Driven

Jul 12, 2010 Brad rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I went back and forth with my feelings for this book. At times I thought it was nothing more than Larry Miller boasting about all his accomplishments and how much harder he worked than everyone else. I was also annoyed with the fact that he claimed he was a frugal man (and he was in many aspects of his life), but when someone accumulates 15 Shelby Cobras with price tags ranging from $250k to $4 million, I don't call that frugal.

I was also appalled to learn of how much debt Mr. Miller took on to I went back and forth with my feelings for this book. At times I thought it was nothing more than Larry Miller boasting about all his accomplishments and how much harder he worked than everyone else. I was also annoyed with the fact that he claimed he was a frugal man (and he was in many aspects of his life), but when someone accumulates 15 Shelby Cobras with price tags ranging from $250k to $4 million, I don't call that frugal.

I was also appalled to learn of how much debt Mr. Miller took on to buy the Utah Jazz, build portions of his enterprise and to finance many of his projects (the racetrack in Tooele County had a budget that started at $7 million and ballooned to over $100 million by project end).

Ultimately I felt sorry for Larry Miller since his extreme work ethic led to him missing all of his children's childhood as well as leading to his early demise. Gail Miller (Larry's wife) was a saint to put up with all that she did and to raise the family essentially on her own. Also, some of his mother's actions when he was younger were outrageous, e.g. throwing him out of the house when he was a young teenage for no real reason, having him arrested to spend the night in jail, etc.

I was impressed with all of Mr. Miller's philanthropy and continuous donations to many organizations throughout Utah. He did have a "heart of gold" in many ways and helped many, many people in need. He was a man that truly loved the state of Utah.

In the end, Larry Miller's story is a great case study for both the good (how to succeed in business) and bad (what happens when you ignore your family and physical health) examples he lead in his life.

Here's a link to a review that I thought summed up the book (and LHM himself) nicely:

http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post...
...more

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Jul 13, 2012 Yvonne rated it 5 of 5 stars

Quite a few of the stories in the book (his low high school GPA and retaking the U's entrance exam twice because they thought he cheated the first time) were ones I had grown up hearing about my mom's cousin Larry (Larry's mother and my maternal grandmother Shirley).

However, I think that the story of him being thrown out of the house at 16 surprised EVERYONE in my family (my mom and her 7 siblings, but both of my grandparents have passed away - ironically my grandfather passed away exactly 5 yea Quite a few of the stories in the book (his low high school GPA and retaking the U's entrance exam twice because they thought he cheated the first time) were ones I had grown up hearing about my mom's cousin Larry (Larry's mother and my maternal grandmother Shirley).

However, I think that the story of him being thrown out of the house at 16 surprised EVERYONE in my family (my mom and her 7 siblings, but both of my grandparents have passed away - ironically my grandfather passed away exactly 5 years to the date that Larry decided to stop the dialysis). I really think that had Grandpa Horne or my grandparents known of it, they would have taken Larry in. But by that point, even my grandmother had limited her interactions with Rill (Larry's mother) because of her toxic personality so they weren't having many family gatherings to even notice Larry wasn't there. Finishing his autobiography and the constant mention of Gail and "the Capitol Hill Gang" were his steady foundation after his parents left the Church and subsequently kicked him out of the house, I realize now that Larry was old enough and had a close enough relationship to Grandpa Horne he could have called him - but then he would have been uprooted from the last remaining thread of constancy he had in his life: Gail and "the Capitol Hill gang".

That part of his childhood certainly did define who he was an adult - he learned to value loyalty and that was a trait he carried with him throughout his entire life.

This is by far the FASTEST I have EVER read a nonfiction book. It surprised me how much I got into the book. I read the preface, the foreward and started reading the introduction on Wednesday night but didn't finish it. Last night, after putting the kids to bed I started reading it and had to pull myself away at 11:30 PM to go grocery shopping at (thank goodness for 24 hour grocery stores!). I got home just after midnight and put the groceries away and then thought "I'll just read a few more chapters while I eat a snack". I finally stopped at 2:30am to get ready for bed but then continued to read for another hour in the bathroom. Then I got up and finished this morning while the kids watched their PBS shows.

