Rags to Riches: Motivating Stories of How Ordinary People Achieved Extraordinary Wealth!

Book Description

From magician to manufacturing magnate, financial columnist to real estate investor, poet to college drop-out, here are the profiles of 17 ordinary people who started with nothing. Husband-wife financial journalist team Gail Liberman and Alan Lavine collaborate on an engaging and insightful journey into the lives, histories and backgrounds of people who have themselves traveled from rags to riches and are willing to share their insights. The authors add their professional perspectives employed by these people to amass and retain their fortunes, and tips to avoid the downside of wealth.

Each story illustrates a different wealth accumulation and retention strategy. Readers will meet the likes of:

* Bootstrap Entrepreneur Lisa Renshaw, who lived in a 10 x 12 foot room for three and a half years while she built her parking garage into a respectable business, now employing 300 people, with 68 garages and parking lots, and generating $28 million in annual revenues.
* Pro golfer Juan "Chi Chi" Rodriguez, a Puerto Rican sugar laborer turned golf caddy who developed fame and wealth by living his passion.
* Poet and university instructor Maya Angelou, who was asked to deliver an original poem at Bill Clinton's inauguration. Since then she has written 11 best sellers.
* Record mogul David Geffen, a ne'er do well high school drop-out who co-founded DreamWorks film studio and is now worth 2.3 billion.

Customer Reviews:

Great to keep you going ..........2005-09-19

This isnt rocket science but it is great to keep you going when you doubt your direction. If you have great plans and are on a mission this book serves you well with short stories, you can read one a night and it'll let you know some people have had it worse than you ... I highly recommend it to keep your engine running in tough times of building your future.

Simple people like you did it, now its your turn.......2004-03-30

If you think that you can not get rich because you don have what it takes, think again. In America everyone has a chance to get wealthy. Books like this show us how other people did it. You can do it too. Reading book like this is--motivating!

Zev Saftlas, Author of Motivation That Works: How to Get Motivated and Stay Motivated

Poor.......2003-07-10

I enjoyed the story of Chi Chi Rodriguez and how he over came illness & poverty, however, I lost interest when I read vulgar quotes from a gay recording mogul. I should not have to pay to be offended. I will not buy anything from these authors again.

A Work Of Excellence For All Would-Be Entrepreneurs.......2002-03-10

These stories which are put together by Finance Columnists Gail Liberman and her husband Alan Lavine are about ordinary people like you and me who have come into extraordinary wealth.

These stories presented to us people who overcame poverty and middle-class lifestyles, to achieve financial success to the highest degree.

This book contains inspiration for everyone, but first let me say here that these people did not become successful by good luck charms or magic or by just simply having a 'godfather' or any such thing. The folk in these stories were strong-minded individuals with faith in the ventures they had set their sights on, and they all made it single-handedly. They were not from high-society backgrounds or people with influential friends who were always in the limelight, for they had tremendous struggles, fighting against great odds. Each of them had some handicap.....some stumbling block in their pathways. Eg. Jay Thiessens who built a five million a year business was an illiterate man......yet he was a great mathematician.

These millionaires were especially challenged as children but most of them were given the encouragement from family members which allowed them inner strength and taught them how to make sacrifices and to be fearless of taking risks.

Read this book of excellence and meet David Copperfield, Maya Angelou, David Geffen, Lisa Renshaw, Del Hedgepath, Juan Rodriguez and so many more. You'll definitely be motivated and hopefully your strong will too will carry you from RAGS TO RICHES. Highly recommended!!

Nutface
March 9th, 2002

A bunch of biographies!.......2001-08-28

OK, I was expecting to read another "the millionaire next door" and I didn't find any trace of it: no guidelines, no universal rules, nothing. I guess the biographies are interesting in themselves but the classification of this book in the personal finance category is completely off, as it leads you to expect teachings whereas you only get examples taken from people's lives with no theory behind it....

