Larry H. Miller - Behind the Drive: 99 Inspiring Stories from the Life of an American Entrepreneur

by Bryan Miller, Mitt Romney (Foreword)

In Driven: An Autobiography, business mogul Larry H. Miller shared his painful and joyful lessons about the many facets of his life and legacy and candidly spoke about the people and circumstances that influenced him. In Larry H. Miller—Behind the Drive, the tables are turned as we hear firsthand from both famous and obscure people whose lives were influenced, inspired, and even transformed by the compassion, generosity, and leadership of Larry. Nearly 100 individuals share personal stories about the man who they came to know and love as a philanthropist, a Good Samaritan, an angel in disguise. Quite frankly, Larry H. Miller simply loved helping people. It didn't matter who they were. It didn't matter what he was doing at the time. When Larry heard the call for help, he unassumingly went about to make things better. The marvel of Miller isn't what he did to shape a community or touch a life, it's how he did it—one person at a time. Readers might ask how did Larry H. Miller have the time to personally impact so many lives? The answer—Larry chose to use his time a little bit differently than most. Larry H. Miller—Behind the Drive pulls back the curtain and shows us the difference one person can make when he's driven to serve.
 

Genres: Biography, Audiobook, Business, Nonfiction

432 pages, Hardcover

First published November 3, 2015

Reviews

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read Driven and Behind the Drive, both are wonderful books, but Behind the Drive had much more of an impact on me.

I just finished reading it, now I'm ready to study it more in depth and hopefully learn much more about who I can be by following Larry's example.

[Aleiha Riley · Rating 5 out of 5]

SOOO GOOD! Very worth the read! Larry Miller inspires me to want to be more charitable and aware of others around me! His attention and service to those around him are admirable!

I LOVED hearing the 99 stories from others experiences with Larry. I wasn’t sure how I would like the format but it was fantastic!

[Brandon · Rating 4 out of 5]

To be honest, I read this because I got it free on audible. I have never known much about Larry Miller, other than the fact that his name is all over Salt Lake and Utah, and I have never been super interested to find out more, but his story turned out to be fascinating. I was so glad I picked this up, and consider myself lucky to know more about the man and businessman he was. I have had the pleasure to work under Jon M. Huntsman, and these two men remind me of each other a lot, which I am sure is why they were great friends.

Regarding the actual book, it was done in a unique way where there is no one author, instead it is a compilation of stories from 99 people who's lives were touched by Larry. As a result, there is a fair amount of repetition when the individuals talk about what Larry has done in his business and how it relates to them, but their personal stories were amazing. If the stories were shared in any other way, I think it would come off as braggy, but told from the point of view of those who received the service is very heartwarming. I wish I had had the opportunity to meet this great man, but reading this book seems like the next best thing.

[John Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. Unfortunately I think they don’t make people like Larry Miller anymore. Nowadays you get idolized by being ruthless and insensitive. Being from Salt Lake of course I knew who Larry was and of his businesses but I had never heard the kind of stories that are in this book. I was truly inspired by how he chose to treat people. I loved hearing some of the risks he took as well as he became a billionaire. Unfortunately he did sacrifice really important things such as health and family while pursuing his genius. He was very open about that towards the end of his life. I listened to the audio version and I found myself pausing it from time to time in order to think more about what I was hearing. I would have really liked to have met him. Highly recommend for anyone that loves hearing success stories or about what makes successful people tick.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book of reminisces about the late Larry H. Miller. He is famous in our area -- a self-made billionare known for being the owner of the Utah Jazz NBA team and for contributing greatly to all sorts of endeavors in our state. From the book, I learned he genuiniely cared about individual people and gave far more than was ever made public. He paid off mortgages, paid for medical bills, paid for car repairs, etc... I especially enjoyed the last section of the book about his faith and spirituality. He was a good man, and I mean that as the highest compliment I can give to someone.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this book much more than I thought I would. The stories of various friends, family, work associates and volunteer colleagues with Larry H. Miller was absolutely delightful. The reader got a better glimpse of who this man truly was, and why the Utah is all the better because of him. I didn't ever meet him, and yet I walked away from the book sad for the missed connection. I think I would have liked him.

[Brian Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

I believe business is all about relationships. So did Larry, as evidenced by dozens and hundreds if not thousands of people who interacted with and knew Larry Miller. I wonder, “Who are the Gary and Gail Millers of our time?” Because clearly they gave so much to be community builders more than business owners. Grateful for the unique and varied experiences Bryan brought to life in this tribute to his dad.

[Allen Sproul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprised by this book. Lots of great stories of charity, and even more important, lessons learned. One surprise take-away was the regret associated with familial relationships and the health cost of lifestyle. Appreciated the view of a good man who had faults and beauty in him.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book. I knew very little about Larry H Miller before reading this, but reading the book made me wish that I had had the opportunity to know him. There are many great nuggets of truth and inspiration in the stories about him.

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I were lazy and wanted to write a book, this is how I would do it. 99 people wrote an engaging short story and Bryan just compiled them. Great stories. I understand recent Utah history much better because of it. Pretty cool. Reread someday.

[Brett Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

inspiring!

[Sidney · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book, but I just couldn't finish it because there were so many 'good' things about Larry H. Miller. I don't mean that to be rude, I just felt inadequate!

[Craig Earnshaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good stories of an incredible man and what he accomplished

[Runnergirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read

[Cody Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! Larry H. Miller is a true inspiration and a reminder to live life to its fullest.

[Hailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Made me wish I'd met Larry while he was still alive.

[David Skinner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great stories, helped me see into the mind of an entrepreneurial genius.

[Jeremiah Curry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought I was getting his autobiography from the library, but got this instead, I was surprisingly delighted at the inspiration I got from the stories.

[Swhe641200 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Libby. A great book of stories of Larry H Miller. Over 670 pages.

[Riggs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book. Loved learning about Larry through the eyes of his friends and family. Inspiring.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

A local Utah icon I found this book very interesting. Insights into a humble man that was driven to better himself and those in the community. Humanity with humility.

[Cassidy · Rating 3 out of 5]

All the stories started to mesh together, too many (11 hours worth). Larry Miller was an extremely generous person who did a lot of good for Utah!!

[Julianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved this book. thought it was going to be different than it was and im glad I read it. absolutely amazing.

[Karey White · Rating 5 out of 5]

Several years ago, I read Driven: An Autobiography. It was the story of Larry Miller, the businessman behind the car dealerships, movie theaters, and the Utah Jazz. It was fascinating and I recommended it to so many people. When I heard about this new book about Miller, I knew I wanted to read it. I hoped I'd enjoy it as much as I had Driven, and it didn't disappoint.

Behind The Drive is divided into ninety-nine short (most are three pages), first-hand stories of the men and women who knew Larry Miller. They range from former Jazz players, business associates, childhood friends, people who Larry and his wife helped, family members and more. The stories shed light the complicated, interesting man who died too young. They tell of his competitiveness, his work ethic, his fiery temper, his athletic ability (he played professional softball), his unusual management style, his integrity, and his generosity. I read many of the stories aloud to my husband or family. There is not only a lot to be admired from the experiences shared, there is also a lot to learn. For anyone who loves Salt Lake City (me), loves the Utah Jazz (me), has managed their own business (me), or loves hearing stories of flawed people who do great things (I'd like to think someday that will be me), this is a wonderful book to read. Read it in small doses or read it as you would a novel. Either way, I can just about guarantee, you'll find things that make you laugh and inspire you.

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my all time favorite books is Driven, it's written about Larry H Miller by Larry H Miller and Doug Robinson. Larry Miller's story is really amazing, but this book delves even deeper into this amazing man's life.

This one is written by one of his sons. Basically what he did was approach 500 people personally to ask them to write a memory about his dad. And then he picked 99 of them and put them in this book. I have loved reading each and every one of these stories. I love that they are all what people remember about this great man. I love that there are an awful lot of stories that have Larry Miller showing love and service for his fellow man, whether he knew them personally or not.

One of the stories that truly touched me was the story of a young boy who wrote for his elementary school paper. He went to a Jazz game with his grandfather, and saw Larry Miller being recognized for having bought half of the Jazz team to keep it in Utah. This cute boy called Larry Miller's office looking for an interview, and I loved that this amazing man called the young boy back even before his official press conference and gave him the scoop. What an example of how we should all treat those around us.

Make sure you take the time to read this touching book, you won't regret it!

[Bonnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book fascinating. I love learning about people through their works, and there's nothing better than stories from close friends, co-workers, and family. It gives amazing insight as to who the person really is. I really enjoyed the forward by Mitt Romney and the stories are incredible. Some of the people that shared I know about and others I didn't, but either way I learned about how Larry Miller was a wonderful friend, businessman, father, and friend. He is a great example of we all can be toward our fellow men and to become great people in the process. They are lessons that we all can take to heart and apply to our lives. This is a book I would highly recommend to anyone who is looking to improve their lives.

[Rich · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an extremely uplifting book. Reading the kind comments from those Larry Miller interacted with allowed me to gather a glimpse into his amazing life.

[Jeri · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was interesting to learn about Larry H Miller. The stories started to all sound alike though.

[Tori · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so inspired!! This has changed the way I spend my time and live my life.

[Kent Carpenter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Narrators weren't very good. Larry Miller is the man though!