What It Takes
Lessons in the Pursuit of Excellence
by Stephen A. Schwarzman
2 more
More Recommenders
“...Two such people @Benioff and Stephen Schwarzman have luckily for you put out two books that let you tap into their thinking, so I suggest that you check out Marc’s book, Trailblazer, at and Stephen’s book, What It Takes, at | A mustread, inspirational account. | Finished Stephen Schwarzman's book "What it takes". Steve's success is amazing in its scope and scale. How comfortably govt and business interacts openly in US and China etc. stories in the last few chapters is very interesting to read. | There’s much to learn from Steve Schwarzman’s contributions to finance, USChina relations, and computing, including AI research. His new book reveals how he has achieved the rarest kind of leverage in multiple fields. #WhatItTakes”
Source →“...Two such people @Benioff and Stephen Schwarzman have luckily for you put out two books that let you tap into their thinking, so I suggest that you check out Marc’s book, Trailblazer, at and Stephen’s book, What It Takes, at | A mustread, inspirational account. | Finished Stephen Schwarzman's book "What it takes". Steve's success is amazing in its scope and scale. How comfortably govt and business interacts openly in US and China etc. stories in the last few chapters is very interesting to read. | There’s much to learn from Steve Schwarzman’s contributions to finance, USChina relations, and computing, including AI research. His new book reveals how he has achieved the rarest kind of leverage in multiple fields. #WhatItTakes”
Source →Recommended by 4 notable people, including Ray Dalio and Samir Arora
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Amazon availability
Reading Profile
Should I read this?
Part memoir, part playbook, What It Takes offers long, anecdote-heavy accounts of deals, hires, and leadership choices from Stephen A. Schwarzman’s career. The useful part is concrete, clear career-minded takeaways about decision-making under pressure and scaling organizations, delivered through vivid episodes; the limiting part is the self-focused tone and frequent move into granular deal description, which can feel self-congratulatory or tedious if you want impartial analysis or short, practical checklists.
Read this if...
- •an MBA student preparing for private equity interviews who wants vivid dealcraft stories and concrete examples to reference in conversations and casework
- •a senior executive charged with scaling a company and hiring leadership teams who wants real-world anecdotes about trade-offs and hiring judgment
- •a philanthropist or nonprofit board member planning large initiatives who wants perspective on governance, fundraising scale, and donor-executive interaction from a donor-executive viewpoint
Skip this if...
- •you'll likely put it down when the narrative shifts into long lists of transactions, legal minutiae, or repetitive deal blow-by-blows; that stretch drags
- •annoying if you prefer neutral, multi-perspective analysis or short step-by-step playbooks — this is one person’s account, not a comparative study
- •not for readers seeking hands-on exercises or checklists — lacks structured, interactive exercises and reads as memoir plus advice rather than a practical manual
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER From Blackstone chairman, CEO, and cofounder Stephen A. Schwarzman, a longawaited book that uses impactful episodes from Schwarzman's life to show readers how to build, transform, and lead thriving organizations. Whether you are a student, entrepreneur, philanthropist, executive, or simply someone looking for ways to max...
Before You Buy
Reading Specifications
Difficulty:hard
Audience Fit
- an MBA student preparing for private equity interviews who wants vivid dealcraft stories and concrete examples to reference in conversations and casework
- a senior executive charged with scaling a company and hiring leadership teams who wants real-world anecdotes about trade-offs and hiring judgment
- a philanthropist or nonprofit board member planning large initiatives who wants perspective on governance, fundraising scale, and donor-executive interaction from a donor-executive viewpoint
- you'll likely put it down when the narrative shifts into long lists of transactions, legal minutiae, or repetitive deal blow-by-blows; that stretch drags
- annoying if you prefer neutral, multi-perspective analysis or short step-by-step playbooks — this is one person’s account, not a comparative study
- not for readers seeking hands-on exercises or checklists — lacks structured, interactive exercises and reads as memoir plus advice rather than a practical manual
Check formats, pricing, and availability options for Kindle, physical print, or audiobooks directly.
View available editions on AmazonKey themes
Why recommended
Recommended by 6 sources and appears in Most Recommended Books, Finance, and Business.
Recommended by notable people
People and public figures who have recommended this book.
Recommendation Signals
Recommendation proof is sourced from public posts, interviews, reading lists, and cited references.
Eric Schmidt
“...Two such people @Benioff and Stephen Schwarzman have luckily for you put out two books that let you tap into their thinking, so I suggest that you check out Marc’s book, Trailblazer, at and Stephen’s book, What It Takes, at | A mustread, inspirational account. | Finished Stephen Schwarzman's book "What it takes". Steve's success is amazing in its scope and scale. How comfortably govt and business interacts openly in US and China etc. stories in the last few chapters is very interesting to read. | There’s much to learn from Steve Schwarzman’s contributions to finance, USChina relations, and computing, including AI research. His new book reveals how he has achieved the rarest kind of leverage in multiple fields. #WhatItTakes”
View sources (4) ▾80%
Appears In
Not sure if this is the right fit?
Consider The Undoing Project by Michael Lewis. Recommended by 18 sources.
“Michael Lewis chronicles the friendship and intellectual partnership of Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky, who championed the idea that cognitive biases shape our choices. The narrative reads like a buddy story, weaving their discoveries into personal anecdotes and the drama of their collaboration. You'll grasp key ideas—loss aversion, framing—through their story, but the book focuses on biography, not application. Helpful for understanding behavioral economics' origins; less useful if you want actionable advice. The emotional arc of their relationship can overshadow the science.”
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Each recommendation is collected from a public source — interviews, articles, or curated lists — and linked to its original URL. Books with many verifiable recommendations from respected people rank higher.