp cuốn sách này vào dạng self-help hay là tự truyện. Chắc có lẽ là cả hai, vì đây chính là câu chuyện của Adam Braun trong suốt quá trình nuôi nấng ước mơ làm một cái gì đó giúp ích cho đời, đến cái này mà PoP là một tổ chức vững mạnh như bây giờ. Song song đó, trong suốt quá trình mà Adam tìm kiếm và phát triển bản thân, mình cũng học được nhiều điều thú vị, mới mẻ và đặc biệt hữu ích.
Cây bút chì, cái vật dụng rất quen thuộc và thậm chí có phần tầm thường với phần lớn chúng ta, có ai ngờ ở một nơi xa xôi nào đó nó lại là ước mơ và khát khao lớn lao nhất của biết bao em nhỏ. Thật may là đã có một tổ chức như PoP, và mình mong là sẽ có thật nhiều những tổ chức khác như PoP ra đời nữa, vì giáo dục là tương lai.
Sách tuyệt hay, chắc chắn sẽ đọc lại trong tương lai. À quên, tự nhiên gặp "người quen" Justin Bieber nên cũng thấy thú vị phết!
Mình hong biết nên xếp cuốn sách này vào dạng self-help hay là tự truyện. Chắc có lẽ là cả hai, vì đây chính là câu chuyện của Adam Braun trong suốt quá trình nuôi nấng ước mơ làm một cái gì đó giúp ích cho đời, đến cái này mà PoP là một tổ chức vững mạnh như bây giờ. Song song đó, trong suốt quá trình mà Adam tìm kiếm và phát triển bản thân, mình cũng học được nhiều điều thú vị, mới mẻ và đặc biệt hữu ích.
Cây bút chì, cái vật dụng rất quen thuộc và thậm chí có phần tầm thường với phần lớn chúng ta, có ai ngờ ở một nơi xa xôi nào đó nó lại là ước mơ và khát khao lớn lao nhất của biết bao em nhỏ. Thật may là đã có một tổ chức như PoP, và mình mong là sẽ có thật nhiều những tổ chức khác như PoP ra đời nữa, vì giáo dục là tương lai.
Sách tuyệt hay, chắc chắn sẽ đọc lại trong tương lai. À quên, tự nhiên gặp "người quen" Justin Bieber nên cũng thấy thú vị phết!
March 18, 2014
I finished this riveting read in an hour, which is not something I do often. I could not put it down. Adam Braun shares his incredibly inspirational journey in a way that will make you feel as though you are right there with him, with each page you turn. You will get to know members of his family, his friends, the love of his life, his mentors and supporters and how each one of them contributed in various ways to where he is today and the creation of his for-purpose organization, Pencils Of Promise.
Adam writes The Promise of a Pencil in a way that feels warm, inviting & heartfelt. He shares his personal story from the very beginning, with immense honesty, through 30 beautiful & powerful mantras, which serve as the chapter titles. You will laugh. You will cry. Most of all, you will feel inspired to make your life a story worth telling, which is Mantra 30.
In sharing his vulnerabilities and shining a light on the importance of doing so throughout the book, Adam offers countless valuable gems for anyone who yearns to find meaning and purpose in their life.
As the title indicates, Adam Braun is an ordinary man who has created extraordinary change and continues to do so. His experiences & wisdom gained along the way will help you bring your passion to life.
Adam is generous with the way in which he chose to tell his story. While this book offers many treasures, the ultimate gift is that it gives you tangible ways to become your dreams & live with meaning, purpose and passion. It's powerful to come away from a read with not just inspiration, but a clear understanding and a guide for how to make a difference and leave the world a bit better than it is. I highly recommend you read this book as soon as possible! It will transform you!
Adam writes The Promise of a Pencil in a way that feels warm, inviting & heartfelt. He shares his personal story from the very beginning, with immense honesty, through 30 beautiful & powerful mantras, which serve as the chapter titles. You will laugh. You will cry. Most of all, you will feel inspired to make your life a story worth telling, which is Mantra 30.
In sharing his vulnerabilities and shining a light on the importance of doing so throughout the book, Adam offers countless valuable gems for anyone who yearns to find meaning and purpose in their life.
As the title indicates, Adam Braun is an ordinary man who has created extraordinary change and continues to do so. His experiences & wisdom gained along the way will help you bring your passion to life.
Adam is generous with the way in which he chose to tell his story. While this book offers many treasures, the ultimate gift is that it gives you tangible ways to become your dreams & live with meaning, purpose and passion. It's powerful to come away from a read with not just inspiration, but a clear understanding and a guide for how to make a difference and leave the world a bit better than it is. I highly recommend you read this book as soon as possible! It will transform you!
September 12, 2017
I have mixed feelings about this book. I really do like what this man has done and how he has made the world a better place for a lot of poor children around the world. The accomplishments he made were amazing and inspiring and I do not want to take away from that. I applaud him for pulling it off! However, I just could not enjoy reading this book. It started off really interesting and whatnot but I never found this man to be relatable so I never felt engaged with the book. From the getgo, he states that he comes from a rich family and how he went to Harvard, but then he tries to portray himself as a humble man who started his journey with little. He also makes a lot of poor decisions which could have definitely been avoided – most of them through simple and basic research! Also, the amount of luck this dude has is just ridiculous!!! A lot of outstanding conveniences occur in his process to building his organization that I feel as though he would have gotten absolutely nowhere if it weren't for his ridiculous luck. I'm not even exaggerating! There is a scene in which he needs to fill out a lot of paperwork for his organization and he just sits there and wonders to himself "if only someone could help me with this…" And lo and behold! His uncle's friend – who just happens to be a lawyer and has probably never met the guy – suddenly emails him to offer to do all of the paperwork for him! If this was a one time thing, I would have let it slide; unfortunately, that was not the case. It happens so many times in the book that it is infuriating! He rarely talks about the hardships of getting his organization started – or rather the only ones he does talk about are resolved with either luck or haste. I could rant on and on about this book, but I'm sure no one would a review that long. Overall, this man has accomplished some really amazing feats, but does not do a good job at making himself relatable and likable and basically breezes through the actual hardships of his journey.
August 24, 2021
Một câu chuyện truyền cảm hứng mà các bạn trẻ, những ai có ước mơ, hoài bảo muốn làm một điều gì đó có ý nghĩa trong cuộc đời đều nên đọc/nghe một lần. Hành trình xây dựng các trường học PoP xuất phát từ mong muốn ban đầu của Adam Braun, trải qua các trở ngại, cho đến những thành tựu của cả một tập thể, tổ chức được trình bày khá chi tiết và thực tế. Nhiều bài học cơ bản về thấu hiểu, phát triển bản thân, leadership, điều hành tài chính được lồng ghép xuyên suốt quyển sách.
