James Caan

The Real Deal: My Story From Brick Lane To Dragons' Den

After dropping out of school at just sixteen, James Caan started his business life in a broom cupboard with no qualifications and two pieces of fatherly wisdom: 'observe the masses and do the opposite' and 'always look for opportunities where both parties benefit'. Armed with this advice, natural charm and the Yellow Pages, he built a market-leading business with a turnover of 130 million and swiftly became one of Britain's most successful entrepreneurs.

From Caan's childhood as a Pakistani immigrant to the phenomenal success of his first company and beyond,The Real Dealtraces both his financial and personal achievements. It offers a frank account of what success at thirty really signifies and brings us right up to the present, including his impact onDragons' Denand what his charity work, from saving a hospital in London to building a school in Lahore, means to him. Ultimately, it is a story of learning what money is really worth, told by one the country's most insightful businessmen.