I'm sure part of the reason I dived into his life story is because of the family connection, but it was more then that. I connected to who he was and felt validated as a person. I struggle with my anger. I have analyzed for years why people didn't treat me as well as I thought they should have in past situations (although I have learned how to release that and not do it anymore this last year so that I don't continue to suffer wondering "why?"). I always have a million different ideas or thoughts floating around in my head like balloons and when I complete them they are gone (I LOVED that analogy).

I've always been told I look a lot like my mom's youngest sister. It was confirmed when Larry hosted his parent's 50th Wedding Anniversary at their newly completed house on the hill (it is VERY nice). I was a teenager at the time, so old enough to look even more like my aunt - whom had attended Jazz games with my grandparents when Larry and Gail invited them often enough that Larry knew her. He saw me and started to strike up a conversation with me as if I was my aunt. I told him who I really was (his other cousin's daughter) but that I knew I looked a lot like my aunt. It was fun that he sought me out because he thought I was my aunt. That was the last time I saw him since I never made it to the Horne reunion he hosted at the then Delta Center (I was on an exchange program in Germany at the time) and I was a full-time missionary for the LDS church when my grandfather passed away. Other then that, the only three other times I remember meeting Larry was when the Delta Center was dedicated (he invited ALL of his family so we came down from Idaho for the occasion and had pretty good seats - that was the only time I ever shook hands with President Gordon B. Hinckley and Thomas S. Monson), at his youngest son's wedding reception (which was in the Delta Center), and at my grandmother's funeral in 1994. I always bragged that Larry H. Miller was my mom's cousin (especially when the Jazz were in the finals!) and other kids asked if I ever got to go to games. Nope. Then I felt bad that we didn't really know Larry that well - come to realize now that if he wasn't making time for his own children he certainly wasn't making time for extended family so it never was that we weren't good enough (especially once I learned that he and Gail were SO not about putting on airs) - he just had this DRIVE in him to keep accomplishing as much as he could.

I really admire Larry. Not for his accomplishments as much as for his humility. Not many men of his wealth and community standing would publicly say in their published autobiography that they wished they had spent more time with their wife or children instead of working so many hours at the office. But it is true, on their death bed no one ever wishes they had spent more time working at the office. ...more

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Jul 19, 2010 Branden rated it 3 of 5 stars

Back in 2007/2008 I started listening to an AM radio show on my way home from work and every Thursday on this radio show, Larry Miller would have an hour where he and the host would just talk about anything and everything. Since it was a sports radio show, they talked a lot about sports and the Jazz but Larry would also talk politics, finances, business and pretty much anything else. It was always a great show to listen to because Larry was so honest and he had no reservations about anything. Th Back in 2007/2008 I started listening to an AM radio show on my way home from work and every Thursday on this radio show, Larry Miller would have an hour where he and the host would just talk about anything and everything. Since it was a sports radio show, they talked a lot about sports and the Jazz but Larry would also talk politics, finances, business and pretty much anything else. It was always a great show to listen to because Larry was so honest and he had no reservations about anything. The best word to describe what I felt about him after listening to this program was "genuine". You could tell that he wasn't trying to be anyone else than Larry Miller. I gained a lot of respect for the man after that and I was deeply saddened to later hear, on the same program, about his death.

