Why Not Win?: Reflections on a Fifty-Year Journey from the Segregated South to America’s board rooms – and what it can teach us all

by Larry Thornton

Aspiring business owners and executives seeking to climb to the next rung, young to mid-career professionals seeking tools for life achievement, and general readers interested in biographies of successful people will like Larry Thornton’s Why Not Win? . The book is a front-row seat to how one man altered his thinking to transform his life. The book begins with his growing up with brown skin in the 1960s in segregated Montgomery, Alabama. A desegregation school pioneer, Thornton was a classroom failure until a perceptive English teacher showed him he had value and encouraged him to go to college. Like the educator who changed his life, Thornton became a classroom teacher. But budget cuts took his job, and he decided to rewrite his story using his artistic talent. Thornton’s artistry and work ethic got him attention at Coca-Cola, both for the good and the bad. He had to figure out a way to navigate this new world, where higher-ups praised him but co-workers reminded him of his “blackness” by drawing a noose in his workstation. He persevered by learning to appreciate and embrace diversity, people resources, and conflicting opinions. While his success grew at Coca-Cola, Thornton did the set out to be the first African American to own a McDonald’s franchise in Birmingham. This thorny journey was peppered with threats, attempts to thwart his mission and a marriage he could not keep from falling apart. He absorbed the “try, try and try again” motto, and came to see that failure was a prelude to feasting upon the sweet fruit of success. Thornton’s own mother never had a checking account, but years after her passing he found himself on the board of directors for a major financial institution. He slowly became a part of a small fraternity of captains of industry and fought past guilt and insecurity to pave the way for others who look like him to join him at the table. Trying to fit into this new world, he learned that “Thank you,” “Please,” and “Excuse me” are perhaps three of the most powerful phrases in communication. Thornton made up his mind that he would spend each day on a mission to show his unbending gratitude for his life and its benefits by fostering a supreme attitude and maintaining consistency in vision, purpose, and an unwavering commitment to principles. Thornton’s journey from Madison Park, Montgomery, has been a long one. Why Not Win? reflects on his most useful lessons and the anecdotes associated with them. If he were a Zen monk, his koan might well “Plan your past.” By that he means, think ahead one day, one week, one year, even twenty years out, and decide today your desired outcome, and work for it. “Thank God for memories,” he says; “Let’s plan to make them pleasant ones.”

162 pages, Hardcover

Published April 1, 2019

Reviews

[Taylor Lang · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book that makes you want to take hold of life AND talks to you about how to do it - all while coming from a man who has walked through history to make his own.

[Jason Oliver · Rating 3 out of 5]

Larry Thornton worked for and is currently on the Board of Directors for Coca-Cola Bottling Company United, the company I work for as well as owning many McDonald franchises and participating on the Board of Directors for other companies. He has started the Why Not Win? institute and came to my sales center to speak. In anticipation, we were given a copy of his book.

There are many things that are interesting, helpful and useful in his book and how to "win". His experience and how he chose to handle racism is sad yet powerful.

Thornton's definition of winning is different than my own. He pushes winning as financial success and being able to give back to your community. He comes across as a workaholic which lead to his divorce.

I do plan to take some of the lessons learned, especially about organization and time management. However, there is a large philosophical difference of what is appropriate to sacrifice.

[Trindi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting and intriguing read on the life story of Mr. Thornton and how to overcome obstacles and succeed in life.

[David W. Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book that is a quick read. I highly recommend this book.