The Art of Creating a Life While Making a Living - The Monk and the Riddle

Written in the "olden days" of the Internet (i.e. late 1990s), Randy Komisar's "The Monk and the Riddle" is a classic with a timeless message: there's a fundamental difference between passion and drive. The latter is what propels type A personalities to succeed at anything they undertake. The former is more visceral and personal; it is something that you genuinely love and would be happy "to do for the rest of your life."

Komisar, my good friend and mentor (full disclosure), conveys his message through the story of his interactions with an aggressive but morally wayward entrepreneur by the name of Lenny who is pitching a business plan for funerals.com, an opportunity to sell caskets and linings online at a fraction of the price demanded by the traditional bricks-and-mortar funeral homes. It quickly becomes clear that selling caskets more cheaply on the Internet is not what Lenny really cares about nor what drew him to the opportunity in the first place. Over the course of several chapters, mostly told narrative-style between the author and Lenny, Komisar learns that beneath all the snazzy PowerPoint decks and pitch buzzwords there is a deeper idea at play that Lenny genuinely wants to pursue, but is afraid that it's not a legitimate business idea. He calls it "Full Circle" and it sounds an awful lot like a Facebook for funerals, although the book was written when Mark Zuckerberg was still in junior high school.

Komisar ultimately passes on the deal -- at least from working directly with Lenny as Virtual CEO -- but he tells an important story in the meantime. Essentially, entrepreneurs need to be driven by passion. They must want to establish their company and vision not to get rich, but to make the world a better place, however it is that they believe that's possible. It is an argument for startups stripped of recently minted business school students, motivated primarily by avarice and ego. Komisar knows better than most that very few startups turn into Google or Instagram, so the founders need to be motivated by something beyond (and far deeper than) mere dollars and sense (pun intended). Indeed, it is those with such an altruistic and passionate approach who often end up winning in the end.

This book was mentioned in the Roadmap book I finished a couple of days ago so I thought I would pick it up from the library. It was mostly a case study of a VC that was pitching this business, only to find out the main character was only doing it for the money instead of passion.

So, to save you the trouble of picking up the book, here are some key points:

1. Make a business based on your passion.
2. You should live in the now.
3. Do not live a deferred life (ie do not put off things you want to do later,after retirement, but rather, make the time to do it now)
4. Time is your most precious commodity (not money)

I am an University of Baltimore student enrolled in the survey Entrepreneurship course and this was my recommended reading

This book that can be very helpful for entrepreneurs in the "start up" phase. This novel highlights the importance of starting a business not for the money it can potentially create but for the passion you have for it. Komisar promotes being wealthy in passion and experience oppose to just having wealth in money. What I liked about the book is that instead of just stating the importance of passion versus drive the author stresses his message throughout the whole book. By Komisar doing this I was able to gain wisdom and understand the difference between the two and how having just passion or just drive or having both can effect entrepreneurs in their start up business. However, the book is missing several factors that entrepreneurs in the start up phase needs. Komisar primarily focuses on passion as the key factor to having a happy life as well as business but he neglects the other components that are much needed. I think passion is a great thing to have for a business you are creating so it won't feel like work. But passion alone doesn't make money, a person needs drive (even if it's only for the money) and to be business savvy. Nevertheless, I would recommend this book to entrepreneurs in the start up phase because it can be very helpful for determining whether you want to create a business because of your love for it or the money.

I am currently a student in Entrepreneurship 300 at the University of Baltimore. As a student in this class I was assigned to read “The Monk and the Riddle” by Randy Komisar. From a personal stand point, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I liked how the author, Randy Komisar, gave advice on starting a business and evaluating the idea that was at the center of this particular business in the book. Not only was there advice given but he made it relatable by telling the story through the eyes of Randy who is an experienced advisor in Silicon Valley who is currently in the middle of trying to figure out if this new idea, Funerals.com, by Larry would be an idea that he could invest in. What started as a pitch meeting turned out to be more of a meeting where Randy was able to share advice that could be used in Larry’s business venture but also in his life. In this book Randy is a very wise man with years of experience behind him. I was especially intrigued by his idea to do a thorough job of exploring whatever it is you are about to commit time, money, and energy to. The experience he shared of when he left college and began working for the government, as a teacher, and lastly helping produce concerts showed that it’s okay to not be sure of what you want to do initially. This book gave me hope and knowledge for me moving forward in my life and career.

It would be a disservice to the reader to comment on the title. Suffice to say that it has great significance within the evolution of the author's "education." As I read Komisar's remarkably candid account of that process, I felt as if we were interacting one-on-one. His is an exceptionally personal account. In the Epilogue, he concludes "When all is said and done, the journey is the reward. There is nothing else. Reaching the end is, well, the end." Meanwhile, however, why not extend the journey? Why not delay its conclusion as long as possible? And meanwhile, forge ahead?
Komisar shares his thoughts and feelings within a framework that includes "Lenny" and "Allison", two would-be entrepreneurs. Serving as both mentor and coach (to the reader as well as to them), Komisar draws upon his extensive experience to explain how both his life and his work have become indistinguishable amidst the unique tensions and pressures, perils and opportunities, highs and lows, of the Silicon Valley culture. For much of the book, Komisar seems to live simultaneously both within and beyond that culture. He challenges "Lenny" and "Allison" to examine their personal values as well as their professional goals. In doing so, he also challenges his own...and those of his reader. (Not all "cheese" exists "out there." Indeed, the most valuable "cheese" is found internally and it also "moves" as we reach, stumble, learn, fail, reach and stumble again, achieve some success, etc.) Readers' reactions (including those of reviewers) vary, sometimes significantly, because not everyone is receptive or at least accessible to what Komisar offers.
Many of those who have read the book think Komisar's use of Lenny and Allison is effective. Others disagree. In combination with the monk and his riddle, however, Komisar's relationship with Lenny and Allison does create some appropriate opportunities for him to sustain his own process of exploration. After several awkward transitions, he begins to feel a "subtle change -- the warm touch of the sun on his shoulder." For Komisar, this is an epiphany. "This was my trip, my life, and I needed my own journey. I decided to throw away the itinerary [cribbed from others] and see where this might lead." Some readers are enlightened, perhaps even moved by this development just before the book ends. Others are not. But all will agree with Komisar's concluding remark: "No time to waste."

