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Thrive: 30 Inspirational Rags-to-Riches Stories
Thrive: 30 Inspirational Rags-to-Riches Stories shows the power of perseverance to achieve unbelievable success. Follow the stories of ordinary people who overcame adversity to become wealthy entrepreneurs, innovative businessmen, and famous artists, including Jim Carrey, Eminem, Vin Diesel, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Oprah Winfrey, Tyler Perry, Charlize Theron, Ellen DeGeneres, Mark Cuban, and Jay Z. Never give up. Thrive.
146 pages, Paperback
First published April 23, 2015
110 people are currently reading
4152 people want to read
About the author
Jason Navallo
5 books547 followersJason Navallo is the author of five books: American Dream, Thrive, Never Give Up, Success, and Driven to Succeed. He has an M.B.A. from Louisiana State University and lives in New York City.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
May 12, 2016
Very inspiring! Briefly outlines the life stories of some major players, sprinkled with interesting trivia.
Some notes:
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Jim Carrey's poor family at one point lived in a Volkswagen bus. He wrote himself a check for $10 M, giving himself a decade to cash it in.
Sam Walton, as student body president at the University of Missouri, learned a secret for Walmart's future aisles: speak to people coming down the sidewalk before they speak to you.
JK Rowling's now ex-husband threw her and their newborn baby out of the house.
Stephen King's father left “to buy a pack of cigarettes,” never returning home. In high school, Stephen held a part-time job digging graves.
Vin Diesel's makeshift film was seen by Steven Spielberg, who cast him in "Saving Private Ryan".
Arnold Schwarzenegger was so poor that he lived in a building whose only water supply was a well a quarter-mile walk away. His promoter tried bribing him for sex, and destroyed his application to the Mr. Universe contest.
Richard Branson, quitting school at age 17, was told by his headmaster: “Congratulations, Branson. I predict that you will either go to prison or become a millionaire.”
Sylvester Stallone would revisit talent agents 5-10 times asking for work. At an absolute low point, Sly sold his dog for $25 through tears. After signing "Rocky", he begged the new owner to sell the dog back to him... shelling out $15,000.
Jack Ma, alibaba.com 's founder, was born to parents who were musician story-tellers in China.
Harrison Ford built cabinets for George Lucas' home before being cast in American Graffiti and Star Wars.
Tyler Perry endured years of physical and sexual abuse during childhood. He insists that the day he forgave his father was the date his play was a success.
Henry Ford worked for Thomas Edison, at one point being on-call 24 hours a day.
Mark Cuban at age 12 sold garbage bags door to door to save for new shoes. At age 24, he taught himself how to program code.
Ursula Banks - born in NYC's projects - earned a degree in mechanical engineering, a masters at Columbia, and became Xerox’s first female CEO.
John D. Rockefeller’s father was a con-artist who would “cheat my boys every chance I get.” At his death, John's assets equaled 1.5 % of America's GDP, or $340 billion today.
Howard Schultz was rejected by 217 out of 242 people raising Starbucks' seed capital.
Some notes:
----------
Jim Carrey's poor family at one point lived in a Volkswagen bus. He wrote himself a check for $10 M, giving himself a decade to cash it in.
Sam Walton, as student body president at the University of Missouri, learned a secret for Walmart's future aisles: speak to people coming down the sidewalk before they speak to you.
JK Rowling's now ex-husband threw her and their newborn baby out of the house.
Stephen King's father left “to buy a pack of cigarettes,” never returning home. In high school, Stephen held a part-time job digging graves.
Vin Diesel's makeshift film was seen by Steven Spielberg, who cast him in "Saving Private Ryan".
Arnold Schwarzenegger was so poor that he lived in a building whose only water supply was a well a quarter-mile walk away. His promoter tried bribing him for sex, and destroyed his application to the Mr. Universe contest.
Richard Branson, quitting school at age 17, was told by his headmaster: “Congratulations, Branson. I predict that you will either go to prison or become a millionaire.”
Sylvester Stallone would revisit talent agents 5-10 times asking for work. At an absolute low point, Sly sold his dog for $25 through tears. After signing "Rocky", he begged the new owner to sell the dog back to him... shelling out $15,000.
Jack Ma, alibaba.com 's founder, was born to parents who were musician story-tellers in China.
Harrison Ford built cabinets for George Lucas' home before being cast in American Graffiti and Star Wars.
Tyler Perry endured years of physical and sexual abuse during childhood. He insists that the day he forgave his father was the date his play was a success.
Henry Ford worked for Thomas Edison, at one point being on-call 24 hours a day.
Mark Cuban at age 12 sold garbage bags door to door to save for new shoes. At age 24, he taught himself how to program code.
Ursula Banks - born in NYC's projects - earned a degree in mechanical engineering, a masters at Columbia, and became Xerox’s first female CEO.
John D. Rockefeller’s father was a con-artist who would “cheat my boys every chance I get.” At his death, John's assets equaled 1.5 % of America's GDP, or $340 billion today.
Howard Schultz was rejected by 217 out of 242 people raising Starbucks' seed capital.
April 28, 2015
Knowing the stories of great people from all walks of life is an effective way for one to learn different lessons in life. This is my main conclusion after reading this book. I cannot pinpoint what are the most important lessons I learned since it seemed that each story is unique from each other.
This book, as the subtitle states, is a collection of stories of different people. When this was offered to me by Jason, the author, I asked myself what are the possible lessons I can get from the people featured here. I had a bias towards famous business persons, statesmen; those people who are usually featured in biography books or who have their memoir. So when I read that there are people from entertainment industry, I was intrigued. I asked what could I get from them aside from seeing them show their skills in movies.
It turns that I learned a lot and was inspired by their stories. Now I will not look at the likes of Vin Diesel, Charlize Theron, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Ellen DeGeneres the same way I look at them in entertainment roles. Now I see them as people who have faced their problems with tenacity and relentless pursuit to attain their goals despite the many setbacks they encounter. All of these because of this book.
Moreover, this book, short as it may seemed based on the number of its pages, is full of inspiration. It is like a healthy salad full of nutrients in every bite you take.
I recommend that you read this book. It is short enough to finish but long enough to keep you inspired.
This book, as the subtitle states, is a collection of stories of different people. When this was offered to me by Jason, the author, I asked myself what are the possible lessons I can get from the people featured here. I had a bias towards famous business persons, statesmen; those people who are usually featured in biography books or who have their memoir. So when I read that there are people from entertainment industry, I was intrigued. I asked what could I get from them aside from seeing them show their skills in movies.
It turns that I learned a lot and was inspired by their stories. Now I will not look at the likes of Vin Diesel, Charlize Theron, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Ellen DeGeneres the same way I look at them in entertainment roles. Now I see them as people who have faced their problems with tenacity and relentless pursuit to attain their goals despite the many setbacks they encounter. All of these because of this book.
Moreover, this book, short as it may seemed based on the number of its pages, is full of inspiration. It is like a healthy salad full of nutrients in every bite you take.
I recommend that you read this book. It is short enough to finish but long enough to keep you inspired.
April 1, 2015
Disclaimer: I read an advanced copy sent to me by the author.
Thrive: 30 Inspirational Rags-To-Riches Stories is a nice collection of small biographies of famous people who went through adversity to rise to the top.
The bio's include Hollywood stars, media giants, entrepreneurs and inventors.
The takeaway from such tales is to see that "striking it rich" is really just a myth and that to get anywhere in life you have to have a willingness to hold your vision and push through the tough times. I was especially inspired by Sly Stallone's story.
Fans of books like Chicken Soup For the Soul will enjoy this book.
Thrive: 30 Inspirational Rags-To-Riches Stories is a nice collection of small biographies of famous people who went through adversity to rise to the top.
The bio's include Hollywood stars, media giants, entrepreneurs and inventors.
