Fun-money Books

This book contains 100 short essays of the author's insights of how to be more productive, successful, and happy in the areas of personal finance and business. To the extent of being thought-provoking and useful, I think the book is pretty effective.

My one quibble is that the title of the book gave me the impression that the content would be extremely relevant to money matters and maybe only half of it is. In other words, much of the advice given --while valuable-- can really be applied in all areas of your life, not just money. This fact doesn't make the advice bad, but be prepared to read more about life philosophy rather than specific money tips.

Though I've had a copy for a few years, it is still the only book I always keep on my desk, where I can pick it up, open it to any page and uplift my mind a little.

Probably since I've been on my own without the security of regular employment, my life is more like a work in progress than a secure routine.

I guess I survive and sometimes thrive despite the insecurity because of take the time to become aware of the creative possibilities that surround me, and then to take actions to at least attempt to bring them to fruition, while usually being appreciated and pleasingly remunerated.

"Don't Sweat the Small Stuff About Money" has proven invaluable since it is always handy to remind me that so much of life is wonderful and rewarding!

For me there really is a sort of spiritual aura to living ths way, but unlike more metaphysical tomes, the buck stops with the individual. There's nothing more rewarding than living as a creative work in progress. Try it, you'll like it!

"Don't Sweat The Small Stuff" By Richard Carlson, PH.D (printed in the United States. Published by Hyperion, 77 W. 66th Street, New York, New York 10023-6298 (previously published as 'Don't Worry, Make Money').

This book is a non-fictional, self help/motivational book.
The main theme of the book is how to live a life that is more productive, wealthy and carefree. It consists of one hundred short chapters, each with its' own philosophy like 'Be willing to change' or 'Remind yourself that your life isn't your enemy, but your thinking can be'.
Richard Carlson has created a whole series of "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff" books. When you read one, continue and read them all, they all go hand in hand. He is a frequent guest on many National Television and Radio programs. He lectures many enthusiastic audiences, both in the United States and Internationally. Recently, he was featured on PBS in a special about his don't sweat philosophy. He has paired up with his wife Kristine Karlson to write 'Don't Sweat the Small Stuff in Love'. What a great idea!
Don't Sweat The Small Stuff About Money" covers everything from getting rid of fear, anger and stress by providing practical solutions. In these one-hundred short chapters, Richard Carlson motivates his audience with his own philosophies on life and money combined.
The "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff" series of books all have a philosophy with each chapter. I find it motivating to learn different strategies on how to deal with life and its' problems. I love receiving constructive criticism, and there are lots in this book! My favorite chapter in the book was "Give, Give, Give". In this chapter he states that "giving is its' own reward". I am a firm believer in giving whenever possible. I believe this is the only way things will come back your way. Overall, I would say the book was instructive, memorable and inspiring.
The book greatly affected the way I budget my money, and the way I deal with not having a lot. He taught me that you don't have to be rich to live an abundant life.
I would certainly recommend this book to any college/university student, as most of us are struggling to get by! It enlightens you as you read, as it helps to know you are not alone in the money struggle. Great book!

I gave up reading Richard Carlson's "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff About Money" (formerly titled "Don't Worry, Make Money"), but only because I have other books that I'd rather be reading right now. Carlson's book consists of 100 short sermons about getting along in life, and it's all good stuff. Most of the lessons are obvious from their titles: Express Your Gratitude Toward Others; Think BIG!; Ask for What You Want; Charge What You Are Worth; Think About Purple Snowflakes; etc. Each is backed up with an anecdote and a bit of explanation. (OK, "Purple Snowflakes" is about being different when you need to get someone's attention -- such as taping your message to a football and mailing that, to make sure your letter will be noticed and opened.) I particularly liked Lesson 15, "Remind Yourself that Your Life Begins Now," in which Carlson points out that a ship's wake does not power or steer the vessel. We have momentum, of course -- and other constraints -- but it's up to us to decide each day in which direction to steer. If this sort of thing inspires you, Carlson's bibliography of 29 similar positive-thinking book may be of use. Or look for his other six Don't Sweat the Small Stuff titles. Good advice, all of it. The more seriously you take it, the more it will benefit you.

This book has been incredibly useful. I now recommend it to everyone for personal and business uses. The insight it provides is unmistakebly worth every penny and the gas to go and get it!