Jobseekers can benefit from this book for entrepreneurs and not just because it solves the riddle of how to drop an egg three feet without cracking it (no, I won't spoil it here). Komisar has an illustrious career spotting and shepherding start-ups (LucasArts, WebTV, Tivo) but his lesson for entrepreneurs about passion v. drive is important for jobseekers especially now.

Komisar talks about identifying the why (the passion that pulls you) of your startup and not just relying on drive (which you need lots of as well) to push through. Similarly jobseekers need the drive to get through the minutiae of the job search -- networking, follow up, interview practice, copyediting that resume. But the thing that separates the successful career from the mundane is the passion. In this tough market, where no sector is safe or easy to break through, you need passion for your choices to pull you forward and get you through the anxious, bleak, and frustrating times.

It was also nice in The Monk and The Riddle to follow two entrepreneurs on their journey and see the risks they took. Jobseekers and employees face risks as well. It's always inspiring to read about other people who go for it. At the very least, it reminds us that we have choices. Regardless of the market (the sample entrepreneurs in The Monk and The Riddle were in the funeral business of all things!), we have choices in what we pursue. Lead with passion, follow up with drive, and make bold choices -- excellent advice for entrepreneurs and jobseekers as well.

In "The Monk and the Riddle," Randy Komisar tries to put the Silicon Valley frenzied work mentality back into perspective. Komisar is a consultant to Venture Capitalists, and he has been an executive at a number of successful (and not so successful) startups. In the book, he tells his story through Lenny, a young man who came to him with an idea for a startup. Komisar thinks the idea has some merit, but he thinks Lenny wants to do it for the wrong reasons (money), which is holding him back from doing it right. Through email and a few more meetings, he helps Lenny, and later his girlfriend Allison, find the passion behind their idea and shape it into something worth doing. He uses this story as a mechanism for preaching these lessons:
- Don't make the mistake of taking the Deferred Life Plan in which you sacrifice your happiness now for the hope of happiness later. Instead, he advocates the Whole Life Plan, where you try to make now as fulfilling as possible while also staying open to opportunities for the future. He suggests asking yourself, "Would you be willing to do what you're doing now for the rest of your life," and if the answer is no, maybe you're not doing something you believe in. (He's not advocating doing only one thing all your life, of course, but if can imagine yourself doing it, then it must be something you care about.)
- It's not worth devoting your life to a startup (or any company) if you're doing it just for the money. It's worth your time and effort only if you're passionate about the idea.
- It's the people, stupid. If you work with people you respect and who respect you, then your success will follow. If you go for success at the expense of the people, you won't succeed (for long).
All of these are good lessons, and Komisar makes a persuasive case for them in an engaging, palatable way. For some people caught up in the negative side of the Silicon Valley mentality, his words might have just the right effect. Having lived in Silicon Valley for over 15 years and gone through two startups myself (neither one making me rich), I didn't feel like I learned anything I hadn't already learned myself, although I admit I enjoyed having my views validated. I know I'm overgeneralizing, but I thought that some of the traps he talked about may be more of a danger for men than for women (in particular, not getting the importance of work relationships, but also doing things just for the money). Still, the book is probably just the right medicine for some who are ready to swallow it.

I was expecting a book high on philisophical values and strategies for the New Economy, however, the book is more focused on a venture capitalist who happens to be the author (Randy Komisar) and his dealings with a team of 2 prospective entrepreneurs with a plan for what they believe will be a highly lucrative dot.com company to deal with planning and arranging funerals over the internet.
What makes this an interesting title is the fact that the team of 2 are complete polar opposites; one is your typical energetic, overly ambitious dot-com CEO wannabe who often says the wrong thing at the wrong times, while the other is more reserved, level-headed one who is blessed with the ability to see things realistically and from different angles. It's intersting and oftentimes humorous to see how Komisar often acted as a mediator when dealing with the two.
The unexpected aspect of Komisar's story is how he was able to dissect the Funerals.com proposal from it's original state and ultimately come away (albeit with heavy revisions and re-focusing of the business plan) with an idea for a company that could work. The difficult part was getting the team of 2 to realize this--no easy task, although the reserved member of the team was able to comprehend Komisar's suggestions as being essential for their idea to legitimately have a chance at getting venture capital dollars.
The book is sprinkled with a few profound philosophical stories and moral values, but overall, the book is not what I expected. It is a great read for anyone interested in venture capital or the heady days of the late 90's where dot.com companies were springing everywhere. Working for an internet company, I did find the whole VC funding process intriguing and for that, I recommend the book. It's a relatively short read, so by all means, go for it!

