Driven: An Autobiography
When he was sixteen years old, Larry Miller came home one summer night to find all his possessions sitting in three bags on the porch of his darkened house. The door was locked. From those troubled and humble beginnings rose a man whose influence has touched, according to reliable pollsters, more than 99 percent of the population of Utah as well as myriads of people worldw
...moreHardcover, 343 pages
Published
May 10th 2010
by Deseret Book
(first published 2010)
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Quite a few of the stories in the book (his low high school GPA and retaking the U's entrance exam twice because they thought he cheated the first time) were ones I had grown up hearing about my mom's cousin Larry (Larry's mother and my maternal grandmother Shirley).
However, I think that the story of him being thrown out of the house at 16 surprised EVERYONE in my family (my mom and her 7 siblings, but both of my grandparents have passed away - ironically my grandfather passed away exactly 5 yea...more
However, I think that the story of him being thrown out of the house at 16 surprised EVERYONE in my family (my mom and her 7 siblings, but both of my grandparents have passed away - ironically my grandfather passed away exactly 5 yea...more
In an interesting coincidence, I bought this book on the 3-year anniversary of Miller's death. I'll admit I was a little skeptical. As Doug Robinson (the co-author) wrote in the introduction, "For years, his auto dealerships televised a commercial that became famous in the state— 'After all, you know this guy,' the commercial concluded, but it turns out we really didn't know him at all."
No, I really did not know Larry Miller. Having grown up in Utah, I thought about Miller the way a lot of peopl...more
No, I really did not know Larry Miller. Having grown up in Utah, I thought about Miller the way a lot of peopl...more
I'm so torn on the rating one gives for an autobiography. Would people think my rating was about the author's life or the quality of the book? That in mind, I'll clarify my rating. I am giving this book 5 stars, not because the writing was excellent, or that Miller should be given sainthood, but because I think that keeping a record of one's life is very important. I think Miller deserves 5 stars for sharing his life and the lessons he learned.
I really struggle reading non-fiction. It takes me b...more
I really struggle reading non-fiction. It takes me b...more
wow. it's like the commercial on tv back when I was in high school..."after all, you know this guy!" and there is larry h. miller, in his classic outfit of a polo shirt and khakis, folding his arms and smiling in front of a row of cars. Okay, fast foward to the present, and ... it turns out that I didn't really know this guy. Wow. He had an amazing life story. While I don't agree with everything he did, he did sink all his passion and energy and beliefs into helping others. He rose from some pre...more
This was not a "typical" read for me. After all, Larry was a devout Mormon, & I left the church. Larry was a bigot, and I am a lesbian. However, I chose to pick it up to learn about his business acumen as I was taught to do at a course I took called Millionaire Mind Intensive... We were taught to admire & model (the good things about) rich & successful people.
There ended up being lots to admire! He was very hard working, driven, competitive, detail oriented, organized, creative, &...more
There ended up being lots to admire! He was very hard working, driven, competitive, detail oriented, organized, creative, &...more
A few months ago my grandma had me read chapter 7: Numbers when she was reading this Biography, and it was quite interesting, and parts of it reminded me of someone I know, so a few weeks ago I decided to pick this book up from the Library. The first two Parts of this book were simply fascinating to me, and really enjoyed reading the beginning of the book. Once they got to the Jazz my interested started to wain because I care so little about sports. The rest of the book from there had interestin...more
I would have never read this book on my own. While I know one of Larry's sons from a study abroad trip years ago - his father's life never held me captive.
Well, I was wrong. My BIL read this book and loved it so much he went out and bought 5 more copies to give to each of his siblings for Christmas. I picked it up and read the first page and was hooked. What an interesting life! Mr. Miller and his biographer did not mince words when it came time to describe his life growing up (and his nutball m...more
Well, I was wrong. My BIL read this book and loved it so much he went out and bought 5 more copies to give to each of his siblings for Christmas. I picked it up and read the first page and was hooked. What an interesting life! Mr. Miller and his biographer did not mince words when it came time to describe his life growing up (and his nutball m...more
I was surprised that I enjoyed this book as much as I did. Larry Miller gives his version of events in his life. He purchased the Utah Jazz the year I graduated from High School. His empire building were all things I was familiar with but I liked some of the inside details. He doesn't say this is how to become a millionaire but just explains how he was able to work longer and harder and how deals came together for him. He doesn't excuse the cost to his family either. He says he was a good breadw...more
I actually had no intention of reading this book. My mother gave it to my husband as a Fathers Day gift and it has been sitting on our coffee table just looking pretty, not being read. So, I figured that's a waste, I might as well read it. I thought it was going to be a lot of *hooey*... lifting this man above the rest, ect.. ect... like most biographies are, but it really wasn't. Most of the book was dictated by him or his wife, with several passages written by his children.