Book Description

When it comes to speaking for big money, bestselling author Alan Weiss knows what he's talking about. Popular on the pro circuits, he details all the steps on how to go from free speaking to big-fee speaking. Using examples, tips, and checklists, he shows how to target markets, develop speeches, set fees, improve platform skills, use the tools, expand business, fashion a "star" image, and gain personal as well as financial satisfaction. Included is a resource section of books, tapes, Web sites, and other aids.

Customer Reviews:

The truth about the speaking business.......2007-05-21

A friend of mine loaned me this book and I started reading it. By the time I got to the 3rd chapter, I went ahead and ordered it of off Amazon!

No B.S., no sugar-coating it. Just the facts about how to make serious money in the speaking business. What you should do and what you should NOT do (sometime even more important).

The yin and yang of the speaking world would be Speak & Grow Rich by Dottie Walters and Money Talks by Alan Weiss. Both coming from different directions, but both equally as important.

Get it!

Concepts As Good Now as Then.......2007-04-18

Alan Weiss knows his stuff, and delivers it in an accessible and straightforward package. Never one to sugarcoat, his advice to speakers centers on marketing more than delivery. If you are looking into the business of speaking, this book is for you. If you want to become a better speaker, this book is only 'sort of' good for you. But its definitely good for your audiences.

It's Great, You'll Love It.......2007-01-14

Alan is the real deal. He tells it straight. He's really interesting (just like his talks). Read the other reviews--as they capture my experience that this is a great book for those who want to improve every facit of their professional speaking experience. If you're serious, buy the book. If you're not, re-read the other reviews again....until you 'get it'.

Bill Wiersma
Author--The Big AHA

Great book for speakers.......2006-03-21

As a new speaker I purchased this book to add to my collection and it's one of the top books. Weiss holds no punches and just gets real. Not alot of fluff and some wonderful recommendations to continue to help me to think like a speaker. I read the book in one night. I recommend buying this book and Speak and Grow Rich by Dottie Walkters and Lilly Walters to read together. The both give excellent insight into the world of speaking.

Helpful suggestions about publicity for speaking engagements.......2006-03-19

This book had many helpful suggestions about publicity for speaking engagements. Weiss seems to have made high dollar lifestyle from speaking, and leading workshops. He comes across as arrogant and opinionated, but the book is full of good ideas of where to look for speaking engagements, and make top dollars in the business.

It Pays to Talk: How to Have the Essential Conversations with Your Family About Money and Investing

Average customer rating:

It Pays to Talk: How to Have the Essential Conversations with Your Family About Money and Investing

Manufacturer: Books On Tape, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette
ASIN: 073668932X

Average customer rating:

Excellent Book!
The silver is buried in the backyard.
A Helpful Book
Disappointing

It Pays to Talk: How to Have the Essential Conversations with Your Family About Money and Investing
Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz , and Charles Schwab
Manufacturer: Three Rivers Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Financial Planning | Personal Finance | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Personal Finance | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 1400049601
Release Date: 2003-12-23

Book Description

Financial security begins with a conversation . . .

And that’s why Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz has teamed up with her father, internationally respected investing pioneer and bestselling author Charles R. Schwab, to produce this excellent family financial primer. This book will help investors succeed whether the stock market is going up or down, both in the present and in the long term. Throughout the book, the authors stress the importance of having regular and effective conversations about money—with a spouse or partner, young children and teenagers, and aging parents—and offer the perfect roadmap for starting and continuing those conversations, including:

• understanding the basics: stocks, bonds, and mutual funds
• building wealth over time, understanding your tolerance for risk, and developing and maintaining the right investment portfolio
• investing for your children’s future and for your secure retirement
• estate planning for you and your older parents
• preparing for life’s unexpected events

“A practical book for men and women, young and old ...It’s smartly written, earnest without being preachy, and offers down-to-earth advice on how to forge productive conversations about money between spouses and partners, parents and children, and adult children and aging parents.”—Chicago Tribune

“Most families don’t talk about money. Personal finance ranks with sex and drugs as one of the least-discussed topics and one fraught with emotional baggage....Bottom line: You have to fend for yourself when it comes to money, and the way to do that is to talk about it with parents, spouses, and children....We all have to take care of ourselves financially. This book is a good place to start.”—USA Today

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Book!.......2006-05-31

This book goes way beyond it's title... it is a great primer on financial planning and investing. In addition, it gives you a lot of ideas on how to open up the dialog with your family about money matters.