Mr. Komisar has a simple message: It's the journey . . . not the destination . . . that counts, stupid! What that means is that you should focus on getting the most out of the moment, in creating a synthesis between what you value and what you spend your time on and do. The book opens with a brief story of Mr. Komisar giving a monk a ride on his motorcycle. After a long afternoon of riding, he delivers the monk where he wants to go. A few minutes later, he learns that the monk wants now to return to where they started. Finally, it sinks in. The monk just likes riding on motorcycles. He doesn't really have a destination in mind. Mr. Komisar connects that anecdote to his life as a young lawyer where he was so focused on goals, that he didn't see the conflict between his ambition for the future and the selling out of his values. Through a number of job changes and experiences, he emerges as someone who understands that the journey is all that counts, and takes on the role of virtual CEO for start-ups. This role means that he tries to help management accomplish what it wants, rather than representing the investors as venture capitalists do. It's a shift in direction that makes all the difference. My hat's off to Harvard Business School Press for publishing this heart-warming, inspiring book.
Most of the book is a fable about a stiff would-be entrepreneur named Lenny who seeks Mr. Komisar's advice. To get some idea of this fable, Lenny starts his pitch by saying that his business concept is to put the fun in funerals. Through the course of the book, Lenny learns (with a lot of prodding from Mr. Komisar and Lenny's co-founder) to connect to his original passion, to provide a place on the Web where geographically-dispersed families can connect to grieve when a loved one dies. They can also get advice on how to handle the grief and the funeral. Mr. Komisar interspaces his own experiences with the fable to provide context for his observations.
The fable is so far-fetched that it works well, because it allows you to see the differences more easily between serving an empowering vision that excites you, investors, potential employees, and customers and just trying to make a bundle.
For those who want to know a little more about fund-raising for start-ups, the fable is filled with worthwhile advice. If you want to know more, read Confessions of a Venture Capitalist (which I also reviewed).
At another level, the book makes the point that the reason to be an entrepreneur is to avoid the stultification of companies without a soul, operating only to meet the numbers. But you will have learned bad habits of forgetting about your soul-felt needs in mainstream corporate America, so you've got to regear as you enter entrepreneurship.
The book is very well written, and you'll get through it very quickly.
A good related book is Who Am I? which will give you tools to help you identify what you really want to get out of life.
You should also use this book as an opportunity to reexamine your beliefs about life and relationships. You may have lots of stalled thinking outside of your working life, as well.

Randy Komisar imparts a couple profound lessons in this business fable. If you were able to learn the Theory of Constraints by ready the Goal, this a book that can imply some grander lessons about approaching life and business.
On the surface, the story is a fable about Komisar providing business advice to an internet funeral planning startup. The lessons are deeper than "What's a VC looking for?" I picked up two major concepts:
1 - If you're not passionate about something, it's not worth doing, and you won't be able to convince others to join you.
2 - It's not good to defer enjoyment of life - the journey has to be of value in addition to the destination.
These issues are brought up with two questions:
1 - What would you be willing to do for the rest of your life? Is the idea or change you're pursuing something that you'd be willing to do forever? If so, it's worth doing. If not, it's just another get rich quick scheme.
2 - If you drop an egg 3 feet, how do you keep it from breaking? This is the riddle in the title - I won't spoil the answer here, but it's different than what I thought (Boil it first!) and the key to concept 2 above.
Komisar's credentials to speak on this subject come from his varied background: He was a lawyer & CFO (hard numbers quant guy), a Virtual CEO and investor in high tech companies. He lived what he speaks, and comes from a "hard skills" background. This adds credibility to his discussion of softer subjects.
This is a great book for anyone wondering, "Why am I doing this?" or "Should I be doing something new?" It delves into "Why do we get into a business?" I highly recommend this profound, but practical read.

I am a student at the University if Baltimore enrolled in the survey Entrepreneurship course and that this book was my recommnded reading.The book starts with a brief story of Mr. Komisar giving a monk a ride on his motorcycle. After a long afternoon of riding, he takes the monk to his destination. A few minutes later, he learns that the monk wants now to return to where they started. Thats when it hits him. The monk just likes riding on motorcycles. He doesn't really have a destination in mind (this is pretty much the premise of the book). Mr. Komisar connects that anecdote to his life as a lawyer where he was so focused on goals, that he didn't see the conflict between his ambition for the future and the selling out of his values. Through a number of job changes and experiences, he becomes someone who realizes that what really matters is the journey and eventually becomes a virtual CEO for start ups.

Personally I enjoyed reading this book. He does not tell you how to do your start-up (but he tells you how not to do it). He also explains also very well what Silicon Valley is, the locus of risk taking, where failure is tolerated, where a start-up is more a romantic act than a financial endeavor. He gives really good advice not only about business, but advice that you can apply to year every day life to become a better person. Something I did not really like was that this book was a little dated (around the dot com boom). I think the overall message of this book can be useful to any potential entrepreneur, which is, do something you love therefore the journey will be much more meaningful and ultimatley fulfilling.

Currently I am attending the University of Baltimore and I am currently participating in an Entrepreneurship class this semester. One of the assignments in this course is to read this book and write a review of what we read and our opinion on the novel. Being as though I am not someone who is interested in entrepreneurship, I thought this book was a very pleasant read. I liked how the author was able to convey his advice to entrepreneurs by telling a story and applying those “lessons” to the story. Following Lenny’s and Allison’s journey in this way allows the reader to have a better understanding of Randy Komisar’s methods of creating a successful venture. One of the things I did not like about the book was that being as though I am not savvy in the world of entrepreneurship, I felt some of the terminology used was hard to understand and keep up with the flow of the story. I believe the best way to comprehend the story being told is to have prior knowledge of how Silicon Valley functions, what exactly is needed when developing a startup, and how to compute a market analysis and forecast your profit/revenue, etc. From a student’s point of view I think the book is useful in gaining a general understanding and I enjoyed his insight on how to achieve happiness. However if you’re looking for specific information that spells out step for step what you should do when developing a startup, this is not the type of book I would recommend.