Cảm ơn Fonos và chương trình nghe sách miễn phí mùa cách ly!
8/2021
Cảm ơn Fonos và chương trình nghe sách miễn phí mùa cách ly!
8/2021
August 5, 2020
Meaningful project and interesting writing style but probably I didn’t choose the right moment to pick this up :)
September 7, 2018
The Promise of A Pencil: Try Not to Fall Asleep
Action-packed, breath-taking, captivating, dazzling, and engaging. These are all words that do not describe this book. But, let’s first get to know what this book is about. The Promise of a Pencil is an autobiography written by Adam Braun which tells the story of how a so-called ordinary man can create a change in the world starting with as little as $25. The book starts with Braun telling the story of his childhood, up until he gets a job on Wall Street. Braun always had a passion for philanthropy and was debating choosing charity over money. In a spur of the moment decision, he decides to leave his job and devote all his time to a new charity called Pencils of Promise which builds schools in third world countries. This story sounds marvelous but there are some essential flaws.
Now don’t get me wrong, what Adam Braun did was great. He built over 200 schools around the world for kids living in poor countries. Although he made a big change in the world, he needs to make some bigger changes in his writing. Throughout the book, Braun emphasizes this idea that any person can make a change, however Braun deceives readers by saying he had to work for everything he did. Yes, he spent hours and hours on building this charity from the ground up, but the fact of the matter is that Braun was brought up in the lap of luxury and everything was handed to him. He writes about his graduation from an Ivy League college and all the connections he had available to him. This led to him landing a job on Wall Street. He had a giant safety net to fall on in case anything failed, and the truth is that the millions of people who read the title: “How an Ordinary Person Can Create Extraordinary Change,” are deceived because they simply won’t have the necessary resources to make that change. Apart from that, there are other reasons which make this book a poor read. The first reason is that the book itself is not exciting. The diction used in the book is monotonous and boring. Although the book itself is not supposed to be exciting, it isn’t a fun read. The second problem I have with this book is how it’s more self congratulatory than teaching you a vital lesson in life. While reading this book, I noticed how much it sounded like Braun was bragging about his accomplishments and almost writing the book about himself instead of teaching the audience how to make a change in the world.
One of the best things about this book is that it’s full of life lessons. I learned important lessons and tricks to becoming successful. Each chapter seemed to have one piece of advice which was nice. The audience for this book would either be young people looking to make a change, or older people simply reading to learn important lessons that they have not learned yet. This book succeeded in reaching its audience because I can see how one would enjoy this book if they were more mature and serious. Now, I’m sure thousands of people would disagree with everything I’ve said about this book because it is a New York Times Bestseller so a big group of people must have enjoyed it. However, in my opinion, I wouldn’t recommend this book to others. The writing style was dry and excruciatingly boring. However, because of the important lessons taught in the book, it deserves a 2 ½ out of 5. Read it and see for yourself. Maybe it’ll strike you or maybe you’ll find yourself dozing off after chapter 2 like me. Enjoy!
Action-packed, breath-taking, captivating, dazzling, and engaging. These are all words that do not describe this book. But, let’s first get to know what this book is about. The Promise of a Pencil is an autobiography written by Adam Braun which tells the story of how a so-called ordinary man can create a change in the world starting with as little as $25. The book starts with Braun telling the story of his childhood, up until he gets a job on Wall Street. Braun always had a passion for philanthropy and was debating choosing charity over money. In a spur of the moment decision, he decides to leave his job and devote all his time to a new charity called Pencils of Promise which builds schools in third world countries. This story sounds marvelous but there are some essential flaws.
Now don’t get me wrong, what Adam Braun did was great. He built over 200 schools around the world for kids living in poor countries. Although he made a big change in the world, he needs to make some bigger changes in his writing. Throughout the book, Braun emphasizes this idea that any person can make a change, however Braun deceives readers by saying he had to work for everything he did. Yes, he spent hours and hours on building this charity from the ground up, but the fact of the matter is that Braun was brought up in the lap of luxury and everything was handed to him. He writes about his graduation from an Ivy League college and all the connections he had available to him. This led to him landing a job on Wall Street. He had a giant safety net to fall on in case anything failed, and the truth is that the millions of people who read the title: “How an Ordinary Person Can Create Extraordinary Change,” are deceived because they simply won’t have the necessary resources to make that change. Apart from that, there are other reasons which make this book a poor read. The first reason is that the book itself is not exciting. The diction used in the book is monotonous and boring. Although the book itself is not supposed to be exciting, it isn’t a fun read. The second problem I have with this book is how it’s more self congratulatory than teaching you a vital lesson in life. While reading this book, I noticed how much it sounded like Braun was bragging about his accomplishments and almost writing the book about himself instead of teaching the audience how to make a change in the world.
One of the best things about this book is that it’s full of life lessons. I learned important lessons and tricks to becoming successful. Each chapter seemed to have one piece of advice which was nice. The audience for this book would either be young people looking to make a change, or older people simply reading to learn important lessons that they have not learned yet. This book succeeded in reaching its audience because I can see how one would enjoy this book if they were more mature and serious. Now, I’m sure thousands of people would disagree with everything I’ve said about this book because it is a New York Times Bestseller so a big group of people must have enjoyed it. However, in my opinion, I wouldn’t recommend this book to others. The writing style was dry and excruciatingly boring. However, because of the important lessons taught in the book, it deserves a 2 ½ out of 5. Read it and see for yourself. Maybe it’ll strike you or maybe you’ll find yourself dozing off after chapter 2 like me. Enjoy!
September 29, 2017
Giây phút xúc động đầu tiên Adam kéo mình khỏi thực tại, cuốn vào cuộc hành trình của "him" là khi Học kỳ trên biển gặp biến cố, một accident thật sự khiến mạng sống của cả đoàn không biết sẽ đi về đâu, kiểu Titanic đang xảy ra trước mũi kìa các thím. Thế quái nào mà mình sắp chết mà còn chưa biết mình tồn tại rốt cuộc có cái ý nghĩa gì không, at least, cho chính him. Nhưng, nếu chết thì làm gì còn cơ hội trả lời, thế là phải sống! Và tác giả (dĩ nhiên) để cho him sống.
Giây phút xúc động đáng kể thứ hai, là khi "him" ở mỗi miền đất đi qua, giữ một câu hỏi: "Nếu cho em một thứ mà em muốn nhất lúc này, đó là gì?" Mình còn nhớ đó là khi đang trên máy bay đọc từng câu trả lời của từng em bé, nó như một thước phim mà mỗi lúc chuyển 24 hình/giây, có gì đó từ đáy mắt và những lớp vỏ ngoài trái tim mình cứ thế rơi xuống :((*. Lời mỗi em nhỏ như chính lời đáp cho câu hỏi khiến mình xúc động lúc đầu. Đến đây mình biết, cuốn sách này như mặc định với mình phải-được-đọc-hết.
Adam không phải là một cây viết xuất sắc, mình đọc được đâu đó như thế và thấy nhận xét đó "buồn cười" :)) nhưng không bình luận vì người viết cũng không đưa gì thêm cho cái luận điểm đó. Với mình, Promise of a pencil (PoPs) càng thật, càng bớt những technic văn chương, càng tốt, mà Adam quả thật chẳng có gì phóng đại hay tô vẽ ý nghĩa to tát cho PoPs cả, him không có khả năng đó :))), một số đoạn đọc qua khi vô tình lướt lại mình lại tưởng chưa đọc. Toàn bộ PoPs có thể ví như sổ nhật ký được chuyển thể thành sách để những người trong PoPs giữ một kỷ niệm đẹp, đại loại vậy. PoPs theo mình chỉ dành cho những người đang-trong-một-tổ-chức-như-vậy, không phải thể loại self-help đưa cho bạn những inspirations này nọ mà cho bạn tình huống, diễn tiến; bạn được toàn quyền tự xem xét và đánh giá mỗi lựa chọn của him. Nếu bạn là một người trẻ kẹt trong những nan giải về đam mê và công việc, về giá trị sống của bản thân, bạn có thể tham khảo cuốn sách này. (câu này mình copy, và cho cùng, mình nghĩ nó chỉ đúng cho những bạn đang làm việc trong lĩnh vực NGO hay NPO).
Cá nhân mình từ lúc đọc đến lúc viết lại review này, PoPs là một quyển sách dành cho mình.
_H_
Giây phút xúc động đáng kể thứ hai, là khi "him" ở mỗi miền đất đi qua, giữ một câu hỏi: "Nếu cho em một thứ mà em muốn nhất lúc này, đó là gì?" Mình còn nhớ đó là khi đang trên máy bay đọc từng câu trả lời của từng em bé, nó như một thước phim mà mỗi lúc chuyển 24 hình/giây, có gì đó từ đáy mắt và những lớp vỏ ngoài trái tim mình cứ thế rơi xuống :((*. Lời mỗi em nhỏ như chính lời đáp cho câu hỏi khiến mình xúc động lúc đầu. Đến đây mình biết, cuốn sách này như mặc định với mình phải-được-đọc-hết.
Adam không phải là một cây viết xuất sắc, mình đọc được đâu đó như thế và thấy nhận xét đó "buồn cười" :)) nhưng không bình luận vì người viết cũng không đưa gì thêm cho cái luận điểm đó. Với mình, Promise of a pencil (PoPs) càng thật, càng bớt những technic văn chương, càng tốt, mà Adam quả thật chẳng có gì phóng đại hay tô vẽ ý nghĩa to tát cho PoPs cả, him không có khả năng đó :))), một số đoạn đọc qua khi vô tình lướt lại mình lại tưởng chưa đọc. Toàn bộ PoPs có thể ví như sổ nhật ký được chuyển thể thành sách để những người trong PoPs giữ một kỷ niệm đẹp, đại loại vậy. PoPs theo mình chỉ dành cho những người đang-trong-một-tổ-chức-như-vậy, không phải thể loại self-help đưa cho bạn những inspirations này nọ mà cho bạn tình huống, diễn tiến; bạn được toàn quyền tự xem xét và đánh giá mỗi lựa chọn của him. Nếu bạn là một người trẻ kẹt trong những nan giải về đam mê và công việc, về giá trị sống của bản thân, bạn có thể tham khảo cuốn sách này. (câu này mình copy, và cho cùng, mình nghĩ nó chỉ đúng cho những bạn đang làm việc trong lĩnh vực NGO hay NPO).
Cá nhân mình từ lúc đọc đến lúc viết lại review này, PoPs là một quyển sách dành cho mình.
_H_
September 6, 2014
Adam Braun was on an around-the-world trip while in college with the Semester at Sea Program. He had determined to ask a child in each place they visited what they wanted most in the world. It was a child in India who answered "a pencil", something Adam was able to provide and then see the child's joy that made such an impact on him and led to his founding Pencils of Promise, a non-profit which builds schools in impoverished areas of the world where they are able to garner local support.
I had such hope for this and the reality fell flat. I could connect with the desire to have what one does be something which makes the world a better place. But I struggled with this on a number of levels. For a subtitle of "how an ordinary person can create extraordinary change", Adam is anything but ordinary. He speaks of the heritage and legacy of his grandparents which inspired him forward. Yet his family was seemingly financially secure and he was well on his way to making his own significant financial nest egg. I applaud him for walking away to go after his passion, but he seems to spend much of the book lauding his achievements and what he was able to accomplish. I've never been one for the motivational speaker "you can do it" mantra and each chapter focuses on one such statement. I think there may have been other ways to write about his experiences with less ego oozing from the pages.
I had such hope for this and the reality fell flat. I could connect with the desire to have what one does be something which makes the world a better place. But I struggled with this on a number of levels. For a subtitle of "how an ordinary person can create extraordinary change", Adam is anything but ordinary. He speaks of the heritage and legacy of his grandparents which inspired him forward. Yet his family was seemingly financially secure and he was well on his way to making his own significant financial nest egg. I applaud him for walking away to go after his passion, but he seems to spend much of the book lauding his achievements and what he was able to accomplish. I've never been one for the motivational speaker "you can do it" mantra and each chapter focuses on one such statement. I think there may have been other ways to write about his experiences with less ego oozing from the pages.
February 3, 2018
Một cuốn sách hay cho những ai vẫn đang khao khát một điều gì thực sự lớn lao trong cuộc đời mình (bản thân mình thì đã đọc sách kiểu như này từ mấy năm trước rồi, mà bây giờ cũng khá find the true calling rồi nên cũng k cho 5 sao đc keke).
Đây là cuộc hành trình của Adam Braun - người sáng lập tổ chức Promise of Pencils, xây trường học ở các quốc gia nghèo, như Lào. Từ một cậu trai thích đi bụi và ấn tượng trước câu trả lời "một chiếc bút chì" cho câu hỏi "em muốn gì nhất?" ở Ấn Độ, Adam đã gắn bó toàn bộ thời gian cho tổ chức của mình. Thành công của anh là sự kết hợp của sự ham học hỏi, lòng trắc ẩn, đầu óc của một nhà lãnh đạo giỏi, và hơn hết, là trái tim vẫn đập vì một thế giới tốt đẹp hơn của những người xung quanh.
