In The $2 American Dream: How a Tunisian Immigrant Succeeded as an Entrepreneur and So Can You, Riadh Hamdi shares his life story of arriving in the United States with only two dollars in his pocket and only one new English word, ” worked”. Despite those limitations, he set out to create an incredible new life for himself. At a time when Americans are forgetting that we are a nation of immigrants, Riadh Hamdi reminds us that the American Dream not only works, but is alive and well for those who have the courage to pursue it.
Much more than an autobiography, The $2 American Dream is also a positive and uplifting book about having courage and perseverance while learning to put life’s adversities into perspective. Hamdi shares his personal story of how he found the courage to start a life in the United States, how he relied on the kindness of strangers, how he didn’t let naysayers stop him, how he jumped at the chance, from his first job cleaning toilets to becoming restaurant manager, security guard, fitness instructor, and finally business owner, and how he was wise enough to learn lessons from those around him to help him become a better person.
One of the things I liked most about this book was that Hamdi is not afraid to reveal his flaws. He several times shows how his way of thinking was wrong and how someone else – his wife, his daughters, a co-worker – showed him a better path that helped him achieve more success or more happiness. He too sometimes had to learn those lessons the hard way, through failure, frustration, and hard work. For example, Hamdi quickly discovered that being an entrepreneur required having many skills and learning how to manage his time well. When he opened his first juice bar, he thought he could sit back and let his employees do the work, but he soon found out that wasn’t the case and became involved in the operations of his business. The success he achieved led him to open more juice bars until he had seven, but then he realized that he also needed to spend more time with his family, so he sold two of them. Through trial and error, he found a balance between work and play, serving customers and serving his family, and experienced the satisfaction of a job well done and having time for himself.
Another wonderful thing about the book is the lyrical way Hamdi writes, a way that makes his message sink into the reader’s head. For example:
“Every day, you have to get up to make a difference in your life and the lives of others. Every day, you have to get up to make your voice heard. Every day, you have to get up to create smiles on the faces of others.” others”. faces. The reason I’m in this world is not to chase money. It’s to do good with the money I earn.
“I’m not here to take a job; I’m here to give a job. I’m not here just to consume, but to produce. I’m not here just to take, but to share. I’m not here to support, but to help. I’m not here to to be the hero, but to create a hero. I’m not here to give up, but to fight. And I’m here not just to be understood, but to understand. Contributing to others is what inspired me to start my business and keep it going functioning”.
The $2 American Dream is also filled with stories of others Hamdi has met who have found success, including his wife who has found success with a health products company through network marketing, his daughters who while still are in school have learned about being successful in gymnastics and making the world a better place, and the stories of successful people like motivational speakers Les Brown and Tony Robbins. All of these stories will inspire readers to strive for more goals, gain more wisdom, share their talents, and ultimately experience more joy and happiness in their lives.
The book is divided into twenty chapters, covering topics such as determination, doing what you say, creating a positive mindset, being humble, and dreaming all day and not just at night. Each chapter includes powerful exercise questions that ask readers to reflect on what they’ve just read and then determine how they can apply what they’ve learned to their lives so they too can achieve their own personal versions of the American Dream.
I can’t say enough good things about this book or about Riadh Hamdi. His words are full of sincerity and a strong desire to make the world a better place for all of us. He has learned to be a model citizen, a good father, husband, employee and boss, who gives back to his community because he is grateful for everything he has received in America, and also because he was determined to build the life of his dreams for itself. Too often, we forget how lucky we Americans are.
Riadh breathes new life into our country at a time when we need it most, reminding us why our immigrant ancestors came here and that their goals and dreams are still there for us to achieve, enjoy and celebrate today.