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| Authors | Kevin Freiberg Jacquelyn Freiberg |
|---|---|
| Subject | Southwest Airlines |
| Published | Bard Press (1996) |
| Media type | Non-fiction book |
| ISBN | 9780767901840 |
Nuts!: Southwest Airlines' Crazy Recipe for Business and Personal Success is a 1996 non-fiction book about the American low-cost airlineSouthwest Airlines by Kevin and Jacquelyn Freiberg, published byBard Press.
The Freibergs, a husband and wife couple,[1] were working on a PhD about leadership when they first became involved with Southwest.[2] They operate a consulting company together inSan Diego.[1]
The book lists positive aspects of the company operations and culture at Southwest.Publishers Weekly wrote that "The Freibergs state up front that their work is not an exposé and make no apologies for presenting a very positive and optimistic view."[1]
The chapters are "A Legend Takes Off," "Basics Gone Nuts", "Doing the Extra Special Exceptionally Well", and "The Legend Lives On."[3] The first describes the company's beginning. The second describes Southwest's management philosophy, known as "NUTS".[2] The third describes theCorporate Culture and putting the interests of employees ahead of those of customers, and the fourth is about the management style from the executives.[4] Each chapter has a "Success in a Nutshell" section summarizing what Bellinda Wise ofNassau Community College describes as "the eccentric elements of Southwest's corporate culture."[5] Wise adds that the Freibergs "emphasize" the "caring character of the company" "to the point of sounding corny."[5]
James Routhnie ofEasyGroup, owner of British budget airlineEasyJet, stated that the company founderStelios Haji-Ioannou had referred to the book as his "bible" and personally gave him a copy.[6] Routhnie wrote that the book helped him learn aboutjob satisfaction.[6]
John Nirenberg of theUniversity of Phoenix wrote that the book "is the story not of one person or a small group of insiders" but instead "the story of what is possible when people are engaged in their work and their organization."[7] He described the book " as a fascinating account" as the opposite ofMean Business: How I Save Bad Companies and Make Good Companies Great byAlbert J. Dunlap.[8] Nirenberg stated that the book "equally leaves the reader with a skeptical view of the cozy claims" of the company's benevolence; and that it "hardly created a ripple upon its release."[8]
Publishers Weekly stated that "some critical analysis would have made for a more worthwhile presentation" although the rise of Southwest is "worthy of study".[1]
Lamar Muse, first president and CEO of Southwest (1971-1978), said in his own book that any similarity between the "real story" and the "convoluted tales" told inNuts! was "purely coincidental".[9]