The silver is buried in the backyard........2003-07-08

The airline stock information is in your grandfather's wardrobe. The coin collection is behind the Meow Mix on the back porch shelf. Your older sister is going to stab you in the back. Your brother's neurosis may be an act. You're a good kid, but you won't pass "GO." Better make your own money.--Laurel825

A Helpful Book.......2003-02-19

I was always afraid of investing. This book is a great guide. It does a wonderful job of demystifying money issues that always have intimidated and scared me. A friend of mine recommended this book (her book club is reading it). I've read some of it out loud to my husband. We've talked about things we should have discussed years ago. It's an easy read, and a necessary one (at least for me). FIVE STARS ALL THE WAY!!

Disappointing.......2003-02-07

The authors make many good points about the need to have
conversations with your family about money and investing.

Customer Reviews:

Mankind's responsibility to God through giving.......2006-04-20

God gave mankind the responsibility to be good stewards of all He has given us. "How To Talk About Money Every Sunday" details those responsibilities with Bible scriptures to support this. I truly believe God gave Rev. Collier the inspiration to write this book and it serves to explain the importance of giving back to God what is His anyway in many different ways. It details how God has blessed us to bless others. A pastor friend has asked to borrow this book to read and share with his congregation.

God's word at work in our daily lives.......2006-04-20

This book provides Christians with solid scriptural text regarding money. I had the opportunity to partake of this accountability tactic because I am a former parishoner of this author's church - Canton United Methodist Church, Canton, Mississippi. It's simply amazing how the word of God works through every aspect of one's life - this book is a true example of that. I look forward to the next book of this kind regrading another subject matter.

Average customer rating:

How to Talk Money
Dianna B. Crowe
Manufacturer: Waldentapes
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette
ASIN: 0681321717

Customer Reviews:

One Disappointing Reference Book.......2000-05-23

I bought this book hoping to gain a solid understanding
of the potential legal "bullets" (contract disputes, copy-
right issues, etc.) that an Internet entrepreneur should be
on the lookout to avoid...

What I got instead was a 250-page essay on the history
of the (Canadian) legal system and the field of computer
science...

Clearly intended as a college textbook, this book is
profoundly misleading in its subtitle, "What You Need
to Know About Doing Business Online."

I would avoid it.

This is so outdated.......1999-12-28

It's scary. No fault of the writer's, because it made sense *3* years ago, but that would be like trying to sell a book in 1997 that is entitled "What Fax Machines Can Do For Your Business" or a 1948 book on "Why Your Company Needs Telephones". Doesn't anyone have anything new?

Great Balance of the Business and Legal Issues on the Net!.......1998-05-01

This book serves well in educating business executives on both the legal and business issues which are often overlooked in today's business transactions over the Internet.
Although I've not finished the book, this book at first read seems much too valuable to put down!

regards,
Nel,
Program Manager
E*commerce Division
Singapore Telecoms Ltd

Average customer rating:
Farmers' participation in agricultural research and extension systems

Manufacturer: Published for National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management, Hyderabad, by Concept Pub. House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Agricultural Sciences | Professional Science | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 8170226171

Book Description

Devising and performing a scientific experiment is an art, and it is common to hear scientists talk about the 'beauty' of an experiment. What does this mean in chemistry, the experimental science par excellence? And what are the most beautiful chemical experiments of all time? This book offers ten suggestions for where beauty might reside in experimental chemistry. In some cases the beauty lies in the clarity of conception; sometimes it is a feature of the instrumental design. But for chemistry, there can also be a unique beauty in the way atoms are put together to make new molecules, substances not known in nature. The ten experiments described here offer a window into the way that chemists think and work, and how what they do affects the rest of science and the wider world. This book aims to stimulate the reader to think anew about some of the relationships and differences between science and art, and to challenge some of the common notions about particular 'famous experiments'.

