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    How Starbucks Saved My Life: A Son of Privilege Learns to Live Like Everyone Else
    Unavailable
    How Starbucks Saved My Life: A Son of Privilege Learns to Live Like Everyone Else
    Unavailable
    How Starbucks Saved My Life: A Son of Privilege Learns to Live Like Everyone Else
    Audiobook7 hours

    How Starbucks Saved My Life: A Son of Privilege Learns to Live Like Everyone Else

    Written by Michael Gates Gill

    Narrated by Dylan Baker

    3/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    In his fifties, Michael Gates Gill had it all: a mansion in the suburbs, a wife and loving children, a six-figure salary, and an Ivy League education. But in a few short years, he lost his job, got divorced, and was diagnosed with a brain tumor. With no money or health insurance, he was forced to get a job at Starbucks. Having gone from power lunches to scrubbing toilets, from being served to serving, Michael was a true fish out of water.

    But fate brings an unexpected teacher into his life who opens his eyes to what living well really looks like. The two seem to have nothing in common: She is a young African American, the daughter of a drug addict; he is used to being the boss but reports to her now. For the first time in his life he experiences being a member of a minority trying hard to survive in a challenging new job. He learns the value of hard work and humility, as well as what it truly means to respect another person.

    Behind the scenes at one of America's most intriguing businesses, an inspiring friendship is born, a family begins to heal, and, thanks to his unlikely mentor, Michael Gill at last experiences a sense of self-worth and happiness he has never known before.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateSep 20, 2007
    ISBN9781429585934
    Unavailable
    How Starbucks Saved My Life: A Son of Privilege Learns to Live Like Everyone Else
    Author

    Michael Gates Gill

    The son of New Yorker writer Brendan Gill, Michael Gates Gill was a creative director at J. Walter Thompson Advertising, where he was employed for over twenty-five years. He lives in New York within walking distance of the Starbucks store where he works, and has no plans to retire from what he calls the best job he’s ever had.

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    Reviews for How Starbucks Saved My Life

    3/5

    364 ratings46 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Excellent.
    • 5/5
      Love this!
    • 4/5
      Michael Gates Gill, who came from a very wealthy, privileged family learns the to be glad for what he has when he is fired from his high paid job and comes to work at Starbucks. He sees the goodness in hard work, people and providing a service.
    • 4/5
      This audiobook is not complete. I was left hanging in my seat.
    • 2/5
      Completely typical. Privileged man loses it all and learns much by working in the service industry. Somehow, I never felt that way after 15 years in the service industry. Maybe I just spent too long dealing with some of the worst people ever. Or maybe I just had a bad attitude.
    • 5/5
      Surprising how such a boring story can be so interesting...I have finished the book quickly...
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed reading Michael's journey from his high paying corporate job, to his job as a Starbucks employee. I understand that Michael had a life of privilege but at times I felt it was shoved in our face. Ok, we get, it; you met famous people, you had a great home...now get on with the story about your journey from corporate world to Starbucks. It was great to read how he realized what a horrible person he was when he was in his previous position. It took the "Partners" at Starbucks to show him how to really treat people. I have a lot of respect for Starbucks as a company after reading this book and finding out their business approach. I would like to work for a company that treats its employees as well. This is a quick and inspiring read.
    • 3/5
      Audio book read by Dylan Baker

      Gill was a highly-paid executive with the largest, most prestigious advertising agency in New York City when, at age 53, he was fired. The agency had a new owner who wanted “young” people in charge, and Gill had become superfluous. He struggled with forming his own consulting firm, and had some modest success … for a few years. But 10 years later, when the reader first meets Gill, he is sitting at Starbucks hoping against hope that his phone will ring and enjoying a latte he really cannot afford any longer. It so happens that there is a job fair going on at this particular Starbucks on this particular day. The young woman sitting at the next table casually asks him, “Would you like a job?” Gill surprises himself by answering, “Yes.” Thus begins a new phase in his life. He can pay his rent, provide health insurance for his children, and learn what his talents really are, regaining his confidence and some insight into his previous life and his new outlook.

      It’s a pretty interesting journey, and, for the most part, I enjoyed it. However ….

      The book is subtitled: A Son of Privilege Learns to Live Like Everyone Else. In case we didn’t understand this concept just by reading the cover, Gill manages to insert some vignette from his privileged life every chapter … how he met Sinatra, Hemingway, Auden; or the size of his mansion (37 rooms); the time he saw Ali in his first professional fight; meetings with Lee Iacocca and other titans of industry; etc. I’m sure he meant it to help illustrate just how far he had come, or how difficult it was for him to change his outlook, but I got tired of it. I still give it 3 stars because I did enjoy it, and I was left wanting more …
    • 2/5
      Michael Gates Gill was earning a six figure salary as a corporate bigwig executive for an advertising company until he was let go. Shortly after that, he lost his wife (he had an affair that resulted in a child.), his big house, his money, and the lifestyle he had been accustomed to since birth. When he was at his most depressed and lost, he made his way into a Starbucks where he was offered a job. Needless to say, without any options or offers, he took it. Thus begins his year working as a Starbucks barista.

      I liked Gill's tale. He made a continued effort to change his ways and learn to work in this new environment. Gill was humbled by this experence was was unafraid to show all of his flaws and foibles. Even though he was privileged, he did work hard at his advertising job and he displayed that same sort of work ethic at Starbucks along with newfound warmth.

      I didn't know Starbucks, as a company, was that friendly and respectful. But, then again, the barista at my neighborhood Starbucks remembers my name and my drink order. And, did anyone else wanted a pair of Lobb shoes?

      Amending my review: I've been thinking about Mr. Gill and I realized I don't really care about his story.

      He's an Ad man who got downsized. That was sad but then he cheated on his wife but it's okay because he's spending all the time with his love child he would have spent with his children when they were growing up if he wasn't an Ad man. Okay?

      All the symapthy I had for him diminished with this and also the fact he felt he needed to bring it up every other chapter. Also, he is a racist. I don't care what anyone says. The Civil Rights Movement never happened in his mind.

      That's it, I said my peace.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 3/5
      Cute story about a 63-year-old man who finds himself in need of health insurance and a job. And he finds one at a Starbucks in NYC. I started working at Starbucks about a month ago, so I can definitely relate to the struggles Mike goes through. Being a barista is hard work! But it's also A LOT of fun! Good book for everyone...Starbucks employees, customers, and even the skeptics.
    • 3/5
      Disappointing Jumble: I'm not sure where to start with this review. I really, really wanted to like this book. I am a Creative Director (albeit not nearly as successful as the author was) and I recently spent 18 months out of work and had started to comtemplate a retail job when I was fortunate to find a job I wanted.

      Having said that, this book was disappointing. I can't say exactly why, but as I read the book, I kept finding myself skeptical of the story. I don't doubt the truth of the story, more the how and why of it. I just keep finding myself suspecting that will Gill is telling this story of how he's come to love his new found humility, the Creative Director in him had planned all along to write a riches to rags story. He recalls minor details and what he was thinking at the time, which I seriously doubt he'd have recalled months later. He also has the annoying habit of shoehorning frequent name dropping into common stories. It seems every situation he would find himself in would cause him to think of the time he was hobnobbing with someone famous. From Ali to the Queen of England, Gill seems to have met them all.

      Worst of all, it seems that even when he's telling us about his newfound humility, he's sounding awfully superior when he says it. He takes great pride in his embracing of the little people.

      It was an OK book, and frankly I'm surprised at all the positive reviews. But, maybe I'm just a little too cynical.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      (7 1/2 hours) True story of a very accomplished Yale graduate living in New York City, with a very successful career with an advertising agency. He is a man that becomes very hard on himself for not having experienced poverty growing up as if poverty were a badge of honor and more sincere than wealth. The wealthy are depecticed from his perspective as all arragant and maybe even evil. But, this is his life story. Anyway, at the age of 64, he is fired from the advertising agency, has an affair, discovers he has health problems, his wife divorces him, there is a surprise baby from the affair, and he finally runs out of money. When he realizes he has missed seeing his 4 children grow up from overwork, and his life is in shambles, he knows he is at the bottom. He is sitting in a Starbucks when a manager askes him if he is looking for a job and assumes he is there to apply. He decides to go for it and gets the job. THe story tells of the Starbucks principals of respect, rewarding job opportunities and dignity for all as the reason Michael Gates Gill was able to recover from the disaster he made of his life. A very warm and persoanl account with lessons for all of us in humility. His humor is enjoyable throughout. Narration engaging and easy to listen to.
    • 4/5
      Privileged majority old white guy loses everything and gets a reality check. Glad the guy ended up learning positive life lessons -- just too bad they needed to be learned in the first place. Good book, fast read.
    • 2/5
      What I want to know is how much Starbuckjs paid Michael Gill to write this book? Every single detail of how Starbucks works is crammed down your throat and not one negative comment anywhere. After reading this I assume the only job better than working at Starbucks is working next to Jesus in heaven. Micheal Gates was a high paid advertising executive who lost his job, the so called fall from grace. No matter how much he says he loves working for Starbucks you just know there must be enourmous resentment for the situation he found himself in. This book could have just been a magazine article. I kept reading it because I hoped something would change but it never did. The other annoying thing is that Gill does more name dropping than Paris Hilton. Gill ran the bulls in Spain for Hemingway, embarressed himself in front of the Queen of England. He speaks about Jackie Kennedy, Muhammad Ali and many more. Can anyone really believe he ended up working at Starbucks?
    • 4/5
      Michael Gill is a son of New York privilege (New Yorker writer/editor Brendan Gill was his father) who found himself in a personal and professional mess, mostly of his own making due to hubris and inattention. The book chronicles his journey from arrogant jerk to pretty decent human being.
    • 2/5
      I read this book hoping to get an inside look on how working at Starbucks is as well as seeing how the experience could possibly chance someones life. Unfortunately that wasn't completely the case for this book. While it started out good enough there wasn't enough convincing made by the writer for me to see how the chain could make an impact on my as a consumer looking in. There was a lot of whining done by the author on how he could no longer afford some of the riches he previously had (things the normal middle class reading the book wouldn't be able to connect to anyways) and there was continuous name dropping. "Oh well when I knew so-and-so" or "That one time when I was speaking to so-and-so" gets to be really annoying in such a small book. I was hoping for more humility from the author and didn't find it in these pages.
    • 5/5
      The subtitle tells it all. A riches to rags story (and back) with coffee. I can't wait for the movie!
    • 5/5
      I enjoyed the book a great deal. It really showed how you can be the top of the "food chain" one minute and working for the top of the "food Chain the next. I enjoyed the wittiness, Gill's ability for introspection, as well as his stories and comparisons to his former life. For anyone in this economy that must reinvent themselves this is the book for you.
    • 4/5
      Starbucks tends to get a bad rap when it comes to its effect on our communities and our social lives often viewed as a corporate Satan hell bent on destroying our way of life. Michael Gates Gill has another point of view. After being forced out of a career working as a ranking member within the corporate hierarchy, Gill finds himself out of luck and running low on business prospects. He ends up in a Starbucks and waywardly steps into a position as a 64 year old barista. Gill's story follows his own path learning the treacherous ropes of the coffee trade and reflects on his transformation from cruel corporate lackey to an enlightened employee who throws himself into a job he never would have wished on himself before. While at times How Starbucks Saved My Life comes off as Starbucks propaganda, Gill's transformation is very genuine. Starbucks places him into the harsh world that he has somehow avoided during his rather privileged life. How Starbucks Saved My Life holds nothing back. Gill readily confesses the mistakes he has made throughout his life and looks for a way to pay his penance. His interaction with customers and his fellow employees shows how fulfilling life can be when we are not caught up in the pursuit of a career or a better life. Gill's account is sometimes painful as he reveals his past sins and the tragedy of the sacrifices he chose during his former life. How Starbucks Saved My Life provides an unparalleled perspective into the things that are truly important in life and reminds the reader what they might be missing or could miss if they don't place their focus in the right place.
    • 1/5
      I was so excited about the premise of this book that I just had to buy it and take it home to tear into it. I had high hopes even well past the middle, continuously hoping it was going where I thought it would. It never got there.Over and over again, it reads like an advertisement for how great Starbucks is. I have nothing against Starbucks, but no one...NO ONE...loves their job that much. Especially not a rich middle aged former corporate shark. No one loves every customer. Or loves coming to work every single day. Or goes on for pages about their deep inner satisfaction getting a toilet clean. He doesn't complain about any of these things even once...puh-lease..And I feel as if he never learned anything. There was no growth on his part. No real regret for his past. No stunning realizations about how real people live.So disappointed...
    • 3/5
      A coming of age novel for an old man, it was really quite sad, but I was still unsympathetic toward Michael even at the end, he had very few good qualities. A quick and easy read.
    • 4/5
      A former advertising big shot loses his job, his wife and finds out he has a brain tumor. In a moment of desperation he accepts a job at Starbucks and finds the work surprisingly satisfying. He writes about getting to know his new job, while flashing back to his fascinating life of privilege, which included run ins with Hemingway, Sinatra and Jackie O. I enjoyed Gill's account of his time at Starbucks, but mainly because I worked at coffee shops for 7 years (through high school and college). So many of the details he talked about were things I remembered well. As a barista you really become a bartender of sorts for your customers. You get to know their drinks and names by heart and they tell you all about their lives. I was glad that Gill took some responsibility for the fact that his choices had got him to the point he was at. He didn't play the victim. It's a light, uplifting book. It won't stick with me, but it wasn't too sappy. Reading about my former profession was definitely my favorite part.
    • 3/5
      What percentage of people hate their jobs? It is high. Michael Gates Gill hated his job, but the enormous salary kept him plugging away at it. Then his company did him a favor: they fired him. Gill tried to start his own advertising company, but it was never successful. One day he found himself in a Starbucks, almost out of cash, lonely, without friends, and he was offered a job working at the coffee store. He took it and it changed his life.
    • 3/5
      Gill's straight-forward telling of how he began a new career at almost 70 would have been better if he hadn't done so much of the name-dropping thing. (I realize he was trying to tell us about his past life, but maybe one telling of being with someone famous would have been enough). Good information about working at Starbucks though and if it's really like that (hope so) and the employees are really treated with that much respect and dignity then I'd like to work there too!
    • 2/5
      I had heard some good things about this book and took a trip to the local book store to pick it up. I was excited to start reading it because I do love Starbucks and I liked the idea of the story of how someone finds happiness in a more simple life. I have always secretly wanted to work in a coffee shop someday too so this book seemed like a story I would enjoy. Well, I was wrong and actually only read half of it before I decided that there are so many books out there that if I am not enjoying one then I need to set it down and move on. The writing is not that good and very simplistic and it just never really grabbed me. I also got tired of hearing about the high roller kind of life he lived before reality slapped him in the face as I tend to despise these type of people. I am glad that he found happiness in his new life but couldn't quite digest it past the halfway point.
    • 5/5
      Michael had grown up in a wealthy family and was always able to go the best schools. His parents had good connections so he was always able to get a good job. He did not know or care that anyone else knew anything different. However, after he got older and was not cool anymore, he was fired from his marketing position, and he did not know what to do.One day as he was sitting in a Starbucks coffee shop in New York City feeling depressed about his situation, a manager saw him and asked him if he wanted a job. He figured she was probably kidding, but he took her up on her offer, because he needed a job and this one had benefits.He worked with people that he had never made any contact with before, learned new skills, and learned to appreciate life and friendship a lot more. Many of the people he worked with were much younger than he was, so teenagers would enjoy reading about other teenagers who had authority over an adult. This autobiography is an encouraging story that I would recommend to anyone!
    • 2/5
      In taped interviews author Michael Gates Gil, the former ad agency executive who ended up serving coffee at Starbucks after being sacked by the JWT advertising agency, comes across as a nice guy. I didn't find myself caring much about him when reading his book, however. Perhaps it’s because Gil’s pre-Starbucks self (who we hear a lot about in the book) is the kind of silver-spoon-in-mouth, pompous ass I really can’t stand. Or perhaps it’s because the book reads more like an ad for Starbucks (and simultaneous dis of JWT), than a memoir. (Seriously, how can absolutely nothing ever suck about working at Starbucks? All jobs, even great ones, have their moments, I think.) But (true confessions!) I am a Starbucks coffee aficionado, so I bothered to finish reading the book even though it was kind of ho-hum. Side note: I am contemplating quitting my job and going to work at Starbucks.
    • 1/5
      It's ironic that Gill says that he is good at writing. He isn't. There were times when I absolutely hated this book for it's cloying predictability and poor sentence structure, but by then end of this book I just felt so sorry for the guy that it was hard to dislike him. Evident throughout the book were lifelong daddy issues, which I found annoying. It seemed like he had always had opportunity handed to him on a silver platter, and landed successfully most of the time. He often flashes back to incidents when he felt that status was everything. I couldn't help but feel that he must have been a big jerk.By the end of the book, with his estranged family and new work attitude, I had to give Gill some credit. I have to think he could have been more enterprising if he wanted to, but I am glad he found happiness in working as a Partner at one of the biggest coffee companies on the planet.
    • 3/5
      This is a harmless, somewht inspirational, quick-read Starbucks infomercial. It's about a wealthy advertising executive who, after losing his job and some bad personal life choices, became a barista and found some level of serenity and happiness. The writing style will never result in a Pulitzer, and the content is a bit redundant. The portrayal of all the "partners" and "guests" was almost always glowing. The book doesn't make you want to visit Starbucks, it makes you want to visit THAT particular Starbucks. Again, 'a nice, short, easy read.
    • 1/5
      I wanted to like this book, I really did. The premise was great - a man who's had everything pretty much handed to him most of his life loses his job and has to learn the value of hard labor. Along the way he learns that he has been prejudiced and unfair in his perceptions of others.As great as the premise was, the resulting book was just slightly short of terrible. Gill does not have a talent for writing (to say the least) and the whole memoir sounds like a long conversation. He dips into his past on almost every page and often for no reason, and has no connections that make the memoir an interconnected piece, instead of a jumbled collection of memories.I appreciate his struggles and his attempts to make the best out of a bad situation, but the reality is, stories like his happen every day. There are plenty of displaced executives working as waiters, and doctors from other countries who are reduced to cashiering jobs at a local pharmacy (I've worked with many of them). While it's great that Gill wanted to bring light to his experience, he should have done justice to himself and others in his shoes and written a more coherent book.