Forbes Books

I first read this book when i was 15.and i absolutely loved it.
It showed me how truly graceful God is. living in the society that we do, Christian people don't show much forgiveness and grace. therefore, this was a breath of fresh air.
As for the 'explicit'ness, it really isn't as bad as it probably was back then. think of Rahab, Tamar, Bathsheba, and other girls that did sexual things. You can not possibly get the full effect of how difficult their lives were UNLESS you were standing right by them way back then. Therefore, Redeeming Love is ONLY a minor glimpse of the sadness and horror of the life of a prostitute. as for young readers, let the parents be the judge of that, my sister first read it when she was 13. She loved it too.

Anyways, this book Shows just how amazing god's grace is.
I first read the mark of the lion trilogy and fell in love with francine river's books. they are so amazing and cause peopl to think.
And for a christian book, yes this is different, but in such a way that it's real. unlike other christian novels in which the guy or girl always end up living happily ever after.
this book shows the strife involved.

i recommend this to all readers of ALL ages.
i say this earns a 9.

This book was recommended by a co-worker and I'm so glad I ordered it. It was a wonderful book - the title really says it all. I've already ordered more books by this author.

I will completely raw and honest as much as I can without giving too much of the story away. Let's just start with a little bit about myself. I am 26 years old, a full time wedding photographer ([...]), mom of three boys ages 3, 2 and 4 months, and in way over my head with work. For the past year and a half I have averaged about 3-6 hours of sleep per night because I am so overloaded with work, and during the day I am SO tired, and sad to say -irritated with everyone around me, even with my own children. I try so hard to please my clients and I feel like it's not good enough. I try to be a good mother and yet I feel like such a failure at it. I feel like there's no end to anything...hopeless. Reading this book CHANGED MY LIFE. I am a Christian. I love Jesus, I go to church and lead worship every Sunday, but after reading this book I realized how backslidden I was. I tried to handle everything in life by myself, not asking for help from anyone, and just sinking lower and lower everyday into depression. I have had a few nervous breakdowns these last couple of months and reading this book made a lightbulb go off in my head...more like a stadium light. I was playing God. I thought if only I could do 'this' things could get better; if only 'that' would get done things would get easier and I can relax. This book showed me that if you leave everything in God's hands, and pray about everything- big or small, that God will take care of it. Then all of our worries will go away as God takes care of us. I am so grateful that I found the time to read this book even in my BUSY schedule. I couldn't put it down. I finished almost all 500 pages of it in 4 nights! I am finding my next Francine Rivers book! God Bless!

I bought this book for something to do. It is hands down, the best book I have ever read in my life! I have loaned it out so many times I am not even sure where it is anymore. If you read this book, it will change your life. It's an amazing book.

I read this for my book group. It was widely recommended. All the members who had already read it said it was worth reading and rereading.

It's an excellent book. Full of adventure, despair, and joy.

Do you like stories with friends that stick together forever? If you do you might like this book by Lurlene McDaniel. The story is about Ethan and Leah, are teenagers who are best friends. The story is about Ethan who is Amish goes and visits Leah who I an the hospital for nine days, diagnosed with bone cancer is the worst one week and two days for her especially for her because her mom an her husband are on a cruise out so she's all alone luckily she gets out the hospital Ethan's by her side. They have a strong love for each other is a very inspirational story about Leah and Ethan You will love this book I enjoyed it very much.

Lifted up by angels is a lovely book that explains life betweem Leah and the amish. It is and experiencing book for people to explore.

this book is a great book to read and it helps you to understand the hardships that some families have in their everyday life. i think it is really inspiriational and it can teach you things you may not have known.

I love this book!! I love the lurlene mcdaniel books because they are romantic, love stories!


This book is about a girl who falls for a Amish guy and He falls in love with her, and ...... WOW! SEE SOME SPARCKS??

As you can gather from the name, in my oppinion the second book was much better than the first book. In this novel, Leah goes to work during the summer near the Amish community. She meets up with Ethan and Charity, and though things seem to be going good at first, many conflicts spring up during her stay. The more she falls for Ethan, the more problems seem to occur. You should deffinately read this book.

Henry Hazlitt is best known for this brilliant work, one of the most concise and persuasive defenses of the free market ever written. One reason why socialism and statism appeal to the common man is that government actions are immediate and dramatic: they give the impression that something is being done about a specific problem or crisis. To show that government intervention in the economy isn't wise, one must "look not merely at the immediate but at the longer effect of any act or policy; one must trace the consequences of that policy not merely for one group but for all groups."

Hazlitt proceeds to apply the above lesson to numerous government actions. By drawing the reader's attention to the unseen effects, the failure of socialism is exposed. Take for example government "jobs programs." If the government employs 500 people, one might think that government has "created" 500 jobs. However, government had to tax its citizens to fund these jobs. Had the money been left in the hands of taxpayers, their spending would have resulted in an equivalent number of employed individuals. Government didn't "create" jobs - it merely destroyed jobs in the private sector. On issue after issue, Hazlitt demonstrates that government intervention in the economy fails to achieve its stated goals (although its real goal - an increase in government power - is always achieved). In addition, many basic economic falicies are refuted, such as "machines destroy jobs," and workers need "to earn enough money to buy back the products."

If you are new to the study of economics, don't stop here. Be sure to read Rothbard's "Man, Economy and State"; Von Mises' "Human Action"; and Reisman's "Capitalism." They are the twentieth century's "big three" works in economics.

Henry Hazlitt's one lesson consists of learning to view ALL the long-term consequences of an economic event, not just the short-term benefits of the special-interest groups.

The rest of the book analyzes different common economic fallacies and misunderstandings, one chapter per issue, and shows the error in thinking that makes each one a fallacy.

Here are some of the issues tackled by this book:

-The fallacy of the Broken Window (ie. the broken window brings prosperity to the repairman).
-Spread-the-work schemes.
-The fetish of full employment.
-"Parity" prices.
-Who's protected by tariffs?
-Saving the _____ industry.
-Government price-fixing.
-Rent control.
-Minimum wage laws.
-Do unions really raise wages?
-The function of profits.
-The mirage of inflation.

and several more (there are 25 chapters, total, in this book).

If you want to get a good start on evaluating economic situations on your own, this book will walk you through the process.

--George Stancliffe

This is a great introduction to economics that ranks up there with Hayek's "Road to Serfdom".

the joy - the joy! this book opened my eyes to the wonderful world of economic thinking, especially socalled political economy. this book, using insights of the austrian school of economics, totally debunks the great myths of the social democratic economic policies, showing them to be utterly destructive and almost always counterproductive, even from the eyes of those advocating the policies. in this line of thinking hazlitt echoes the great genius ludwig von mises who with rigorous logical arguments set out to prove that economic interventionism (or what we today refer to as the mixed economy) can not work.

hazlitts book is inspired by the proto-austrian thinker frederic bastiat (ca. 1800 - 1850) and his famous essay 'what is seen and what is not seen' - the essence being that any good economic policy should always take account of the long term effects on every group within society and not only the short term effects on some special interest group.

after finishing this really easy to read introduction to economic reasoning you should continue with the just as easy to understand 'economics for real people' by gene callahan as well as the essay collection 'planning for freedom' by mises.

Henry Hazlet's "Economics in One Lesson", makes a powerful and persuasive argument in favor of a free market economy. Written in a very lucid style "Economics in One Lesson" makes the usually dry subject of economics easily understandable and a pleasure to read. Hazlitt doesn't obfuscate the truth with cumbersome graphs and math. For non-economists like my self it makes a great introductory book to the subject. Even though the book was published in 1946, the topics covered by Hazlitt are still pertinent and examine issues that still confound us more than 50 years later. Chapters include inflation, tariffs, taxation, price fixing, labor unions, savings, and the importance of profits, rent control, and more.

As a retired Army officer and student of political philosophy, I found "Economics in One Lesson" a great book for anyone who wants to understand basic economic theory.

I recently did a make-over party and handed these out as favors. Thought this would get the kids off to a good start on their summer reading program. The kids loved them and the story is very thought provoking. Shows kindness to others.

My kids have all Judy Moody and Stink books. They love them, and I know for the fact that they help kids who struggle with reading in 3rd grade. They are easy to read and have a good story, are funny and appealing to that age group. A must have!

This book was good. My favorite part was when she hits the teacher's elbow. That made me laugh!

judy moody always wants to be in the news paper or on tv. judys cat won the pet contest and she finnaly was in the news paper.she was happy after all of that.when judy got home she looked in the news paper.she said thats a get picture of me and my cat.

i liked this book because stink was funny by selling moon dust.

the thing i dont like this book was judy always wined.

I thought this book was a bomb! You have got to read this book. If you are a Judy Moody fan and you read this book you will like it very much.The main thing that happens is Judy Moody is trying to get famous.

Ms. Lanier grabbed my attention with the very first book I read of hers in this wonderful series of mysteries starring her beloved bloodhounds. Her details of how they are trained could be boring, but she cleverly puts them into the story, showing why she picks a particular hound to do the tracking required in each case. Almost makes me want to own one of the wonderful breed. I couldn't wait until I could get my hands on the next book in the series, and now I have all of them. Hope she writes more very soon.

I hope nothing has happened to Virgina. this a great series. A new book would be great.

I just learned that my new favorite Author has died. I had just finished a Brace of Bloodhounds and was looking for the next installment. Mrs. Lanier died while I was reading this book. I was late in finding this great series and I will miss this character greatly. Thanks Mrs Lanier for a great series.

This is *NOTE* the third book of a series. It is well done enough that you can pick up the series here but it will be more enjoyable if you start from the beginning. The books are; 1996-Death in Bloodhound Red, 1997-The House on Bloodhound Lane, 1998- A Brace of Bloodhounds, 1999-Blind Bloodhound Justice, 2000-Ten Little Bloodhounds. I'm not sure why we don't have books for 2001 and 2002, but after you read the first book and then run out and buy the next four that continue without dropping the pace and excitement, you'll mourn the gap in the series. I have a review in on the first book that gives you an idea about the series, which I won't repeat the basics.

It took the first two books to teach me to REALLY not start them on a work night because no matter how hard I try I am NOT going to sleep until its done and it's hard to debug unix on four hours sleep. This time I managed to wait till friday night to read it, and did i mention these are a healthy sized book, the kind a serious reader who reads very fast needs. A thin or medium sized book I can read in a couple hours and is more like an appetizer to me, and you'll see me always score short story collections as 4 or less because there just isnt time to do a 5 story in one. While not a thick as 'Dune', all her books are a serious read and very satisfying to the mature bookaholic with a substantial habit going. Speaking of addiction, this is not the first but one of the cream of crop of books that makes me sigh that I can only read a few thousand words an hour , I scored six hundred with 100% retention in high school, 30 years ago and am several orders of magnitude faster now though I don't know exactly HOW fast. This kind of book makes you regret you cant IV it directly into your veins!

The reason I call this a 'friday night only' book is that she achieves the kind of realism where the idea of having to get up in three hours for ten or twelves hours of work, even vigourous brainwork, is a vague and unimportant concept once you start reading. Virginnia Lanier's books are filled with such a wealth of information and such an interweaving of the elements that after reading 1, then 1 again, then a pause before I found 2, and read 1 and 2, then 2 again, that it was only a few weeks before I found 3, and then read 1, 2 and 3! And im VERY ADHD so I get bored easily, but not with these books. Like only a few authors Virginnia Lanier manages to hold onto several themes at the same time (like life) and weave them in together so well that anytime you hit a low point at one you hit a high point elsewhere and the book never lets you go without being artificially extravagent, which never works for me. The story has to hold together well for things to happen within the realm of possibility of the definition of the characters and the environment and these stories definitely do that.

The main theme of this book is a murder. But what makes this a different murder mystery? One reoccurring theme that comes up is here is a mystery that has clear warning signs come up that a SMART woman would back off. However while Jo Beth is smart, she is both stubborn and ruthless in her way. There is just a point where she don't give a rat's behind and goes on anyway cause it's RIGHT, which is why I **LIKE*** the character. And no matter how compelling the story is otherwise I can't stand reading a story about someone I can't stand. Well, unless they are in a serious hailstorm of.. you know. But even then they can't be the main character or I just won't want to bother reading it. I know enough of THEM in real life.

So anyway, this book the main theme is a murder, but there are many others and skillfully woven in. Like life, nothing else waits while you work on your biggest priority. The lightning just keeps coming. And sometimes Jo Beth has to bail her boat pretty hard in the rain, which makes me like her and the series MORE. I've had to do some serious bailing myself, more often then not in fact I've been bailing out more then one leak and so does Jo Beth. I like Jo Beth because she has made herself a sucess AGAINST all odds, not because things just worked out her way easy. Also because she is smartmouthed ... tough broad that is willing to take the consequences of speaking her piece, even if they can be fairly serious.

Of course by the strict definition of success a lot of people would not think she is a sucess, she works dang hard, long hours and doesnt have fast cars or serious jewelry (funny, like me). She does have a house (at the edge of a swamp) but then she did have an inheritance I didn't. But Jo Beth has none of the icons of success in the current world, most especially a husband. To a lot of the world she is just more white trash. But **I** think she is a success and that is all the thinking that **I** care about even if I am just 'more shanty Irish'. And if Jo Beth and I both blew some chances because we just had to tell someone where to go, sure but we're still laughing at the look on his or her face years later, not crying cause I'm 'trapped' in my nice house and wasn't 'allowed to be myself'. Which is actually something Jo Beth had and walked away from. I never had it so I don't know if I'd meet the test and give it up, but then Jo Beth is fiction and I STILL really LIKE her. I don't know what kind of background Ms Lanier has, but she sure created a tough gal that this 'worked her way up alone from minimum wage' reader can appreciate without rolling her eyes at the lack of realism.

The intrepid Jo Beth Sidden and her lovable, talented bloodhounds continue their daring exploits in this third suspenseful mystery of the series. This time our heroes deal with the kidnapping of a child, a murderous judge who's carrying on nefarious deeds in the woods, a bank robbery perpetrated by two drunken locals, and a rampaging alligator. And, yes, psycho ex-husband Bubba is still around. Add dangerous treks through the Okefenokee Swamp and stakeouts in the forest, and you've got an absorbing, unputdownable thriller. Unconventional characters, exciting subplots, vivid descriptions, humor, Southern atmosphere and, above all, those irresistible canines make for a most enjoyable read.

This book is a joy to read. It inspires anyone to enjoy all of the little blessings in life.

Mama fell in love with San Francisco as soon as she and her husband arrived in the city from Norway. Five children were born to her there, and she raised them with love and wisdom that daughter Katrin - who Americanized her name to "Kathryn" in early adolescence - would always remember.

I won't call this classic collection of real-life stories charming, because it's got too much solid and at times downright unpleasant reality in its pages. Instead I'll call it inspiring. Money, education, and influence Mama's family didn't have; but everything that really matters they had in plenty. Good food, meticulously clean shelter, solid values, and most of all - of course - love. Recommended for all ages in the highest possible terms!

This is one of my favorite books to read aloud. I taught junior highers for many years and this was a book they loved! Many times I taught sisters and brothers in later years and they would invariably ask when I was going to read Mama's Bank Account. The story appeals to both boys and girls and though Mama is the central character, I appreciated the fact that Papa was a very strong, loving support to the family. After you have read the book, watch the video! It is one of the few books that made the transition to the screen and is delightful!

I won't give away the spoiler that ties together the whole plot, but needless to say it's right up there in the title of the book and it's still a surprise even after sixty years or more since the novel was first published. Kathryn Forbes must have been a delightful woman and her book is one of the finest achievements ever to have been written in San Francisco. And that's saying something, considering what a rich and cultured city ours is. One episode that will stick with me forever is the time when the little girl and her brother are talked into providing food for their whole class at school, and "Mama" saves the day by cooking up some of her good old Swedish (I guess Norwegian) meatballs. When I first read this passage I was but a little boy and had never heard of any kind of meatballs but Italian ones! Next thing you know, my mom and dad took us to dinner and the waiter asked me what I wanted to eat and I surprised them all by asking for "Swedish meatballs on little tooth picks."

It's a family book for people whose families are no longer with us. And it will rekindle the spirit of hope in everyone, with its message of universal tolerance and mother love.

As an author, I bought this book to use as a reference book while writing a fictional story about a similar type of family. I read this book as a young woman and saw both the stage play and the movie. It is a touching tale of a more simple time and a remarkable woman. Rosalie Kramer, "Dancing in the Dark: Things My Mother Never Told Me."

My son had to pick two books off of a large list to read over the summer for school. After reading the other reviews of this book, we picked it. It was a wonderful choice. The book was very interesting, fast paced, well written and easy to read. I read it in 3 hours, and my son was able to read in in a few nights without any complaints of boredom.

If any literary giant needs to have his work adapted to film, it is Myers. As one of the premier writers of fiction for juveniles, the author has added another significant piece to his long line of classics. This one tells the story of a little-known African princess who comes under the wing of England's legendary Queen Victoria.

Not only does the book reveal the horrors of the African slave trade, the atrocities that some tyrants inflict on their enemies, and the class system that pervades much of a "civilized" society, it is a marvelous tale of a girl who overcomes such obstacles and becomes the darling of English society.

Although Sarah's life is brief, it is a memorable one as the character grows from frightened child to a loving mother.
I am recommending that all my students read this book as well as others by Myers. Now, if only someone in "Tinsel Town" would discover this fine author.

I'd much rather see his stories on the big screen than any about a teenaged wizard.

"At Her Majesty's Request: An African Princess in Victorian England" tells the life story of Sarah Forbes Bonetta, who was born an African Egbado princess, captured by rival Dohamans and taken to Dahomey to be murdered in a ritual sacrifice, rescued and adopted by a British naval captain, taken to England and presented to Queen Victoria, and raised under the Queen's protection in England and Sierra Leone. This handsome book is a very fine biography for young readers; it includes many excerpts from Sarah's letters and the Queen's diaries, as well as historic illustrations. Relevant information about 19th century West Africa and Britain (e.g., the Dahomey empire, the slave trade and British actions to end it, Christian missions in Africa, Sierra Leone, the British class system, women's place in society, etc.) is well presented. Although Sarah's story is interesting because of its uniqueness, much about the lives of ordinary 19th century West Africans and Europeans can be learned here. Despite the fact that there is little material concerning Sarah's life, the author has done a fine job and readers interested in Africa should be glad he did. The book contains a useful bibliography which includes "Dahomey and the Dahomans" (1851) by Frederick E. Forbes (the captain who rescued and adopted Sarah).

19th century Dahomey is also the setting of "The Viceroy of Ouidah" by Bruce Chatwin.

I think this is a very well written book. I think that Walter Dean Myers is an amazing writer and that it is great he found this fantastic girl that many have never heard of.

The book, At Her Majesty's Request was the most wonderful book I've read because it tells the story of how Sarah Bonetta overcomed so many problems. First w/ the horror of watching her parents being killed, and then almost being sacrificed by the slave holders because of who she was and where she lived.Then when she was saved by a white man whom she couldn't even understand becase she spoke a different language.And then soon after that she learned how to speak english and then she became friends w/ the Queen of England, Queen Victoria.So the book to me was very heart-warming and I hope you love the book too! Go Wells Wolverines!

I imagine that if you are reading a review for the fifth volume of Saiyuki, then you are already aware of the amount of violence and social taboos the series contains, and don't need to be told again. If not, you have been duly warned.

Following up on the Hakkai's past arc that took up most of volume four, volume five is about 3/4ths flashback on how everyone's favourite quartet of hellions met in the first place. Following Hakkai's - then Cho Gonou - murder of the demons who took his sister, Gojyo comes across Hakkai, near-death, and takes him home to recuperate. Sanzo, on the other hand, is in Chang'an, where the Three Aspects of Buddha charge him with the misson of capturing Hakkai and bring him to the temple for trial. Reluctantly, Sanzo and Goku track him down to Gojyo's apartment. Needless to say, the hot-headeds get into a fight, but Sanzo manages to complete his misson without too much blood being spilled. The rest of the volume picks back up in the present, where the four are traveling through the desert. On the way, they hear that a local demon possesses one of Tenchi Kaigen Sutras and the group goes off in search. To make a long story short, they are captured, Sanzo is injured, and Hakkai, Gojyo, and Goku must get out of the demon's lair before it collapses and the desert falls on them. Oh, and Kougaji and Dokugakuji show up too.

I can't say I like this volume as much as I like the volumes that come immediately before and after. Volume four dealt with Hakkai's past, which is so twisted one wonders how many nights Minekura-san spent thinking it up. Volume six has Demon Goku in it, which is always very cool to see. And seeing how much of the series' appeal comes from the characters and their interactions with each other, volume 5's mainly plot-based story isn't as good as when Minekura-san just lets the four guys run wild with a situation. Still, Saiyuki is probably one of the best series out there, and if you're just getting into the series this volume is a must-have to understand what bonds the four main characters together.

From Saiyuki, Vol. 1 to Saiyuki Reload 4, the amazing detail on this amazing writing on this amazing author and illustrator is... well... amazing. Their adventures throughout the Yukai Demon world is tough, and their adventure through trying to get Goku some food is... very tough, but they make it through with the understandable, unnaceptable written works, that I believe should someday become a legend.

This is based on either a book-book or a REALLY old Japanese tale (that part I can't remember specifically) but I DO know that the mangaka DID intend it to be slashy! She's a BL author, in fact, everything I've found under her name is a "Boys Love" novel. I was happy to learn this; it met that Gojyo tease-flirting Goku like the pair in Legal Drug wasn't just all-in-my-head wishfull thinking. I think girls in Japan like "uke" Sanzo because he reminds them of Takuto Izumi from Zetsuai, or Eiri Yuki from Remix Gravitation.

Aside from the yaoi-factor, the story itself is excellent with a pepped up humorous take on the story it's inspired/based on. Don't think that the entire manga is the anime word-for-word, picture-for-picture....it only starts that way & takes a different turn at some point.

I started reading this purely because my friend had it...Just wish I'd got to it sooner is all I can say!
Saiyuki has to be one of my favourite mangas, and I'm still only halfway through the series so far. The plot is great; with the exact balance between humour, action and hotness (oh yeah!). And, to add to this, the artwork is truly amazing....and hot...
I'd recommend this to anyone into manga: though it does have certain side effects....priest fetish, anyone??

I was introduced to this manga by one of my friends who knew what appealed to me and said I would love Saiyuki. She didn't tell me anything about it, didn't say how I would soon fall in love. This is a story loosely (very, very loosely) based on the Chinese tale The Journey to the West, and in Japanese, this tale is called Saiyuki. In Shangri-La, demons and humans have been living peacefully. One day, the demons suddenly start ripping the humans apart. This is what leads to Sanzo, a gun toting, chain-smoking "priest", Goku, a 500 year old gluttonous monkey demon, Gojyo, a drinking, gambling, half demon ladies man, and Hakkaku, a kind hearted, soft-spoken demon to become the saviors of their homeland by finding out just what's going down inm their journey to the west. This one hell of a good shojo/shonen manga read, but I think that the art stlye will appear mostly to girls. I know it did to me.

Very well written and researched. A good insight into the lives of the Forbes 400, how they got there and how they spend their money. Great book if you have a business that targets these people as customers!

I must say this book is also a lot better than those books about how to get rich, this book tells REAL stories. If you are thinking of buying this books have a look at the book RICHISTAN too. They go along very well together!

I have always been fascinated with wealth, and have enjoyed reading about the Forbes 400 for years. "All The Money In The World: How The Forbes 400 Make - And Spend - Their Fortunes" by Peter W. Bernstein and Annalyn Swan was an extremely fascinating and enjoyable read. If you are interested in the superrich, this book paints a revealing portrait of the wealthiest of the rich and shows how they succeed, how fortunes are made in various industries, and how, once made, they are saved, enhanced, and sometimes squandered.

This thoroughly researched book provides abundant anecdotes and insights as well as compiled data in illuminating tables, sidebars, and factoids. Did you know that Bill Gates comes in as the thirteenth richest American if you converted past riches into today's dollars? (Actually 2006 dollars when the book was being researched) John D. Rockefeller's wealth would be 305.3 billion dollars when converted to 2006 dollars. Bill Gates and Warren Buffett combined don't make a third of that. Did you know that in 2006 the average net worth of 400 members without a college degree exceeded the average net worth of those with a degree by a considerable margin - $2.8 billion? That's partly due, of course, to the Gates factor. Did you know there were 97 immigrants from 34 different countries that made the Forbes list over the last twenty-five years? The book is filled with so many interesting stories and facts.

The book also shows that money is not everything. The superrich have problems just like everyone else, and sometimes those problems are at a greater scale. So while this book describes those that may seem unobtainable to most, you also realize that they are still people just like everyone else. Well, maybe not like everyone else, but they are still people.



Chapters include:

Part One: What It Takes
1. Education, Intelligence, Drive
2. Risk
3. Luck - and Timing
4. Winning Is Everything

Part Two: Making It
5. Blue - collar Billionaires
6. West Coast Money
7. Entertainment and Media
8. Beyond Wall Street

Part Three: Spending It
9. Conspicuous Consumption
10. Heirs
11. Family Feuds
12. Giving It Away
13. Power and Politics

Afterword: Money and Happiness

Appendix: The Forbes 400, 1982-2006

This is a vastly entertaining behind the scenes look at the superrich. I found it fascinating to read about those billionaires I was familiar with, but also those extremely wealthy that you never really hear about. It made me feel good to read about the money these Forbes 400 members give away to help others, and then sometimes shake my head wondering when you see what some of these people spend money on. Forget about the enormous cost of purchasing a yacht, but think about the upkeep running into tens of millions of dollars a year and you may wonder as I did why Paul Allen wants to own two of the top ten U.S. owned yachts. Octopus at 414 feet is number two, and Tatoosh at 301 feet 8 inches is number four. If you are wondering, Larry Ellison's Rising Sun at 452 feet 8 inches is number 1, and no one knows who owns number seven's Laurel at 240 feet and number nine's charter yacht Reverie at 229 feet, seven inches.

If you want to read an extremely interesting and fascinating book about wealth and those that have accumulated the most of it, read "All The Money In The World." Besides being entertained, you just might learn some insights to help you accumulate more wealth yourself. After all, you will see that if these people can do, so can you or anyone else.

Reviewed by Alain Burrese, author of Hard-Won Wisdom From the School of Hard Knocks and the dvds: Hapkido Hoshinsul, Streetfighting Essentials, Hapkido Cane, the Lock On Joint Locking Essentials series and articles including a regular column on negotiation for The Montana Lawyer. Alain Also wrote a series of articles called Lessons From The Apprentice.

This was a satisfactory read, although if you are a diligent reader of Forbes and Fortune as well as WSJ and FT there probably won't be much in here you didn't already know. I did enjoy the sections on Family Feuds and Blue-collar Billionaires but got a bitter taste in my mouth while reading the Conspicuous Consumption section. All in all it was a decent book, and what you'll learn is that if you want to have billionaire status you need to have drive and determination as well as be a workaholic.

Wow! Fun, enlightening, entertaining, inspiring. A wonderful collection of data, stories, and analysis. A book that you will find yourself going back to again and again. Though the things you'll learn from this collection are significant this is a book you own mostly for the fun of it. You'll smile with anticipation each time you reach for it and smile with satisfaction each time you put it down.

I was particularly interested in Part One; 'What it Takes'. A fantastic chapter on Education, Intelligence, Drive, Risk, Luck & Timing. The essence is that 1) if you don't inherit money, you have to take a lot of risk and 2) not everybody can become a billionaire, but a billionaire can come from everywhere. Particularly interesting is that Forbes 400 types have often a different perception of risk and often sink their money into deals that are the opposite of what conventional wisdom deems a prudent investment.

Astonishing 70% of the Forbes 400 list in 2006 were self-made. A lot to learn on financial success incl. people like myself who never ever aim at become a billionaire.

This is written by my 11 year old daughter:
I thought this book was amazing and it deserves a 5 out of 5.

Have you ever read a book that you just couldn't stop reading and you had to find out what was going to happen next? That's how I felt while reading Tadpole. It was such a good book that I had to just keep reading it. That's because the book had a good plot and great character's.
I liked the plot because at times the book was sad but at others, it was happy. Tadpole was trying to find a different home. Uncle Matthew, the owner of the house Tadpole was staying at, didn't treat him right. If he did something wrong, Uncle Matthew would slap Tadpole on the back with a horsewhip. Tadpole ran away to the Collin's house, his cousin's, so he could get away from Uncle Matthew.
The main character's were Tadpole, or Tad, Carolina, Kentucky, Virginia, Georgia, and the girl's mom, Aunt Serilda. I liked them because they all had their own personality's. Kentucky was popular, Virginia was pretty, Georgia was smart, and, well Carolina, she didn't quite know what talent she had, at least until Tadpole came, and that's what I love about him. He is nice, honest, he include's other people, and he helps people too. That's how Carolina found her talent, by Tad. She found that her talent was singing, finding the harmony in music, and also, playing the guitar, she was a natural at it. She could also identify car engines.
As you can see, I really liked this book and I didn't have to say anything bad about it. This book was made up of a great plot, great characters, and so many other reasons!

One mother, four girls, and one fun music loving cousin named makes this a great book. I enjoyed this book because the author had a great style of writing, and the plot of Tadpole was good too.
In Tadpole Ruth White, the author did a great job of writing this book in a way that an eleven year old girl in the south would have talked. Ruth White used words like `cause instead of because, and git instead of get. Details like these makes Tadpole more realistic book.
Tadpole was about a mother, four girls whose father left them because he was tired, and a cousin nick named Tad whose parents had both died. Tad had been living with his abusive uncle Matthew Birch, who had adopted him but, he uses him as free labor until Tad turns 18. One day when Tad's uncle was really mad at him he decided to run away and go to his mother's sister Serilda who lives in a small house with her four daughters. In the middle of the night he goes to his aunts room and tells her all about what his uncle has done to him. Carol who is the youngest and sleeps in the same room as her mother woke up in the middle of their conversation and decided to listen in, so she heard a lot and it became her secret. Mama tried to get a herring with a judge so she can be his legal guardian, but the judge won't hear the case.
This is a great book I it think should have a sequel, to tell more about Tads life and if Uncle Matthew tries to do something to Tad, or if he leaves him alone.

Tad
Have you ever read a book that you didn't want to put down? That's what it was like when I was reading Tadpole. Tadpole was the best book ever! I loved the plot but I thought it was really sad at some parts. I also liked the characters in the book.
I loved the plot of the book because it was sad at certain times but it was happy at other times too. Tad, as he likes to be called, is focused on finding a home where people will take care of him and treat him right. His Uncle Matthew, who has been beating him up, is where Tad has been staying, so he ran away. Tad ran away to his Aunt Serilda's house with her daughters Carolina, Georgia, Kentucky, and Virginia. They kept Tad there but he was scared of getting caught by his uncle. Carolina felt like she didn't belong in the family and Tad helped her feel better about herself by helping her discover some of her special talents she didn't even know she had. Like singing, and finding the harmony of songs and she could hear and identify all the different kinds of cars and she would help keep Tad safe if she heard an unfamiliar engine because it might be Uncle Matthew.
I liked the characters in Tadpole too. The characters in the book lived in Kentucky and had a southern accent. The main characters in this book are Tadpole or Tad, Carolina, Kentucky, Virginia, Georgia, and the girls mama and Tad's Aunt Serilda. I liked the characters because each one had a different personality.
I loved this book and as you can see I didn't have anything bad to say about it and if you read it, I'm sure you won't either!

Have you ever read a book that you just can't put down? That's how I felt when I read an amazing book called Tadpole. There were so many exciting sections that made me jump out of my seat. But the best part that I liked was the characters.
The first exciting event was when Tadpole came to Aunt Serilda's house and lived with the four girls for a while. It got me excited because I thought was not going to be that good. It turned out to be very suspenseful. Another section of the book were there was excitement was when when Tadpoles uncle came to their house to find him. When his uncle came it got me very excited because they hid under the bead and it put a picture in my head right away.
The characters were very funny, but one, Uncle Matthew. He was very cruel and mean. He would abuse Tadpole when he lived there, but he eventually escaped. Tad was very entertaining and funny because he played the guitar and sang. The best character was Carolina because, she reminds me of ME! She reminds me of myself because, because she's nice and quiet.

I really liked the book because it was exciting, suspenseful, and the characters were very funny. There are so many more reasons that I liked the book Tadpole and I'd read it again. Maybe, if you read it too, you would like it also.