HEAR FROM THE BOOK EXPERTS
In partnership with Bookside Press
Extreme Entrepreneurs: Steve Jobs and Jesus Christ
Tracy Emerick
Reviewed by: Mihir Shah, The US Review of Books
“Income, profit, and disposable cash were never the drivers…. All of their energies were devoted to their calling, their motivation, and their personal missions.”
Amidst the influx of self-help and faith-based literature permeating the publishing industry, Emerick takes a unique approach by weaving entrepreneurship, the concept of soul, and Jesus Christ into a work that establishes the parallels between two of history’s most iconic and influential figures: Jesus Christ and Steve Jobs. Jesus Christ as an entrepreneur is likely not something that enters the readers’ thoughts, much less a direct connection with Steve Jobs. Yet, the manner in which the author develops his argument regarding the vitality of entrepreneurs from the perspective of uncovering one’s inner spirit is undoubtedly thoughtful and a creative way of merging both entrepreneurship and faith.
Emerick’s narrative revolves around the notion that all individuals are imbued with divine influence. Some seem to gain an awareness of this early in their lives, while some remain oblivious to it throughout their lifetime. In this work, the soul is depicted as the “inner driver,” the catalyst that allows one to follow one’s life agenda and leave a significant and meaningful imprint on the world one inhabits. While Steve Jobs as an entrepreneur is easy to see with the hundreds of millions of gadgets he spearheaded still in circulation and which continue to evolve, the author argues that Jesus’ enterprising nature has directly impacted the lives of over two billion believers. Emerick introduces the first two types of entrepreneurs in his paradigm, basic and advanced, before settling deep into dissecting the role of an extreme entrepreneur through the prisms of Jobs and Jesus. Going further and in alignment with Emerick’s definition of an extreme entrepreneur as someone who has transcended money and only seeks to make a massive impact, how can someone foundational to how people live not be viewed as a bona fide entrepreneur?
To make his conjecture even clearer to the reader, Emerick introduces a number of analogies that resonate widely. For instance, the soul discussion compares the soul to the “force” in Star Wars while simultaneously making both Steve Jobs and Jesus Christ more human, individuals who rose from adversity to share their passion and love with the world. The main discussion, clearly, is predicated upon Steve Jobs and Jesus. However, introducing one familiar name after another in the entrepreneur world will provide readers with a strong sense of intimacy and familiarity. From Mark Cuban to the Kaizen strategy of daily progress, Emerick employs his philosophy degree to delve into the mind of an entrepreneur and extract the traits that are most commonly found in basic, advanced, and extreme entrepreneurs.
As the work progresses, Emerick subtly transitions from discussions of entrepreneurship to those of mortality and the finiteness of life. His emphasis is on the audience taking full ownership of their time and not being so consumed by dogma and beliefs that their inner voice of the heart and intuition is permanently stifled. Ultimately, Emerick seeks to imprint a life of love rather than fear in his readers, a life that, with the help of parables and scripture, can take steps closer to uncovering the divinity that lies within.
Source: https://www.theusreview.com/reviews-1/Extreme-Entrepreneurs-by-Tracy-Emerick.html#.Y0ghbXZByUk