I don't think this b...more
I don't think this b...more
Residents of Utah should all read this book to understand the influence that Larry H. Miller has had upon the our history. There is a lot to learn about why Miller was able to do what he did and about the sacrifices involved. He certainly neglected his children in the course of his extremely successful career which he recognizes and regrets. Interesting information is shared about the present status of the lives of his adult children -- four sons and one daughter. He also certainly neglected any...more
Being from Utah, I thought that 'I knew this guy'. Not so. I learned quite a bit that I didn't know about Larry H. Miller. As a solid Jazz fan, I enjoyed reading his account of how the team was acquired, and his relationships with some of the players. His personal philosophies, family life, and childhood background are all detailed here, and this I found to be of great value because they are the things less obvious. It helped me gain a much deeper appreciation for the enormous impact and positiv...more
I went back and forth with my feelings for this book. At times I thought it was nothing more than Larry Miller boasting about all his accomplishments and how much harder he worked than everyone else. I was also annoyed with the fact that he claimed he was a frugal man (and he was in many aspects of his life), but when someone accumulates 15 Shelby Cobras with price tags ranging from $250k to $4 million, I don't call that frugal.
I was also appalled to learn of how much debt Mr. Miller took on to...more
I was also appalled to learn of how much debt Mr. Miller took on to...more
This was an interesting book about the man behind the empire. He was a very intense individual - to a fault (and he admits it somewhat). To me the real hero in his story was his wife, who was essentially a single mother through most of their kids' childhood because of his workaholic attitude - 6 days a week early morning to late night for 20+ years. It turned out that his family suffered from it and it was one of Larry's big regrets in life, which he talked about a bit. The book itself read fair...more
Fantastic read that I would recommend to anyone. I did not have high expectations for this book. I thought it would be just another wealthy businessman who did nothing remarkable but thinks he is important enough that people will be interested in a book about his life. Plus, I am usually not a fan of autobiographies because they lack the depth that comes with independent observation. I was surprised to find that Miller, who co-wrote this book on his death bed, observed his life in a very real an...more
I've been curious for a long time about what made Larry Miller so much different from any other person with no education who started working in the parts department of an automobile dealership, so I was eager to read this book. Quite an amazing life. It was mostly a matter of really hard work, being good with numbers and having a marvelous wife. It was interesting to see a lot of the recent history of Salt Lake through his eyes. I also learned that the inside of Jordan Commons was made to look l...more
I really enjoyed this book. I think Larry H. Miller was a very amazing man, but he was just a man. He had his struggles and trials just like all of us. He did an amazing amount of good for the community and individuals that he felt needed help. I think he missed out on time with his family and being there for them when they needed him. A good reminder to all of us that our children won't wait for us while we do other things. The comment that Gail's mother made to her when Gail feeling guilty abo...more
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Fascinating book that I would recommend to anyone that is interested in, let's see, any of the following: Utah, Utah Jazz, Salt Lake Bees, BYU, UofU, the LDS church, cars, entrepreneurs, etc. Miller was an unbelievably driven man and the title is perfect. I learned an amazing amount of info about Miller and both the pros and cons of his life. I think it would have been invaluable to just sit down with Miller for even an hour and pick his brain. Too bad I never had the chance. He was quite genero...more
I feel like Larry Miller is my friend now that I've read his book. What a guy. Just a normal guy--well, okay, he had some exceptional capabilities--but basically a normal guy. Flawed, like all of us. Nice to see the Lord work with him and be able to use him--boy, was Larry able to help people!
Notable ideas: Entrepreneurs are made when regular guys have enough doors slammed in front of them that they have no other option but to get creative.
Working, working around the clock made him successful. I...more
Notable ideas: Entrepreneurs are made when regular guys have enough doors slammed in front of them that they have no other option but to get creative.
Working, working around the clock made him successful. I...more
Well, I was pretty disappointed. While Miller's life was amazing, the story was poorly written. Yes, he passed away before the book got off the ground, which must count for something. But I doubt that the autobiography would have been much better if Miller and Robinson had completed it before LHM's tragic death, due to the randomness of Miller's topics, his disjointedness in the timeline, and his yo-yo treatment of certain topics. He skims over his childhood (which would have been very interesti...more
This was a fantastic book!
LHM was an amazing man...that 1 in a million guy who really lived the American Dream!
I had no idea the scope of influence Miller had on the Utah economy,
nor did I realize the extent of his empire.
I worked for LHM for a little over 2 years when my children were toddlers, and I can tell you that the job wasn't difficult, but the boss was. I have a new found, deep respect for him as a business leader and entrepreneur!
(AND HIS WIFE GAYLE IS A LIVING SAINT!)
