The Top 11 Takeaways from “The Greatest Salesman in the World,” by Og Mandino
The most incredible book that I (initially) never wanted to read
Og Mandino. What a name, eh? But listen, this guy went from being a depressed, divorced alcoholic on the verge of suicide to selling more than 50,000,000 books, and this is one of my absolute favorite books of all time.
Seriously, I had no idea that it would have this kind of impact on me, and even if you’re not technically in sales, it’s really a book about life.
The Greatest Salesman in the World takes the form of a parable (which I found kind of dry in the beginning, to be honest), about a camel boy named Hafid who achieves a life of wealth and success after learning and applying what he learns written on these ten ancient scrolls that are given to him to read.
The framing parable puts some people off, but then it launches into all these fantastic chapters (the ten scrolls) about mastering your emotions, cultivating persistence, greeting each day with love and gratitude, and treating people the way you would if you wanted the absolute best for them.
Themes of love and forgiveness, generosity, forbearance — in a sales book! The language itself is graceful, beautiful, and poetic as well. Yeah, I love this book.
