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Often Wrong, Never in Doubt: Unleash the Business Rebel Within
In 1983, Deutsch joined his father's small New York City advertising agency and, over the next two decades, built its annual billings to $1.5 billion. In 2000, he sold the company for $280 million and jumped into media, creating a film production company and hosting a CNBC talk show. There's a lesson or two worth hearing in this story, but readers will have to work to find them in the midst of Deutsch's bluster. True to the book's title, he delivers contradictory ideas with equal forcefulnes--as when he denounces cigarette and video game advertising as socially irresponsible, yet holds up his agency's campaigns for Tanqueray and drugs as great successes ("The amount of money we made advertising pharmaceuticals was staggering"). [...] Yet he astutely argues, in a chapter on the "Hungry-Eye Hiring Theory," that the most productive employees are often a little angry; they've got "something to prove." Hit and miss, this book suggests that, in advertising at least, the quest for success is best fueled by arrogance and testosterone. (Oct.)
Copyright - Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Copyright - Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
277 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2005
20 people are currently reading
287 people want to read
About the author
Donny Deutsch
13 books8 followersDonald Jay "Donny" Deutsch is an advertising executive and host of the CNBC talk show The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch.
Deutsch is the chairman of Deutsch, Inc., a $2.7 billion marketing company founded by his father that is the 10th-largest U.S. advertising agency. In 2000, Donny sold his agency to the Interpublic Group of Companies (IPG) for a reported $265 million.
He is also the managing partner of Deutsch Open City, an independent production company.
In 2005, Harper Collins published Deutsch's business motivation book, Often Wrong, Never in Doubt, written with co-author Peter Knobler.
Currently, Deutsch is the host of the CNBC's The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch. He has also made appearances on the NBC show The Apprentice, starring Donald Trump.
Deutsch is a 1969 graduate of P.S. 188 (Queens, NY, USA), Martin Van Buren High School.
He is a known resident of Trump Park Avenue, as reported in the December 2006 issue of Haute Living. He and his wife, Stacy Josloff, whom he married in 2000, are presently separated.
He was also one of the contestants on the classic game show Match Game, appearing in an episode that originally aired on January 2, 1979.
He is a potential Democratic candididate of the 2009 New York City mayoral election.
Deutsch graduated from the Wharton Business School at the University of Pennsylvania.
Deutsch is the chairman of Deutsch, Inc., a $2.7 billion marketing company founded by his father that is the 10th-largest U.S. advertising agency. In 2000, Donny sold his agency to the Interpublic Group of Companies (IPG) for a reported $265 million.
He is also the managing partner of Deutsch Open City, an independent production company.
In 2005, Harper Collins published Deutsch's business motivation book, Often Wrong, Never in Doubt, written with co-author Peter Knobler.
Currently, Deutsch is the host of the CNBC's The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch. He has also made appearances on the NBC show The Apprentice, starring Donald Trump.
Deutsch is a 1969 graduate of P.S. 188 (Queens, NY, USA), Martin Van Buren High School.
He is a known resident of Trump Park Avenue, as reported in the December 2006 issue of Haute Living. He and his wife, Stacy Josloff, whom he married in 2000, are presently separated.
He was also one of the contestants on the classic game show Match Game, appearing in an episode that originally aired on January 2, 1979.
He is a potential Democratic candididate of the 2009 New York City mayoral election.
Deutsch graduated from the Wharton Business School at the University of Pennsylvania.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
July 24, 2009
I have a love/hate relationship with this book. Deutch has an ego on a par with that of his good buddy--the Donald. Between the two of them, they could light the entire Eastern Seaboard for six months if they could find a way to translate ego into electrical energy.
He did some amazing things with his father's advertising business, after he bought the old man out. He doubled the firm's billing and did pioneering in several areas of advertising no one had ever thought of before. So he has some business sense.
Too often, however, his ego gets in the way of everything else in the book. I read this at a time when I was looking to make some changes in my life, and some of the things he said really fired my imagination, desire and hope. I found myself underlining several passages--"Why not me?" "Failure is not an option; you will fail--balance those two."
And yet his ego--"I've got the biggest guns in advertising." (After having stripped to the waist, and pointing to his newly acquired biceps, for an interview with an advertising magazine.), and sexism--"We only hire HOT women to work for us."--make it a real effort to find the good stuff in this book. (Good thing he's a friend of the Clintons and donates to several worthy liberal causes, otherwise NOW and the ACLU would be after his butt.)
If you're willing to sift through all the chaff there are jewels in this book, but it takes a lot of work.
He did some amazing things with his father's advertising business, after he bought the old man out. He doubled the firm's billing and did pioneering in several areas of advertising no one had ever thought of before. So he has some business sense.
Too often, however, his ego gets in the way of everything else in the book. I read this at a time when I was looking to make some changes in my life, and some of the things he said really fired my imagination, desire and hope. I found myself underlining several passages--"Why not me?" "Failure is not an option; you will fail--balance those two."
And yet his ego--"I've got the biggest guns in advertising." (After having stripped to the waist, and pointing to his newly acquired biceps, for an interview with an advertising magazine.), and sexism--"We only hire HOT women to work for us."--make it a real effort to find the good stuff in this book. (Good thing he's a friend of the Clintons and donates to several worthy liberal causes, otherwise NOW and the ACLU would be after his butt.)
If you're willing to sift through all the chaff there are jewels in this book, but it takes a lot of work.
January 25, 2024
As a fellow agency owner on a smaller scale, I dove into this book with high hopes, and it did have its moments. The author's portrayal of the struggles in the agency world struck a chord with me, especially in the opening chapters.
However, book lacked the structure and practicality that I was hoping for. To be honest, about 20% of the book had me cringing - especially how author talks about women that work for him or his biceps story. Maybe it's just my sense of humor, but some parts felt forced and awkward, like a bad stand-up comedy routine.
In the end, book has its merits for those who can overlook the bumps along the way. It's relatable to those of us in the industry, but the lack of structure and the occasional cringe factor left me wanting more. Especially from the person who has achieved so much in his career and life.
However, book lacked the structure and practicality that I was hoping for. To be honest, about 20% of the book had me cringing - especially how author talks about women that work for him or his biceps story. Maybe it's just my sense of humor, but some parts felt forced and awkward, like a bad stand-up comedy routine.
In the end, book has its merits for those who can overlook the bumps along the way. It's relatable to those of us in the industry, but the lack of structure and the occasional cringe factor left me wanting more. Especially from the person who has achieved so much in his career and life.
January 25, 2023
I read /Often Wrong, Never in Doubt: Unleash the Business Rebel Within/, by Donny Deutsch:
https://www.92ny.org/archives/donny-d...
Deutsch interweaves stories of his life building his ad agency and selling it to Interpublic for almost US $300 million with life and business lessons (most of the book). Near the end, Deutsch also chronicles how he became a TV personality working on his own shows and content.
https://www.92ny.org/archives/donny-d...
Deutsch interweaves stories of his life building his ad agency and selling it to Interpublic for almost US $300 million with life and business lessons (most of the book). Near the end, Deutsch also chronicles how he became a TV personality working on his own shows and content.
June 15, 2019
I'm shocked how good this was. It's a business book by a "self-made" CEO. The author's arrogance takes shallow to new depths. BUT he has a knack for understanding creatives. It's well worth a read for anyone in an industry who manage individuals that view their work as pieces of themselves.
April 13, 2009
This book has been sitting on my "to read" stack for some months now. This morning it got my attention and began reading.
The first impact on me was his philosophy, "Why not me?" I couldn't agree more. Why not me?
The second impact was reading about his "getting to this point" historical information. How he struggled with being a misfit in the boxes our environment wanted him to fit in and how eventually he did find his path in his father's company.
His struggle was somewhat interesting but he still had a silver-spoon in his mouth when he did finally settling down -- his father's practice was in the mature stage. Thus, he didn't have to build it from stratch. Much easier place to walk into.
I liked the Donny Deutsch TV show for some time and then I got somewhat bored with it. It's now off the air, for whatever reason. I do miss having the oppotunity to turn it on and see if there is something interesting though. He did have a different way of seeing things. Unfortunately, I found many of the people he interviewed to be part of the box trying to say they weren't in the box. Or maybe I'm just plain jealous because they found a box that delivered a lot of money fairly fast. Well another topic for another couch session I guess.
So far, the first few chapters have been interesting and I'm not the person who likes to read about someone growing up years.
I tried reading Donald Trump's books and could not stop myself from falling asleep. But not before shouting, "You had it made Donald, your Dad did the work for you."
If you've read this book, send me your link, I'd like to know your eexperience with it.
The first impact on me was his philosophy, "Why not me?" I couldn't agree more. Why not me?
The second impact was reading about his "getting to this point" historical information. How he struggled with being a misfit in the boxes our environment wanted him to fit in and how eventually he did find his path in his father's company.
His struggle was somewhat interesting but he still had a silver-spoon in his mouth when he did finally settling down -- his father's practice was in the mature stage. Thus, he didn't have to build it from stratch. Much easier place to walk into.
I liked the Donny Deutsch TV show for some time and then I got somewhat bored with it. It's now off the air, for whatever reason. I do miss having the oppotunity to turn it on and see if there is something interesting though. He did have a different way of seeing things. Unfortunately, I found many of the people he interviewed to be part of the box trying to say they weren't in the box. Or maybe I'm just plain jealous because they found a box that delivered a lot of money fairly fast. Well another topic for another couch session I guess.
So far, the first few chapters have been interesting and I'm not the person who likes to read about someone growing up years.
I tried reading Donald Trump's books and could not stop myself from falling asleep. But not before shouting, "You had it made Donald, your Dad did the work for you."
If you've read this book, send me your link, I'd like to know your eexperience with it.
April 10, 2015
This was one terrific book. It is about the advertising world but it is so much more and so much more entertaining. It is part autobiography and part how to succeed in the advertising world. It is told in a free flowing narrative style that immediately grabbed me and kept me hanging on the end. The title is compelling in that it could be my life's philosophy and here, Donny lays it all out for us. It is his journey so far through school, business, and life (up to this point.) This book make me want to be his sidekick but I will settle for following his adventures from a distance. I can highly recommend this book to just about anyone who enjoys a great read about a successful person. It will not spell out how to succeed but it makes us celebrate Donny's success.
May 19, 2011
Honestly, this is not a book I would have EVER picked up, but two friends I highly respect told me it was a must-read, so...
First off, Donny is a douchebag (the obvious pun of his name is correct--a little nominative determinism perhaps), but I think he'd readily admit that! And, it doesn't mean that he isn't still inspiring and doesn't offer a lot of great insights. Douchebags often do.
So, my friends are right. It was a worthwhile read, a great read even, and a real honest read unlike most businessman's (co-written) autobiographies. Just take the dust jacket off the book while you're reading it in the subway so know one laughs at you.
First off, Donny is a douchebag (the obvious pun of his name is correct--a little nominative determinism perhaps), but I think he'd readily admit that! And, it doesn't mean that he isn't still inspiring and doesn't offer a lot of great insights. Douchebags often do.
So, my friends are right. It was a worthwhile read, a great read even, and a real honest read unlike most businessman's (co-written) autobiographies. Just take the dust jacket off the book while you're reading it in the subway so know one laughs at you.
November 30, 2007
A co-worker leant me this book when they found out that I was majoring in advertising. It is by Donny Deutsch, who was the president of one of America's largest advertising agencies. While it's more of a "self help" type book, it also has a lot of personal stories tied in.
Although I can't stand his personality on tv (or in the book either really), I found the book interesting and took more away from it about life than I thought I would.
Although I can't stand his personality on tv (or in the book either really), I found the book interesting and took more away from it about life than I thought I would.
January 17, 2016
An OK read. It did not help that I read this just after Tony Hseih's book. These guys have a similar story—from slacker to star.
Donny could have just gotten by on his good looks and charm. Except for those he pissed off, he was everybody's buddy. To answer one job interview question about what he enjoyed about college, he replied, "babes and basketball." He got away with it.
The biggest takeaway was the line, "what's a win for you?"
Donny could have just gotten by on his good looks and charm. Except for those he pissed off, he was everybody's buddy. To answer one job interview question about what he enjoyed about college, he replied, "babes and basketball." He got away with it.
The biggest takeaway was the line, "what's a win for you?"
October 8, 2007
09/10/05 #158
TITLE/AUTHOR: OFTEN WRONG, NEVER IN DOUBT by Donny Deutsch
RATING: 4/B
GENRE/PUB DATE/# OF PGS: Non-Fiction; 2005; 250 pgs
COMMENTS: Harper Collins First Look book. Donny Deutsch
tells his story of how he turned his boutique ad agency into one of the mega stars. Forthright and motivational --
especially interesting were the new business pitches.
TITLE/AUTHOR: OFTEN WRONG, NEVER IN DOUBT by Donny Deutsch
RATING: 4/B
GENRE/PUB DATE/# OF PGS: Non-Fiction; 2005; 250 pgs
COMMENTS: Harper Collins First Look book. Donny Deutsch
tells his story of how he turned his boutique ad agency into one of the mega stars. Forthright and motivational --
especially interesting were the new business pitches.
March 25, 2008
I was curious about Deutsch after seeing his show a few times, and his book was a pleasant surprise. I learned quite a bit about him, and his philosophy of success. I think people in a variety of fields could benefit from some of the reminders that he has in this book. Overall, an interesting look into his life, the ad business, and success as he views it.
August 31, 2008
Deutsh is a smart guy... Well, he's a competitive guy... Well, he's a rebel... Alright, the truth is I'm fascinated with entrepreneurs, marketing, the ad business, and know this guys a bit of a celebrity. I enjoyed the book, was surprised by his honesty, and know now more than ever that he's really confident... I also think a bit less of him though.
December 28, 2014
Donny Deutsch is a flamboyant character and the book is good entertainment on that level alone. It's hard to know if his emphasis on staying in shape is just personal vanity or a genuine business strategy but, as he says, "It's nice to know that you can kick the ass of anyone at the table." Now that's old school.
January 4, 2008
I was surprised to learn how similar my high school experience was to that portrayed by Donny. As far as a book on business, I find his advice matches the typical steps of success and innovation in any industry, just with a advertising/marketing spin. A nice easy read.
June 14, 2008
Donny Deutsch is my hero; enough said! Really, though, he gives great advice/points for everyone. Part memoir, part coaching book; really great book! I bought a copy of it immediately after I finished reading the library's copy.
September 7, 2009
If you've read "Good to Great," you'll quickly recognize Donny Deutsch as a very strong, impressive, level 4 leader. He's got a lot of confidence and his charisma is contagious. Not a great book, but an enjoyable way to peer into a very ambitious and creative mind.
August 2, 2007
didn't have a good first impression, but the more I read it.. the more of donny's ideas and perspectives appealed to me! he has his own cable show "the big idea".
January 17, 2008
I loved this book! Donny Deutsch has a great take on owning an advertising agency. He is very interesting and witty. I think business owners could benefit from reading this book.
February 19, 2008
convinced we were separated at birth... but he got a better life... haha... jk
August 1, 2008
Great insights on present and future marketing trends and what it takes to make it to the "next level". I wasn't always too keen on his over-the-top arrogance but a lot of his insight was great.
September 10, 2008
This is a phenomenal book! Regardless of the industry in which you work, this is a must-read book.
October 13, 2008
Lovely reading experience. Good for creative people who'd like to start career/business in ads industry. Charming leader he is.
March 26, 2011
I have never before finished a book and wanted to start reading it again from page one. Donny's book did it for me.
September 2, 2011
Good book, love him and all his ideas and opinions on ANY subject
October 19, 2012
Interesting. Would have been more appropriate if I actually worked though! But I like Donny and was curious about the book! I'm glad I "listened" to it!
February 13, 2013
Struggled with this one - definitely some good ideas, and I love the "Why Not Me" entitlement theory. But the high points are largely overshadowed by Donny's blatant arrogance and poor writing.
August 13, 2015
actually a really good read, some parts slow but great ending chapters.
May 27, 2008
Some good points on his business decisions
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews