Rework 37Signals Book Review

Rework by 37Signals is one of seven books I recently ordered from Amazon. After the friendly delivery man handed me the box, I dived in to breathe the new books. I found myself drawn to this unassuming small business book. It jumped out, yearning ‘read me’.

The combination of the premium simple black cover, the thicker pages, the bigger font and the accompanying cartoons all worked. I was spellbound.

As I was skimming through the book, I found myself settling in and reading the pages in detail. Within a few minutes I was fully committed. Those other books would have to wait.

What’s This Book About?

“If given a choice between investing in someone who has read REWORK or has an MBA, I’m investing in REWORK every time.  A must read for every entrepreneur.”
-Mark Cuban, co-founder of Broadcast.com & owner of the Dallas Mavericks

Jason Fried & David Heinemeier Hansson are two talented fellows. Talented because they can concisely articulate a crucial point in a paragraph. This is great for you because it cuts out a lot of the chaff and gets you straight to the information you need to super charge your small business.

The book focuses on implementable process and lifestyle decisions entrepreneurs can use to achieve success. This includes shunning meetings, sharing knowledge, keeping short lists and hiring correctly.

Physical Book Dimensions

Rework by 37Signals is 280 pages. It’s engineered for easy reading. The text is about 14 font at 1.5 spacing. It’s an A5 hardcover with each page thicker than normal, contributing to a ‘premium’ feel. Each point is rarely over two pages and is always prefaced by a likable cartoon sketch.

Why Should You Listen to 37Signals?

37Signals is an American software company founded in 1999 that originally consulted in web design. Its core focus now is web application development. So, put simply they design non customized software solutions. And these solutions are good. For a company of under ten people, it’s estimated they had a revenue of $8 million. In a somewhat ‘against the grain’ approach, they endorse moving away from outsourcing, staying small and hands dirty by achieving success themselves.

What do I Rate the Book?

Over 250 people have rated the book on Amazon, with the average rating being 4/5 stars. It does deliver clear actionable advice. Some of it common sense, other acts as validation. There are a few gems in there though. I have to agree with the 4/5 rating. Very few books deliver so simply.

I love the fact that you can start or pickup the book from anywhere and walk away with a snippet of great information.

Who’s the Book For?

I completely recommend buying this book if you’re a small business owner, or wish to give a present to another small business owner. The information is to the point, actionable and clear. Many business owners take years to grasp the concepts in this book, taking the hard way to success. This book provides a clear understanding of what to focus on and what not to focus on. And it’s often the opposite to what you’d expect.

Can I see Some Sample Content?

Sure, here’s 37Signals’ 13 Simple Rules for Success in Business, taken from the book. This provides some summary snippets (and cartoon illustrations) such as:

• Workaholism sucks
• No time isn’t an excuse
• Editing is essential
• Go to sleep
• Focusing on you
• Saying no
• Sharing
• Passing on good people

That should more than whet your appetite for more. It’s also only a couple of bucks. Checkout Rework on Amazon for more of a glimpse, along with the great reviews.

Growing your small business,

David Moloney
Small Business Planned