The good thing about this book is that it helps you to break the barrier between you and the things that you can do. This is the real point that I got out of this book. Otherwise, it is very limited in many ways. It is of much less value compared to "Self Publishing, Writing and Marketing Your Own Books and Booklets". The latter one gives you both the spirit and the knowledge required to get it done.

This book has shown me my correct publishing path. I am currently working on a history of corporate greed in America. Therefore, it's only fitting that I proceed independently rather than toiling away in service to the publishing elite. It's worth the 12.95 investment.

I didn't know anything about how to get my manuscript into the marketplace. Dan's shown me how to do that independently without wasting a lot of my time and money! This update to his previous book couldn't come at a better time. I enjoyed it.

This is a spirited and practical handbook for those of us who are looking to publish and market our books independently. It's written with good humor and in an easy-to-read style with real world recommendations that I found very helpful.

I learned all about catering from this book, especially about catering as a job and as a business. I wanted facts - and this book gave me that and more. Very thorough.

I don't agree with the gentleman from Mexico. Career changers should consider catering as a second career, especially if you enjoy cooking. Not only does this book gives you a good overview of catering and possible careers in the food/hospitality industry, but it gives you resources to really think about creating a business out of catering. Hotel students should not pick up this book because it is not meant to be a textbook or a course. That is where the gentleman from Mexico is entirely off base. My advice is for him to enroll in a real hospitality course, get a degree, and spend thousands of dollars on it for his level of expectation. For what I got out of this, it helped me decide whether I wanted to pursue catering as a business or not.

I got the ebook version, and thought it was one of the more informative books out there on starting a catering career. I like how it covers other opportunities in catering and even goes into the business of catering.

One of the problems with books pertaining to money management is that very often you are preaching to the converted. Unfortunately, many individuals who would reap the most benefits aren't very interested in reading the sage advice that is dished out. Perhaps, Randy Petrick's Money Games will overcome this reluctance and provide much needed money management counsel to a good portion of our population. He has come up with a novel approach in exploring how best to manage one's money.

And what perhaps differentiates this book from the thousands of books, magazine and Internet articles, as well as talk shows dealing with the same subject matter, is that Petrick presents them in a way that may be more paletable and digestible.

Petrick, in his introduction, states that the premise of his book is that it is possible for almost anyone to acquire significant assets. He admits that he isn't a financial wizard or a superb investor, nor has he inherited his wealth. Basically, he made his money a few dollars at a time. The trick or secret is that saving and investing money has to be fun! Consequently, Petrick has searched for the past twenty-five years for every possible way to save money. In essence, that is what the book is all about and every chapter of the book shares his ideas in demonstrating how we can have fun in building our wealth. One caveat, Petrick makes it very clear from the onset that the book is not how to buy real estate with nothing down or how to make 160 percent on your investments. There are no magical secrets between the pages of the book that shows you how to get from zero net worth this year to being a millionaire the next. Succinctly, you will not get rich overnight.

The book divides itself into different games entitled, Adventure, Bedtime, Bored, Card, Computer and Spy, Critter, Pig, Family, Geographical, Magical, Musical, Quick Hit, Savings, Thinking, Weather, No-No, and the Final Game. Within these chapters are a multitude of suggestions as to how to set aside a few dollars.

Most suggestions are quite well known to those readers who are money conscious, nonetheless, the book is still an excellent primer that basically reflects the old adage that it is not how much you earn that is important but how you manage your money.

One idea, however, I don't go along with is the second game Petrick presents. He calls the game "Strip" Poker, a fun way to get your friends to pay for your meals. How it works is that after you finished a meal with your friends at a nice restaurant call the server over and tell everyone at the table to hand over his or her credit card. Then encourage the server to put all the cards behind his or her back, shuffle them up, and choose one card at random. The owner of the card chosen will pay the full bill for the entire party.

If you don't wind up paying the bill, then set aside in your savings account the amount that it would have cost you. Unfortunately, I'm one that is not keen on splitting restaurant bills and I always ask the server for separate ones. To gamble paying someone else's bill who perhaps gorged himself or herself and had a few drinks to top it off, is not exactly a very good way of saving money. Sorry Randy, here is one game that should have been left out and it certainly is not "fun" for the individual who is stuck with the bill!

