Transcript
Introduction
Imagine one of the coldest little countries in the world. Think of the most barren part of that country. See in front of you a godforsaken place deep in the forest. This book is about a man who grew up in this harsh environment, which was to mark his whole life and fundamentally color the philosophy with which he built his vast empire consisting of thousands of employees and millions of customers all over the world.
The country is Sweden. The man is Ingvar Kamprad, furniture dealer. He aims to give his business eternal life. It's a long way to the country where an empire was built. Where he was born, loneliness, silence, and reserve prevail. The cottages have always been small. Survival has never been taken for granted.
It was here that the dream of IKEA first grew. This is where the rough outline of the whole concept began to be written by a dyslexic boy on a farm, two empty hands. The myth says he built an empire from nothing. But what are two empty hands? And what is really meant by nothing? Do love and encouragement, innate energy, desire for revenge, imagination, and curiosity all count for nothing?