Adam, một lần nữa, chứng minh cho cả thế giới rằng Giáo dục là con đường duy nhất để chữa lành các vết thương của Trái Đất. Nếu ai cũng hiểu điều đó thì sẽ không cần những nỗ lực về giảm nghèo đói, bệnh tật hay chiến tranh nữa.
Giá mà bọn học sinh của mình chúng nó thấm được mấy cái giá trị này để chăm lo học hành -_-
Đây là cuộc hành trình của Adam Braun - người sáng lập tổ chức Promise of Pencils, xây trường học ở các quốc gia nghèo, như Lào. Từ một cậu trai thích đi bụi và ấn tượng trước câu trả lời "một chiếc bút chì" cho câu hỏi "em muốn gì nhất?" ở Ấn Độ, Adam đã gắn bó toàn bộ thời gian cho tổ chức của mình. Thành công của anh là sự kết hợp của sự ham học hỏi, lòng trắc ẩn, đầu óc của một nhà lãnh đạo giỏi, và hơn hết, là trái tim vẫn đập vì một thế giới tốt đẹp hơn của những người xung quanh.
Adam, một lần nữa, chứng minh cho cả thế giới rằng Giáo dục là con đường duy nhất để chữa lành các vết thương của Trái Đất. Nếu ai cũng hiểu điều đó thì sẽ không cần những nỗ lực về giảm nghèo đói, bệnh tật hay chiến tranh nữa.
Giá mà bọn học sinh của mình chúng nó thấm được mấy cái giá trị này để chăm lo học hành -_-
February 21, 2014
For anyone looking to feel inspired and make a difference, this is the book for you. After backpacking through more than 50 countries, Adam Braun founded the international education nonprofit Pencils of Promise with just $25. His incredible journey provides the tools and lessons that demonstrate how anyone, regardless of age, status, or location, can can create opportunity and positive change in the lives of others. "The Promise of a Pencil" is a moving story that will resonate with all and encourage anyone who wants to create an impact on the world to find their purpose.
November 29, 2018
The story deserves 5 stars but my 3-star rating is for the book. You may heard about Adam Braun or his foundation (Pencils of Promise, aka "PoP"). If not, then go for this book to be taken aback. I won't ruin it on you but, as the name suggests, it all starts with a pencil. Yes, a pencil.
Ghana, Laos and Guatemala. The story takes place there and it is yet to end. I will leave the rest to you to discover.
Ghana, Laos and Guatemala. The story takes place there and it is yet to end. I will leave the rest to you to discover.
May 26, 2017
Simply amazing. Lâu rồi mới đọc sách hay như vậy, làm mình liên tưởng đến Howard trong Dốc Hết Trái Tim.
August 22, 2014
Page 2 - "I wanted to be a part of something that extended far beyond my two hands and the possessions they could hold."
Page 19- "Your twenties are the time to both accept and fight your way into the person you're destined to become."
Page 101- "Sometimes you know something in your head, and other times you know it in your heart. The mind delivers logic and reason, but the heart is where faith resides. In moments of uncertainty, when you must choose between two paths, allowing yourself to be overcome by either the fear of failure or the dimly lit light of possibility, immerse yourself in the life you would be most proud to live."
Page 108- "In any confrontation, most people focus on the perpetrator and the victim. There is an inherent expectation that had one of these two acted differently, the outcomes of a conflict may have been averted. But the greatest opportunity actually exists within the role of the bystander, the person who neither benefits nor gains from the event itself...We are more often bystanders to conflict than we are victims or perpetrators, and with that comes the recognition that we have a moral obligation to defend others, even when the crosshairs of injustice aren't pointed at us personally."
Page 195- "...real values comes from investing in the well-being of others. I wanted to spend my time maximizing purpose rather than profit..."
Page 203- "'You may be safe but I am free.' Take advantage of the freedom that comes with your youth. Inhale life, exhale fire, and embrace the late, sleepless nights, because that's when the magic happens- when everyone else is asleep and you're awake thinking about the world as it is, and the world as it could be. Make the most of those moments. And in the coming years people will tell you that you're too young to change the world. I'm here to tell you, that's fucking bullshit."
Page 244- "Dancing with these kids, I looked around and acknowledged that what you see around you is proof of what exists within you. There is a primal enemy that spurs us to move, to shake, to transform.. And once ignited, it is a feeling that takes on a life of it's own."
Page 249- "But while many perceive youth as a weakness, it's actually an incredible strength. The single most powerful element of youth is that you don't have the life experiences to know what can't be done. While others highlight the value of wisdom, wisdom also remembers that achieving certain things was hard, if not impossible. Young people don't carry that burden. They're too naive to realize what can't be accomplished, and in that fact lies their willingness to try."
Page 250- "As humans we are natural storytellers. We weave narrative into nearly every relationship we build and value. I realized that I needed to live a life that reflected the themes of the stories I wanted to one day tell, and when I veered off that path later on, it was time to make a change. Regardless of age or status, if you're not satisfied with the path you're on, it's time to rewrite your future. Your life should be a story you are excited to tell.
Page 251- "I'll tell them that the most direct route to happiness is through creating joy for someone else, and that change doesn't happen through hard work alone. It requires strength of imagination. It relies on that ability we each possess to suspend belief in the restraints of today to enable the possibilities of tomorrow. Most of all, I'll remind them each morning that we make a choice to bring positivity or negativity into the world, and that within every single person there lies an extraordinary story waiting to unfold."
Page 19- "Your twenties are the time to both accept and fight your way into the person you're destined to become."
Page 101- "Sometimes you know something in your head, and other times you know it in your heart. The mind delivers logic and reason, but the heart is where faith resides. In moments of uncertainty, when you must choose between two paths, allowing yourself to be overcome by either the fear of failure or the dimly lit light of possibility, immerse yourself in the life you would be most proud to live."
Page 108- "In any confrontation, most people focus on the perpetrator and the victim. There is an inherent expectation that had one of these two acted differently, the outcomes of a conflict may have been averted. But the greatest opportunity actually exists within the role of the bystander, the person who neither benefits nor gains from the event itself...We are more often bystanders to conflict than we are victims or perpetrators, and with that comes the recognition that we have a moral obligation to defend others, even when the crosshairs of injustice aren't pointed at us personally."
Page 195- "...real values comes from investing in the well-being of others. I wanted to spend my time maximizing purpose rather than profit..."