When his autobiography came out I was really excited to read it. It really was a great book and I recommend it to everyone. I only gave it three stars because I wished that he would've gone into more details about some of his business relationships. I was hoping to learn more about his falling out with Dave Checketts and more about his relationships with other Jazz team members. Besides all of that, it was still a great book and a great example of Larry being genuine, open and honest throughout the entire book. Larry Miller is a great example of what you can accomplish when you really work hard at something. I think the overall tone and message of the book was that of being able to accomplish anything if you really put in the necessary work. The book goes in to a lot of his regrets throughout his life, the main one being that he sacrificed his time with family to work. He's honest when he says that he didn't have a good relationship with his kids growing up because he hardly saw them and he asks the question "Was it worth it?" He could justify it later in life considering all the good that his businesses have been able to accomplish and the fact that when his kids became adults he eventually built up relationships with them. But I think you still have to ask yourself, "what am I sacrificing and is this sacrifice worth it?"

The layout of the book is nice in that each chapter, following Larry's words, ends with his wife's perspective or the perspective of a business associate, discussing their views or feelings about what Larry had just written. Gail's perspective is always the best because it really shows how certain things that Larry would do were affecting his family and their marriage and Gail is very honest in her feelings througout the book. The last chapter, with her thoughts, contains great advice for every married couple about supporting your spouse. She makes the comment at one time that they were lucky that neither of them wanted to get a divorce at the same time as the other. All in all, a great book about a great man that really helped to shape the state of Utah that we currently live in. ...more

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May 17, 2011 J B rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was an interesting book about the man behind the empire. He was a very intense individual - to a fault (and he admits it somewhat). To me the real hero in his story was his wife, who was essentially a single mother through most of their kids' childhood because of his workaholic attitude - 6 days a week early morning to late night for 20+ years. It turned out that his family suffered from it and it was one of Larry's big regrets in life, which he talked about a bit. The book itself read fair ...more

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Aug 01, 2010 Nate rated it 3 of 5 stars

The title of this autobiography is certainly fitting. After having an epiphany, he decided that the only way to provide a good life for him and his family was to work harder than everyone else. And that he did. He was a classic workaholic. He worked so much and so hard that it drove him to his death bed while alienating his family. If anything, Larry is somewhat honest in this book. He realizes he could have been a better husband and father. He dedicated only a few pages addressing that and his ...more

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May 10, 2011 Andrea rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction

I'm so torn on the rating one gives for an autobiography. Would people think my rating was about the author's life or the quality of the book? That in mind, I'll clarify my rating. I am giving this book 5 stars, not because the writing was excellent, or that Miller should be given sainthood, but because I think that keeping a record of one's life is very important. I think Miller deserves 5 stars for sharing his life and the lessons he learned.

I really struggle reading non-fiction. It takes me b I'm so torn on the rating one gives for an autobiography. Would people think my rating was about the author's life or the quality of the book? That in mind, I'll clarify my rating. I am giving this book 5 stars, not because the writing was excellent, or that Miller should be given sainthood, but because I think that keeping a record of one's life is very important. I think Miller deserves 5 stars for sharing his life and the lessons he learned.

I really struggle reading non-fiction. It takes me back to all the textbooks I had to read in college. It's not that non-fiction can't be interesting or entertaining, but generally it doesn't appeal to me as much as most fiction does.

However; growing up in Utah, I'm definitely familiar with Larry H. Miller, and I decided to give his book a try so I could learn more about him.

I'm happy that I made it through, and in less than a month (this is huge for me), even though I had several fiction books calling my name.

Miller's life really was interesting. He grew up poor, with a mother who didn't seem to understand him (she even called the police on him a few times and he didn't know why). He didn't go to college, but he was driven from very early on to do the best he could with whatever he did. He married his high school sweetheart. She practically raised their five kids on her own while Miller was working hours and hours to provide for the family and become the best at his profession. He regrets that he didn't spend more time with his family.

His hard work paid off monetarily. He was the owner of many car dealerships and other businesses. He owned the Utah Jazz. He was generous with his money, and didn't want it to change him and his wife. They lived fairly simply, although he did "splurge" on a huge house for them in Salt Lake, and on cars (he especially liked Shelby Cobras).