On the other hand, and particularly in our present economic environment, I will commend Petrick for reminding his readers that the best things in life are often free. As he points out, how much does it cost to take a walk in the park and enjoying nature. In other words, do we have to travel miles to explore nature when very often it may only be a few blocks from our home? Moreover, there are many free attractions close to our homes such as galleries, exhibits, music concerts, plays, etc.

And don't forget our public libraries that have been transformed over the years into places where we can borrow DVDs, CDs and many interesting books.

Petrick also reminds his readers about all of the "freebees" that we can receive from the various Internet sites. Check out the listed sites in his chapter, "Browsing Around." If you are concerned about your finances being wounded and debt is killing you, check out the "Machine Gun" chapter where Petrick gives us dozens of great ideas as to how to pair down our expenses.

I will admit that there is nothing new in this book that hasn't been rehashed thousands of times, however, it is the way it is delivered that will appeal to individuals who are really serious about changing their approach to saving money but are not quite sure as to how to go about it.

Norm Goldman, Publisher & Editor Bookpleasures

THIS BOOK HAS A LOT OF FUN WAYS TO SAVE MONEY WHETHER YOU HAVE A DOLLAR OR A MILLION OF THEM. I HAPPEN TO KNOW THE AUTHOR AND KNOW THAT HE LIVES THE LIFESTYLE OF WHICH HE WRITES. EVEN IN UNCERTAIN ECONOMIC TIMES, YOU CAN SAVE MONEY. TRY THIS ONE OUT!

I just received a copy of this book tonight and have only read over half of it so far. This book is one of the most uplifting and useful books I've read in a while. It has all sorts of wonderful advice on how to actually save your money the fun and easy way. There are also many references to web sites and other books to help you further achieve financial success. I love the way this book is written in such a positive tone and how some of the captions make me chuckle at times. I'm going to finish the rest of it by tomorrow, and even more importantly start practicing some of these great techniques.
Overall I would recommend this book to anyone interested in a fun and easy read and who is the least bit concerned with how they can obtain greater health, wealth and happiness! I've found my x-mas gift for everyone this year. :)

Wow I love this book. Devoured it it one sitting. Worth the wait. Waiting, waiting, waiting. But it is glorious and professionally done. Packing was excellant as well. Ann Woodward is a wonderful mentor. As a Grandmother of twenty wee ones, I will be making much good use of these instructions. My BAFA will be put to use once again. As a grief counselor I can help my clients memorialize their loved ones. Lovely addition to my expressive arts tool kit.

I have been looking for an instruction book for Silhouettes Portrait Cutting for years. This is it! Beyond my expectations! Wonderful

I originally found this book in the library and was intrigued enough to order a copy for myself. It's a good introduction and a place to start. If you are interested in the paper arts this is a must.

This book does not advocate greed because it includes the joy of the complete cycle, i.e., giving and receiving. "You give because giving is its own reward. It's fun," Carlson tells us. We're told in the second chapter that money is 'circulation' and that it needs to flow.

This book covers much more than just finances. It talks about life in general. On the matter of overcoming fear, he advises, "Rather than feeling defeated or immobilized by their fears and worries, successful people conquer them." On the life well lived, he talks about the charge one feels from being needed and encourages readers to invest in other people's success.

There are so many helpful tidbits on targeted living in this book. It has the information to enhance the quality of your life. It just needs application.

This is not really not the type of book you sit down and read cover to cover. I leave it in a convienient place and pick it up and randomly select and read one the very short chapters at a time. Sure enough it is just exactly what I needed hear that day. Maybe you're concerned, panicing, worried about your work, job, or income situation. Reading a small section out of this book will help you face the day with a new fresh perspective. And usually with a much better result had you not read it at all. For someone concerned about their own personal learning and growth in business and making money this is a must.

Teaching economics to younger children is straightforward when children already have an experience-based understanding of the concepts at hand. Jenny Found a Penny takes this idea head on with its lessons about money and saving woven into an interesting story to which many children can relate. Not only does Jenny find a penny in the back seat of the car, but she uses that opportunity to start saving for a special item at the dollar store. A hard worker, Jenny finds chores around the house that help her to earn a regular stream of coins for her savings jar. Readers can use the realistic illustrations of the coins in the sidebars to add up the money that Jenny accumulates. Children may also relate to Jenny's misfortune at the cashier's desk when she encounters the dreaded sales tax. This book will appeal to parents and teachers who are seeking an eye-catching book that encourages children to think about money and do the math in a creative way.

This book is so cute - my daughter is only 2 but she loves it and asks for it. I think it would be extremely useful for all ages probably up through 7 or 8. It teaches what coins look like and it teaches math skills (addition). I highly recommend this book.

* When I first read this book, I was totally amazed on how much mistakes that I have done concerning my job.
* You will look on more different ways to stay ahead and be control for your financial income.
* I have more fun in life now as I manage to change my thinking of making money, thanks to the tips given in this book.

I don't own a business but the tips in here are "life tips" not necessarily "money" tips. A great book with some wonderful "life" advise.

I bought my copy in an used bookshop in Surfers Paradise, Australia.. decided to take back home because of the honest, down to earth advice that some pages exhibit.

I have forund it to be valuable as frequent reading, one chapter at a time and in a random order.. its my opinion the book will be much more valuable if you have already started your process of committment to making money. By that, I mean your inner process, its the part of thinking that creates the path to action (that you must take).

Do it frequently, there is seldom time to talk to a friend who can advice you like this book.

I don't think I finished reading this book. It seemed like the same ol' same ol' chicken soup stuff. I found nothing new in the half of it that I read.

Let's not kid ourselves: there are perhaps thousands of books dedicated to motivating people, getting them closer to success, and so on. I have read a dozen or so of those books, but this one clearly stands out in my mind.

This book is separated into 100 easy-to-read chapters, which makes it much easier to manage the messages therein. Simply read at your own pace, digest, and implement. The honest and humorous writing makes it actually fun to read and look forward to future chapters.

Basically, this book tells you how to create abundance, whether through savings, change of perception, acquisition of friends, or other methods. The message is overwhelmingly positive and downright inspirational, as it should be. After reading the book, you will be inspired to take action and reach your goals as a happier, more fulfilled person.

I highly recommend this book!

This book covers everything you will ever need or want to know about soap making. It explains the three different methods of making soap and has some very good soap receipes. If you are serious about selling your soap, it covers all that too. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning about making soap for fun or profit. I have three different books on soapmaking, and this is the one I always refer back to to refresh myself about my new hobby of making soap.

I have 48 post it notes marking key information throughout this book. I am extremely happy with my purchase. It it filled with a ton of advice from cold process to handmilled to melt and pour to opening your own business, pricing, marketing, selling - you can tell this writer is passionate about soap making.

Her advice is pratical - preparing a work station, creating scents, interesting molds, many handy hints, checklist for craft shows, tips for selling on the web, etc. etc. etc. Now, I know there are a few comments that the recipes aren't that spectacular, but let's be honest here....most of us want to create our own recipes anyway, right?!

I'm not into the cold process so I really can't critique that portion of the book. Yes, about 1/3 of the book is a mini-course in crafts business basics, written by Barbara Brabec - a book within a book. For me this was extremely interesting and information I wouldn't want to do without.

I sell and buy books on Amazon and although I like to sell my used book, this is not one I will be putting back up for sale. It is here in my kitchen to stay.

I like this book because she gives a lot of other detailed info that some other books don't like terminology and hints and tips that others don't think about (like known allergens for example). This book definitely has the newbie in mind. It was very helpful to me and I WOULD recommend this.
It also has a great list of resources like where to find packaging or essential oils, and even fresh herbs. Pretty much everything you need to get started.

Probably not for the experienced soaper.

I have no knowledge of soapmaking but decided I wanted to start making it and even, maybe, selling it just as a hobby.....this book has given me so much information....more than I expected

Great read! Full of useful information and fun recipes. Great to use as a resource for any soapmaking project.

The founding CEO of one of the largest green businesses in the world (Ben & Jerry's) joins up with the CEO of a boutique consulting firm to show that businesses of any size can benefit from sustainability. In this well-written book, they lay out five dimensions of a values-driven business: relationships between your company and its employees, customers, suppliers, and community. Each of these gets a full chapter, as does the business's impact on the environment.

The best thing about this book is the set of action steps and checklists to help any entity (business, non-profit, institution, or even activist organization) incorporate a social and environmental agenda while in most cases actually becoming more profitable.

Examples include:
* Five justifications for why socially responsible companies are often more profitable
* Ten-point checklist to determine readiness to start the process
* Seven arguments for paying your employees well (my favorite: it forces the company as a whole to work smarter)
* Five reasons why profitsharing with employees builds a business, and six models to incorporate the idea into practice
* Ten ways to turn your employees into your partners
* 19 specific methods (many of them easy and no-cost) to reduce your company's environmental footprint

The other thing I love about this book is the use of clear, simple case histories, drawing extensively from the authors' own history but also from many other companies. You'll learn, for instance, about Clif Bar's five-fold bottom line: "the planet, the community, our own people, the health of our brands"; you'll also learn about Mal Warwick's extremely innovative charitable programs...Peachpit Press's amazing vacation policy...Recycline's commitment to reduce the waste stream...and how all of these and many other social/environmental policies actually help these companies be more profitable.

Shel Horowitz's award-winning sixth book, Principled Profit: Marketing That Puts People First, demonstrates how to build a business around ethics, environmental sustainability, and cooperative practices--and how to develop marketing that highlights those advantages.

What an interesting book, instructing businesses on how to be profitable AND ethical! I wish more people would operate in such a manner. I do, and always have, and now after almost 20 years in business can recognize when someone else (client, supplier) is less than ethical. I avoid them. I wish I had that insight when I first started! With only my vacation day payout and a few thousand in the bank, I started a computer network installation and service company. I was asked to bid on a job for prospective new client. I put a lot of time and thought into it and put in my bid. They asked for more detail, so I gave them that. They asked for specific part numbers, so I gave them that. They asked for an implementation map, so I added that. After a couple of weeks and dozens of pages of instructions...they had all they needed to do the job themselves - and that's just what they did. They bought all the goods mail-order and pulled the cabling per my freeloaded instructions, same as they re-mapped their servers, changed their operating system license, etc. I learned a lesson that day. If businesspeople can legally (but unethically) steal from you, the usually will. Oh, the name of the company that did this to when I was first starting out? Take a guess...the big hypocrites.

A delightful read for the budding social entrepreneur. Chock full of practical ways in which the hopelessly hopeful idealist can profit by doing good. Or, as the saying goes, one might hope to use the lessons from this book to, "do well by doing good."

Using examples from their personal experiences and from a wide variety of U.S. companies, Ben Cohen and Mal Warwick show how companies have incorporated socially progressive and environmental values into their daily business practices. The authors insist that companies can help their communities and make money at the same time, adding a new dimension to traditional business models, which focus only on profits. Although the authors' enthusiasms sometimes carry them away - for example, they insist that customers who don't share your values will respect you so much for them that they'll stay loyal anyway - the "values-driven business" is an idea whose time has come. We recommend this book to business owners large and small who want the benefits of their work to extend beyond just themselves and their stakeholders.

I eventually want to start my own apparel business, but I know the industry is rife with ethical abuse. Because of this, I want to run a business that does as little harm and as much good as possible. Until a few weeks ago, I was not sure how to bring that ideal to practical fruition. After receiving "Values-Driven Business" from someone who works for a socially responsible company, many of my questions were answered.

Why am I glad I read the book? Here are some attributes:

1) It is quick to read, enjoyable, and optimistic. No gloom and doom.
2) It is a fantastic overview of socially responsible business. This is NOT a deep, complicated analysis of the topic. It is simple enough for people who aren't sure where to start and need an introduction, yet has interesting, enlightening examples for someone already familiar with socially responsible business.
3) It is well organized. The authors go over five dimensions of values-driven businesses (some of which I had not considered): employees, suppliers, customers, community (local and global), and the environment. At the end of each section is a list of specific actions that one might consider incorporating into a business to create positive change.
4) The text goes beyond black and white binary opposition, and challenges assumptions about socially responsible businesses (e.g., they can't make a profit, they make inferior products, etc.).
5) Practical examples of values-driven companies comprise the backbone of the text. This shows the principles at work, and shows that two businesses can have different ways of incorporating values; there is not one "right" way to be socially responsible. Reading about all the different solutions people have devised to make a difference was my favorite part of the book!

I highly recommend this book as a concise introduction that is chock-full of inspiring examples of values-driven businesses in action. It will empower you to make abstract ideals a reality and it provides an excellent foundation for further inquiry!