A narrative management book and a historical marketing novel

  Frank Krake is what we now call a 'serial entrepreneur'. Previously this was called 'twelve trades, thirteen accidents'. Through it all, Krake proves to be a great storyteller. I accidentally came across his first book: 'The Disaster Entrepreneur'. First edition published in 2103 under the keyword 'management'. It turned out to be a fantastic autobiographical story about Krake's experiences as an entrepreneur in garden furniture. He experiences all possible disasters and they all have a disastrous impact on his business: the fireworks disaster in Enschede, 9/11, the SARS outbreak in China and a number of other things. He summarizes the management lessons he has experienced in the subtitle: 'overcoming when everything goes wrong'. It's hilariously anecdotal and I like to characterize it as a 'narrative management book', because why does a book for managers have to be boring? Encouraged by the discovery of his talent as a writer/storyteller, Krake wrote a second book. Apparently he realized that his storytelling is close to his gift for presenting all kinds of business things credibly. When Krake came across the story of a black man who ended up in Amsterdam in 1925 and then in Hengelo, Krake's own Tukkerland, the entrepreneur saw a new venture in it. The man, Joseph Sylvester from the Caribbean island of Saint Lucia, turned out to combine a boundless marketing talent with a pride inherited from home. 'Menthol' is the title of the book. Sylvester managed to sell toothpaste throughout the Netherlands, while no one had ever brushed their teeth here. Moreover, he always managed to use his completely exotic appearance in the little country to his advantage. He married the most beautiful woman in Hengelo! That second book by Frank Krake can very well be described as a historical novel. But in light of his debut as a writer, I find the interpretation 'historical marketingnovel' has its place. And then I also look at the execution of the book and the way in which Krake has marketed it, through his latest venture: his own publishing house 'Rachtbaan'. Of course, this is not about in-depth literature. But great stories that are told very well. And there is also some layering if you want to see how Krake teaches management and marketing lessons. Or actually Krake doesn't do that, but his stories do. Really nice to read and to share with each other. You are even tempted to tell each other about it. Hereby.   By Kees Groeneveld, FHI