He gave some great advice in the book about being on the same page as your spouse as far as money is concerned. He didn't hide that fact that he didn't take care of himself as he should have; which eventually lead to his early death.

Miller's life was inspiring, imperfections and all. ...more

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Feb 03, 2011 Aaron rated it 2 of 5 stars

Well, I was pretty disappointed. While Miller's life was amazing, the story was poorly written. Yes, he passed away before the book got off the ground, which must count for something. But I doubt that the autobiography would have been much better if Miller and Robinson had completed it before LHM's tragic death, due to the randomness of Miller's topics, his disjointedness in the timeline, and his yo-yo treatment of certain topics. He skims over his childhood (which would have been very interesti ...more

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Feb 08, 2014 Tamra rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: autobiography

FAN-TAS-TIC! Probably more a 4 1/2. I did NOT want to read this book but . . . My goal this year has been to read EVERY book group book. And that has really sucked because after I've read some of the books they changed their minds so I've read extra! However ... I was so glad I ended up reading this book!
He was honest whether it made him look bad or good, and much of the time it made him look bad! But what an incredible man who was willing to take risks and try the "impossible." I don't think ...more

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Jan 28, 2015 James Briggs rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I think this is one of the most appropriately memoirs/autobiographies that I have read. Larry H. Miller was a very self-motivated and driven individual. I loved reading his story, and learning about the man that before now has been the man behind the Jazz and many Utah car dealerships for most of my life.
There were times in this book, that Larry did seem to talk what seemed like a bit much about himself. But I never felt as though it was to be boastful, but rather to teach the reader that you c ...more

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Feb 27, 2011 Kristie Rodas rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was really a great book. Larry H Miller did so much for the state of Utah, but in the process kept his integrity and good reputation. He was very honest in his book not only about his many accomplishments, but also the ventures that didn't work out and the things he regretted (Like not spending enough time with his kids).

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Mar 31, 2015 Diego rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I learned a lot here and there about the mentality and drive it takes for people to successful. But I agreed with him on money (money should be a fuel for you to do other enriching and charitable things) and being a hard worker. Brokeback Mountain chapter was a surprise, but I was worried that Larry would have said more problematic stuff about the movie but instead said he would do it differently now. It was a very interesting chapter out of all of them. One thing I will remember the most about ...more

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Jul 12, 2014 Angie Taylor rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was such an interesting read! I don't have an ounce of business savvy in me, so it was really fun to read how Larry and Gail miller accomplished so much! Larry certainly was beyond eccentric, but I loved experiencing his drive and learning so much about the state and community I grew up in but had no idea about. A great autobiography! From a writers stand point, it was a little repetitive at times, but fixing the writing format would have taken away from the tone and voice of Larry H. Mille ...more

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Jan 21, 2011 Shawn rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A must read for any Jazz fan

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Aug 18, 2015 Ash Ryan rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: biography , autobiography , memoir , religion , mormonism , business , entrepreneurship , audio

