Personal-finance

Not a single insight. Not a single "aha". Go read something else.

Champy and Nohria have written a book that describes the traits and behavior that define some of the great leaders in world history and today. By pinpointing how each of these remarkable characters used a trait or actions in such a way that they became successful.

The Authors points out leadership qualities as a set of rules to live by. From "seize the moment" and "be prepared", to the issues of having a "higher purpose" and to "never violate" your values. And other insights into how important it is to "change" and "knowing when to leave". Each point is re-inforced with the real life example of well known individuals.

All of the people mentioned in the book are without a doubt ambitious, but such ambition itself is difficult to compare to oneself, because everyone has a different balance curve on their arc of ambition. As the authors point out, it's up to the individual to find their own balance between when to go for something and when to cut their losses.

Although I found it difficult to compare my own ambition to people like Nelson Mandela, Steve Jobs or Michael Dell, the book offers pointers, if not solutions to what the leadership journey should be.

Mr. Champy and Mr. Nohria have managed to weave a path through history, business, science, psychology and pleasure with this book. Offering insights and theories into the characteristics of ambition allows readers to see that achievement is possible for anyone willing to make the commitment, while the stories behind each stage in the arc show that success is not merely a "magic moment" that is reserved for or inherited by a select few.

The Arc of Ambition is as entertaining to read as it is enlightening. The stories of other peoples' journeys take this well beyond Ambition 101 and integrate it into our everyday world. The book encourages each of us to carefully examine our dreams and ideas, and to consider the joy of creating something of value for the future.

This is a must read for everyone, from young people entering college to those of us coping with the daily frustrations of the business world. It offers a path to making a difference.

John Fuhrman - Author of this book and "The Credit Diet" will be doing live seminars across the country. Here are some dates.
April 17th, 2004 St. George Utah
May 22nd, 2004 Salt Lake City Utah
June 12th & 26th, 2004 Des Moines IA
July 17th & 31st, 2004 St. Louis, MO
Sept. 11th & 25th, 2004 Tulsa, OK
Oct. 9th & 23rd, 2004 Austin, TX
For further info email info@creditdiet.com

If you haven't thought of how your financial picture looks or don't seem to be able to find the time to enjoy your family, then this book is a must to stimulate your thinking. Easy to read and written in layman's terminology, "Are You Living Your Dream" asks you the tough questions of where are you now and where you want to be in the next 2-5 years. John Fuhrman wrote a true winner here for anyone whether a professional or a blue collar worker as long as you have a dream and a vision of what you want out of life. He lays out a process of how to evaluate the advantages of a networking business and having control of your destiny and not rely on a boss or a company. Just remember "If the Dream is Big Enough, the Facts don't count" and keep going!

ARE YOU DUMB ENOUGH TO BE RICH is a candid "HOW TO" book on becoming rich by investing in real estate. Mr. Barnett (while using amusing antecdotes) explores and explains how to avoid the common pitfalls the that can destroy the novice real estate investor. Fortunatly he does not stop there, Mr. Barnett details the process and procedures (including scripts, formulas and templates) for obtaining quick loans for the purchase of real estate, how to find and aquire properties from motivated sellers and, once purchased, how to sell these properties quickly and for a predetermined profit. ARE YOU DUMB ENOUGH TO BE RICH is An excellent book for the novice and a great resource for the experienced investor.

Are You Dumb Enough To Be Rich is a clear, concise, funny, easy to follow road map to get a beginning real estate investor up and running.
Mr. Barnett takes the fear and uncertainty of the business away by giving the reader a great "pitfalls" and "summary" section at the end of each chapter. Without overwhelming the reader, Are You Dumb Enough To Be Rich gives you true "soup to nuts" techniques on how to get into real estate investing without trying to sell you another seminar or a sequel to the book. If after reading some of the other "How To" books you are still looking for a resource to get you going, read this book, It will put money in your pocket!

Bill Barnett puts a lot of tips into this book, such as how to present multiple offers, how to sell via an online auction, and also goes into tax credits,and other tips that make it a worthwhile read. It is in a very easy and interesting style. Good Job Bill!!!

This book suffers from the same problem that plagues so many other 'how to manage your money' books; it contains lots of casual chit-chat and very little actual financial advice. I can save you the $22.99 and convey all the money management information that appears in this book in three easy points:

1.Stop using credit to buy junk that you don't need.
2.Pay off all your debt as quickly as you possibly can.
3.Once you are debt-free, invest/save as much money as you can afford.

That's it. But of course anyone reasonably proficient at managing money would already know that. Since you can't charge $22.99 for three sentences worth of advice, Cummuta fills the rest of the book by weaving a tale of grand conspiracy made up of credit card companies, marketers, and media firms that are intent of getting everyone into debt by selling us things that we don't need. Hello? Is it really news to anyone that credit card companies like people being in debt to them, or that advertisers try to sell us things that we don't need? There's a smattering of good advice in this book, but I would suggest it only to people who are really struggling with debt. Even then, you would probably be better off using your $22.99 to buy yourself half an hour with a professional financial planner.

This book is a must read for every person, no matter where you fall on the income scale! It's easy to read and understand. It not only tells you the problem but, guides you through the solution. People are in for a rude awakening , if they don't begin to understand these dangers and start doing something about it right now! Bravo for John Cummuta for bringing us the answers and guiding us down the road to a brighter future. You've given hope that we can get out of the mess we've gotten ourselves into with debt. And you've done it an entertaining way. Thanks!

I am constantly looking for ways to help my employees have a better life. We employ more than 350 great people around the state of Wisonsin. The majority of these people live from paycheck to paycheck. I get many requests for financial help and I hear sad stories from many of my co-workers about the debt lifestyle they live. I have given hundreds of small loans to my employees over the years.
After reading " Are You Being Seduced into Debt", I realized that some of our workers were never going to be able to escape their current financial mess until they understood how debt can ruin their lives.
John Cummuta has changed my outlook on debt through this book. I have made it required reading for anyone who comes to me for financial help. Donald B Knapp

Marriage is a business contract, and men break the contract all the time! I never thought my man would divorce me. But after 23 years and 4 kids, he decided he wanted out so he could be free to play around (aka finding himself). So buy this book as soon as you can, even BEFORE you think your marriage may be in trouble. I think Amazon should give chapter headings in their reviews, so I'll do it for you: Chap 1) Bad Divorces Happen to Nice Women (that's me; was I TOO nice?) Chap 2)Think about Divorce before you marry (wish I had!) Chap 3)What to do when your marriage is dying (recognizing when he's on his way out, and start protecting yourself) Chap 4)Choosing a lawyer; Your Most Important Decision Chap 5) What to Expect from Your Lawyer Chap 6) What your Lawyer expects from you Chap 7) Your Children and Your Divorce Chap 8) Money and the Divorce Treasure Hunt (find the money he's hiding from you. If you can't show that it's there, you can't claim your share!) Chap 9 After you File for Divorce (the legal roadmap) Chap 10) Discovery: What it is and How It Works Chap 11) Getting Ready for Trial Chap 12) The Trial Chap 13) The Ending Chap 14) Special Issues (violence, etc) and Appendices with a great little summary of divorce laws of all 50 states.

This book would have saved me a number of mistakes before our separation, but at least I got this excellent advice soon afterwards. No one book can have everything in it, so when you are ready for the "meat" of your finances, get the Violet Woodhouse book, Divorce & Money; How to Make the Best Financial Decisions during Divorce. Good luck and God bless.