What You See Is What You Get

This autobiography by Sir Alan Sugar, titled What You See Is What You Get, showcases his success as a British business leader and TV personality. I thoroughly read every word of the entire 609-page book and enjoyed it immensely! It is written in Sir Alan's familiar style and voice, giving the impression that he penned it solo. This book states that Ivor Spital, his most long-serving employee, conducted the background research. I hope he wasn't at risk of losing his job if it didn't immediately succeed, as I believe he has performed excellently.

I like Sir Alan, he can be charming like Sid James or David Jason, but he is also very strong in business and making money. In the book, Sir Alan proudly discusses Jewish festivals and holidays, highlighting his heritage in a positive manner. To understand the importance of these holidays, I had to read a second book alongside called The Jewish Festivals, which I luckily already had. Hence, delving into this autobiography proved to be quite informative, and I enjoy reading such books.

I was incredibly intrigued by his account of prejudiced children who held anti-Semitic views. Reading about how he handled the abuse was intriguing. His observation that the children likely picked up this behavior from their parents is completely accurate. During that time, society exhibited a strong presence of anti-Semitism, prejudice, and discrimination, and I shared the same encounter as him; where children refused to play football with me.

I wanted to read this book to understand more about Sir Alan's personal life. This is the one aspect that is not well-known by the public. I was curious about how he faced challenges while pursuing his aspirations and goals... One thing I have discovered in life is that people are not willing to help when you are pursuing your goals, but they are quick to criticize and sabotage. I am pleased to report that this book offered numerous solutions.

The initial part of the book focuses on his personal life, with Sir Alan chronicling details about his parents and early years. His father, who had a strong passion for creating suits, worked as a tailor. Reading about the challenges of poverty, housing, and work was fascinating as I have personally faced similar difficulties. The remaining part of the book details his entrepreneurial projects, beginning with a fascinating character named Gulu, and concluding with The Apprentice. I wanted to find out more about his relationship with Margaret, whom I believe to be very intelligent. Maybe it will be included in the upcoming book.

I especially enjoyed learning about the engineering and design challenges he encountered with Amstrad products, and how he overcame them, as I have repaired many of those products when I was younger. In a section of the book, he details electronic manufacturing methods like printed circuit boards, circuits, and solder flows. This information was simple, yet still quite remarkable. To me, it appeared that he was striving to comprehend all facets of his business, a characteristic of a professional.

Sir Alan characterizes himself as involved in both Electronics and Real Estate industries, but his identity goes beyond that. He is among the most skilled and talented British entrepreneurs in our era. He is not only an engineer but also a salesperson, executive, and even a pilot, and now, everyone wants to join him in a game of football.

This book is packed with very interesting material that makes it a compelling read. I liked his direct style of writing, and he does not mince words. He is by nature a very open and forthright person, and this comes across very well in the book. He has written very openly about some of the people who betrayed him, and he most definitely was not afraid to speak his mind. Moreover, why should he? After all, he is Sir Alan Sugar - the most powerful business person in Britain. Hence, the title of the book is accurate and what you see is what you get. Anyone who reads this book will end up liking him even more with a more deepened respect as I did. Good for him, glad to see somebody made it.

Back Cover

Sir Alan Sugar was born on 24th March 1947 in Hackney. He was the youngest of four children. He studied at Northwold Primary School and Brooke House Secondary School.

He was very business minded and enterprising, and after leaving school started his business ventures selling goods for profit. He married on 28th April 1968 to Ann Simons. They have two sons and a daughter. His parents were upright and strongly moral Jewish people. His father was in the tailoring and garment industry.

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