Got tricked into reading this as an inspiring biography of a great businessman, and it turned out to be bad Mormon apologetics. Ick.[return][return]One of my favorite stories in the book is the one about why he bought the Jazz: because Gordon B. Hinckley told him to. No kidding. Apparently, Hinckley was scheming to improve Mormonism's public image (make it seem more "mainstream") even before he was church president, and he told Miller that having an NBA team in Utah would raise the state's media Got tricked into reading this as an inspiring biography of a great businessman, and it turned out to be bad Mormon apologetics. Ick.[return][return]One of my favorite stories in the book is the one about why he bought the Jazz: because Gordon B. Hinckley told him to. No kidding. Apparently, Hinckley was scheming to improve Mormonism's public image (make it seem more "mainstream") even before he was church president, and he told Miller that having an NBA team in Utah would raise the state's media profile and the Mormon church's by association. I think he gives away too much here![return][return]And you know how the church holds a dedication ceremony when it opens new buildings (like temples), not in the civil sense but in a religious one where they basically give a priesthood blessing to the building? Well, when Miller built the Delta Center, there was a church dedication for it (which is why they were later able to use it for his funeral). Messed up, huh? As a friend of mine quipped when I told him about it, "If the Jazz were so 'blessed', then why didn't they win any championships?"[return][return]A more serious question my friend asked was, "Obviously Miller was intelligent---but if you consider the way he died, why was he so ignorant about treating his diabetes?" I assumed he must be intelligent before reading this, too, but he really wasn't. His wife says in the introduction that he wasn't an extraordinary man, just an ordinary man who did extraordinary things. When I read that, I kind of rolled my eyes at what I took to be false modesty. Actually, it turns out she was giving him too much credit. It would be more precise to say that he was an ordinary man to whom extraordinary things happened. In his case, much of his success really was due to simply being in the right place at the right time.[return][return]Of course, he had to have a couple of qualities that helped him take advantage of the opportunities that fell in his lap, but they're not ones for which he deserves any moral credit. For instance, he had a quasi-photographic memory, particularly when it came to numbers (which is obviously useful in business). As he puts it, he just had a knack for remembering and processing figures.[return][return]And second, he was a workaholic. Usually I don't like that term, because it makes no distinction between people who are genuinely passionate about their work and devote their life to it out of love, and those who are driven to it out of fear (of failure, of home life, whatever), as Miller was (and he neglected his family horribly).[return][return]He wasn't terribly good about the diabetes, thanks to his work schedule, but he was actually keeping it somewhat under control. The reason he finally died is actually because he burned his feet in a racing accident, and didn't realize his shoes had melted because of the lack of feeling in his feet due to the diabetes---and thanks to some other medical condition, the doctors weren't able to heal the injury which just got progressively worse. His passion for cars was actually probably the best thing about him, which is sort of sad, and ironic since that's what finally did him in. ...more

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Nov 19, 2010 Barbara rated it 4 of 5 stars

I found this book very interesting. Larry Miller was definitley "driven" and that is the reason he was able to accomplish so much professionally. Unfortunately, his relationships with his family suffered. That seems to be his only regret. He worked so much that he was never home. I thought about this a lot. Had he not worked so much, would he have been able to build his empire and thus be able to give back so much to the community? His hard work contiues to benefit the whole community. He is so ...more

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Dec 07, 2010 Ian G rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. WOW, this book really immersed me into the life of Larry H. Miller. I now feel like I've known him for most of my life. The book is very straight forward and candid and Larry doesn't hide his true feelings even when they show some weakness or regret. You really get a feel for what Larry felt about himself throughout his life and what his day to day life was like.

Except for his ability with numbers, Larry felt that he didn't have any special talents that made him successful. He just decided one d ...more

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Nov 13, 2010 Kaye rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: biography , non-fiction , book-club-selection

I was surprised that I enjoyed this book as much as I did. Larry Miller gives his version of events in his life. He purchased the Utah Jazz the year I graduated from High School. His empire building were all things I was familiar with but I liked some of the inside details. He doesn't say this is how to become a millionaire but just explains how he was able to work longer and harder and how deals came together for him. He doesn't excuse the cost to his family either. He says he was a good breadw ...more

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Mar 28, 2011 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars

wow. it's like the commercial on tv back when I was in high school..."after all, you know this guy!" and there is larry h. miller, in his classic outfit of a polo shirt and khakis, folding his arms and smiling in front of a row of cars. Okay, fast foward to the present, and ... it turns out that I didn't really know this guy. Wow. He had an amazing life story. While I don't agree with everything he did, he did sink all his passion and energy and beliefs into helping others. He rose from some pre ...more

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Jun 22, 2012 Melissa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: biography , non-fiction , business

Before Driven I had only known Larry Miller as mega-wealthy man that owned an absurd number of car dealerships and the Utah Jazz. His story is story is classic American-dream style, rags to riches with obstacles and life lessons along the way.

