People often ask "If you could meet or spend a few hours with anyone - living or dead - who would it be?"... if Ray Kroc, the founder of McDonald's ever came to mind, then this book is for you.
Reading this book is like meeting Ray personally, and having a conversation with him about his life. It's such an easy book to read, very honest and down to earth.

I won't describe the entire context of the book, or give away his life story (which is what the actual book will reveal for you), and I'll direct you to the other epinions reviews if you're interested in details. However, I will mention what I found most fascinating about the book.

Ray was in his 50s and well established in a long career when he 'discovered' McDonald's. I'm sure we've all heard bits and pieces of this story, how it wasn't really his idea, that someone else (namely the McDonald brothers) had started the business in California. These facts make Ray's story even more interesting to me, the fact that he had the vision to see beyond what the McDonald brothers themselves envisioned. No, Ray did not come up with the concept of the hamburger, nor the 15 cent McDonald hamburger, nor the very tasty fries... what he did develop, however, is the American (and now global international) phenomemon we all recognize when we see the golden arches.

Ray, a self proclaimed dreamer, didn't pursue McDonald's because he envisioned the current reality of a McDonald's on every street corner, rather he pursued it to build his existing Multimixer career. He quickly saw the potential of the hamburger business, and began to pursue it with vigor. He submerged himself in understanding the entire process from the McDonald's brothers, not wanting to compromise any aspect. He sought and discovered prime real estate and he describes interesting and sometimes humorous stories related to developing new products (some which remain on the menu today, some which you've never heard of).

It's incredible to read all the difficulties, specifically financial obstacles that Ray faced along the way. I'm certain most people would have given up faced with those challenges. He describes several different instances when he was short handed and backed into a corner and had to pay heavily to be able to continue the dream of McDonald's. Most people at his age would probably have given up and retired... most people, are not Ray Kroc.

As mentioned, the book is like having a conversation with Ray over coffee... he talks about his life, his marriages, his passions, McDonald's (obviously), baseball and his giving back to the community. He seems like a very honest man, not out to prove anything to anyone.

The book describes how Ray bought the rights to the business from the McDonald brothers, opened his first store, established financing, found operators for his subsequent stores... he does a great job of recounting the details to give a clear representation of what happened between the 1st and the 4000nth store. It's really incredible to read the early mishaps of the well established business that has changed all of our lives. For many of us, it's hard to remember a time when McDonalds didn't exist, but envisioning such a time by reading the book makes you appreciate what Ray Kroc did to change American culture and lifestyle... I can only imagine how many other businesses he inspired.

Definitely a must read for anyone interested in business, entreprenurial stories or McDonalds.

Recommended: Yes