The only interesting point Randy made was that "TRY and do what you love doing, instead of doing what you *have* to do for a long time before it is too late to do what you love doing". There is an assumption that one is doing what one *has* to do because one wants to make a lot of money, get fame, build big houses, etc. This assumption may not be acceptable or applicable to some.
In any case, the tricky part is in being able to choose such a profession where one can do what one enjoys doing, instead of "showing up at work". It is easy to talk about this when one has enough financial freedom to do whatever one wants. There are so many extraneous reasons for doing what one is doing. Some of these are alterable to take one towards what one would really like to do. But, for most situations, the activation energy is very high, and many people dont have a strong burning desire to initiate that change, and hence decide to start "wanting" to do what they "have" to do.
I liked his term "Deferred Living Plan". Many people in the Silicon Valley may enjoy reading this book, because they can relate to much of what he talks about (most of which is itself based in the valley).

The insights offered in this book go beyond merely "educating" a silicon valley entrepreneur as suggested by the hardcover title. I like the paperback title better - "The Art of Creating a Life While Making a Living".
The book explains the difference between oft-confused words: passion & drive, management & leadership, risk & uncertainty, comfort & fulfillment, the deferred life plan & the whole life plan. These differences are explained with the example of a business plan that is progessively improved from the initial "Better-Faster-Cheaper" look to a "Brave New World" look.
The book is well-written and easy to read. Those who have read "The Goal" will find a similar organization of ideas in this book. After flipping through the last page, I found myself thinking about the best answers to many questions looming in my mind. These are all good signs about the book!
However, in continuously driving the idea of getting out of complacency and into a 'brave new world', the book did not provide insights on how one may balance the two. Komisar speaks from personal experience in the book and recalls the turning point of his life when he decided that he wouldn't be a lawyer by profession any more. He says that a lot of what he did upto that point was living "The Deferred Life Plan" (do what you have to do now, do what you want to do later). The reader is left with the impression that Komisar even viewed his Harvard education in this light. But would he have been where he is today if he hadn't got an education from Harvard? The progression of events in our life is a related one. Your past actions definitely impact the future. His Harvard education led him to a good job at a law firm where he added to his network of contacts.
In this context, Komisar failed to address the issue that we all *have* to do certain things in our lives. Not everything can be what we *want* to do - e.g., is it wise to pursue a 'brave new world' idea when you're 13 years old? Or if you're old enough, but do not have enough savings to sustain yourself through failure? Maybe, maybe not. There is always a goal we have to accomplish (pay off our debts, take care of our obligations) before we can do what we *want* to do. It is upto each person to realize for themselves that they're living "The Deferred Life Plan" when they truly don't *have* to, anymore. Only then will it make sense (and be more fulfilling) to switch to "The Whole Life Plan". The book would have been complete if Komisar had provided his insights about how one might attempt to balance the two points of view.
That's the only reason I cut out 1 star from my rating.
Bottom line: Get it!

Komisar does an excellent job in conveying his message in this well written pleasant book. His message is first, follow your passion. Forget about money, prestige or fame. Second, it is the journey that is important - not the destination. These are certainly not original messages, but Komisar weaves the message with a fictional story of two people looking to raise money from Venture Capital to start a business and also his own personal stories. The whole package makes a delightful and entertaining read. This would make a fantastic book for high school and college students. It also may be valuable for many others particularly in these times when many are looking for second starts and changes in their lives.

Being at this point in my life (about to graduate from University of Baltimore with an Integrated Arts degree), I found this book to be extremely relevant to my current situation. The author focuses a great deal on The Deferred Life Plan, the idea that you must first do what you have to do in order to eventually do what you want to do. In my case, which would be to graduate and find a job immediately to earn some income, even without knowing what it is exactly I want to do. But as he says, and I agree, the problem is that we may never reach that second stage of doing what we want to do. That alone is a lot to think about… The majority of the book focuses on themes like this, that life and work must strongly fit together. For as he says, there must be a goal or a meaning to work that is something bigger than just make a lot of money. As opposed to what we’ve studied in my ENTR 300.001 class (the reason that I’m writing this review) where launching a business is a very step-by-step and orderly process, Komisar focuses on the internal and immeasurable factors, the factors that don’t appear on paper. He focuses on the value of time instead of money, the weight of personal risks, the art of leadership, and the huge importance of knowledge and passion (opposed to drive). My only complaints are that the technological references are a bit outdated, and that it’s a bit contradictory at times… All in all I found this to be a very interesting, quick read.

I am writing this review as a University of Baltimore student enrolled in the survey Entrepreneurship course and this was a recommended reading.

The theme of the book revolves around following your passion and redefining success outside of monetary measure. Komisar used a story about a monk who loved to ride motorcycles to emphasize the importance of focusing on a journey and not a destination, something he regretted about his journey as a young attorney. Komisar then takes on a number of careers and decides to eventually become a virtual CEO for startups.

The first thing I appreciated about this book was its self-help and wellness tone; there are no answers given. Although I appreciated the messages and theories presented, some seemed unrealistic. Komisar's argument that a CEO should be wholly consumed with mission and not necessarily function were not realistic. It also seemed like Komisar did not account for the fact that new professionals or entrepreneurs are unable to absorb the financial losses that failed businesses bring.