Page 203- "'You may be safe but I am free.' Take advantage of the freedom that comes with your youth. Inhale life, exhale fire, and embrace the late, sleepless nights, because that's when the magic happens- when everyone else is asleep and you're awake thinking about the world as it is, and the world as it could be. Make the most of those moments. And in the coming years people will tell you that you're too young to change the world. I'm here to tell you, that's fucking bullshit."
Page 244- "Dancing with these kids, I looked around and acknowledged that what you see around you is proof of what exists within you. There is a primal enemy that spurs us to move, to shake, to transform.. And once ignited, it is a feeling that takes on a life of it's own."
Page 249- "But while many perceive youth as a weakness, it's actually an incredible strength. The single most powerful element of youth is that you don't have the life experiences to know what can't be done. While others highlight the value of wisdom, wisdom also remembers that achieving certain things was hard, if not impossible. Young people don't carry that burden. They're too naive to realize what can't be accomplished, and in that fact lies their willingness to try."
Page 250- "As humans we are natural storytellers. We weave narrative into nearly every relationship we build and value. I realized that I needed to live a life that reflected the themes of the stories I wanted to one day tell, and when I veered off that path later on, it was time to make a change. Regardless of age or status, if you're not satisfied with the path you're on, it's time to rewrite your future. Your life should be a story you are excited to tell.
Page 251- "I'll tell them that the most direct route to happiness is through creating joy for someone else, and that change doesn't happen through hard work alone. It requires strength of imagination. It relies on that ability we each possess to suspend belief in the restraints of today to enable the possibilities of tomorrow. Most of all, I'll remind them each morning that we make a choice to bring positivity or negativity into the world, and that within every single person there lies an extraordinary story waiting to unfold."
January 24, 2016
When the author was abroad he would ask a child what he wanted most in the world. A child in India said "a pencil". At the age of 25 he began the organization that would transform him and the world. The author writes how he does it. Pencils of Promise is a for-purpose non-profit organizations that builds schools in Guatemala, Ghana, Laos, and Nicaragua. They don't just build a school and go, PoP trains teachers to give engaging lessons, provides scholarships to kids in need and teaches healthy life skills. PoP is a major employer in each country, giving back to the local economy and empowering residents. Everyone has promise
November 2, 2015
UGH READING THIS WAS SO WORTH IT. JUST SHIA LABEOUF DO IT.
At certain points I was like, "Mmm your white male privilege is showing," BUT WHATEVER NO ONE IS PERFECT AMIRITE?
Note: it is first and foremost a business/career book imho. If you expect it to be about education, travel, breaking through a glass ceiling - mmm no. It's autobiographical with a entrepreneurial slant.
At certain points I was like, "Mmm your white male privilege is showing," BUT WHATEVER NO ONE IS PERFECT AMIRITE?
Note: it is first and foremost a business/career book imho. If you expect it to be about education, travel, breaking through a glass ceiling - mmm no. It's autobiographical with a entrepreneurial slant.
February 25, 2016
This was a really good book! At times, Adam comes across a little caught up in what HE has created – but by the end of the book he hits his stride in an attempt to inspire this generation to set lofty goals and go out and change the world through bringing other people joy. He’s clearly a talented dude, who lives with a ton of dedication and passion. He built an organization from the ground up. This organization not only has built hundreds of schools across the developing world, but now is instrumental in teacher PD and curriculum support. He believes deeply in education and service. This is his religion. The more I read accounts of incredible people like Adam who sacrifice much more lucrative careers to help other people (no matter how much fame and prestige they still seek) – I am inspired. However, it is very evident that a lot of these folks start these businesses because they don’t have direction in life. They find a cause or movement to support and give their 100%. Nothing remains for an overall “higher purpose.” Building schools and educating the world is great, but without a stout conviction and faith in our Creator and Redeemer – even our knowledge would perish with us.
Here are some notes I took while reading:
These are the mantras Adam live his life by:
1. Why be normal
2. Get out of your comfort zone
3. Know that you have a purpose
4. Every pencil holds a promise
5. Do the small things that make others feel big
6. Tourists see, travelers seek
7. Asking for permission is asking for denial
8. Embrace the lightning moments
9. Big dreams start with small, unreasonable acts
10. Practice humility over hubris
11. Speak the language of the person you want become
12. Walk with a purpose
13. Happiness is found in celebrating others
14. Find the impossible ones
15. Focus on one person in every room
16. Read the signs along the path
17. Create separation to build connection
18. Never take no from someone who can’t say yes
19. Stay guided through your values, not your necessities
20. You cannot fake authenticity
21. There is only one chance at a first impression
22. Fess up to your failures
23. Learn to close the loop
24. Change your words to change your worth
25. A goal realized is a goal defined
26. Surround yourself with those who make you better
27. Vulnerability is vital
28. Listen to your echoes
29. If your dreams don’t scare you, they’re not big enough
30. Make your life a story worth telling
He wants to be a part of something bigger than himself
The easy pass to him was the one of going after the most income potential possible - the path he was on
Where you are starting life should not dictate where you finish
Access to education is the absolute key
We're not searching for a magical vaccine drilling element we have me right now to give every child yet 57 million kids are not in school
Education is the most solvable human rights issue of our time
His dad would scream ice cream sundae is codewords when he was mad and disciplining his child
During the eight nights of Hanukkah instead of receiving eight nights of gifts for of the nights the parents together with the kids gave gifts to select charities
.....because Brauns are different
His dad's parents were both Holocaust concentration camp survivors watching their entire families be killed. After marrying they VanFleet Hon Garian Civil War and unrest as immigrants to America
-this clearly shows why his dad lives with such intensity and determination. It also makes me think about people that go and start these businesses and do something extraordinary all must come from very unique backgrounds
His mother's favorite word is integrity
They adopted two boys from Mozambique who came to America in search of an education
Watch baracca- changed his whole perspective on needing to see the world outside of investment banking
Read mean search for meaning
He found who he was by not surrounding himself with people that look the way he looks talk the way he talked and felt the way he felt
True self discovery begins where your comfort zone ends
Listening intently is a far more valuable skill been speaking immensely
-he listened to the children on every stop when he was a student at sea to ask them if they could have anything in the world what would it be: Hawaii kid was to dance, China a book, Hong Kong magic, Thailand healthy mom, India - a pencil, gave it to him on the spot and the kid lit up in joy.
*this is where he realized 'a little' can make a difference
Tourist see travelers seek
When offered to come live in Hopewell's Village and teach his family English he realized that his life was the product of his ancestors sacrifice and he had the opportunity to honor them by serving others
Through these travels he came to understand that handouts created a cycle of dependents and that giving tools was most powerful
-everything kept coming back to the need for education and the tools and hope that that would provide
When he accepted offer to Bain instead of making more at Lehman Bros, he treated it like paid business school-
- don't define what you get out of a job by just the money you make. What skills are you gaining and what are they preparing you for?
