The Book

First things first...

WHAT IS: A DELIBERATE PAUSE?

A deliberate pause is a conscious moment in which we open our minds and ask “why are things the way they are?” and wonder “how could life be better?” Pausing to ask such questions is a natural and uniquely human inclination. It’s also the critical factor that sparks fresh ideas and is seized by entrepreneurs to catalyze seismic changes—ones that allow humanity to progress.

A Deliberate Pause (the book) reveals the power of a deliberate pause (the action) while unveiling unexpected truths about entrepreneurship itself. Through example, exploration, and analysis of the innovative thoughts and achievements of more than 200 seasoned entrepreneurial leaders, Larry Robertson shows how each of us can adopt a deliberate pause and an entrepreneurial mindset to better our lives, our species, and our world. In the process, he gives us the understanding of entrepreneurship we’ve been missing—and need now more than ever.

The power of entrepreneurship isn’t limited to the few—every one of us has the opportunity to tap it. It is, as Nobel Peace Prize Winner Muhammad Yunus put it, “in every human being and in everything human.”

The many contributors to A Deliberate Pause bring to life the truth in Dr. Yunus’ statement. You will discover people, stories, and ideas you can relate to within these pages that will spark or support your own entrepreneurial spirit. The more than 200 people who shared their perspectives include:

• Muhammad Yunus, Founder, Grameen Bank
• Caren DeWitt Merrick, Co-founder, webMethods

•Bill Drayton, Founder, Ashoka

•Carter Cast, Co-founder, CEO, walmart.com

•Richard Tait, Co-founder, Cranium

•Robin Chase, Co-founder, Zipcar

• Esther Dyson, Founder, Edventures

•Dipak Jain, Dean, Kellogg School of Management

•Bill Shore, Founder, Share Our Strength

•Rob McGovern, Founder, CareerBuilder

•Sandy Robertson, Founder, Robertson, Stephens & Company

•Peter Senge, Author, The Fifth Discipline

•Jeff Sandefer, Co-founder, Acton MBA

•Verne Harnish, Founder, Young Entrepreneurs Organization

•Alice Waters, Founder, The Edible Schoolyard

•Dan Pink, Author, A Whole New Mind

•Gene Kahn, Founder, Cascadian Farms

•Steve Mariotti, Founder, Natl Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship

•Guy Kawasaki, Author, The Art of the Start

•Tom Szaky, Co-founder, TerraCycle

•Patrick Von Bargen, Executive, Kauffman Foundation

•Wayne Silby, Founder, Calvert Funds

•Peter Seligmann, Co-founder, Conservation International

•Michael Chasen, Co-founder, BlackBoard

•Nell Newman, Co-founder, Newman’s Own Organics

You’ll find a complete list of Contributors in the Community section of this website and in the back of A Deliberate Pause, where you can learn more about these amazing and wise individuals and their fellow contributors.

See a Q&A

with the Author

about the book!

“Entrepreneurship is important because it is a trigger to the future. It is the ability and the source to move forward. We, all of us, have to move forward and progress.”

Don Britton

Founder, Network Alliance

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