Advance Praise for Nothing Ventured: An American Life
“More than anything else I was struck by how frequently Steve Pease breaks away from his narrative in order to emphasize that he’s stayed in touch with people he’s worked with or otherwise crossed paths with in earlier years. Although he also makes the point in the text that he chose specific business ventures because he valued opportunities to make decisions independently, his independence in decision making has coexisted throughout with long term personal investments in relationships. An excellent balance, I believe.”
-Kevin Calhoun (Senior Engineer, Apple)
“Good job, great read! What are the odds that a Spokane boy and a Spokane girl, former husband and wife, both end up moving to a small town in Northern California, to live a few blocks from each other, participate in the same community organizations, and to share friends? After your description of my days as a Goldwater Girl and Republican operative, I may have missed your mention of the fact that I have fully recovered, and am now a registered Independent.”
-Karen Collins (Sonoma’s 2019 Alcadessa honorary mayor)
“How does a Protestant boy from a traditional upbringing in mid-century America discover a rich cultural heritage in his own country so fascinating that he gives up a highly rewarding career to venture into a scholarly study of two centuries of Jewish achievement and then tell the story to the world? Read this endearing memoir to learn how and why.”
-Marilyn Hewitt (Journalist, Author, "This Is a Soul: The Mission of Rick Hodes")
“Steve Pease’s memoir is a tale of growing up in what arguably were the years of America’s maturation—revealing the powerful combination of opportunity, education, and initiative that enabled tens of millions to enjoy productive lives. Steve has written a journal of the quintessential American story. From modest middle class beginnings to the fulfillment of the American dream, with experiences and unique insights that are particularly needed now, in the last quarter of the game, Steve Pease’s sage reflections are particularly valuable and meaningful for all.”
-David M. Hirsch (Chairman, Warren Alpert Foundation, Trustee, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute)
“An engrossing and personable look at real-life business decisions and the man behind them. Between his personal life and business dealings, Pease traveled to Russia some 50 times. Drawing on this experience, he provides insights into the present-day situation in the country as well as some more general political and personal views. He also discusses (and later delineates the points of) his published works on the success of Jewish people.
On the whole, readers get not just textbook management cases, but a well-rounded picture of the business world. An engrossing and personable look at real-life business decisions and the man behind them.”
-Kirkus Reviews (36 Indies Worth Discovering)
“You will get to know Steve Pease in Nothing Ventured | An American Life, and you will understand how his life is a testament to the daring concept that titles his memoir. Steve has enjoyed a fascinating personal life, and it is a delight to read his fusion of memories. He skillfully integrates cultural history with political and business events, and his intelligent musings about life, people and the times are entertaining, engrossing, and riveting.”
-Katy (Hungerford) McGovern (Former wife of Mark Hungerford)
“Steve Pease is a marvel. He deftly presents an extraordinary life as a series of learnings––not as a literary device, but because it sheds light on who he is as a person, ready for any new insight that crosses his path. A generous author in every sense, and well worth reading.”
-Lucy Merello Peterson (Author and entrepreneur)
“Steve Pease’s book is a very well-written tale of an exciting and meaningful life.”
-Harold (Hal) Phillips (Educational entrepreneur)
“The content of Steve Pease's book is informative about the nature of his character and of business in general. His work does a good job in distilling the essence of the times in the more particular details of the life of an individual. I was taken by the unique structure and dynamism of the early era of American venture capitalism as well as the unprecedented global interconnectedness and optimism ushered in by the end of the Cold War. A good read!”
-Julien Stefanki Segre (Student of Russian language and literature, Stanford University)
“I arrived at work with ambitious plans for the day. Your biography derailed them. I never should have opened the book because I have not been able to put it down. As a minor “Russia Hand” who is honorary president of the Russian cardiology congress and who (with Maxime Osipov) has written a Russian medical textbook (Echocardiology), I found your extensive adventures there insightful and riveting.
Self-revealing, interesting anecdotes told with candor, and the sense that, as readers, we are both welcome and eavesdropping, your memoir is a very well written and thought-provoking read. My only advice for you is to keep writing because you have so much to say and say it so well.”
-Dr. Nelson Schiller (UCSF Professor of Medicine and Anesthesia, Founder, Echocardiology Lab and Adult Congenital Disease Service, Director of Research, Cardiac Physiology Lab Cardiovascular Research Institute)
“This well-written tale of how Steve Pease, a native of Spokane, Washington, found his calling as a company turnaround specialist, venture capitalist, Russian business investor, philanthropist, and as an unexpected admirer of Jewish culture and achievements, rewards us with an unforgettable, informative personal history.”
-Jeff Splitgerber (San Francisco real estate investor, retired)
“What a great biography! Well written and thoroughly researched, Steve Pease’s story shows the fruit of his hard work, ambition, creativity and entrepreneurial skills. His life demonstrates the importance of both culture and serendipity, and provides a wonderful example of the many people who created the vital and vibrant country that is America.”
-Dr. John Stace (Rural medical practitioner, Australia)
“My sense is that Steve Pease epitomizes genuine entrepreneurship – in spirit and natural faculties. He seems blessed with everything one needs to become a successful businessman and venture capitalist, namely a sense of adventure, the ability to take risks, face challenges, and take the untrodden path. These qualities also shine through in other important aspects of his life such as philanthropy, community service, and scholarly research.
Learning what the United States, its Enterprise Fund (TUSRIF) and Foundation (USRF) did to advance the development of Russia’s market economy—and help transform Russian society after the collapse of the Soviet Union—was of great interest to me. The author served as a leader of TUSRIF AND USRF and was central to those progressive efforts. It saddens me to see how Russia has reversed course and is now destroying those positive and transformative reforms.”
-Yegor (Yegor’s story is told in this memoir on pages 172-73, 180-82, 198-99, and 338.)