Delivering Happiness

Reading Delivering Happiness, one gets the sense that Tony Hsieh is really just an ordinary guy who made good. He's a practical joker, a weekend poker player, was at one time an enthusiast of late night raves and similar parties, and has been a precocious entrepreneur since childhood. So as he relates the turn of events that allowed him to hit the jackpot in Silicon Valley -- not once, but twice -- one can't help but cheer and think, "It couldn't have happened to a nicer guy."

Of course, it helps that Hsieh graduated from Harvard, obviously has talent, and put in the hard work to achieve such success. Perhaps for this last reason above any other, Hsieh's story is one to which most people will immediately take a liking.

Such is the appeal of Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion and Purpose. A personal account of how Hsieh earned his fortune through his involvement with both LinkExchange and Zappos, the book is also partly an exposition of corporate philosophy detailing the underlying principles that give life to Zappos. This combination makes it a somewhat unusual if enjoyable business book, part personal autobiography and part corporate history. Of these, the autobiographical sections arguably outshine later chapters about Zappos' unique corporate culture, presented as much by Hsieh as his peers, colleagues and employees. Yet even then, where else can one read about a company that espouses the core value "create fun and a little weirdness"?

Overall, the book is a thoughtful manifesto on how to be successful at business and use one's resources to do what you love and also make a difference. True, most people would pick up Delivering Happiness to learn more about Zappos -- that critical darling of unsurpassed customer service -- but the real star of the book is Tony Hsieh himself, who tells both his own story and that of Zappos with unmistakeable candor, humor, and charm. Reading the book one gets the sense that Hsieh is a remarkable individual, an ordinary guy who put his talent to good use and became successful. And because he tells his story so personally, it's hard not to root for him in the process.

Lightning struck twice for Tony Hsieh in Silicon Valley -- and it couldn't have happened to a nicer guy.