Founding father and entrepreneur! "George Washington, Entrepreneur" by John Berlau

Title: George Washington, Entrepreneur: How Our Founding Father's Private Business Pursuits Changed America and the World

Author: John Berlau

Reviewer: Richard Sesek (educator, wantrepreneur)

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Topic/Intent of book: Everyone knows that George Washington was the first President of the United States and he is heralded as a great general and statesman. This book explorers Washington’s entrepreneurial accomplishments and his impact on business and trade both before and after being POTUS.

I selected this book because: I was intrigued by the title and wanted to learn more about his life outside of his role as general and first US president. I knew that he was a businessman and owned an estate, but I did not realize the extent of his entrepreneurship and his scientific approach to running businesses.

Recommendation: I highly recommend this book! Very well written. This book is great for those wanting to learn more about the first POTUS as well as those interested in entrepreneurship. This book presents a comprehensive look at Washington’s life outside of the Presidency. It addresses his role in owning of slaves as well as other controversial topics.

Major lessons from this book: He used careful observation and experimentation to determine the best crops to grow and animals to raise. His experiments included crop diversification and rotation and he was among the first to observe how continuous tobacco cultivation depleted soil. He was also an early adopter of sustainable practices and the use of manure and compost to enrich soil. He was an investor in other ventures (canals, ironworks, real estate, etc.), making him one of our nation’s first venture capitalists. He was capable of pivoting to new products (e.g., wheat from tobacco) and methods (continuously tinkering with novel farming methods and technologies). What strikes me most was his humble attitude towards others from whom he asked advice, including women, who at the time were not generally respected, nor was their advice typically sought or heeded. If someone was an expert, Washington would humbly seek their advice regardless of their political or social station.

Book Inspirations: Washington was not just a great leader, but a man of science and virtue. His experiments ran the gamut from soil cultivation to animal breeding (i.e., the “father of the American mule”). He greatly influenced agriculture including in the transportation and standardization (product labeling) domains, greatly impacting the quality of agricultural products. I am inspired by his meticulous note taking and observations that led to both scientific and business insights. This is a great book and it made me eager to learn more about the first POTUS!