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Marriott: The J. Willard Marriott Story
This rare and vintage book is a perfect addition to any bibliophile's collection
336 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 1989
5 people are currently reading
145 people want to read
About the author
Robert O'Brien
109 books5 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
January 5, 2011
Mr. Marriott taught me that with hard work and dedication, I too can be successful! Most importantly, it's taking care of your guests that brings you to work the next day.
June 25, 2012
I recommend this to anyone who enjoys biography's. It was a very interesting book but does not flow well in my opinion. What I mean is it doesn't read fluently in my opinion but other wise a good book. This book doesn't just cover the story of Bill Marriott, it also gives you small glimpses into other events and people of his time. Like Reed Smoot, Ezra Taft Benson, his work to change the rules for Mormon chaplains to serve in peacetime. Also the marriott's direct personal and financial support of the republican party as well as their role in backing George Romney and even Nixon for President.
January 28, 2020
Mr. Marriott was a hard working man of high morals. I didn't realize that for most of his career he was focused on his Hot Shoppe food stands/restaurants and that his company didn't go into the hotel business until much later. He has connections with Utah State, Utah, and BYU and was very generous. He never attended BYU but he donated $1 million for their athletics/event center because he liked how wholesome and clean-cut the student body was. I found this book on my parents' bookshelves and thought it looked interesting, and it was.
December 2, 2019
Great book about work ethic, business, faith and family. I read this on a business trip when I was working as a sales manager for Marriott. Historically, Marriott has been a values driven corporation. An interesting read.
March 24, 2008
Bought this at the D.I. for $.50 and felt like I took advantage of a charitable organization. The book was very informative and really let's you see what it takes to become "self-made". Great book.
February 5, 2013
This has some great gems of business wisdom.
September 28, 2023
Great biography minus the morman agenda
“Make today as perfect as I can and tomorrow will take care of itself and yesterday will be another memorable event”
“Good timber does not grow in ease./the stronger the wind the tougher the trees
“Make today as perfect as I can and tomorrow will take care of itself and yesterday will be another memorable event”
“Good timber does not grow in ease./the stronger the wind the tougher the trees
March 9, 2016
Another case study in “The Mormon way of doing business” truly a rag to riches story. Another one who literally would NOT. STOP. WORKING. Dawn till dusk, work work work. He admitted not really being home much to raise the kids. A true American Patriot. Couldn’t believe that 70% of the story was about them being in the restaurant business rather than the hotel business which is what I thought they were known for.
Couldn’t believe how frequent death visited people in the 1800’s. Just absolutley crazy.
Quotes:
“Bill’s unswerving devotion to his faith has dominated his life. He has worshiped more in deed, however, than in word, without inflicting his views on others. His true love of God, his Allie, his family, his fellow man, and his country has been the rudder of his life.”
“To find peace and quiet in the crowded farmhouse, he got up morning after morning at four or five o’clock and tiptoed downstairs to read and do his homework by the light of the big what shaded kerosend lamp on the kitchen table.” (we have the internet and electricity at our finger tips, but not the will to get up that early) (he is doing more with less than we have)
“He was pretty adverse to debt, but did use it occassionally. When they were huge, they used tons of debt.”
“He knew that this farm, these problems, this struggle, this life, were not for him.”
“The way out, the lifting hold on his own bootstraps was an education. He had to know more about everything. He had to know how to study, think and act like an educated man.”
“He was willing to work; God knew he was willing to work his head off.”
“You’re a good student, Willard. You’ve got a good mind. I have one parting word: never give up. You can accomplish anything in this world that you want to accomplish, if you will just work hard enough. “
“The mornings broke with the tinkling of his alarm at 4am, the lighting of the oil burner to warm his room, and the kerosene map to see by.”
“What Emerson said on almost every page was that to grow strong and tall and self-reliant, you needed obstacles to overcome. You needed adversities to challenge you and bring out the best in you. And the bigger and tougher the obstacle, the stronger you grew in character and self confidence and in the ability to succeed.”
“Allie knew that problems didn’t really bother Bill. In fact, he welcomed them. He often said life was an obstacle course. And that’s how you got ahead–by meeting and overcoming obstacles.”
“When Bill wanted something done, he was past doing it himself. Instead he hired an expert…”
“Location, Location, Location.”
“A good glass of water is the greatest stimulant in the world.”
“Bank were all right, but this only confirmed Bill’s inner feeling about them.”
“The only sheep men he knew of in Utah who didn’t go broke were the ones who didn’t owe any money. He’d never forgotten that.”
“Friend, people are after me all the time to sign notes for them, but I never sign a note for anybody. If I wanted to help them, and if I could, I’d sooner give them the money and forget it. Start signing notes and most times, you lose your money, and you lose your friend too.” (practically quoting Shakespeare here)
[Crazy sick] “By Christmastime he was back at work, sixteen hours a day. “
“Bill didn’t really envy George Bushnell or Earl Sams or the wonderful world they live in. Some day, he knew, he would have his share of it, if he just lived right and worked hard and used a little common sense.”
“We sell people what they need, and we keep our prices down. We have good, clean-cut people in positions of responsibility. And we work hard – and long. Mr. Penney says, ‘Nobody ever got rich working a forty-hour week.’ And he’s right. Mark my words, Bill he’s right.”
