Money

This is a book that is good on a number of levels. We may extrapolate these layers of quality from an analysis of thetitle. First word "help" implies help, always a helpful concept. Next two words, "the basics" speak to the ignorant and slothful among us, such as me. I know I couldn't handle "the advanceds." Final two words "borrowing money," tie the bundle toegther. Who doesn;t want to borrow money? I do it, you do it, we all do it. Even the United States government does it. Even the African government does it. Especially the African government. In short, this a book you can judge by its cover.

I was sitting in a Parisian night club one saturday, slowly consuming a glass of sherry and staring off into the moonlight. The waiter causually dropped the check on my table but, reaching into my pocket, I discovered a I had left my wallet back at the lodge. Desperately searching around my eyes chanced to fall on Mr. Gross'economic wunderkind, which I was reading on account of an unrelated fiscal shinanigan. Covertly I ripped a corner of a page and, employing my origami technique, transformed it into a miniature cricket. Placing the malevolent paper insect into my sherry, with the wrath of an avaricious panda I levelled expletives upon the waiter. The matter of my check sorted, I grabbed by coat and made off into the moonlight like oh so many expatriot romantics of the past. Thanks Mr. Gross.

The text opens with Robin's ganddad, Shmooley Gross, disembarking from the Mayflower. Life was not easy for the first dradle salesman in America. It was hard to establish a viable client base, while remaining true to his heritage. Shmooley eventually cut his losses and opened the first Chinese take out restaurant in America. It was called "Cathay Cookery." Then the Revolutionary War broke out. Business went south and Schmooley turned over the family business to his son, Schmooley II. The moral of the story is that Chinese food is awesome.

This book has changed my way of thinking. Gary Keller and Dave Jenks do a remarkable job of mapping out the path to netting over a million dollars. I am currently reading this book for the second time and I plan on reading it ten more times. Our team has made some serious changes after reading this book and we are seeing the benefits and how easy it can be accomplished. Remember we are all in the Lead Generating Business. I wish you all the success after you follow the MILLIONAIRE REAL ESTATE AGENT Book.

Tremendous!!!,
Gary Keller, Dave Jenks and Jay PApasan have really laid this business of real estate sales out for the Real Estate agent that views their practice as a business. Agents that read this book-- get ready to get control of your business. He talks about mastery in the areas of lead generation, Profitablity, accountabliity, tracking, Recruiting help, grooming lead help and growing a Mega Agent practice within your current work environment. I've already experienced unbelievable results by using the principles taught in this book. I have made adjustments in my practice that are already producing significant results and profit after just a few short months. I'm on my second reading of this book and I am discovering things I missed the first time around. I think this book may revolutionize the real estate business form the agent's prospective. This is a must read for anyone that wants to take their business to its full potential!! Buy this book!!!
Tom

Anyone building a real estate business would do themselves a great favor by picking up this book. I've used the models in the Millionaire Agent as a framework to coach my real estate clients to their next levels of success. In fact, my other business clients have also gained great benefits by applying the model of using solid models, as well. The authors boil down the real estate game into something simple and tangible, the 3 L's -- Leads, Listings, and Leverage. Many agents understand the leads and listings part of the equation. My clients tend to struggle with the 3rd part, leverage. Instead of building leverage, they find themselves battling with the 4th L -- Liability.

Ideally, leverage results when you have a clear system and good tools for getting the work done. Liability and struggle occurs when you don't. Leverage occurs when you find the right people to plug into your team. Liability occurs when your people cause you more work and headaches than they save you. The people problem generally rears its ugly head when you aren't clear about your standards for operating and how you'd like a team member to fit into your system. This often occurs when you hire from a position of "needing a warm body" or trying to help someone out by providing a job. Instead, it's necessary to take the time to research successful real estate models, implement a solid work system, and search for the right person(s) to plug into it. The result is a great big opportunity for you and your ideal employees.