Book Description

Transport causes a wide range of damage to human health, ecosytems and materials which are not reflected in the prices for transport. Thus, the damage caused by cars, planes, ships and trains should be known and transformed into monetary values, so called external costs. Within this book, a method to estimate the external costs stemming from the emissions of atmospheric pollutants of transport, including damage from greenhouse gases, fine particles, ozone, nitrous oxides, benzene and other carcinogenic substances, is described and applied to calculate the external costs of a huge number of current and future transport techniques operating in different locations all over Europe. A number of case studies demonstrate how the results can be used to aid policy decisions. The book is an important basis for assessing transport techniques, discussing transport taxes and charges and implementing ecopolitical instruments.

Environmental External Costs of Transport

Average customer rating:

Environmental External Costs of Transport
P. Buckel
Manufacturer: NY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000N6CWH0

Book Description

This book explores recent developments in QIA and describes the application of the theory to different branches of wave physics, from plasma physics, quantum physics, and ionospheric radio wave propagation to acoustics, optics, and astrophysics. This is an up-to-the-minute exposition of the latest developments in an important new area, written by authors of outstanding reputation. A rich source of both theoretical methods and practical applications, it covers a wide range of problems of general physical significance. Until recently, there was no effective method for describing waves in weakly anisotropic inhomogeneous media. The method of quasi-isotropic approximation (QIA) of geometrical optics was developed to overcome this problem. The QIA approach bridges the gap between geometrical optics of isotropic media (Rytov method) and that of anisotropic media (Courant-Lax approach), thus providing a complete picture of the geometrical optics of inhomogeneous media.

Book Description

TOGETHER AGAIN—A Relationship Story

By Jay Bee

“There are things we want, and need to accomplish for ourselves”, I said to her, “not as a parent or spouse. We are put on this earth alone, and we will go out alone, not with anyone else standing next to us or helping us. Family and relationships are for the living. When we die, all we have is our own thoughts, memories, and self-respect. In the end, that's what is most meaningful. I believe your father understood that, and lived his life with that in mind.”

At the moment David was diagnosed with cancer, he realized he needed to “make things right” in a lot of areas of his life, especially in his relationships with other people. But he had no idea how much his daughter, Heather, would utilize his example…

Heather wants to get married. Bob doesn't. Inspired by how her dad changed peoples perceptions about relationships and life, plus all of the things he did to prepare for his death, Heather agrees to Bob's idea to develop an innovative “relationship contract”. While they are working on it, they realize how much their nontraditional approach will help both unmarried and married couples achieve happier, healthier relationships. Rather than generalities, concepts or vague examples, their story demonstrates specific suggestions and instructions how they improved their relationship. Their sometimes-amusing story climaxes when they have to decide whether or not to go through with the relationship contract, or get married.

Please visit us at www.relationshipcontract.net and www.eternalmessage.net

Download Description

TOGETHER AGAIN-A Relationship Story

By Jay Bee

'There are things we want, and need to accomplish for ourselves", I said to her, 'not as a parent or spouse. We are put on this earth alone, and we will go out alone, not with anyone else standing next to us or helping us. Family and relationships are for the living. When we die, all we have is our own thoughts, memories, and self-respect. In the end, that's what is most meaningful. I believe your father understood that, and lived his life with that in mind."

At the moment David was diagnosed with cancer, he realized he needed to 'make things right" in a lot of areas of his life, especially in his relationships with other people. But he had no idea how much his daughter, Heather, would utilize his example.

Heather wants to get married. Bob doesn't. Inspired by how her dad changed peoples perceptions about relationships and life, plus all of the things he did to prepare for his death, Heather agrees to Bob's idea to develop an innovative 'relationship contract". While they are working on it, they realize how much their nontraditional approach will help both unmarried and married couples achieve happier, healthier relationships. Rather than generalities, concepts or vague examples, their story demonstrates specific suggestions and instructions how they improved their relationship. Their sometimes-amusing story climaxes when they have to decide whether or not to go through with the relationship contract, or get married.

Please visit us at www.relationshipcontract.net and www.eternalmessage.net

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books