[Regarding taking a calling in the Stake Presidency] “He’d take the stake job. He’d just have to find the time somehow, but he couldn’t say no to the opportunity to help the Church.”
“Make today as perfect as I can and tomorrow will take care of itself and yesterday will be another memorable event.”
“I sweat terribly and overdo,” he wrote in his diary, “But I love to work.”
“Bill Marriott demonstrates that a man can be a religious leader as well as a giant in business. He has attained a reputation as a man of wealth, but he accepts the premise the earth is the Lord’s, and that he is the steward of the things in it for the benefit of mankind.”
“Discipline is the greatest thing in the world. Where there is no discipline, there is no character. And without character, there is no progress.”
“Building a strong family life is one of our most difficult obligations. But nothing will bring more happiness or success.”
[Regarding his wife] “I must give her credit for rearing my two sons. I’ve had such a busy life in business and civic work and church affairs that I had little time for our family.”
Couldn’t believe how frequent death visited people in the 1800’s. Just absolutley crazy.
Quotes:
“Bill’s unswerving devotion to his faith has dominated his life. He has worshiped more in deed, however, than in word, without inflicting his views on others. His true love of God, his Allie, his family, his fellow man, and his country has been the rudder of his life.”
“To find peace and quiet in the crowded farmhouse, he got up morning after morning at four or five o’clock and tiptoed downstairs to read and do his homework by the light of the big what shaded kerosend lamp on the kitchen table.” (we have the internet and electricity at our finger tips, but not the will to get up that early) (he is doing more with less than we have)
“He was pretty adverse to debt, but did use it occassionally. When they were huge, they used tons of debt.”
“He knew that this farm, these problems, this struggle, this life, were not for him.”
“The way out, the lifting hold on his own bootstraps was an education. He had to know more about everything. He had to know how to study, think and act like an educated man.”
“He was willing to work; God knew he was willing to work his head off.”
“You’re a good student, Willard. You’ve got a good mind. I have one parting word: never give up. You can accomplish anything in this world that you want to accomplish, if you will just work hard enough. “
“The mornings broke with the tinkling of his alarm at 4am, the lighting of the oil burner to warm his room, and the kerosene map to see by.”
“What Emerson said on almost every page was that to grow strong and tall and self-reliant, you needed obstacles to overcome. You needed adversities to challenge you and bring out the best in you. And the bigger and tougher the obstacle, the stronger you grew in character and self confidence and in the ability to succeed.”
“Allie knew that problems didn’t really bother Bill. In fact, he welcomed them. He often said life was an obstacle course. And that’s how you got ahead–by meeting and overcoming obstacles.”
“When Bill wanted something done, he was past doing it himself. Instead he hired an expert…”
“Location, Location, Location.”
“A good glass of water is the greatest stimulant in the world.”
“Bank were all right, but this only confirmed Bill’s inner feeling about them.”
“The only sheep men he knew of in Utah who didn’t go broke were the ones who didn’t owe any money. He’d never forgotten that.”
“Friend, people are after me all the time to sign notes for them, but I never sign a note for anybody. If I wanted to help them, and if I could, I’d sooner give them the money and forget it. Start signing notes and most times, you lose your money, and you lose your friend too.” (practically quoting Shakespeare here)
[Crazy sick] “By Christmastime he was back at work, sixteen hours a day. “
“Bill didn’t really envy George Bushnell or Earl Sams or the wonderful world they live in. Some day, he knew, he would have his share of it, if he just lived right and worked hard and used a little common sense.”
“We sell people what they need, and we keep our prices down. We have good, clean-cut people in positions of responsibility. And we work hard – and long. Mr. Penney says, ‘Nobody ever got rich working a forty-hour week.’ And he’s right. Mark my words, Bill he’s right.”
[Regarding taking a calling in the Stake Presidency] “He’d take the stake job. He’d just have to find the time somehow, but he couldn’t say no to the opportunity to help the Church.”
“Make today as perfect as I can and tomorrow will take care of itself and yesterday will be another memorable event.”
“I sweat terribly and overdo,” he wrote in his diary, “But I love to work.”
“Bill Marriott demonstrates that a man can be a religious leader as well as a giant in business. He has attained a reputation as a man of wealth, but he accepts the premise the earth is the Lord’s, and that he is the steward of the things in it for the benefit of mankind.”
“Discipline is the greatest thing in the world. Where there is no discipline, there is no character. And without character, there is no progress.”
“Building a strong family life is one of our most difficult obligations. But nothing will bring more happiness or success.”
[Regarding his wife] “I must give her credit for rearing my two sons. I’ve had such a busy life in business and civic work and church affairs that I had little time for our family.”
October 26, 2012
I was expecting to read more about hotel business in this book, maybe because I was not aware about the commitment of Marriott in other different fields. The biographie even if interesting was in my opinion too much focused on the religious aspect of the life of Marriott (for example the first 100 pages of the book speaks about that).
Nevertheless it was a pleasure to read about the history of this extraordinary man and I really enjoyed the last pages with the words of J. Willard Marriott to his son Bill jr. during a walk.
Nevertheless it was a pleasure to read about the history of this extraordinary man and I really enjoyed the last pages with the words of J. Willard Marriott to his son Bill jr. during a walk.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews