How Starbucks Fought for Its Life without Losing Its Soul
by Howard Schultz
Recommended by Tom Bilyeu and Ron Conway
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See customer reviews on Amazon →Onward is Howard Schultz’s first-person ledger of bringing Starbucks back from a downturn and refocusing the company on product, stores, and culture. It alternates store-floor anecdotes with boardroom scenes and sequential decision-making, so the most useful passages show concrete limitations about staffing, quality, and brand positioning. The narrative occasionally slides into defensive explanation and long stretches of operational minutiae that slow the pace. If you want crisp analytical models or a how-to handbook, this is lighter than that; read it for situational judgment and CEO-level vantage.
This summary and audience guidance are AI-generated from the book's description and its recommendation history, last updated June 2026. Recommendations, quotes and sources elsewhere on this page come from published material and are not generated.
In this #1 New York Times bestseller, the CEO of Starbucks recounts the story and leadership lessons behind the global coffee company's comeback and continued success.In 2008, Howard Schultz decided to return as the CEO of Starbucks to help restore its financial health and bring the company back to its core values. In Onward, he shares this remarka...
Difficulty:hard
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View available editions on AmazonWhy recommended
Recommended by 3 sources and appears in Most Recommended Books, Leadership, and Business.
People and public figures who have recommended this book.
Recommendation proof is sourced from public posts, interviews, reading lists, and cited references.
Tom Bilyeu
“Story of his return to Starbucks, and the success of the company in a tumlutuous economic time in history.”
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Consider Good to Great by Jim Collins. Recommended by 29 sources.
“The book walks you through a multi-year research project, contrasting spectacular performers with mere survivors. The core insight—that sustained greatness hinges on disciplined people, thought, and action—feels sturdy and actionable. But the book’s arguments rely on retrospective selection of companies, and some of its darlings later faltered. You’ll find a methodical, almost monastic tone that rewards patience but may irritate if you want contemporary, tech-savvy lessons.”
Each recommendation is collected from a public source — interviews, articles, or curated lists — and linked to its original URL. Books with many verifiable recommendations from respected people rank higher.