Regardless of where you find yourself in the real estate industry, chances are you will see yourself in this book and discover a few great millionaire models to emulate.

This book is worth hundreds or thousands of dollars if you consider the money you'll save with it. It's concise, well-written, and insightful. It covers everything from buying vs. leasing, extended warranties, negotiating strategies, financing, and trade-ins. I highly recommend the "fax attack" approach that the book describes it detail. It's fun and painless! I used it to buy a new Navigator three years ago and saved more than $2000!Today, I'm using this new edition, which has a chapter on used car buying and internet shopping, to get a quality used car at a fair price. Mr. Bragg won't let you down. He's your coach all the way with plenty of moral support! Ladies and people of color will be amazed at the discriminatory practices used against them -- just knowing what to expect will put you back in control.

What an incredible book, and what a great service to the auto-buying community Mr. Bragg has done! He reveals how the auto business works, then arms you with the tools to cut through the B.S., and get the best possible deal you can. Using his 'Fax Attack' method, we purchased a new car for $2000 under MSRP! If you're in the market to buy a new car, you CANNOT MISS using this book. Get it NOW!

This book and Mr. Bragg's "Fighting Chance" information are the most powerful combination of tools you need to purchase a new vehicle. You aren't just learning how to negotiate the price of a car, or just good negotiation skills - you are really learning the auto sales business and techniques, as well as reinventing the way in which to purchase a new car. Following Mr. Bragg's advice (especially the "Fax Attack" method) you really do become the cat instead of the mouse. You do NOT need to walk into a dealership and negotiate price. Use the Fax Attack method and just wait for dealers to call with quotes; field the lowest offers, and start them on a bidding war against each other! I actually found the process fun (surprise that buying a new car could be fun!). And I got a new 2004 Toyota Corolla for $500 under invoice!

AFTER BUYING MULTIPLE MONEY BOOKS AND NEVER FINDING THE ADVICE PARTICULARLY USEFUL, "SIMPLE MONEY SOLUTIONS" BY NANCY LLOYD IS A DELIGHTFUL SURPRISE. FOLLOWING HER ADVICE IS QUICK AND PAINLESS. BUT BETTER STILL, THIS BOOK DOES NOT CONTAIN THOSE FLAKY QUICK FIXES TOUTED ON TELEVISION BY NO-NOTHING "EXPERTS" WHO GIVE QUESTIONABLE ADVICE AND HAVE EVEN MORE QUESTIONABLE "CREDENTIALS."

NANCY LLOYD, BY CONTRRAST, IS A FORMER FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD ECONOMIST SO SHE KNOWS WHAT SHE'S TALKING ABOUT AND EVEN MORE IMPORTANT SHE EXPLAINS IT IN UNIQUE, HUMOROUS AND VERY DO-ABLE WAYS.

AND THE ADVICE WORKS. SHE SHOWED ME THE FASTEST AND LEAST EXPENSIVE WAYS TO PAY OFF MY CREDIT CARD DEBT AND SLASH BANK COSTS. WITH THE MONEY I SAVED BY FOLLOWING THIS ADVICE I HAD AN EXTRA $200 A MONTH TO INVEST. NANCY DID NOT LET ME DOWN THERE EITHER. SHE SHOWED HOW TO FIND WELL-DIVERSIFIED INVESTMENTS AND MUTUAL FUNDS WITHOUT MAKING COMMON AND COSTLY BUT STUPID MISTAKES THAT MY FRIENDS DID.

YOU HAVE A CHOICE. YOU CAN TRY TO MAKE ADVICE ON YOUR OWN OR YOU CAN TURN TO THIS SPECTACULAR BOOK AND TAKE THE WORRY AND DOUBT OUT OF MAKING MONEY.

As I hit my late 30's I began to notice changes in my life, my mood and even my spending habits. By themselves I didn't think it was a big deal but then I saw Nancy Lloyd and Dr. Northrup on television talking about money and menopause, respectively. What each said really hit home.

Like a lot of women my age I was coasting through what I considered a normal life. It's not that I was unhappy but I knew that I could have felt more satisfied. This book by Nancy Lloyd and "THE WISDOM OF MENOPAUSE" by Dr. Northrup have shown me how to take charge of my life, resolve unfinished family business and start to realize some life-long dreams.

I have started taking some estrogen replacement per Dr. Northrup and have finally begun to deal with my finances per Nancy Lloyd.

I've not only paid down my credit card debt but I'm finally managing my 401(k) retirement savings plan and created a Living Trust to help my family down the road.

The difference in my life and relationships is astounding. I feel like a different person. With the fear of menopause and unresolved financial matters no longer hanging over my head I'm told I even look younger.

"THE WISDOM OF MENOPAUSE" and "SIMPLE MONEY SOLUTIONS" are life changing books. I can't recommend them too highly!

If you have been trying to make money in the markets or even just getting started by paying off debts then you -- like most of us -- have probably bought many books that purported to help you manage your finances and create wealth.

Like most of us those other books probably did not work for you --even if they were recommended by TV celebrities who know nothing about finances but can't resist recommending books for other motives.

If those other inferior books did work as they were purported to then why would you still be looking for a book with usable answers?

This book, Simple Money Solutions, is a stunning exception.
The advice is accurate. It includes an array of advice because money advice is not one size fits all. And the advice never becomes obsolete. It does stand the test of time!

In fact those other books that claim to have THE One and Only answer is almost guaranteed to be nothing but a book built on unproven gimmicks or trendy tricks that do NOT work and that certainly won't work over the long haul.

This book and its author, Nancy Lloyd, have taken a different and sound approach to money matters. She presents the issues we're all struggling with out in a clear and concise way and then lays out the options, including financial products, services and strategies to implement various plans.

My neighbor and I both read this book but based on our individual situations we chose different financial strategies that fit our unique lives.

I have now thrown my other financial advice books out (I wouldn't even give them away for fear that some unsuspecting reader would follow those other books' feeble and inaccurate advice).

But I have been punked by other books for the last time.

Simple Money Solutions is a KEEPER!!

Why wasn't "Money Doesn't Grow on Trees" around when I was growing up? Sure, I heard the expression plenty of times, but I didn't learn the practical values behind the words. Now thanks to Ellie Kay's wonderful new book, this fortysomething kid is finally learning the value of a buck! Although this book is geared to parents and kids, you don't have to be a parent OR a kid to glean valuable--and practical--monetary lessons from it. Thanks, Ellie, for showing me it's never too late (or too early) to learn how to handle money wisely. And thanks for making it so much fun in the process! Gotta run go set up my budget now...

Ellie Kay offers practical, creative ideas for building financial responsibility and generosity into kids. With topics like delayed gratification, discretion-building, choices and natural consequences, Money Doesn't Grow On Trees is a home-based Finance 101 course, taught the fun way! Jam packed with great quotes, age-appropriate guidelines for chores and choices, I highly recommend this book.

Brenda Waggoner, Licensed Professional Counselor

Ellie Kay has done it again. In this book Ellie lays everything out on the table when it comes to teaching your child about finances. Funny thing though, I learned a thing or two myself! Every aspect is broken down from age zero to eighteen and beyond!
I immediately applied what I had learned on my children and saw a dramatic change within one week. You must get this book along with her other books, "Shop, Save and Share" and "A Womans Guide to Family Finance". Your family will thank you later!

I've read Mary Hunt's book about 3 times in the past week because I constantly found myself referring back to her sound principles. My biggest debt is my car loan, and even though I already knew the principles behind the RDRP, I got the most out of her chapters on the Contingency Fund (another name for emergency fund) and the Freedom Account. Both are great ideas.

The reason I gave it only 4 stars was two-fold. First, I visited her website and found that 98% of the sites features are only available if you are a member of the website. And that includes almost all of the calculators. All you get for free is a preview issue of the newsletter and her daily tips. Second, I didn't agree with putting rapid debt reduction in the third savings level and then using as an example a list of debt payments based on the minimum payments. Then, the suggestion of adding extra payments to your debt reduction seems to be only mentioned offhandly.

That last point was really only a minor one, but the book is really good and I would recommend it to someone else. And even if you aren't a Christian, you can still follow and appreciate what Mary has to say about giving away 10% of your money. Overall, an excellent book. I just wish more of her site was available to non-subscribers.

I am recommending this book to all of my family and friends! It is definitely one of my Top Ten favorite books of all time. I have read many books on money management, especially debt-free living strategies. None that I have read has been as delightful, humorous, and challenging, nor have they equipped me with the tools I needed to budget wisely like Mary Hunt's Debt-Proof Living. Of course, living in debt is not a great idea - we all know it's true. But, how do you get from "living in debt" to the place of "financial freedom" - realistically - especially when you are a single-income family? Mary Hunt has creatively designed and skillfully written a plan that makes sense for everyone. Her book is one I am lending to family members (as long as they promise to return it - I will be referring to it often). I am so impressed with the content of this book that I am subscribing to the Cheapskate Monthly Newsletter. I have never joined a fan club in my life, but I've definitely become a fan of Mary Hunt's. I thank Focus on the Family for suggesting her book, and Amazon.com for carrying it, too!

Debt Proof Living is wonderfully written and easy to understand. Each chapter is written about a specific topic from buying a house or car, getting a home equity loan, choosing a credit card, investing for your future, keeping track of your credit report and most importantly, how to get out of any fiinancial trouble you might find yourself in. She includes phone numbers, addresses and specific formulas to help you get control of your money! She tells us the secrets found in the "fine print" and gives comparison tables to let us see for ourselves.

This book is a good one to keep handy as a reference manual for any financial decisions. Mary is truly on the readers side and her warmth shines through. She wants all her readers to find the happiness that comes from giving to others, saving for yourself and being debt free! I recommend this book to anyone who wants to retire at a "young" age and have a good life while working towards that goal!

In one word, AMAZED. Being a college student and working full time it is hard for me to take personal time to sit down and read a book. A Distant Crossing was a fast and grabbing read in which kept me wanting more. This book came to me as a strong recomendation from close friends, and I can't thank them enough. Thomas Parks just wrote the most amazing book, and I hope it isn't the last. He is a gifted writer that is going to be BIG soon. You ready for the competition Tom Clancy?

Thanks Mr. Parks

Before reading "A Distant Crossing", I was apprehensive about the subject matter. It seemed likely more appealing to men than to women. Having been glued to its pages from beginning to end, I can now say that anyone who reads this book will gain hours of enjoyment. It tells a story of how a decent, caring individual can find themselves in the most tragic of circumstances. The reader will experience the full gamut of emotions - from joy to sorrow and desparation - from serenity to chaos - from beauty to repulsiveness. "A Distant Crossing" causes the reader to ponder the lifestyles and values that we all take for granted. I highly recommend it.

What a page burner! Thomas Parks draws his characters so well I felt as though I could invite Barnes and Sullivan home for dinner (minus the weapons, of course). Each time I felt Barnes had faced the last of his ordeals, the author kicked it up another notch. I finished the book in three days and then hated to see it end. The next step should be a movie script. Someone ought to send the book to Mel Gibson, it's definitely his type of material.

I'll be watching for Mr. Parks next book with great anticipation.

Long heralded as a monumental portrait of American society in the early decades of the 20th century, John Dos Passos' U.S.A. trilogy is, if nothing else, an amazing display of intellectual endurance. Few novels that I have come across are more ambitious or broader in scope. In 1240 pages, Dos Passos attempts to characterize a vast, growing nation in one of its most dynamic periods in history. While he gloriously succeeds as a sociological study, it is unfortunately at the expense of producing a mediocre work of literature.

It is important to point out that while the three installments of this trilogy were written several years apart from each other, this is most definitely one book, not three. The first and second books, The 42nd Parallel and 1919, have no proper conclusion, and The Big Money, the trilogy's final installment, is a logical progression in terms of style and chronology, if not plot. So reading any of these books on their own, or reading them all out of sequence, would be a thoroughly unsatisfying experience.

It is clear from early on that Dos Passos has bitten off more than he can chew, at least from a literary perspective. His goal is to capture the essence of an America caught in the throws of industrialization and fervent capitalism, and the inevitable wealth gap and social class struggle that result from this economic expansion. He also tackles the difficult task of explaining this country's painful ambivolence towards the war in Europe and the sense of euphoria in the years following it's conclusion. But these themes are vast and unwieldy, far bigger than any one character in the novel, and as a result, the characters themselves become forgettable and quickly get lost. In a sense, there is only one main character in this novel, and it is America herself.

But America is not a person, it is a country and society, and as such the U.S.A. trilogy at times takes on the feel of a social inquiry more than a work of fiction. The other characters, through whose experiences we study the social landscape and fabric of early 20th century America, lack depth and dimension. They are mere stereotypes chosen by Dos Passos to represent various segments of society. There is the down-and-out vagabond, wandering the country and living hand-to-mouth, bitterly condemning the economic wealth all around him from which he is excluded. You have the quintessential rags-to-riches success story, the boy who started with little more than a dollar in his pocket and a whole lot of ambition, and amassed an economic fortune, but at the expense of his humanity and health. We also find the New York socialites, the Communist activists, the labor union organizers, the proud and rowdy GI soldier. But there are no real people, as such characters would not serve the greater purpose of defining American society in the way that Dos Passos sees it. And as a result, the experiences and interactions among these characters are also stereotypical.

Despite its shortcomings, the U.S.A. trilogy is worth reading, as it constitutes an important contribution to the understanding of our nation and its history. And in many ways, the great ambition of this novel encouraged other writers to strive to create works of fiction that were not just of literary merit, but also of important social significance. However, for a far more satisfying literary experience, Theodore Dreiser's An American Tragedy accomplishes on a micro-level what Dos Passos attempted to achieve on a broader scale. But unlike the U.S.A. trilogy, Dreiser's work is a true pleasure to read.

Dos Passos' trilogy is important reading for anyone intersted in American History. In particular, Dos Passos chronicles the history of the labor movement in the US and the revolt of working class worldwide.

It is intersting to note that at the time that this book was written, Dos Passos was a frevent socialist/communist. By the time of his death, he had renounced the communist idealogies for a more conservatine viewpoint.

Although, the fictional prose is simplistic and the dialogue somewhat cliched, a powerful story is told. The world is seen through the eyes of several ordinary citizens, all with different backgrounds and from different classes. The characters lives interwave through important world events such as labor unrest, Mexican revolution, World War 1, and the Russian Revolution.

Interwoven throughout the fiction are snippets that attempt to educate the reader. The 'Camera Eye' passages are newspaper headlines and attempt to capture the mood of the day. There are sections of Dos Passos's own thoughts of the day, some of them written as Dos Passos as a child might have seen them. My favorite sections were the short autobiographies of important citizens- among them Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Eugene Debs, Woodrow Wilsoon, and Emma Goldberg.

If you are lookiong for a passionate or suspenseful fictional story, this is not the book for you. But if you are intersted in history, especially American History, this book is excellent in capturing the mood of first third of the 20th century.

John Dos Passos wrote three novels that are encapsulated by the title: "USA."

These novels are beautiful and sublime in their composition. While reading of some sad stories as well as some humorous ones, the readers is taken on a journey through the 1920's in America. We get a sense of what it was like then. His chapters begin and often end in a "NEWSREEL" imitation. In an age where we as readers have so much "bit" information flashed before our eyes, this mode works well at getting the snapshot ideas he is alluding to in the novels.

Dos Passos is a genius of words-- I recommend taking this one to the beach, especially if you are an American city history buff.

You CAN make money publishing and this great book
provides hundreds of practical tips you can implement to make it
happen. Writers, self publishers and small presses as well as
those who create their publicity can all benefit by
reading this book.

Here are the steps to publishing success:

1) Buy this book and other reference books from
experienced, successful authors and publicists who have
started by self publishing themselves. Tom and Marilyn
Ross, Dan Poynter, John Kremer and M.J.Rose
all started by self publishing and they have
helped hundreds of other authors do the same.
The money you spend on their books will be well worth it.
If you need more inspiration, read the
publishing success stories on John Kremer's website.

2) Study, study, study and then adapt their experiences and tips
to the specifics of your subject and your book.

3) Create a quality product.

4) Use the suggestions in these books to create your own
dynamic marketing plan. Continue to market even if days,
weeks or months pass without a book sale.

5) Don't give up. It takes time to let readers know about
your product, especially if you need to market on a shoestring.

6) Join publishing organizations, such as SPAN, SPAWN
and Publisher's Marketing Association. There are other
people out there who are on the road to publishing success.
Benefit from their experience.

7) No one said it was easy, but all success takes persistence
and commitment.

I love this book! It's chock-full of practical, do-it-now ideas that can help authors and publishers activate book sales. As a soon-to-be published author, this book comes at just the right time to guide me through the sales and marketing process of book publishing. I'm excited to start implementing the Ross' wealth of suggestions right away! I'm sure I'll return to this guide again and again in the months ahead and highly recommend it to other new and established authors - as well as publishers.

If you are looking for a book filled with many ideas on how to sell more books-this is the book for you. Some of the ideas will cost money, others are basically cost-free to implement.

Please note: The greatest method to improve you book sales (promotion) is YOUR imagination. You have to use your creativity. You have to improvise many of the ideas in this book to best suit your needs. So put on your thinking cap and get to work!

The truth is, the greatest way to make your book a runaway best seller is by word of mouth. You have to create a great product, a book that people will LOVE. A book that they will love to tell their friends about. Once you have people talking, you don't need to do any more work-they will sell the book for you.

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

I enjoyed reading this book. Ellie Kay has a unique sense of humor. Wacky, might be a good word. (She calls herself the Coupon Queen and even has a nice tiara to wear.) She stresses coupons highly, so if you live in a rural area or hate coupons, then you might want another book. She tells A LOT of humorous type stories, mostly about her family. Her lovey nicknames for her husband Bob might be irritating if you're single or just want a less nonsense- more tips type approach. She does have a lot of references towards Christianity, although I didn't find it objectionable. I was impressed with the gardening section, and the holiday section. (Christmas is about Christ anyway, so the religious overtone feels like it "belongs" there.)The book was entertaining, and could be helpful, particularly if you need help with coupons and meal planning. The last self-serving chapter, (fan letters) was odd I thought. Overall it was a good read.

With four children 10 and under, I am always trying to find ways to save money. I have just recently bought both of Ellie Kay's books and enjoy both of them tremendously! I can't wait to share what I've learned with my family and friends. I am going to recommend to everyone I know to go out and get these books. These suggestions will help out so much, especially with only one income( my husband is a SGT in the US Army) and seven people in our house. Ellie, thank you so much for sharing with others what you know about saving money!

Once again, Ellie Kay helps us learn the art of saving money. She is a
master at it! Thankfully, she helps us thru the tricks of saving money and
having fun at the same time! Her tried and true cost saving methods make
saving cash fun for all involved. You'll want to ready this book again and
again--and share it with your family and friends alike!