An Enterprising Life: An Autobiography

The cofounder of the Amway Corporation tells of the adventures, hardships, faith, and determination that built a company which embodies the true spirit of free enterprise. He shares private struggles, public battles, and personal triumphs, from his early business ventures through his recent funding efforts in medical research. Includes b&w photos. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

When Jay Van Andel, at age fifteen, began charging classmates twenty-five cents for rides to school in his Model-A Ford, he had little inkling of where his enterprising spirit would take him in years to come. Yet it was this very ingenuity, combined with courage, faith, and a remarkable perseverance, that eventually enabled him to co-found and build the Amway Corporation, a multibillion-dollar company whose global success has become a symbol of the American Dream in its purest and most inspiring form. An Enterprising Life is Jay Van Andel's account of the adventures, hardships, faith, and determination that built the industry giant that embodies the true spirit of free enterprise. Here, for the first time, Mr. Van Andel sheds light on his private struggles, public battles, and personal triumphs, providing Amway employees and distributors, businesspeople, and entrepreneurs with the real story of a leader whose vision created a company that goes beyond the commercial by helping people help themselves. In this moving autobiography, Mr. Van Andel pays tribute to the people who helped him along the way. He describes his early business ventures with his lifelong friend, most loyal supporter, and Amway cofounder Rich DeVos. Providing inspiring and often humorous accounts, he recalls their early business ventures (including an air-service business with planes that tended to run out of gas!), their youthful adventures (such as their ill-fated voyage to the Caribbean on the leaky schooner, Elizabeth), and their hard-won success with the Amway Corporation. With heartfelt tenderness, he shares the story of his steadfast love for his wife Betty, a partner and friend to him for more than forty-five years, and his pride in his four children. Throughout, he continually attests to the strength he has derived from his unwavering faith in God - imparting to readers how this crucial influence has kept him going through the good times as well as the bad. With pointed honesty, Mr. Van Andel also confronts the painful controversies that have occasionally plagued Amway with its rise to industry leader. He uncovers some of the hostility of the U.S. government toward truly "free" enterprise and its attempts to extinguish Amway despite its inarguable contributions to America and its economy. Describing the various roles he has played within that government administration, he relates an insider's knowledge of public policy and how it has failed America's corporations. Moreover, he reveals the bias of some members of the press - and how they've fought him every step of the way by distorting the truth and placing sensationalism above justice. Ultimately, though, Mr. Van Andel offers a message of hope, because, despite these insurmountable obstacles, Amway has not only survived, but prospered - in the true fashion of the American Way. Now, having built a seven-billion-dollar corporation and made invaluable contributions to medicine, education, and millions of lives, Jay Van Andel shares his wisdom and insights into life, faith, and the meaning of integrity. As Mr. Van Andel says, "This is more than the history of a corporation, it is a story about the potential of every human who is fortunate enough to live in freedom, who is willing to work hard, and who is not afraid of failure. It is the true story of success."