The takeaway from such tales is to see that "striking it rich" is really just a myth and that to get anywhere in life you have to have a willingness to hold your vision and push through the tough times. I was especially inspired by Sly Stallone's story.
Fans of books like Chicken Soup For the Soul will enjoy this book.
May 2, 2015
Thrive is an excellent bite-size biographies of 30 men and women who were confronted with unbelievable odds in their search for self-expression and ultimate success.
It seems as though the enormity of challenge, in most cases, only increases the certainty of achievement. It is both inspiring and instructive to see dreams coming true in spite of all limitations.
Jason's work really encapsulates the great possibilities available to all people, regardless of their tribes and tongues, to put their signature of achievement on the planet as a testament to the indomitable spirit in man as well as offering a blueprint for the next generation.
It seems as though the enormity of challenge, in most cases, only increases the certainty of achievement. It is both inspiring and instructive to see dreams coming true in spite of all limitations.
Jason's work really encapsulates the great possibilities available to all people, regardless of their tribes and tongues, to put their signature of achievement on the planet as a testament to the indomitable spirit in man as well as offering a blueprint for the next generation.
April 20, 2015
This book is refreshing for a change. I love rags-to-riches stories. The men and women that the author picked are those that I don't normally read in other books. Although, most of the people are in show business. I still appreciate how he wrote about the life of Vin Diesel and Eminem. I looked at these persons different now than how I did before. The experiences given show how these men and women progressed. That a person can be successful no matter what circumstances. One just needs to thrive.
April 17, 2015
Very grateful that I received a copy from the author .. I just loved it !
In less than 100 pages, the author could combine a 30 short biographies to convince the reader that success lies always in the next step .. I wouldn't find a more appropriate word to describe it more than the author has done.. INPIRATIONAL!
In less than 100 pages, the author could combine a 30 short biographies to convince the reader that success lies always in the next step .. I wouldn't find a more appropriate word to describe it more than the author has done.. INPIRATIONAL!
July 22, 2017
It was a quick read full of interesting stories. They were very superficial, therefore it is hard to get your heart fully involved and feel the journey of the characters portrayed. I would have preferred fewer stories but showcasing them with more depth.
Furthermore, he kept referring to Southwest Airlines as Southwestern Airlines. That must be corrected as it is a typo.
Furthermore, he kept referring to Southwest Airlines as Southwestern Airlines. That must be corrected as it is a typo.
May 9, 2015
Very nice book. The author cleverly summarized many biographies in a concise manner. This book is a time saver that focuses on most important qualities of those celeberities. He demonstrates, how their tough lives tranformed into success stories. I like this book!
October 31, 2016
30 inspiring stories in a fun little volume :D
May 8, 2015
‘Everything we desire is within reach…So, read. Learn. Thrive.
Brooklyn, NY author Jason Navallo is a career advisor for top-notch professionals worldwide. He gained his education from Baruch College's Zicklin School of Business (Bachelor of Business Administration) and serves as an advisor for Finance and Investments. Handsome as a movie star, his true passion is helping his fellowman to succeed, and hence his choice of subject for his books - a thorough though brief compendium on how to use your education to start your career as in DRIVEN TO SUCCEED. Or as Jason has decided for this book THRIVE, share the rags to riches stories of famous people from whom we all can learn.
As expected Jason offers as much useful challenge in his Introduction as the stories that fill this book. ‘Success is a lifelong pursuit. It is a journey that will take you through many ups and downs, twists and turns. If you are ambitious and want to achieve greatness, then this book is for you. Whether you’re an entrepreneur promoting a product or service, an employee climbing the corporate ladder, or someone seeking motivation to reach new heights in your career and life, you are in the right place. In this book, you will uncover the rags-to-riches stories of thirty wealthy entrepreneurs, innovative businessmen, and famous artists. Although society admires their successes, their struggles to initially establish and build their careers are often overlooked. The truth is that through sheer will and determination,
these people transformed their visions into realities. Nothing was handed to them, and, more importantly, they never gave up.’
