Choose Your Enemies Wisely: Business Planning for the Audacious Few Hardcover – December 5, 2023

I loved the outline of the book, how each section built on the next and great examples. By the time I completed the book, I was ready to run through walls. By it and follow through if you want to take your business to the next level.

As an MBA graduate, Choose Your Enemies Wisely was one of those books that hit deeper than I expected. Throughout business school, we’re taught to think strategically, analyze competitors, and lead with vision—but Patrick Bet-David takes it further by asking us to define who and what we’re up against.From a student’s perspective, it challenged me to rethink my goals, values, and challenges I want to face in my career. The book isn’t just about conflict—it’s about clarity. It pushes you to reflect on your purpose, sharpen your competitive edge, and choose your battles with intention.Bet-David’s storytelling is bold and engaging, and his insights feel especially relevant for anyone just starting out or about to make big moves. It’s the kind of mindset book that fills in the gaps business school doesn’t always cover—like grit, ambition, and the emotional side of leadership.This book is a must-read if you’re ambitious, restless, and looking for direction beyond the textbook strategies.

Excellent book not just for business but for relationships outside the workplace

Such an incredible insight into building a structure for success. The marriage of the emotional and strategic elements creates the path forward. PBD takes complicated things and makes them so simple to understand. True sign of a great writer, speaker, leader, and thinker. Grateful for this book. I have read it twice, and will continue to read it once a year to start the year.

Chapter 9 of the book delivers incredible value, particularly for those looking to perfect their startup pitch. It's concise, direct, and enriched with the right examples—truly an eye-opener. This chapter is especially beneficial for founders who have already pitched to investors and are looking to refine both their pitch and approach. At a stage where many founders might typically turn to consultants and incur high fees for such advice, this book provides the same invaluable insights at the cost of its purchase—a remarkable offering.

This is a great book about building a business plan of any kind and executing it to its success. The book has a motivational effect and many references to other good books that I want to read now. It helped me to understand some moments of my life better and gave a good tool for moving forward.

I watched "The Godfather - Part II" last night, and then I watched Patrick Bel-David leading a discussion on the PBD Podcast. Not only is there much overlap between the values presented in the 1974 film and the contents of this book, but in the podcast he spoke with a voice similar to Al Pacino. I'm not sure I feel particularly at home in most of the values expressed in this book, but I think he makes a good point about balancing emotion and logic. The core message, explained in the early chapters and the conclusion, strike me as insightful, namely that victims of oppression, harassment and bullying should try to make positive use of their negative emotions as means for empowerment.

If you want some real-world straight talk about success or are looking to take control of your life, this book is a great read with practical lessons and real-life examples. Pat provides actionable steps you can follow to focus on your goals and achieve them. This book will resonate more with readers seeking to take responsibility and persevere in their goals and it may not be for everyone.