When Fish Fly

A Seattle fish market is the setting for some powerful lessons on company culture. The authors describe how it's important to have a mission that goes beyond higher sales. Though the work is hard, team members at Pike Place Fish learn values, mental tools, and specific verbal techniques that support their goal--to improve the lives of everyone they meet. Helping society may sound like a reach for people throwing fish, but the coaching and outreach programs described here really help team members stay committed and energized. Read with calm enthusiasm by Michael Prichard, the story of this company's culture will benefit business owners who want to develop their members and do some good in the world. T.W. (c) AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine


After a brush with bankruptcy, the owner of a Seattle fish market transformed his business into a workplace that respects workers and makes a difference in the lives of everyone the staff contacts. The story of this transformation made the small company world-famous and spawned bestselling books, audios, and videos. The text is marvelously rendered by Kevin Gray, who manages to keep the threads of the inspiring tale pulled together in spite of an abridgment that feels truncated. That aside, the two-hour recording is a great lesson on small-group leadership, a compact guide to organizational change that all business owners should hear on a regular basis. T.W. (c) AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine