An Enterprising Life: An Autobiography

Few large American companies are as controversial or, reportedly, as secretive as Amway. Some previous books laud the American monolith as an inspirational organization that has helped hundreds of thousands of people to financial independence by putting the right products and sales know-how in their hands. Others have indicated that the company is a cult, pyramid scheme or fraud. And still more have been written by or about flamboyant cofounder Rich DeVos, who is credited with the drive that built the company. An Enterprising Life is the autobiography of the other cofounder, septuagenarian Jay Van Andel. He is the quieter of the two, and is thought by some commentators to be the financial and management expert behind the direct sales giant. Readers curious about the true nature of Amway and the principles behind its growth, however, will be disappointed by his report. Only four of the 21 chapters deal with the company (offering little new insight), while five others mechanically recite Van Andel's life from birth to age 25. Most of the balance is more animatedly devoted to essays on his political and philanthropic activities, as former chairman of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and director of the Gerald R. Ford Foundation, among other posts. Details of each project are interspersed with philosophical asides about Calvinist theology and conservative Republican politics, and with family reminiscences. Clearly and simply spun, Van Andel's prose has a rhythm that sustains interest in the absence of drama. A less sincere and humble person might have written a more exciting autobiography, but it is unfair to blame the book for being true to its subject. Illustrations not seen by PW. (Sept.)