Holly hanna, he...more
LHM was an amazing man...that 1 in a million guy who really lived the American Dream!
I had no idea the scope of influence Miller had on the Utah economy,
nor did I realize the extent of his empire.
I worked for LHM for a little over 2 years when my children were toddlers, and I can tell you that the job wasn't difficult, but the boss was. I have a new found, deep respect for him as a business leader and entrepreneur!
(AND HIS WIFE GAYLE IS A LIVING SAINT!)
Holly hanna, he...more
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVED this book! I am not an Autobiography fan, because they are usually not engaging enough to me, but I couldn't put this down. I did not have any desire to read this book and only read it because my book club was reading . . . I am SO glad I decided to read it. I cried, I laughed, I smiled, I experienced many emotions while reading it. One thing for sure, I came to really admire Larry Miller, even with his short comings and mistakes. I loved so many things about his life and how...more
Before Driven I had only known Larry Miller as mega-wealthy man that owned an absurd number of car dealerships and the Utah Jazz. His story is story is classic American-dream style, rags to riches with obstacles and life lessons along the way.
Miller’s determination and extreme attention to detail led to remarkable business success, but the price was incredibly high. His wife and children were often neglected and part of the reason he agreed to do an autobiography is so that others could learn fr...more
Miller’s determination and extreme attention to detail led to remarkable business success, but the price was incredibly high. His wife and children were often neglected and part of the reason he agreed to do an autobiography is so that others could learn fr...more
I really LOVED this book. Ken read it first and told me about it. I'm so glad I know more about Larry H. Miller and his family, his career, and his death. These are real people with their ups and downs. I would highly recommend this book to anyone. I don't read a lot of autobiographies/biographies, but I remember discovering them in the school library as a fourth grader. Every week, I would look for other stuff to read, but then I would head over to that "sure spot" and choose another biography....more
I feel weird that I'm reading this book, but I've heard many people say it's unexpectedly awesome and touching. So here I am. Reading it. Hopefully it'll live up to it's hype. :)
So I finished. Finally. I read a few other books between the beginning and end of "Driven", so it took me quite awhile. But come on, I had to put all other books aside to read "Mockingjay" as soon as it came out, right? :) Anyway, the book was good for an autobiography and Larry H. Miller did a lot of good for the state...more
So I finished. Finally. I read a few other books between the beginning and end of "Driven", so it took me quite awhile. But come on, I had to put all other books aside to read "Mockingjay" as soon as it came out, right? :) Anyway, the book was good for an autobiography and Larry H. Miller did a lot of good for the state...more
A remarkable man and a great read! From humble and even difficult beginnings, this man built an empire in Salt Lake City, Utah. Supported by his patient and loving wife, Gail, who pretty much raised the their five children while he worked 90 hour weeks. I think I have as much respect for Gail as I do for Larry.
What I learned from this book ... honesty and integrity and sticking to a personal value system, still provide the big pay-off in the business world. Larry's belief that when you are succ...more
What I learned from this book ... honesty and integrity and sticking to a personal value system, still provide the big pay-off in the business world. Larry's belief that when you are succ...more
I was amazed by how driven Larry was to do things and excell, but I was most impressed with Gail. As a wife I would have protested. She kept his life going and made it possbile for him to succeed. She raised his family, met his needs and supported all his crazy plans whether she got any enjoyment out of it or not. She said at one point in the book that she went to 41 games a year and didn't really want to go to all of them. He would be cross if she talked to one of their guests instead of paying...more
I have never read a three hundred page book in one day. I couldn't put it down and I didn't get tired. What an amazing man. What a moron. I can't come up with the right word. Some of the things that he did are incredible. Some of the things that he did were just plain dense. He was an amazing business man and he was never had time for his kids. The only time they saw him was when the went to watch him play sports on Sunday. I was very impressed by his wife who had the patience of Job. He was so...more
I always had a high opinion of Larry Miller so it was very interesting to read his autobiography. He did not glamorize his life or try to be anything other than what he was--a workaholic with total integrity. My hat's off to Gail, his wife, who like with so many successful men was the one who raised their kids alone while Larry worked 80-90 hours a week for over 20 years. "Impossible" was not in Larry's vocabulary--he always found a way to make things happen even if it meant risking everything....more
May 27, 2010
Marilyn
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommended to Marilyn by:
Richard Allen gave it to Les for Fathers Day
Larry Miller's idea of taking care of his family was to support them financially. When he was a young husband he had an epiphany and realized that since he didn't have a college education, he had to have some means of earning money. That drove him for the rest of his live. He believed that whatever your job, you do more than you're asked to do. I admired him for that, but he never spent any time with his family. They went to his ball games, but he never went to theirs. Because he earned so much...more
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13 de Jul 12:09