The roster of people about whom we learn is staggeringly varied. To pick a few from the list Vin Diesel, John Grisham, Tyler Perry, Ellen DeGeneres, Henry Ford, Martha Stewart, Jerry Seinfeld, Stephen King, J.K. Rowling, John D. Rockefeller, Sr., and of course Oprah Winfrey to name but a few. The stories are written by Jason but show careful attention to research and detail. It makes for a very fascinating read and one that everyone will find as useful guidance.
Brooklyn, NY author Jason Navallo is a career advisor for top-notch professionals worldwide. He gained his education from Baruch College's Zicklin School of Business (Bachelor of Business Administration) and serves as an advisor for Finance and Investments. Handsome as a movie star, his true passion is helping his fellowman to succeed, and hence his choice of subject for his books - a thorough though brief compendium on how to use your education to start your career as in DRIVEN TO SUCCEED. Or as Jason has decided for this book THRIVE, share the rags to riches stories of famous people from whom we all can learn.
As expected Jason offers as much useful challenge in his Introduction as the stories that fill this book. ‘Success is a lifelong pursuit. It is a journey that will take you through many ups and downs, twists and turns. If you are ambitious and want to achieve greatness, then this book is for you. Whether you’re an entrepreneur promoting a product or service, an employee climbing the corporate ladder, or someone seeking motivation to reach new heights in your career and life, you are in the right place. In this book, you will uncover the rags-to-riches stories of thirty wealthy entrepreneurs, innovative businessmen, and famous artists. Although society admires their successes, their struggles to initially establish and build their careers are often overlooked. The truth is that through sheer will and determination,
these people transformed their visions into realities. Nothing was handed to them, and, more importantly, they never gave up.’
The roster of people about whom we learn is staggeringly varied. To pick a few from the list Vin Diesel, John Grisham, Tyler Perry, Ellen DeGeneres, Henry Ford, Martha Stewart, Jerry Seinfeld, Stephen King, J.K. Rowling, John D. Rockefeller, Sr., and of course Oprah Winfrey to name but a few. The stories are written by Jason but show careful attention to research and detail. It makes for a very fascinating read and one that everyone will find as useful guidance.
March 30, 2015
What I really liked about this book is that it was quick read. The author could of made this book into a few hundred of pages, but compressed it into under 100 pages while staying true to his purpose and theme of the book. You will uncover the rags-to-riches stories of many entrepreneurs such as Jim Carrey, Sam Walton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and the one that touched me the most, Sylvester Stallone. And since it is quick read, it is a great book to have by your side, which you can pick up to for some daily shots of inspiration. While reading this book I saw that my dreams were possible, because of the people in this book who never gave up on their dreams. It really opened my eyes to the possibilities around me.
April 14, 2015
I was lucky enough to have been sent a copy from the author...
We often forget that most celebrities and businessmen and women have very humble beginnings. In fact, my own childhood had more privilege than many in this book. I my opinion, once you read a few chapters, it becomes evident that passion, perseverance and persistence made the difference. Interestingly enough, that same theme was echoed throughout "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell.
I like the authors style of short and simple, yet impactful, and the fact that he chose stories from different areas, his subjects are not all athletes, actors or executives.
The book is a quick read, and a great idea for someone who just needs that nudge of reassurance to it let go of a dream.
We often forget that most celebrities and businessmen and women have very humble beginnings. In fact, my own childhood had more privilege than many in this book. I my opinion, once you read a few chapters, it becomes evident that passion, perseverance and persistence made the difference. Interestingly enough, that same theme was echoed throughout "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell.
I like the authors style of short and simple, yet impactful, and the fact that he chose stories from different areas, his subjects are not all athletes, actors or executives.
The book is a quick read, and a great idea for someone who just needs that nudge of reassurance to it let go of a dream.
