Books

Every customer a Fan

This is the story of Jim’s Group, as told by the founder. An account of how a $24 company grew to become one of the biggest franchise chains in the globe, with over 3800 Franchisees (and growing). It is an uncommonly open and honest portrayal that highlights both the failures and triumphs of people as well as their flaws.

This is a really unique approach to starting and growing a successful business. Jim has taken not only from his own experience but also from the lessons he has learned through talking to hundreds of Franchisees, both successful and unsuccessful. It is a business narrative that says little to nothing about strategies and organisational structures but a lot about personality and attitude. Always remember to put the needs of your customers first.

Biohistory – Academic Version

Biohistory is a revolutionary new theory that explores the biological and behavioural underpinnings of social change, including the rise and fall of civilisations. Informed by significant research into the physiological basis of behaviour conducted by author Dr Jim Penman and a team of scientists at RMIT University and the Florey Institute in Melbourne, Australia, Biohistory examines how a complex interplay between culture and biology has shaped civilisations from the Roman Empire to the modern West. Based on physiological mechanisms that adapt animal behaviour to shifting food situations, Penman hypothesises that historical changes are driven by changes in the temperament of populations.  It details the history of human society by mapping the effects of these epigenetic changes on cultures, and on historical tipping points including wars and revolutions. It demonstrates how laboratory research can be used to explain significant social and economic developments, including the fates of entire civilisations. The surprising conclusion of the author is that the West is in irreversible decline and that the biological sciences may be its final salvation. Biohistory is the first theory of society that can be rigorously tested in the lab, drawing on the fields of history, biology, anthropology, and economics. It describes how societal change can be predicted and possibly influenced through biology, as well as how environment, cultural beliefs, and childrearing practises determine whether societies flourish or fail.

Epigenetics & Character

Dr. Jim Penman presents a ground-breaking new hypothesis regarding why societies flourish and why they fail in “Epigenetics and Character.” He demonstrates how, as opposed to economic and political forces or the deeds of leaders, changes in the character of common people shape the course of history. Epigenetics, the study of how our environment changes our genes, is the key to all of this. To understand the true causes of social change and how evolutionary mechanisms meant to adapt animal social behaviour to shifting food situations impact human history, Dr. Penman draws on history, biology, anthropology, and economics. He demonstrates how a threat greater than global warming faces both China and the West. But also, how use of epigenetics could radically change lives and societies for the better.
Epigenetics and Character is a rewritten version of ‘Biohistory: Decline of the West’, containing updates on Dr Penman’s research project which have led to important changes in the theory.

Jim’s Book

Jim is a familiar name. Do you know the true history of the Jim’s Group and its founder, Jim Penman? Perhaps you just drove past a Jim’s Mowing trailer; perhaps a Jim’s Cleaning van is parked across the street every Tuesday; perhaps your best friend is laughing all the way to the bank after leaving the city and opening his new Jim’s Fencing franchise.

Jim is as complex and fascinating as the Jim’s Group, being brutally effective, awkward in social situations, and a tireless perfectionist. This book is an honest examination of his colourful life that goes in-depth on how he disregarded conventional wisdom to transform a few mowing rounds into a corporate behemoth based on consistently putting the needs of the client first. In this authorised biography, author Catherine Moolenschot sat down with Jim and over one hundred people who know him – from franchisees and franchisors, to family, friends and adversaries – to get up close and personal with the surprising story of Australia’s biggest brands and the man who made it all happen.