........of course, he became disinterested and starting partying and chasing lots of girls.
Immerse yourself in the life you would be most proud to live
He was blown away that larger organizations already in Laos could build a school for 33% less then he could-partnering with larger organizations was the key to his success
Reading his words, and it may just be his personality, it does make me wonder whether he was so stoked because HE was doing this or because of WHO he was doing it for
When he was riding a taxi to the airport in Laos there was an angry mob on the streets hitting his taxi with sticks and he was afraid he'd meet eaten. The taxi driver stood up for him and negotiated his safe release.
-he relates this to the fact that when there is conflict and confrontation it is often the bystander who has the moral obligation to become a hero
We exist because of the sacrifice of those who came before us it is up to us to make sure that their legacy lives on
They went on a nationwide RV tour
-A generation empowered will empower the world
He is an extreme Remely good example of being fast in example of a crowd sourced his first research data via Facebook asking for virtual volunteers
I can relate to his prompting to leave Bain even with so much on the table if he just waited 6 months (assignment in Boston 4 days a week)
99% of his time/ mental energy was spent on PoP. - goes to prove my worries of starting a big social venture as it takes over and becomes your religion. For someone without a family or religion this easily takes their place
There are very unselfish passionate about changing the world and helping individuals out there. His friend who worked at the Lloyd and was excepted to Dartmouth MBA took night jobs is it doorman so he could work as the CEO oh at PO P
Under mantra 20 chapter write down his office business rules
He was very strategic and cared more about long term success than short term notoriety - avoided mainstream press outside of chase bank campaign and Justin briber fundraiser
He specifically waited until the company had three things to take advantage of traditional media outlets and exposure those three things:
1. holy shi* story
2. Website and infrastructure to handle inquiries
3. Staff to respond immediately
He set up Lunch & learns in the office inviting people to speak to his team
Close the loop handwritten note led to previous donor contracting new office
"Project" - non profit had negative connotation to for profit businessman
Real value comes by investing in the happiness of others
Maximize purpose not profit- so he started referring to their business and other like businesses as "for purpose"
You got a really good giving speeches. His speech giving it vice is that rate public speakers choose one person in the room and deliver a clear and concise message locking in on that one person and then moving onto the next
-"you may be safe but I am free"
The former prime minister of the UK and his wife gave him great advice – "think of how the world will change over the next 10 years and use that as your compass to plan how you will affect the most amount of people"
Fundraising....
He admitted his weakness to board that he needed to learn to ask people for money.
- previously he would say, I'm an entrepreneur not a fundraiser
- he realized he was just avoiding what scares him
- exponential fundraising program @ Harvard
*learned that once he understood that he wasn't asking for money for HIS dream, he was asking for money for the KIDS dream
The impossible ones campaign!!!
- inspired by highs school riding bike across country for POP
He realize that the goal as founder was now to listen to the echoes of his initial boys. Getting others to tell your story
… People would come to realize that it was more important to help kids get access to education than it was to receive birthday presents that year
This all went beyond passion and found purpose
The shift was when you stop wondering how you were here, but instead trying to figure out why
He ends it perfectly:
The single most powerful element of youth is that you don't have a life experience to tell you what can't be done
The most direct route to happiness is through helping others find joy
Here are some notes I took while reading:
These are the mantras Adam live his life by:
1. Why be normal
2. Get out of your comfort zone
3. Know that you have a purpose
4. Every pencil holds a promise
5. Do the small things that make others feel big
6. Tourists see, travelers seek
7. Asking for permission is asking for denial
8. Embrace the lightning moments
9. Big dreams start with small, unreasonable acts
10. Practice humility over hubris
11. Speak the language of the person you want become
12. Walk with a purpose
13. Happiness is found in celebrating others
14. Find the impossible ones
15. Focus on one person in every room
16. Read the signs along the path
17. Create separation to build connection
18. Never take no from someone who can’t say yes
19. Stay guided through your values, not your necessities
20. You cannot fake authenticity
21. There is only one chance at a first impression
22. Fess up to your failures
23. Learn to close the loop
24. Change your words to change your worth
25. A goal realized is a goal defined
26. Surround yourself with those who make you better
27. Vulnerability is vital
28. Listen to your echoes
29. If your dreams don’t scare you, they’re not big enough
30. Make your life a story worth telling
He wants to be a part of something bigger than himself
The easy pass to him was the one of going after the most income potential possible - the path he was on
Where you are starting life should not dictate where you finish
Access to education is the absolute key
We're not searching for a magical vaccine drilling element we have me right now to give every child yet 57 million kids are not in school
Education is the most solvable human rights issue of our time
His dad would scream ice cream sundae is codewords when he was mad and disciplining his child
During the eight nights of Hanukkah instead of receiving eight nights of gifts for of the nights the parents together with the kids gave gifts to select charities
.....because Brauns are different
His dad's parents were both Holocaust concentration camp survivors watching their entire families be killed. After marrying they VanFleet Hon Garian Civil War and unrest as immigrants to America
-this clearly shows why his dad lives with such intensity and determination. It also makes me think about people that go and start these businesses and do something extraordinary all must come from very unique backgrounds
His mother's favorite word is integrity
They adopted two boys from Mozambique who came to America in search of an education
Watch baracca- changed his whole perspective on needing to see the world outside of investment banking
Read mean search for meaning
He found who he was by not surrounding himself with people that look the way he looks talk the way he talked and felt the way he felt
True self discovery begins where your comfort zone ends
Listening intently is a far more valuable skill been speaking immensely
-he listened to the children on every stop when he was a student at sea to ask them if they could have anything in the world what would it be: Hawaii kid was to dance, China a book, Hong Kong magic, Thailand healthy mom, India - a pencil, gave it to him on the spot and the kid lit up in joy.
*this is where he realized 'a little' can make a difference
Tourist see travelers seek
When offered to come live in Hopewell's Village and teach his family English he realized that his life was the product of his ancestors sacrifice and he had the opportunity to honor them by serving others
Through these travels he came to understand that handouts created a cycle of dependents and that giving tools was most powerful
-everything kept coming back to the need for education and the tools and hope that that would provide
When he accepted offer to Bain instead of making more at Lehman Bros, he treated it like paid business school-
- don't define what you get out of a job by just the money you make. What skills are you gaining and what are they preparing you for?
........of course, he became disinterested and starting partying and chasing lots of girls.
Immerse yourself in the life you would be most proud to live
He was blown away that larger organizations already in Laos could build a school for 33% less then he could-partnering with larger organizations was the key to his success
Reading his words, and it may just be his personality, it does make me wonder whether he was so stoked because HE was doing this or because of WHO he was doing it for
When he was riding a taxi to the airport in Laos there was an angry mob on the streets hitting his taxi with sticks and he was afraid he'd meet eaten. The taxi driver stood up for him and negotiated his safe release.
-he relates this to the fact that when there is conflict and confrontation it is often the bystander who has the moral obligation to become a hero
We exist because of the sacrifice of those who came before us it is up to us to make sure that their legacy lives on
They went on a nationwide RV tour
-A generation empowered will empower the world
He is an extreme Remely good example of being fast in example of a crowd sourced his first research data via Facebook asking for virtual volunteers
I can relate to his prompting to leave Bain even with so much on the table if he just waited 6 months (assignment in Boston 4 days a week)
99% of his time/ mental energy was spent on PoP. - goes to prove my worries of starting a big social venture as it takes over and becomes your religion. For someone without a family or religion this easily takes their place
There are very unselfish passionate about changing the world and helping individuals out there. His friend who worked at the Lloyd and was excepted to Dartmouth MBA took night jobs is it doorman so he could work as the CEO oh at PO P
Under mantra 20 chapter write down his office business rules
He was very strategic and cared more about long term success than short term notoriety - avoided mainstream press outside of chase bank campaign and Justin briber fundraiser
He specifically waited until the company had three things to take advantage of traditional media outlets and exposure those three things:
1. holy shi* story
2. Website and infrastructure to handle inquiries
3. Staff to respond immediately
He set up Lunch & learns in the office inviting people to speak to his team
Close the loop handwritten note led to previous donor contracting new office
"Project" - non profit had negative connotation to for profit businessman
Real value comes by investing in the happiness of others
Maximize purpose not profit- so he started referring to their business and other like businesses as "for purpose"
You got a really good giving speeches. His speech giving it vice is that rate public speakers choose one person in the room and deliver a clear and concise message locking in on that one person and then moving onto the next
-"you may be safe but I am free"
The former prime minister of the UK and his wife gave him great advice – "think of how the world will change over the next 10 years and use that as your compass to plan how you will affect the most amount of people"
Fundraising....
He admitted his weakness to board that he needed to learn to ask people for money.
- previously he would say, I'm an entrepreneur not a fundraiser
- he realized he was just avoiding what scares him
- exponential fundraising program @ Harvard
*learned that once he understood that he wasn't asking for money for HIS dream, he was asking for money for the KIDS dream
The impossible ones campaign!!!
- inspired by highs school riding bike across country for POP
He realize that the goal as founder was now to listen to the echoes of his initial boys. Getting others to tell your story
… People would come to realize that it was more important to help kids get access to education than it was to receive birthday presents that year
This all went beyond passion and found purpose
The shift was when you stop wondering how you were here, but instead trying to figure out why
He ends it perfectly:
The single most powerful element of youth is that you don't have a life experience to tell you what can't be done
The most direct route to happiness is through helping others find joy
May 20, 2018
Sứ mệnh giáo dục hóa toàn cầu bắt nguồn từ những chuyến du lịch bụi, từ những vùng đất xa xôi nghèo nàn nhưng khao khát có được "một cây bút chì" như một tiếng vọng động thẳm sâu tâm linh thôi thúc kêu gọi Adam thành lập nên PoP
Bạn bị ấn tượng khi anh trai của Adam - Scooter lại là "ông bầu" đầu tiên của Justin Bieber. Người đã một phần đưa Justin đến với Pop, và cậu chàng ca sĩ đang lên 13 tuổi lúc ấy háo hức được chung tay góp sức
Thề là không phải fan JB, cũng có khoảng thời gian đánh giá JB qua những vụ lùm xùm của cái tuổi nổi loạn. Mà đọc được câu chuyện này cái thấy con người ta dễ đánh giá sai về người khác quá. Cũng có một thời có một cậu bé JB quá đỗi thuần lương muốn giúp đỡ người khác đến thế này kia mà
Hihii, vì bạn quá ấn tượng về JB đi. Nhưng câu chuyện của Adam đầy cảm hứng với mình vô cùng. Highly recommend cho những ai ưa thích việc giáo dục cộng đồng như mình. Nhiều lúc cứ hay đăng hình/video Lớp tình thương mà mình đang dạy trên FB (https://www.facebook.com/lala.kute.vi...) , bạn bè vào khen nấy khen để nhưng thực tâm chỉ mình thấy hổ thẹn khi những gì mình bỏ ra quá nhỏ bé so với Adam, về cả sức lực và trách nhiệm !
Bạn bị ấn tượng khi anh trai của Adam - Scooter lại là "ông bầu" đầu tiên của Justin Bieber. Người đã một phần đưa Justin đến với Pop, và cậu chàng ca sĩ đang lên 13 tuổi lúc ấy háo hức được chung tay góp sức
"Chúng ta hãy làm gì lớn đi", Justin nói. "Việc gì đó giúp em kiếm được cả tấn tiền và xây dựng một loạt các trường học ấy"
"Hay là chúng ta mở một cuộc thi gây quỹ. Các học sinh có thể thi nhau vận động được nhiều tiền nhất cho PoP. Ai huy động được nhiều nhất sẽ nhận một phần thưởng cực khủng. Em sẽ đến thăm trường họ chẳng hạn?"
"Được đấy, chúng ta làm thế đi anh"
Chúng tôi phát động chiến dịch mang tên Schools4All, khuyến khích học sinh gây quỹ cho những trẻ em không được tiếp cận với giáo dục, với phần thưởng là cơ hội giành về cho trường một chuyến thăm của Justin Bieber.
... Chúng tôi cùng nhau thực hiện nỗ lực lần đầu tiên trong căn phòng chung hôm đó là một tiếng vang lớn. Nó không gây ra cảm giác như sự chung tay giả tạo của người nổi tiếng bởi quả thật nó khôbg phải là như thế. Ý tưởng nảy sinh từ một mối quan hệ thực sự, trong đó cả hai đều quan tâm đến nhau và quan tâm đến mục đích cao cả.
Thề là không phải fan JB, cũng có khoảng thời gian đánh giá JB qua những vụ lùm xùm của cái tuổi nổi loạn. Mà đọc được câu chuyện này cái thấy con người ta dễ đánh giá sai về người khác quá. Cũng có một thời có một cậu bé JB quá đỗi thuần lương muốn giúp đỡ người khác đến thế này kia mà
Hihii, vì bạn quá ấn tượng về JB đi. Nhưng câu chuyện của Adam đầy cảm hứng với mình vô cùng. Highly recommend cho những ai ưa thích việc giáo dục cộng đồng như mình. Nhiều lúc cứ hay đăng hình/video Lớp tình thương mà mình đang dạy trên FB (https://www.facebook.com/lala.kute.vi...) , bạn bè vào khen nấy khen để nhưng thực tâm chỉ mình thấy hổ thẹn khi những gì mình bỏ ra quá nhỏ bé so với Adam, về cả sức lực và trách nhiệm !
