Book Review: The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss

The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss - 4.5 STARS
Personal Finance, Entrepreneurship, Small Business

This book is a masterpiece I do believe. Really it just opens your eyes to a completely different way of life. Whether you choose to employ the strategies described within this book or not, you will truly enjoy the journey that Tim takes you on throughout this book.

To be honest a great deal of what is included within this book is not of direct use to me. I am going to school get my Bachelor of Commerce (Bcom), then I am getting my Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation and finally my Master's of Business Administration (MBA) specializing in Finance or Private Equity. All of this in order to allow me to work within and later own my own hedge fund, private equity fund or venture capital firm. Needless to say, all of these directions do not make a 4-hour workweek very possible. Nonetheless, this is an amazing work. AND a real eye opener!

Please trust me on this one and pick up a copy of this and give it a read! It is a great book!

Quick topic spoiler...

Nevermind, I can't do it! This book is way to much fun to read and a poiler truly would spoil it!

Get it at Amazon.com!
Click here: The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich

Cheers,
R

Book Review: Affiliate Millions by Anthony Borelli and Greg Holden

Affiliate Millions by Anthony Borelli and Greg Holden - 3.5 STARS
Internet Marketing, Entrepreneurship

Borelli and Holden give a great overview of the business of marketing affiliate programs. This is a wonderful introduction for anyone interested in how this lucrative business is run or wants to start an internet marketing business of their own.

Now, this book focuses almost entirely on one form of marketing and the is Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising. That refers to such services as Google Adwords, Google Adsense, Overture, etc. This is perfect if you are looking for strategies on marketing in this way, but remember very little of this book is dedicated to marketing your own website or blog.

One wonderful aspect of this book is the fact that Borelli really narrows down your search for products and sevices to market. He spends a great deal of time sharing info on particular affiliate networks and how they work (Clickbank, Commission Junction and Amazon).

If this is an area of business you are interested in getting involved in, you currently market on or offline, you own a website or blog, you would like to make money online or you are just curious how this potentially lucrative field works then give this book a read.

Check it out here (Amazon):
Affiliate Millions: Make a Fortune using Search Marketing on Google and Beyond

To your future affiliate millions!
R

Book Review: The E Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber

The E Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber - 4.0 STARS
Small Business, Entrepreneurship

Michael Gerber really hit a home run with this book on entrepreneurship. This is a classic, and a must read (especially for a small business owner, or someone thinking of starting their own business). It is also a very good read for any mid to high level manager within a customer-centric company.

Gerber goes through the evolutionary stages of a company and goes in depth on pitfalls and strategies of a company at each stage. He also shares real life stories of his experience consulting with small business owners.

Join the "Turn-key Revolution" and create your "Franchise Prototype". I have to agree with the majority of the reviews on this book that I've read and say this is a MUST READ!

Take a look at it here (Amazon):
The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It

Enjoy reading this Small Business classic!
R

Book Review: The Millionaire Maker by Loral Lengemeier

The Millionaire Maker by Loral Lengemeier - 2.0 STARS
Personal Finance, Entrepreneurship, Investing


Basically, what Ms.Lengemeier is doing with this book is providing some basics (very elementary basics) on how to become financially independent.

I would place this book in the "business self help" or "business motivational" categories. I know they don't exist in traditional book stores, but hey that's where this book belongs. Right there beside Robert Kiyosaki, Anthony Robbins and Donald Trump.

Now for a brief review of this product. It isn't bad, I read it from cover to cover and even tried to do some of the activities outlined throughout the book. This book focuses on the merits of building a "cash-machine" (which Loral writes about in a later book in greater detail), and the importance of employing experts to assist along the way. She truly believes that no-one becomes a millionaire "alone", in otherwords she does not believe in the so called "self made millionaire". Loral's focus with this book is to show an overview of her successful coaching program: Live Out Loud. Her strategies include: starting a cash-machine (even if that requires qutting your job), investing in rental real estate, investing profits in more cash producing assets and creating a maze of tax-reducing business entities.

I think her system is sound and the formula would work. My main issue that I had with her throughout this book was her constant pitching of her own coaching programs and other pricey services offered by Live Out Loud.

All this being said, if you follow her advice religiously, and hopefully have a small retirement account to jumpstart your efforts... her system can make you financially independent. I did give this 2.0 stars because I felt that the pitching and the overly motivational and less technical nature of it was less than useful and a little insulting to the reader.

I could be completey crazy, because 93 people have given this an average score of 4.0 stars at Amazon.com (at the time of this writing). Check it out:
The Millionaire Maker: Act, Think, and Make Money the Way the Wealthy Do

If you are looking for a good beginner text on investing, business and entrepreneurship I'd still stick with Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki over this one. You can get Rich Dad, Poor Dad here:
Rich Dad, Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money--That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not!

Thanks for reading and please if you don't agree with my review... post a comment! Gotta love free speech!

Cheers,
R

Book Review: Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki

Book Review: Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki - 3.0 STARS
Personal Finance, Investing, Entrepreneurship


Well, where do I start?

This book is on so many people's "must read", "top 25", etc., etc. lists that I'm sure all of you have heard at least one friend, family member, personal finance guru, TV personality or some other expert tell you that you "MUST" read this book. Well, what am I going to say? Well... I can't say that I haven't recommended that people read this, and I definitely can't say that is is without merit. What I can say is... if you have read many Personal Finance, Investing, Success, Self Help, Entrepreneurship and Business books then I'd steer clear of this one. This isn't in anyway implying that it is bad... I'm just saying that it is more motivational than it is practical or technical.

On the other hand, just to make myself as hypocritical as possible. This book is a MUST READ! Why do I move on to say this? Well, if you are just getting into reading Personal Finance books then this is a great place to start. It will broaden your thinking, provide motivation and get you excited about further expanding your knowledge on the subject. As you can see, I gave this book 3.5 stars... not spectacular, but by no means poor either. This book is still to this day one of the books I would suggest as a 1st or 2nd read for anyone just beginning to read Personal Finance books.

Get your copy at your local library or here at Amazon.com
Rich Dad, Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money--That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not!

Happy Reading!
R