Reading – Bruce’s Beliefs: Everything I Know About Business (and Life) I Learned Playing with Toys

Bruce’s Beliefs*, subtitled “Everything I Know About Business (and Life) I Learned Playing with Toys,” is one of those inspirational books that sounds a lot better in a product description than it actually is. I ordered the book back in July simply because the description made it sound like something I would get some enjoyment out of (and maybe learn a thing or two).

Bruce Lund has been a toy and game inventor for over 30 years. Bruce and his team at Lund and Company Invention have created some of the hottest toys and games on the market, including TMX Elmo (Fisher-Price), Fireball Island (Milton Bradley); Baby Alive Sip n Slurp (Hasbro); Doggie Doo game (Goliath Games), 40th Anniversary Uno Roboto (Mattel); Vac-Man (CapToys); Master Moves Mickey (Fisher Price); and many more. When asked how he does it, Bruce will tell you it’s a core set of beliefs that inspire him to do his best work – and always believing that imagination changes everything. This is a fascinating tale of a real toy inventor, a cast of characters he has encountered along the way, and his profound belief that toys have the power to change the world.

Looking back at that description again I can see that everything there should have been a red flag for me to avoid this book.

A Pat on the Back

Roger Sweet’s Mastering the Universe* has the exact same problem as Bruce’s Beliefs and both books annoy me because the authors go to great lengths to tell us why they are insanely intelligent and amazing individuals who can do no wrong. That’s an unfair statement on my part, but after reading each of these books you will walk away (well, I did) feeling as if the authors have egos the size of all of Mattel and Hasbro combined. Bruce’s Beliefs, rather than inspiring me, disgusted me. The author clearly has had some luck in his career as a toy inventor, but where I was expecting stories about the projects I instead was given stories about the inventor’s motorcycle rides, how his grandmother wasted money, and how he liked to play with fireworks as a child.

I Seriously Am Being Unfair

I know I’m not being objective as I think back over reading this book (twice) and as I flip through it. But I feel justified since opening the book I find the author talking about his dog, a visit to Australia, and more motorcycle rides. We are our life experiences, yes, but scanning the book as I write this I am reminded of why I have such negative feelings toward this book: the author focused on telling me why he is so freaking awesome and forgot to give me any really useful lessons. The book is random and scattered — and the author even suggests that you don’t read the book straight through — and I find that the headlines are more valuable than the essays that follow each headline.

Avoid this Book

Bruce’s Beliefs* is not a book I’m comfortable recommending to anyone. It’s a chance for the author to tell us why he is so great and reads more like a personal blog than a guide to getting anything done.

And that’s because it is a blog. Bruce’s Blog, translated to print. Read through the blog, read some of the older entries, and if you like what you find there then you’ll love the book. But while a blog can be fun it isn’t always the best book, and I feel this material should have stayed online.