February 10, 2015
After I first finished this book, I thought I would give it 4 stars. But after I mulled it over more and more, I liked it less and less.
It was interesting, and the pace was right - it kept me turning the pages, which is always a good thing.
What I dislike is that the book is at odds with its subtitle: "How an ordinary person can create extraordinary change". The author, Adam Braun, is not ordinary. He was born into a wealthy family, with many wealthy friends, lives in NYC (the good part, I imagine!), triple majored in college, attends galas, etc. He goes out of his way to explain how amazing he is, and then turns around and claims to be ordinary.
There is incessant name-dropping in the book. If it's not Sophia Bush or Justin Bieber, it's some CEO of some huge company. At first, I didn't mind the name-dropping. Credit where credit is due, right? If these people truly did help the organization get to where they are, no big deal. What bothered me is that Braun didn't go to great lengths to include the truly "ordinary" or "small" people, not by name and in as great of detail as all the famous/"big"/extraordinary people.
I got the impression that being "ordinary" is okay for everybody else - so long as Braun himself gets to stay more than ordinary.
(I also mistakenly thought the book would include more stories of work on the ground, and the stories of the people impacted through the schools and the communities they were built in - it definitely is not that, and focuses on the author, which is not necessarily a bad thing, I just didn't realize it going in.)
So overall, it was a good read and kept me entertained while reading, but left a bad taste in my mouth once I was finished.
It was interesting, and the pace was right - it kept me turning the pages, which is always a good thing.
What I dislike is that the book is at odds with its subtitle: "How an ordinary person can create extraordinary change". The author, Adam Braun, is not ordinary. He was born into a wealthy family, with many wealthy friends, lives in NYC (the good part, I imagine!), triple majored in college, attends galas, etc. He goes out of his way to explain how amazing he is, and then turns around and claims to be ordinary.
There is incessant name-dropping in the book. If it's not Sophia Bush or Justin Bieber, it's some CEO of some huge company. At first, I didn't mind the name-dropping. Credit where credit is due, right? If these people truly did help the organization get to where they are, no big deal. What bothered me is that Braun didn't go to great lengths to include the truly "ordinary" or "small" people, not by name and in as great of detail as all the famous/"big"/extraordinary people.
I got the impression that being "ordinary" is okay for everybody else - so long as Braun himself gets to stay more than ordinary.
(I also mistakenly thought the book would include more stories of work on the ground, and the stories of the people impacted through the schools and the communities they were built in - it definitely is not that, and focuses on the author, which is not necessarily a bad thing, I just didn't realize it going in.)
So overall, it was a good read and kept me entertained while reading, but left a bad taste in my mouth once I was finished.
January 1, 2020
1 cuốn sách siêu tuyệt vời và truyền cảm hứng mạnh mẽ vô vùng. OMGGGGG. Mình thấy quyển này như kiểu pha trộn giữa self-help với tự truyện ấy. Đọc cuốn vô cùng luôn. Mỗi một chương là 1 lời tâm niệm của Adam Braun. Mỗi lời tâm niệm đều là những kinh nghiệm được đúc rút cả từ thành công lẫn thất bại của chính người sáng lập POP cực kỳ có ích trong việc định hướng tương lai cho các bạn trẻ đang loay hoay với chính ước mơ mục đích sống của mình. Mình siêu tâm đắc với câu nói của Adam:"Đừng bao giờ để bất cứ ai nói với bạn rằng giấc mơ của bạn là không tưởng. Bất kể chúng lớn nhỏ thế nào, bạn vẫn có thể biến chúng thành sự thật", "Bất kể bạn bao nhiêu tuổi và có địa vị như thế nào, nếu bạn không hài lòng với con đường bạn đang đi, đó là lúc bạn nên viết lại tương lai của mình. Cuộc sống của bạn nên là một câu chuyện mà bạn háo hức muốn kể lại cho những người khác." Và" đừng sống trong mơ mà hãy sống trong sự suy tưởng về một thực tại có thể trở thành tương lai". Tựu chung lại thì must-read 5/5☆
October 25, 2014
Adam Braun came from a family that believed in giving back and descended from Holocaust survivors. Adam was determined to make his fortune and then find a calling for philanthropy. However, through several backpacking excursions and an eventful Semester at Sea during his college years he found his purpose to be building and maintaining schools in rural poverty stricken areas. He went to work for a prestigious consulting firm and temporarily got sidetracked into the good life. But when his inner need for a purposeful life resurfaced he gave his life fully to the endeavor. The book chronicle his successes and failures; his personal growth and his organizational development. Above all it outlines the use of grassroots and social media to build support and fund raise based on the dedication of the individual. An inspiring story.
September 21, 2022
Mình đọc cuốn sách lần đầu ở tuổi 17, lúc đó, cuốn sách thực sự truyền cảm hứng cho mình rất nhiều trên hành trình hoạt động vì cộng đồng thông qua các dự án cá nhân và tổ chức.
Dù bao nhiêu năm đã trôi qua (đến lúc gõ lại dòng này là đã hơn 4 năm trôi qua), câu chuyện của Adam Braun và tổ chức PoP của anh vẫn in dấu trong trí nhớ mình. Ngày hôm qua, mình lần lượt đọc lại các ghi chú sách và highlight đủ màu của cuốn sách này và cảm thấy vui vẻ.
Sau này, lớn hơn một chút, mình cũng có dịp đọc được nhiều câu chuyện/tự truyện đầy cảm hứng và ý nghĩa khác, nhưng "Lời hứa của một cây bút chì" vẫn giàu giá trị với mình!
Dù bao nhiêu năm đã trôi qua (đến lúc gõ lại dòng này là đã hơn 4 năm trôi qua), câu chuyện của Adam Braun và tổ chức PoP của anh vẫn in dấu trong trí nhớ mình. Ngày hôm qua, mình lần lượt đọc lại các ghi chú sách và highlight đủ màu của cuốn sách này và cảm thấy vui vẻ.
Sau này, lớn hơn một chút, mình cũng có dịp đọc được nhiều câu chuyện/tự truyện đầy cảm hứng và ý nghĩa khác, nhưng "Lời hứa của một cây bút chì" vẫn giàu giá trị với mình!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,088 reviews