Miller’s determination and extreme attention to detail led to remarkable business success, but the price was incredibly high. His wife and children were often neglected and part of the reason he agreed to do an autobiography is so that others could learn fr ...more

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Sep 10, 2010 Sarah rated it 3 of 5 stars

I feel weird that I'm reading this book, but I've heard many people say it's unexpectedly awesome and touching. So here I am. Reading it. Hopefully it'll live up to it's hype. :)

So I finished. Finally. I read a few other books between the beginning and end of "Driven", so it took me quite awhile. But come on, I had to put all other books aside to read "Mockingjay" as soon as it came out, right? :) Anyway, the book was good for an autobiography and Larry H. Miller did a lot of good for the state ...more

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Mar 17, 2012 Trelesa rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I found that I really didn't care for Miller for most of the book. I think the egotistical feel of the book is stronger because it's written in first-person, perhaps a biography would have been better. He did build an impressive empire and by all accounts was extremely generous to those in need. These accomplishments, however, don't balance his interpersonal failures (which, to his credit, he admits). For a man who "loved to learn" and was "driven to improve" he didn't appear to waste any time l I found that I really didn't care for Miller for most of the book. I think the egotistical feel of the book is stronger because it's written in first-person, perhaps a biography would have been better. He did build an impressive empire and by all accounts was extremely generous to those in need. These accomplishments, however, don't balance his interpersonal failures (which, to his credit, he admits). For a man who "loved to learn" and was "driven to improve" he didn't appear to waste any time learning how to control his temper, or be a better dad/husband. His and Gail's relationship irritated me constantly - giving her equal credit in public doesn't make up for harmful behaviors they both allowed in their marriage and family. Chapter 2 was essential to the book; it gives the only information which elicits sympathy towards his interpersonal shortcomings.

Positives:
* I admire how he openly discussed how his religion affected his life and decisions.
* He was devoted to improving Utah.
* He seemed to be very fair and honest.

Negatives:
* Are you really frugal when you own 15 Shelby Cobras?
* Do you really avoid debt when you have a "debt to cash ratio of 40:1" and "borrow $700,000 at an exorbitant rate", etc.?
* How do you love playing softball for years, but never coach or see your kids games?
* It's okay to "tell all" on yourself, but I thought he was crossing an ethical line when he shared conversations from NBA board of governors meetings, bank executives, and dealings with former employers and partners.
* Mocking competitors losses (sending a tombstone) - a sure sign you're taking competitiveness too far.

I would really have rather not read the book, I had a higher opinion of Miller before. The main issue to me is it appears that he seemed to have a good idea of what his weaknesses were (having a temper, being a workaholic, micromanaging... ) but chose to do nothing about it, using it as a cop-out instead. I hope he really did try to improve; and if he did I wish it had been included in the book. ...more

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Aug 18, 2010 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars

I actually had no intention of reading this book. My mother gave it to my husband as a Fathers Day gift and it has been sitting on our coffee table just looking pretty, not being read. So, I figured that's a waste, I might as well read it. I thought it was going to be a lot of *hooey*... lifting this man above the rest, ect.. ect... like most biographies are, but it really wasn't. Most of the book was dictated by him or his wife, with several passages written by his children.

I don't think this b ...more

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Jun 10, 2010 Elise Swenson rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was a very insightful book. Very well written and engrossing. Remebering the events (from my own perspective) and then contrasting them with Larry's story was facinating. Larry told his story eloquently, and while he talked about some regrets, he did the best he could, given his personalty, and young adult - childhood difficulties. Which, apparently to his dying day, he couldn't understand why his parents (mother) did what she did to him and why. Knowing his mother (she was a customer at th ...more

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May 31, 2013 06evans rated it 5 of 5 stars

When he was sixteen years old, Larry Miller came home one summer night to find all his possessions sitting in three bags on the porch of his darkened house. The door was locked. From those troubled and humble beginnings rose a man whose influence has touched, according to reliable pollsters, more than 99 percent of the population of Utah as well as myriads of people worldwide. Seven months before Miller passed away, he began working with Doug Robinson on this biography. Written in first person, ...more

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Jan 01, 2011 Katie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: memoir , non-fiction

I would have never read this book on my own. While I know one of Larry's sons from a study abroad trip years ago - his father's life never held me captive.

Well, I was wrong. My BIL read this book and loved it so much he went out and bought 5 more copies to give to each of his siblings for Christmas. I picked it up and read the first page and was hooked. What an interesting life! Mr. Miller and his biographer did not mince words when it came time to describe his life growing up (and his nutball m I would have never read this book on my own. While I know one of Larry's sons from a study abroad trip years ago - his father's life never held me captive.

Well, I was wrong. My BIL read this book and loved it so much he went out and bought 5 more copies to give to each of his siblings for Christmas. I picked it up and read the first page and was hooked. What an interesting life! Mr. Miller and his biographer did not mince words when it came time to describe his life growing up (and his nutball mother who def had some mental issues - who is still alive mind you and probably read this account of herself -- would love to hear her side of the story). Plus, he recognizes that his biggest regret in life was not being a better father to his children when they were younger. Thankfully he tried to make up for it later in life and spent more time with his children and grandchildren.

I do find it interesting that he and his wife are so frugal, but what about the stories about his children having everything they would ever want that travels around the Salt Lake Valley? So while I appreciate he and his wife being so frugal -- what about their family? How does that come into play? I wished that would have been explored in the book as well. And maybe it would have had Mr. Miller not passed away during the writing of this book, who knows. But I was hoping he would have talked about the contrast of his life growing up so poor (his wife too) and his children (maybe not at the beginning but certainly by high school) had more than plenty.

And while I find it very fascinating that he did not go to college and was able to accomplish so much in the world - it was really because of his natural ability to read numbers, his drive to work harder than anyone else (and he did too), but also because of his drive to LEARN as much about ANYTHING more than anyone else. When he gave his best he def outshone everyone else. I would just hate for some young kid to read this and think that college isn't necessary. Because unless you have some abnormal ability to understand numbers as Mr. Miller and his uncanny way of learning as much as possible and working harder than anyone else -- I think education is the best way still.

Okay, I must add that his wife, Gayle, is amazing. When I read the passage about how she and Larry would go teach together at BYU for grad students and she would describe her anger about being left alone all the time -- I cried. I think it's so hard for others to understand what it is like to be left alone to raise your children 24/7. I am very impressed by her and would love to read more about her perspective of what it was like for her to live with this man and this life. Mr. Miller did not mince words about his children and how him being gone a lot really did a number on them (only 1 of 5 graduated from high school - the rest got GED's, a teen pregnancy, twice divorced son... it goes on). What must have that been like for his wife? I got a taste of that in this book but really would LOVE to read more from her perspective.

If you're looking for a fun read about someone who lived large, worked hard, was intensely passionate about everything he did -- I def recommend this book.

Enjoy! ...more

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Mar 24, 2011 Kimberly Smith rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was not a "typical" read for me. After all, Larry was a devout Mormon, & I left the church. Larry was a bigot, and I am a lesbian. However, I chose to pick it up to learn about his business acumen as I was taught to do at a course I took called Millionaire Mind Intensive... We were taught to admire & model (the good things about) rich & successful people.

There ended up being lots to admire! He was very hard working, driven, competitive, detail oriented, organized, creative, &amp ...more

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Mar 24, 2011 Lesli rated it 3 of 5 stars

A few months ago my grandma had me read chapter 7: Numbers when she was reading this Biography, and it was quite interesting, and parts of it reminded me of someone I know, so a few weeks ago I decided to pick this book up from the Library. The first two Parts of this book were simply fascinating to me, and really enjoyed reading the beginning of the book. Once they got to the Jazz my interested started to wain because I care so little about sports. The rest of the book from there had interestin ...more

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Jun 19, 2010 Amber rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction

This was a fantastic book!
LHM was an amazing man...that 1 in a million guy who really lived the American Dream!
I had no idea the scope of influence Miller had on the Utah economy,
nor did I realize the extent of his empire.
I worked for LHM for a little over 2 years when my children were toddlers, and I can tell you that the job wasn't difficult, but the boss was. I have a new found, deep respect for him as a business leader and entrepreneur!
(AND HIS WIFE GAYLE IS A LIVING SAINT!)
Holly hanna, he ...more

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Feb 25, 2012 Lisa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In an interesting coincidence, I bought this book on the 3-year anniversary of Miller's death. I'll admit I was a little skeptical. As Doug Robinson (the co-author) wrote in the introduction, "For years, his auto dealerships televised a commercial that became famous in the state— 'After all, you know this guy,' the commercial concluded, but it turns out we really didn't know him at all."

No, I really did not know Larry Miller. Having grown up in Utah, I thought about Miller the way a lot of peopl In an interesting coincidence, I bought this book on the 3-year anniversary of Miller's death. I'll admit I was a little skeptical. As Doug Robinson (the co-author) wrote in the introduction, "For years, his auto dealerships televised a commercial that became famous in the state— 'After all, you know this guy,' the commercial concluded, but it turns out we really didn't know him at all."

No, I really did not know Larry Miller. Having grown up in Utah, I thought about Miller the way a lot of people probably did— he was that guy with all the car dealerships who also happened to own the Jazz. But he was so much more than that. I genuinely enjoyed learning more about Miller's life. I was impressed by the way he refused to let his failures define him, and became a success despite many setbacks early in his life. I was impressed by all the good he did for others. I did not realize that he was a member of the (LDS) church, let alone that it was such an important part of his life.

The book is a pretty easy read, especially for an autobiography. It's more or less in chronological order, but it's divided into topics rather than taking the reader through a lengthy narrative. It's mostly written in first person, with commentary at the end of some chapters from Robinson and other people who knew Miller.

I really liked the section about the Jazz. It was interesting to read about how close we came to actually losing them. They could've ended up in Minneapolis or Miami! Miller considered the Jazz his gift to Utah, and often said that he wanted to be remembered as "a man who loved Utah" (which I learned is inscribed on his headstone). Reading this section brought back many fond memories of watching the Jazz. I was in high school when they were in the finals in the late '90s, and I couldn't help but grin from ear to ear as Miller recalled Stockton's game-winning shot in Game 6. I laughed out loud at the memory of Miller running out in a headband and shorty shorts on retro night in 2003! I happened to be there that night, and it was hilarious. Having the Jazz stay in Utah was a huge blessing for the entire state, and I'm grateful to Larry Miller for his role in that.

The book concludes with a moving account of Miller's last days, including his reflections on his successes and failures. There is also a sweet epilogue by his wife, who certainly deserves some kind of sainthood for sticking by this man for some 50 years. Miller's own words sum up his life pretty well: "Mine is a cautionary tale..." His biggest regret was that he didn't spend more time with his family. I'm sure his family now wishes that he had not ignored his health. As I've watched my own father suffer from complications with type 2 diabetes (which ultimately killed Larry Miller), this book was yet another reminder of how important it is to continually look at our priorities. ...more

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Aug 05, 2010 Rob rated it 4 of 5 stars

Being from Utah, I thought that 'I knew this guy'. Not so. I learned quite a bit that I didn't know about Larry H. Miller. As a solid Jazz fan, I enjoyed reading his account of how the team was acquired, and his relationships with some of the players. His personal philosophies, family life, and childhood background are all detailed here, and this I found to be of great value because they are the things less obvious. It helped me gain a much deeper appreciation for the enormous impact and positiv ...more

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title link	preview: Driven: An Autobiography
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