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Sam Walton: Made In America Kindle Edition

4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 7,533 ratings

Meet a genuine American folk hero cut from the homespun cloth of America's heartland: Sam Walton, who parlayed a single dime store in a hardscrabble cotton town into Wal-Mart, the largest retailer in the world.  The undisputed merchant king of the late twentieth century, Sam never lost the common touch.  Here, finally, inimitable words.  Genuinely modest, but always sure if his ambitions and achievements.  Sam shares his thinking in a candid, straight-from-the-shoulder style.

In a story rich with anecdotes and the "rules of the road" of both Main Street and Wall Street, Sam Walton chronicles the inspiration, heart, and optimism that propelled him to lasso the American Dream.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

The late Sam Walton was one of the shrewdest and richest merchants in America. Centered on the building of his Wal-Mart empire, his book, like fellow magnate Sandra Kurtzig's CEO: Building a $400 Million Company from Ground Up ( LJ 5/1/91), is light on biography. However, readers will enjoy the folksy narrative of the small-town millionaire who revolutionized retail distribution. Walton also addresses accusations against him, such as running the competition out of town. Coauthor Huey does a fine job of incorporating candid testimonials from family members and associates, who thought Walton's ideas were sometimes silly. Shortly after Walton's death, the book was given an overly sentimental postscript (a minor detraction) and rushed into print. Highly recommended for public and academic business collections.
- Rebecca A. Smith, Harvard Business Sch. Lib.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"[A] wise and inspiring autobiography--Walton tells his quietly fantastic story with conviction and makes no bones about his mistakes."
--
San Francisco Chronicle

"It's a story about entrepreneurship, and risk, and hard work, and knowing where you want to go and being willing to do what it takes to get there.  And it's a story about believing in your idea even when maybe some other folks don't, and about sticking to your guns."
-- Sam Walton

"Here is an extraordinary success story about a man whose empire was built not with smoke and mirrors, but with good old-fashioned elbow grease."
-- Detroit Free Press

"A sure-fire all-American success story."
--
The New York Times Book Review

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B008ZPG704
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bantam; Reissue edition (September 12, 2012)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 12, 2012
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3.8 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 317 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 7,533 ratings

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Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
7,533 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book easy to read and enjoyable. They appreciate the insightful lessons it teaches about business and life. Readers describe the pacing as honest, authentic, and down-to-earth. The book offers good value for money, with the author's focus on cutting costs and adding value to customers. Overall, readers appreciate the author's humble and unique personality.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

419 customers mention "Readability"416 positive3 negative

Customers find the book easy to read and engaging. They describe it as a good, insightful read about an incredible individual. Readers appreciate the well-written story from Walton's perspective.

"...'re looking for a role model in career and in life, this is the right book for you...." Read more

"...This is a very easy read with no effort required, but offers a great insight into how he managed the growth of such a large corporate...." Read more

"Big fan of this book. Sam is a great entrepreneur who did things his way and who really believed in his way of doing things" Read more

"...The author's storytelling is captivating, offering readers a personal and insightful journey into Walton's remarkable journey of building and..." Read more

233 customers mention "Insight"233 positive0 negative

Customers find the book insightful and inspiring. It teaches valuable lessons about business and life in general. Readers appreciate the great concepts and principles behind Walton's decisions. They also learn from his personal sharing and case studies about how he capitalized on opportunities. The book provides an excellent look into the determination and gumption of an American entrepreneur.

"...makes this book a must-read for aspiring entrepreneurs and business enthusiasts alike. A timeless guide for anyone chasing success!" Read more

"...ways, in living frugal and spending money wisely, in working hard committedly and relentlessly, in learning from many sources-copying idea here and..." Read more

"...This is a very easy read with no effort required, but offers a great insight into how he managed the growth of such a large corporate...." Read more

"...'s storytelling is captivating, offering readers a personal and insightful journey into Walton's remarkable journey of building and expanding one of..." Read more

45 customers mention "Pacing"45 positive0 negative

Customers find the book honest, authentic, and down-to-earth. They appreciate its detailed account of Sam Walton's life and how Walmart was created. The book provides valuable insights into his humble nature and laid-back approach. Readers describe it as an amazing look at an American story of hard work, good values, and desire to go beyond the limit.

"...He is extremely humble and down to earth. -..." Read more

"...Sam Walton details the Wal-Mart story in satisfactory detail...." Read more

"...Remarkable is his humble nature and lay back approach to his business...." Read more

"...Sam is very honest throughout the book. It's obvious that he is very prideful about what he built with Wal-Mart...." Read more

28 customers mention "Value for money"28 positive0 negative

Customers find the book offers good value for money. It focuses on cutting costs and adding value to customers. They also mention it's fast delivery.

"I love this book. His emphasis on frugality, teamwork, and adaptability makes this book a must-read for aspiring entrepreneurs and business..." Read more

"...is really inspiring me in many ways, in living frugal and spending money wisely, in working hard committedly and relentlessly, in learning from many..." Read more

"...Bezos is obsessed with offering the widest selection, at the lowest prices, with satisfaction guaranteed...." Read more

"...The book is so centered on cutting costs and adding value to customers. It was very interesting to see how the company evolved and grew so quickly...." Read more

23 customers mention "Personality"23 positive0 negative

Customers like the author's personality. They find it inspiring and capture the essence of a great man. They appreciate his quirky, humble attitude and how hard he worked and dreamed. Readers describe the book as an intimate lecture on his life.

"What can I say: This is a brilliantly written book about an incredible individual telling his spectacular success story...." Read more

"...It's not even about self-mastery (although its implied). Its about a good ole boy who worked SO HARD and dreamt SO BIG that success had to come to..." Read more

"...What a great and honorable man. Im sure it would have been a lifetime experience for anyone to have been in the same room with him...." Read more

"Absolutely a joy. I love Sam Walton. So impressed with his down home attitude and his morals and values. We need more Sam's in this world." Read more

Very insightful!
5 out of 5 stars
Very insightful!
Very insightful! Sam Walton was an amazing man who genuinely loved what he did.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on January 14, 2025
    I love this book. His emphasis on frugality, teamwork, and adaptability makes this book a must-read for aspiring entrepreneurs and business enthusiasts alike. A timeless guide for anyone chasing success!
  • Reviewed in the United States on March 27, 2022
    Sam Walton is really inspiring me in many ways, in living frugal and spending money wisely, in working hard committedly and relentlessly, in learning from many sources-copying idea here and there with yellow-pad notes and tape recorder-implementing it right away, in managing his teams and treating team as equal partners, and in being a family man despite of his workaholic nature.

    Wal-Mart proves that no single factor contributes to a company's success. It started out with a passion to compete and a love for retailing business. It is getting bigger because of its core value to always deliver the best value for the customers. It copied best practice here and there and implemented it in Wal-Mart in their own way to increase their customers' experience. They also invest heavily in their associates so that their customes get the best service at their stores. At last, they build such strong distribution centers using technology when investing in technology was not really a popular decision back then. This book released in 1993, so the tech invesment was really advance at that time.

    In one of the chapter, Sam said that he guessed Wal-Mart will achieve USD 100bio in sales by 2000. It did generate those revenue amount, even 30% higher, in 2000. Nowadays, in 2021, it even achieves more than 3 times of its 2000 revenues. I am really amazed with its growth although we also need to evaluate how it performs compared to Amazon these days.

    At last, for you who is looking for business guru, this book can be one of your inspiration. In one of the chapters, you can find 10 business rules stated by Sam Walton. If you're looking for a role model in career and in life, this is the right book for you.

    I couldn't find anything I dislike from this book, except that it is quite long, 317 pages, and I couldn't stay put in one book for too long. I have to admit that this book give me a lot of emotion. In the beginning, it brought out the ambitious and idealistic me. In the very end of the book, it led me to contemplate the meaning of life and make a promise to live a without-regret-life. His optimism and willingness to contribute even in deep illness brought me into tears. He is definitely one of my role model in life and career. Finishing this book felt like bidding farewell to a very inspiring mentor, very saddening. Rest well, Sam.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on November 12, 2013
    I’ve recently finished a fascinating book on the history of Walmart, as told by its founder, Sam Walton. Written in the last year before he died in 1992. At that time Walmart was a $53billion turnover company, and for some context, if you had bought $100 shares at its initial IPO in the early 1970’s, they would be worth $3.8million today (the shares split so many times over the years).
    This is a very easy read with no effort required, but offers a great insight into how he managed the growth of such a large corporate.

    He had some wonderful ideas and asked a lot from his managers – namely keeping the customer in mind at all times. He wanted everyone (and I mean everyone) to be on the shop floor at least once a week and engaging with a shopper.
    There are lots of “ah ha” moments in the book (history of Sams club), why Walmart has greeters (very surprising reason), and how he is proud to say he has the biggest fleet of millionaire trucker drivers in the country (everyone has stocks in Walmart).
    Also beautiful tales of how he stole ideas from all the other retailers including Kroger, Target and JCPenny.

    He held all his management meetings on a Saturday morning as he didn’t believe real retailers worked 9-to-5. He also wasn’t a believer in having the company pay for things – so when the corporate headquarters got a new gym and sports centre, he said that the $3M should come out of his pocket and not out of the shoppers pocket. To this day (1992), he is proud that their offices in Bentoville will never win any design awards.

    This book was on the short list for Jeff Bezos as he was inspired by Sam’s attention to the customer that he “stole” that idea for Amazon.
    9 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on January 13, 2025
    Big fan of this book. Sam is a great entrepreneur who did things his way and who really believed in his way of doing things
    One person found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on January 15, 2024
    "Sam Walton Made in America" is an exceptional exploration into the life and legacy of the visionary entrepreneur, Sam Walton, who founded Walmart. The author's storytelling is captivating, offering readers a personal and insightful journey into Walton's remarkable journey of building and expanding one of the world's largest retail giants.

    The narrative skillfully unveils the intricacies of Walmart's culture, ideals, and foundational principles. Through the pages, readers gain a profound understanding of Sam Walton's innovative approach to business, which played a pivotal role in shaping Walmart into the global powerhouse it is today.

    What sets this book apart is its ability to make the reader feel a genuine connection with Sam Walton. The narrative delves into his character, providing a deep insight into his leadership style and the ethos that drove him. The admiration for Walton and his unparalleled achievements is palpable throughout the book.

    One of the notable strengths of "Sam Walton Made in America" lies in its wealth of leadership examples and entrepreneurial insights. Readers are not only treated to the story of Walmart's rise but also given practical tips and lessons on thriving as an entrepreneur. The book serves as a valuable resource for those seeking inspiration and guidance in the business world.

    In conclusion, I highly recommend "Sam Walton Made in America" to anyone interested in business, leadership, and the journey of a true visionary. It's a compelling read that not only educates but also instills a deep respect for the man behind the Walmart empire. This book is a testament to the enduring impact of Sam Walton's legacy and is sure to leave a lasting impression on its readers.
    3 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
  • Epifanio Pineda Guadarrama
    5.0 out of 5 stars Una historia extraordinaria
    Reviewed in Mexico on October 6, 2024
    La historia de Sam Walton, vista a través de su actividad incansable en Walmart, es un libro que se disfruta de principio a fin.

    La energía y entusiasmo de Sam Walton te contagian en cada página. Este no es un libro motivacional, pero las anécdotas y logros increíbles que aquí se cuentan son una fuente de inspiración para cualquier persona que desee trabajar duro para lograr sus sueños.

    ¡Uno de los mejores libros que he leído hasta hoy!
  • Deol
    5.0 out of 5 stars Quality is good
    Reviewed in Canada on August 29, 2024
    Paperback is of good quality. Havent finished reading it yet.
  • venkataraman
    5.0 out of 5 stars Very good autobiography book
    Reviewed in India on December 16, 2024
    Very happy to read the book, where we come to know how Walmart started from small size and grew to giant size. Highly recommended for everyone to learn about how to build a company.

    Happy that Sam Walton took time to share his knowledge with wider community. Highly appreciated.
  • Julius
    5.0 out of 5 stars Very inspiring
    Reviewed in Germany on October 4, 2024
    Great story
  • ROBERT
    5.0 out of 5 stars Un incontournable du business
    Reviewed in France on October 2, 2024
    Un incontournable du business

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