What You See Is What You Get by Alan Sugar

What You See Is What You Get

by Alan Sugar

Alan Sugar was born in 1947 and brought up on a council estate in Clapton, in Hackney. As a kid he watched his dad struggle to support the family, never knowing from one week to the next if he'd have a job. It had a huge impact on him, fuelling a drive to succeed that was to earn him a sizeable personal fortune. Now he describes his amazing journey, from schoolboy enterprises like making and selling his own ginger beer to setting up his own company at nineteen; from Amstrad's groundbreaking ventures in hi-fi and computers, which made him the darling of the stock exchange, to the dark days when he nearly lost it all; from his pioneering deal with Rupert Murdoch to his boardroom battles at Tottenham Hotspur FC. He takes us into the world of The Apprentice, and describes his appointment as advisor to the government and elevation to the peerage. Like the man himself, this autobiography is forthright, funny and sometimes controversial.

Reviewed by clairelm on

5 of 5 stars

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Despite struggling to get past the first chapter the first time I picked this book up, I really enjoyed it when I picked it up 2 years later. Having become a firm fan of The Apprentice in the last few years, it was great to read Lord Sugar's story and how he grew from a young lad borrowing sugar and ginger off neighbours to the person he is today. Refreshingly, he says what he thinks and isn't afraid to admit to the mistakes he's made, along with the triumphs.

Definitely a recommended read.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 11 July, 2013: Finished reading
  • 11 July, 2013: Reviewed