I just finished Keith Ferrazzi’s excellent book, Never Eat Alone.  I found out about the book from several references to it on LinkedIn’s excellent business networking site.  Still, you never know what you’re going to find when you buy a book based on others’ recommendations.

Almost from the first page of the book I was hooked.  I knew that Ferrazzi had a different take on things than most business success types.  He knows that no one is “self-made” in the strictest sense of the word.  We’re all in this together, and people who are generous to others are the most successful in their pursuits.  Here are a few quotes from Ferrazzi.  

• Poverty, I realized, wasn’t only a lack of financial resources; it was isolation from the kind of people that could help you make more of yourself, page 5.
• I learned that ‘real’ networking was about finding ways to make ‘other people more successful, page 9.
• “So you want the inside scoop,” I respond.  “Fair enough.  I’ll sum up the key to success in one word:  generosity,” page 14.
• Autonomy is a life vest made out of sand, page 17.
• In other words, the currency of real networking is not greed but generosity, page 21.
• I would argue that your relationships with others are your finest, most credible expression of who you are and what you have to offer, page 22.

I think the book has indispensable information for anyone that is wanting to connect with the world around.  I find it to be especially relevant in a church planting context and would immediately recommend it as a “must read” book.  Ferrazzi also has a blog which is fun to read.  Enjoy.