Overall, I think the lessons and the insights, generally, were helpful and could help any entrepreneurial student refocus their goals in business instead of getting lost in the means trying to pursue a specific end. I think that many young professionals find themselves in a situation much like Komisar's when he was a young attorney and I think that this book is helpful in making a person reevaluate himself/herself and ensure their subjective journey is given more importance than their objective goals.

The Monk and the Riddle was a recommended reading for my survey entrepreneurship class at the University of Baltimore. I'm not a big book reader, but The Monk and the Riddle is a book that I would recommend to any up and coming business/entrepreneurship student. This book conveys a message that many are so focused on today, including a lot of students. The message of this book is to not live the deferred life or go down a venture just for the money because it won't be rewarding in the end. This is what many people mistakenly do today. You must have the passion, determination and enjoyment to get you through the obstacles when starting a new business, the potential money just won't be enough. The Monk and the Riddle is about Mr. Komisar life lessons that he learned himself throughout his different ventures and there are a lot! One of the main focuses of this book was about a man named Lenny who was trying to get money from Venture Capitalists for his idea of Funerals.com. Mr. Komisar was trying to help Lenny see the bigger picture, but throughout the book it seemed Lenny lost sight of what he really wanted Funerals.com to be in the first place, until the last chapter. What I didn't like about the book was how it ended, I found myself wanting to know more, but you could tell it was a happy ending. Overall, a very insightful book and a must read for any entrepreneurship student!

This book is ideal for reading inside a plane for a medium trip. It is a book that can be finished in a day. It is not stuffy and dry as some business books would be. The Monk & The Riddle is basically the introduction to the content of the book and towards the ending, we would get the gist of what the author meant to convey to us. The message is plain simple, do what you feel is right rather than what you think is right. Follow your passion rather than follow what is perceived to be a good money maker because if the love ain't there, it ain't going to work. It is simple, succinct and relevant but still, there are many people who yearn to get lucky in the Silicon Valley. I guess that the bust at NASDAQ few years back gives the people a reality check that fundamentals are still the backbone and foundation of the economy. An enjoyable to read and a book that affirms us all that simplicity is good!

I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend to anyone that is interesting in becoming an Entrepreneur. The book was very easy to read, and I was able to complete within a few days. The author provides insight from a venture capitalist point of view which is very helpful for anyone who is looking to start a new venture. The VC provides critical information from sales presentations of companies looking to obtain financing. He provides detailed information on companies that have been very successful, and for companies that have failed miserably. All in all a decent book that I would recommend. I'm a University Of Baltimore student enrolled in the survey Entrepreneurship course and that this was your recommended reading.

An interesting book that wants to be the zen-like parable of the internet age with Komisar as the zen master proferring advice from the tables at the Konditorei coffee shop in Silicon Valley. And Komisar does do a nice job of articulating what he thinks is important for a business start-up to succeed. A lot of it has to do with recognizing the difference between passion and drive. Passion for a business is far more valuable an indicator of potential success to Komisar's mind and we spend the pages of this short book hearing his advice to his grasshopper...er, student entrepreneur. While the book is a good, easy read, I couldn't help but feel that the author comes off as a bit of a smug know-it-all who finally gets the sadsack of a mentee over to his way of thinking, the right true way, of course. All this is easy enough when you're telling the story and protecting the identities of the ones who need to be coached into coming around. Not sure if there's much here to help those who want a real-world view of what it's really like to make their way as a startup in search of capital, especially as the markets for capital get tighter. Still, business readers seem to love parables and pearls and there are plenty of those tossed in here.

Randy did a great job of taking the readers through a seris of conversations that first started with Randy and Lenny than later to introduce Allison. Looking beyond the business venture and the excitement of starting a company, the few imporant points that caused me to refoucus were-What really excites me enough to want to do it for the "rest of my life" and Create YOUR onw meaning of success not what someone elses meaning of success.

I also like Randy's thoughts about defering life so you can chase a pot of gold IS NOT the answer. If you're going to work hard you may as well work hard doing something you love and that something should make a difference in the lives of others or IMO, it's not worth doing. That was a wake up call for me.

I am all about building wealth but I had to get my priorities straight as it relates to the path I was talking to get there! I was Lenny in the flesh. Thanks Randy, I appriate the book!

I am taking an entrepreneurship class at the University of Baltimore, and this book was a recommended reading. I think in this book, Komisar does a good job of telling a story while still being helpful to young entrepreneurs. What I liked most about the book was that each chapter is titled with a phrase that weighs heavy on the mind of an entrepreneur, for example, The Deferred Life Plan, The Big Idea, and The Gamble. He then goes into each chapter continuing his story that somehow leads back to the title of the chapter. What I didn’t like about this book is that I don’t think Komisar spent enough time on his underlying messages like choosing passion over money. I would have liked if he went into more detail on each subject. I also didn’t like that despite his underlying messages, he told a lot about his or his character, Lenny’s possessions and trips to exotic places. This part just seemed a little contradictory. Overall I would say that this book was an easy read, and I may not recommend it to someone looking to gain an in-depth knowledge of entrepreneurship, but more to someone looking for a decent story with a little bit of business background.

Congratulations to Randy Komisar on his ability to weave old truths with superficiality and egotism into a "critically acclaimed bestseller". I commend him for his salesmanship.
A huge whollop of modesty and less patting himself on his own back would have made this book more palatable. I suggest he donate all profits from "The Monk and the Riddle" to a Buddhist monastery in Asia. Lou Schuler (the person who wrote first review on this list) may want to look up the words 'sage' and 'master storyteller'. Komisar is neither sage nor master storyteller. Kent Lineback deserves credit for translating Komisar's self-aggrandizing and self-admiring navel-gazing ramblings into words in print. Entrepreneurs, contrary to Komisar's generalizations, are a highly DIVERSE group of motivated, passionate and energetic dreamers and doers.
Hopefully Komisar has not shelved generous charitable donations under the maligned "Deferred Life Plan" but instead has made these an important component of his lauded "Whole Life Plan".
The recommendations on the back cover of the paperback are unimpressive. The butchered quote from the San Francisco Examiner "belongs in a category by itself....The best thing I've read all year" leads one to believe that this, perhaps, was the only book the reviewer read this year?
If the reviewer would care to read another book this year, I greatly recommend "Life is So Good". The brag on the back cover of the "The Monk and the Riddle" that states that the book offers timeless advice would be more justified if it were on the back cover of "Life is So Good". "The Monk and the Riddle" offers nothing original in the category of timeless advice.

This is the tale of a (would-be) entrepreneur, Lenny, who is out to create a business out of selling products over the internet (focused on the `fun'erals industry). The intention? To make lots of money. Nothing wrong with that, but without a passion for what and why he is doing it, he is clearly forewarned (by a mentor) that his:
* Goals are set too low
* Not worth the trials and tribulations he will likely face (on the path to making money)

In the `Deferred Life Plan' chapter, the author states that we plan on two steps in life:
1. Do what we have to do
2. Do what we want to do

He surmises that it is likely most of us never reach step 2.

The book argues that for an entrepreneur "without a vision, a passion and the big idea" it is difficult to enthuse your audience - the investors, the customers and ultimately yourself in the long run.

The chapter "The Gamble" provides the gist of the book. If you feel the earlier chapters are a little of a drag, I won't complain.

The final chapter "The Whole Life Plan" explains in essence that:
* Passion to solve customers' pain points are more important that you pushing your view of the products onto them
* Have a vision to sail through the rough seas (of entrepreneurship). This is your guiding compass
* A business needs to build an ecosystem (which are a set of related offerings so as to help solve customers needs) without which you cannot expect to attract the masses
* Without a greater purpose than money, the battles are simply too great to face on the path to success

Highpoint:

The `aha!' moment for me came when the author asks and then explains how to interpret the question - "What is it that you want to do the rest of your life?"

This should be interpreted as follows:
1. If this were to be the last day in your life, what would you like to be doing the most, NOW
2. Since the only constant in the Universe is `change', accept the fact that your interests may change over time. If so (and since still alive!), revisit #1 above

Audience:

To those
1. Just beginning in the field of entrepreneurship
2. Aiming listlessly in life wondering what to do next

Caution:

This book is more of a `why' rather than a `how to' book.

A great business novel that emphasizes on life while making a living - true to its title. Once you start, you won't feel like putting it down. Gives you a different perspective on life and career. It jolts your thoughts on what kind of life do you want to lead - "Deferred Life Plan" or "Complete Life Plan" as Randy puts them. It's more than a venture capitalist story.

Only thing I wonder if following your passion is truly as easy and successful as depicted in here. What made me frown was that it's always easier said than done. Randy Komisar is an accomplished professional. It's very easy to look back and say, follow you passion in life and success will come. I'm sure there are millions of people who work their lives off and don't get anywhere close to where Randy is.

But this book did force me to look into what I'm passionate about. I'm sure I'm like millions others who just run in the race of life without even remembering what they like to do and what their passion is. To be more precise I think I need to see what is my biggest passion that I want to pursue as career. In general terms, I'm passionate about everything I do but probably that is not enough. Credit goes to this book that made me think harder and live a complete life plan, instead of deferred life plan.

Reetu Gupta
A passionate Engineer and an MBA student.

'Monk' includes some decent advice, and the writing is serviceable, but I found that the book was more of a superficial, self-indulgent autobiography rather than a guide to any sort of career enlightenment. I felt it failed to fully explore many of its main points, such as choosing passion over drive, enjoying the journey over the destination, etc. Claims such as these are obvious and ubiquitous; in my opinion it is the ability of an author to explain in depth and motivate readers to explore and pursue these claims that separates profound writing from the mundane. Sadly, I found this book VERY mundane.

Also, it took me about 5 hours to read 'Monk' from cover to cover, and I'm not a particularly fast reader. Make of that what you will.

Personally, I think there are much better books on this topic.

Randy Komisar rides his motorcycle directly into the existential/spiritual crises that nearly all virtual entrepreneurs experience. He also clearly describes the seductive, and at times addictive visions of wealth and fame that must be conquered in order to become a successful virtual entrepreneur. In short, this book is must reading for all Netpreneurs who want to obtain more of a balance between the spiritual and the material needs in their lives. Finally, this book clearly states how to play the venture capital game while building a "gravity free" company. (Remeber, in the Internet Age, gravity kills!). Enjoy!

I first came across this title in the recommended reading section of Tim Ferris' book, the 4 Hour Work Week (if I am not mistaken) and several blogs on the internet!

After some time, I finally bought the ebook version yesterday. How timely! I am in the midst of evaluating 2 different career paths that will either lead me down where I FEEL I should go, but perhaps not pay as much, and the other path that I THINK I should go in what can be best described as Komisar's "Deferred Life Plan" (earn money now, do what i want later).

Having read this absolutely engrossing book in a couple of hours, I have come to the conclusion to go with my gut and to NOT defer the rest of my life!!

This is highly recommended, soul-searcher's book and good luck with your search for your Whole Life Plan!

I picked this book up to understand the venture capital industry, and this book provided a very philosophical insight into the new venture creation process.
The book, with its well written style, intertwines two experiences that the author had, namely, a puzzling encounter with a Buddhist monk, and a series of meetings with an entrepreneur seeking funding for his internet venture.
At a philosophical level, Randy elevates the refrain-"Love what you do, and do it today"-from a cliche'd expression to a very poignant theme in the book. If you are trying to understand the mechanics of the venture capital industry, this book is not for you. Instead, what you will find here is what is the required at the heart of all entrepreneurial risk taking.

I rarely finish reading a book from start to end - usually I end up somewhere in the middle only to find that the basic concept is tackled from yet another perspective.
"The Monk & the Riddle" clearly was an exception: it clearly shows that it's quality, not quantity that counts (in more than one meaning). After it had been recommended to me twice within a week, I bought it on a Friday afternoon in an Amsterdam bookshop (couldn't wait for the store to deliver it at half the cost as I found out just now) and started reading it on a terrass, I guess something similar to the konditorei. Earlier that day I had just given a presentation for my internet start-up to a potential partner, who was the second person to recommend me this book.
The experience I went through that first hour or so reading the first two chapters was one of a deep look into the mirror. Although my start-up is nowhere near Funerals.com, and my idea focuses on the establishment of a "brave new world" rather than a "bigger, faster, cheaper" alternative, many parallels could be drawn in sensing how your presentation might come across to the party sitting at the other end of the table.
When I came home later that day, I never put the book down until I finished by 1:00 AM. I really enjoyed Komisar's insights (especially the deferred life plan; drive vs. passion) as well as his involvement with companies such as WebTV and TiVo. The narrative used is great - as with real e-mail, you nearly can't wait for the next message of Lenny to arrive...
Altogether, a must-read for those that aspire to change the world ("brave new world" initiatives) and warning to those that want to become rich quick ("bigger, faster, cheaper"). It will be required reading for all of my fellow team members.
To add one more quote which sums up what Komisar says: Life's a journey, not a destination.
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This is a surprisingly good and easy read. The time context is the dot com bubble but the story and underlying thoughts are still very applicable in today's startup scene. Every founder should take the time to read this before or while developing their business vision.

If your library can have just one book - this has to be it. And if your collection allows another one, I'd suggest a similar book "Visionary Business : An Entrepreneur's Guide to Success" (ISBN: 157731019).
What I liked about this book is the gripping format in which lessons in business (and more importantly, life) have been brought out through a story. Both these books while aimed at entrepreneurs have a lot for those in the dot-com world today. I am so much the better for reading these books.
Speaking of The Monk and the Riddle, you can easily put yourself in Lenny's shoes, and learn from where he went wrong. If you ponder about the part where the author talks about the difference between passion and drive, you'll certainly learn something more about yourself.
I loved this book, and at the end of reading it, I'm glad I'm doing what I love doing work-wise, instead of putting that on the back-burner for the time when "i have the time, money, or resources to do it".

Komisar's personal interests in Buddhist monasteries has led to his encounter with the monk, and hence the riddle. This book has given me a different perspective in being an entrepreneur. Many a times, we hear of people who wants to start a business to make heaps of money (if you have one of such ventures, i want in). There are some who wish to change the world. Whatever the cause may be, the book has made me realised, that the journey has got to be the most excited part it all. During the ride, we learn about issues and also re-discover ourselves. However, no one says the road is going to be easy. But if you are looking for a how-to book, this is not the one for you. And, by the way, you won't find the answer in the book.

I definitely got what I had wanted from this book. Randy Komisar's book not only introduces us readers to the world of VC's, but also colorfully illustrates the advice we're always given as kids: Do what you've wanted to do all your life, now.
Komisar proves, through the world of Silicon Valley, in the better faster cheaper business, that people are still forgetting to do what they want, and instead, switch tracks to the Deferred Life Plan. Bad idea. Luckily, in the midst of this entire crash and burn of multitudes of aspiring yet bound-to-fail businesses, Komisar proposes a simply put solution to this entire mindset! Find your passions, find your life goals, and ask yourself one simple question (which I won't put down here, for the sake of minimizing the spoilers some of which I may've already spilt). READ THE BOOK!

Randy tells a very interesting story; begins a bit slowly but the pace picks up. The author is not only a good story-teller, but a patient teacher as well.
Tells you how the mind of a VC works, how an angel investor works, how a founder in a start-up thinks of his project, and how each of them differ in their perceptions. Conveys the atmosphere of Silicon Valley and the Internet start-up world.
Randy chooses a rather wierd example of a start-up venture proposing to sell 'funerals', and only much later does the reader realise why the example is so instructive.
I read it in one morning, straight through. I would recommend it to a prospective investor in a start-up, VCs, and most strongly to a prospective Internet entrepreneur.
The author makes some very important distinctions:
management and leadership - being the leader rather than the guy who made the trains run on time
drive and passion
What looks like a cloud to one person is a chance to sell umbrellas to the next
A really good read, short and sweet.

If I were launching an Internet startup in today's tougher .com climate, I would want to meet Randy Komisar at the Konditorei in Palo Alto. In "The Monk and the Riddle", from his "office" at the Konditorei, Komisar tells us what it would take to get a venture capitalist to buy into funerals.com, a hypothetical startup.
But along the way, the reader gets so much more -- unexpected philosophical insights about such concepts as "leadership" vs "management", "passion" vs "drive", for example. But, best of all, is Komisar's thesis that it is possible to fuse East and West in the world of business and in our personal lives.
It's a wonderful book, fun and engrossing, challenging the reader to accept the central tenet -- "the journey is the reward". A truly worthwhile book! Thank you, Randy and Kent!

Overall, I found this episode in the life and adventures of Randy Komisar to be interesting, but not groundbreaking. Though certainly filled with some valuable insights, there was something more to be desired. There was still a lot to learn, however, the most important being the general observations from a real-life perspective on what it takes to enjoy life in the entrepreneurial world.

The work itself was often scattered and forced. There was no real continuity between the flashbacks, often sounding as if Mr. Komisar decided to insert various triumphs in his life whenever he felt like it. Furthermore, I found the characters of Lenny and Allison to be more symbolic than human. They were not actual individuals, but prompts put in by Komisar to respond to the questions he wanted answered. In his interactions with them, Komisar walked an unhealthy line between humility and arrogance, presenting himself as a sort of low-key person who thinks outside the box, yet is always right on everything and draws reverence from those around him. At times, I wondered whether this book was more of a teaching tool or a testament to his own greatness.

I found his main message to be useful, but somewhat hypocritical. His criticism of the "work first and then retire" philosophy struck especially close to home, as that is one I have often embraced. I paid close attention to his words and was partially persuaded. I think he is downright contradictory, however, when he tries to use his own life as an example of how a business does better when fueled by complete passion and the expectation of it being one's life's work. There were many times when I felt like screaming out, "Mr. Komisar, practice what you preach!" Furthermore, I can think of so many ways that his theory is wrong. Sometimes, the best businessman is one who has passion for what he/she is doing, but also has the ability to be objective and analyze the situation with an objective business savvy. When he and his mentor Campbell (of Columbia fame!) ran GO to the ground, sticking with it through its crash landing, he writes as if that is a good thing. That is fine when you have enough money to absorb that kind of failure, but most beginning entrepreneurs do not. Komisar got where he is because of the strategy he condemns.

The other major problem with the book is the premise of funerals.com. I found it to be a very poor example, as it unjustly generalized the funeral market. While I am sure there are funeral homes who take advantage of people in their vulnerable, grieving states, I cannot think of anything less comforting than making arrangements over a computer instead of with people. The character of Allison in representing the opposite extreme really represented absurdity. If she were so feeling and caring, why not establish a not-for-profit website for grieving families? I was never convinced that they were after anything but money, and the only evidence that their purpose was primarily moral was Komisar merely claiming it. If this had been some kind of technological advancement in medicine, for instance, then I could have understood the enduring desire to save lives while also profiting. The funeral example, however, is weak at best, and so is the pathetic Celestine Prophecy/Richest Man in Babylon rip-off with the riddle.

The strength of the book is in Komisar's thoughts about achieving happiness in life rather than about success in business. Unlike the other characters, I was able to connect with Komisar as a human being, experimenting with different companies and developing his own tastes. I gained a lot from reading his experiences, even if they were disjointed, and while I may have disagreed with him on some points, I learned from them. I am glad I read the book, found it useful, but would hardly call it a masterpiece.

I was interested in this book after reading a story about the author in the Harvard Business Review. Given that article, and given that this book was published by HBR Press, I was expecting a little more substance than was provided in the book. However, the book does offer some sound advice, presented in a very easy to read format.
The book does a good job of distilling a few key thoughts and offers them to the reader in a manner that places a nice twist on these thoughts. There is nothing new or earth shattering about the advice set out in the book, but the presentation does make the reader pause and reflect.
I would reccomend the book to the 30 something set that may be wondering what they are doing in those office towers all day long.

Arrogant, sexist tripe about how great Randy is in Silicon Valley, back in the day....so telling, so sad, so indicative of what is WRONG in Silicon Valley. Despite the glaze of spirituality, there are so many contradictions and indications of greed, sexism , privilege and arrogance to make it laughable, utterly, and sad, sad, pathetic.

Great book for anyone who loves business stories. An inspiration to college graduates who might not be sure what road to travel. This tone of this story gives it the feel of a real life inspiration tale with all the right moves you find in a fiction. Best book I've read in 2 years!

Wow, all of Randy's words sound so good, thoughtful, and altruistic. Sure, what he says makes sense, AFTER you have already made it. Yes, it's EASY for him to say these things AFTER he has ALREADY made his KILLING doing it the OTHER way! I feel his pain, but hey, if he so believed in the message that he presents, he would have given away all that money that he made doing it the OTHER way. So are the words in this book sincere, or just a way to make more money? Not hard to figure out if you think about it. Get this book if you want to feel good about losing or need an excuse to run at 50% instead of 100% of your ability.

This is one of the most impressive books on entrepeneurship and business that I have read. As we grow older, we focus more and more on the immediate. We often lose touch with our larger goals - goals that may have lead us to our chosen profession and path in the first place. For most of us, we may not even sense the inner void and lack of direction that this creates. Randy's book is a timely reminder of the importance of higher level goals. It tells us we can work for what we care AND be successful. Highly recommended.

This book's plot of the formation and understanding of an entrepreneur's mind is interesting but something is just missing. The work is incomplete and seems like much of it could have been summed up into one chaoter of a larger book! Great guy, just not a great book!

i have never reviewed a book on the store before but i was so taken with THE MONK AND THE RIDDLE that i just felt compeled to write. Komisar shares his experiences and his perspectives in an easily consumable and understandable fashion. this is a book you should read more than once. unfortunately most of the dot com start up folks that i know who are in it only for the money are pretty unhappy right now. Happiness, staying power, and success can go together when passion is brought into the mix as komisar suggests. i enthusiastically recommend this book to anyone in or planning to be a part of the dot com or the start up world.