A short life of the author
John Yokoyama is the owner of the Pike Place Fish Market in Seattle, Washington, famous for its fish-throwing showmanship and energetic workplace culture. The market’s approach to work — “Play,” “Make Their Day,” “Be There,” and “Choose Your Attitude” — was codified into the FISH! Philosophy, a corporate training programme adopted by thousands of organisations worldwide.
The bestselling business book Fish! A Proven Way to Boost Morale and Improve Results (2000), by Stephen C. Lundin, Harry Paul, and John Christensen, was inspired by Pike Place Fish Market and Yokoyama’s management approach. The book sold millions of copies and spawned a series of follow-up titles and training materials.
Collecting Yokoyama
The Fish! books (2000, Hyperion) and related materials are collected by enthusiasts of business and management literature. First editions of the original Fish! are common and inexpensive, but the broader FISH! Philosophy media — training videos, companion books, and conference materials — represents a phenomenon in late-twentieth-century management culture.
Pike Place Fish Market itself remains a Seattle landmark and tourist attraction, and the FISH! Philosophy continues to be used in corporate training programmes worldwide.