March 31, 2015
Thrive is a short and inspiring collection of stories of 30 successful people with different fields from technology to writing. Each story concisely narrates:
1. The goal each person wanted to attain
2. The adversity each one faced in their lives
3. The perseverance each one displayed to meet their goals
My only comment on the book is it would be better if there were pictures in each story to bring home the point of never giving up on your dreams to be successful.
All in all if you want a confidence boost on someday making it big on whatever you're doing, grab a copy of Thrive now.
1. The goal each person wanted to attain
2. The adversity each one faced in their lives
3. The perseverance each one displayed to meet their goals
My only comment on the book is it would be better if there were pictures in each story to bring home the point of never giving up on your dreams to be successful.
All in all if you want a confidence boost on someday making it big on whatever you're doing, grab a copy of Thrive now.
April 19, 2015
Can I sincerely say that it's been a great journey to read this book on success and certainly there's plenty of lessons that a person can glean from this short and punchy book from Jason!
He has a nice balance between male, female Entrepreneurs and has covered a global perspective as well, which is great to see..
One area where I see could be developed is to connect the stories of the featured Entrepreneurs and what has made them successful.. reading through this book that's the only form of improvement I could offer..
worth the read and likely a 4 and a half star!
He has a nice balance between male, female Entrepreneurs and has covered a global perspective as well, which is great to see..
One area where I see could be developed is to connect the stories of the featured Entrepreneurs and what has made them successful.. reading through this book that's the only form of improvement I could offer..
worth the read and likely a 4 and a half star!
April 1, 2015
Book is straightforward. Short biographies of 30 famous people like Jim Carrey, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Richard Bronson and many others. These people can serve as a inspiration to all of us, and they probably do for some. For me book is well written without going in long details about how and why, but what they did to achieve success.
Congrats to the author of the book for writing a book. It must be a fulfillment of a dream.
Thrive.
Congrats to the author of the book for writing a book. It must be a fulfillment of a dream.
Thrive.
March 30, 2015
This is a collection of 30 short biographies of people who overcame great obstacles to forge their way to success. Some stories I knew, others I did not know is such detail and others were new. The book is short and worth the read. You can consult the bibliography at the end if you wish to follow up on any of the stories and read about them more in depth.
April 22, 2015
Got the pre-publication copy from the author. A million thanks, Jason.
The book is well researched & put together describing stories of personalities whom most consider 'famous'. However, what most don't know that the success of these beings were not overnight. It required tremendous hardship to achieve their goals. An inspirational tale which will pull you up through the challenges.
The book is well researched & put together describing stories of personalities whom most consider 'famous'. However, what most don't know that the success of these beings were not overnight. It required tremendous hardship to achieve their goals. An inspirational tale which will pull you up through the challenges.
April 21, 2015
It is a good book and a must read if you enjoy reading inspirational stories about people overcoming obstacles on their way to success. The book does an excellent job showing the struggles they had before they achieved career success. The author picked compelling people to write about such as Harrison Ford, Jay-Z, Stephen King and Henry Ford to name a few.
April 10, 2015
Awesome. Very inspiring stories and gives you that kick up the butt to follow your dreams. No matter what your situation this will encourage you to take action and excite you to know that nothing can stop you in life. A gentle reminder also to believe in yourself no matter what.
Great Jason.
Great Jason.
December 14, 2015
A good encouragement to all those with great ideas but who think that certain circumstances surrounding their birth and childhood could stop them.
The book has a lot about people in the entertainment industry and would help anyone intending to pursue a career there.
The book has a lot about people in the entertainment industry and would help anyone intending to pursue a career there.
April 5, 2015
Good book. A lot of different histories. It was great to know that. Thanks Jason.
June 10, 2021
I received this book for free and there is a reason why it was free. Thrive is not really a "book" - it's 30 capsule biographies of famous actors, singers, authors, other entertainers and businessmen and women. Each biography focuses on the hardscrabble beginnings for each person and describes their path to the breakthrough success that led to fame and fortune.
The book is written at a grade school level in a grade school style ("Then he did this. And then he did that," etc.). The sources are TV biographies and free online databases like IMDB. It is a summary of summaries of the individuals profiled. There's no commentary at all about what drove these individuals' success and allowed them to overcome challenges or how - if at all - they were different from others who don't "thrive." It's just a list of 30 poor people who became rich and famous that describes their backgrounds and path to success.
Mercifully, Thrive is a short book, and 2-3 pages is about the limit of what I'd be interested in knowing about the backstories of most of the "thriving" people selected anyway, so it wasn't a bad way to get that information, but overall, this book is little more than a superficial aggregation of puff pieces and summaries about the early lives of celebrities.
The book is written at a grade school level in a grade school style ("Then he did this. And then he did that," etc.). The sources are TV biographies and free online databases like IMDB. It is a summary of summaries of the individuals profiled. There's no commentary at all about what drove these individuals' success and allowed them to overcome challenges or how - if at all - they were different from others who don't "thrive." It's just a list of 30 poor people who became rich and famous that describes their backgrounds and path to success.
Mercifully, Thrive is a short book, and 2-3 pages is about the limit of what I'd be interested in knowing about the backstories of most of the "thriving" people selected anyway, so it wasn't a bad way to get that information, but overall, this book is little more than a superficial aggregation of puff pieces and summaries about the early lives of celebrities.
June 15, 2017
Quick read about some truly inspiring rages-to-riches stories! The unbelievable odds some of these people went up against was fascinating to read about.
For anyone who enjoyed this I'd also recommend No One's Business: A Migrant's Barefoot Journey to Millions by Vadim Turcanu. In short it's about a young immigrant escaping poverty/gangs/etc and his business endeavors (leading up to becoming a millionaire). The author is so blunt and raw about his difficult past, but also extremely motivating!
For anyone who enjoyed this I'd also recommend No One's Business: A Migrant's Barefoot Journey to Millions by Vadim Turcanu. In short it's about a young immigrant escaping poverty/gangs/etc and his business endeavors (leading up to becoming a millionaire). The author is so blunt and raw about his difficult past, but also extremely motivating!
May 13, 2017
This is a very concise book which summarizes the lives of famous personalities in 2 to 3 pages each. I loved the choice of subjects because they were from different backgrounds. The writing style was great as well as it discussed the subject's background, his/her circumstances in life and how they were able to overcome it in a short but detailed manner. I also liked how some information were very recent.
December 31, 2020
Simple and to the point, Navello compiled a list of rags to riches story and discussed what these successful people did in their lives. One common theme seems to be tragedy and the necessities for survival. I recognized most of the names, but I didn't know most of their stories. I recommend this for a good fast read for anyone who would like to learn more about some of the icons they recognize.
February 23, 2020
A great collection of stories
A wonderful read concerning the stories of a number of celebrities that made it. Insightful and interesting to read. Definitely worth the time to read and learn the stories of these celebrities.
A wonderful read concerning the stories of a number of celebrities that made it. Insightful and interesting to read. Definitely worth the time to read and learn the stories of these celebrities.
January 16, 2022
Not very inspirational
This is touted as an inspirational book but it's just a series of mini-biographies on some famous people. Mostly reads as Wikipedia articles. Easy read but not very inspirational.
This is touted as an inspirational book but it's just a series of mini-biographies on some famous people. Mostly reads as Wikipedia articles. Easy read but not very inspirational.
June 12, 2017
Very inspiring and interesting. A great cross section of successful people who didn't have it easy to start with. This book has left me feeling positive and determined to overcome my challenges.
June 2, 2018
Fabulous book on great people..would recommend people of all ages
Worthy book,I like the bios of all. Recommended to everyone who wants to grow and flow in life and business:-)
Worthy book,I like the bios of all. Recommended to everyone who wants to grow and flow in life and business:-)
May 21, 2019
Great motivation
It's so motivating to read so many success stories. It shows that you can come from nothing to have everything working hard is the key
It's so motivating to read so many success stories. It shows that you can come from nothing to have everything working hard is the key
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews