Rating: 
Summary: Inspiration to take control of your career
Review: Excellent book for entrepreneurs and "mercenaries" looking to focus their work life in order to Live Rich- to work towards having the time or freedom to live your personal vision of a rich life. As the authors say, "working to satisfy your own real needs."The first part defines "The Live Rich Philosophy"- 93 pages on whether you're a "Yourself.com" entrepreneur or a mercenary; leading your own streamlined, tightly run business or a corporate foot soldier working for others and selling your skills. The second part, "Putting Theory into Practice"- 90 chapters in 189 pages- contains specific instructions, topic-by-topic, on how to handle yourself in the business world. From Advertising and Answering Machines to Time Management and Word of Mouth advertising, in each short chapter the authors throw out a wealth of valuable tips. Looking for ideas on how to give your work life a more solid sense of security? Looking for easy-to-read confirmation of your current practices others might think are brash or blunt? Looking for ways to up your business skills a notch? Read it. Would I buy it? I'm a library freak without a lot of book shelf space, so I don't add a book to my collection unless I know I'll be referring to it again. I found a lot of good details in Part I- "The Live Rich Philosophy"- and in chapters like Call Waiting, Employment Contracts, Garb and Hygiene, Memberships, Mentoring, Newsletters, Pricing, Reading, Scripting, Speeches, Stationery, and in the Appendix (additional related resources). I found it easy reading and inspiration for me to make some improvements to my mercenary software developer career. So Yes, it will be added to my book shelves.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Book for future Successful Generation X-ers!
Review: Great book! Great Read! I can't wait to read his other book, Die Broke. I'm a successful generation x-er. I'm a partner for a real estate company. I'm a mortgage banker, and a budding NLP Trainer I'm also in an MBA Program. I really am using these principles for my multiple roles in computers, mortgages and real estate! I'm 31 years old. This book should be a must read for all generation x-ers who want to be successful. It's true. Make Money. Become a Mercenary!!! I used most of these principles unconsciously but someone has put it into writing before I did. I'm working on a book as well. Some of you will see some of my reviews at Amazon in the NLP books section such as the review for NLP the New Technology of Achievement book and other great NLP books. Let me know how your experience has been with this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Street smart advice for going it alone in the business world
Review: Having read and benefited from the ideas presented in "Die Broke" by Stephen Pollan, I brought an attitude of expectancy to his newest book,"Live Rich," only to be disappointed in its crass, almost heartless approach to work. With the solitary goal of making money the key to work, Pollan goes on to present a plan for success that downplays any emotional or non-monetary payoff from work. He suggests that satisfaction in life can come from other sources: family, hobbies, outside interests, but not from work--work is for money--the more, the better. He presents his topics in alphabetical order and covers a wide range of subjects pertaining to today's business world. Many suggestions are sound and are worth absorbing, but the overall philosophy, doesn't offer much consolation for anyone who is in a highly paid profession which he may hate. I wouldn't want to work for Stephen Pollan!
Rating: 
Summary: Packaged common sense, a re-state of the obvious.
Review: I couldn't finish this book. I gave up at around page 182. I was hoping that it would contain some new thoughts that could be applied to today's working and business environment, however, much of the content is composed of a re-state of the obvious. The last part of the book was made up of VERY short chapters that contained mostly packaged common sense. I was disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Too salient
Review: I found the books major points worthwhile. The advice reads well and the author sounds authoritative. This is the major problem with the book. It is too authoritative - too many gaps in logic and too little explaination of how to put his ideas into practice. For example, the author urges us to 'get over our fears' and then we will live rich. Literally, this is not enough guidance for most people. In fact, the author tries to address this by writing that because each of us are different, we each have different paths to 'live rich'. It's hard to believe that someone with so much experience in consulting clients and affecting their lives (apparently for the better) would have so little to say about implementing his 'live rich' philosophy. Bottom line: this books is a waste of money. The main points could be outlined on a postcard and be done with it. Luckily, I borrowed a copy.
Rating: 
Summary: Some good advice, but a backwards-looking mindset
Review: I heartily subscribe to the authors' philosophy that you "work for yourself," and that your career should be governed by putting your own self-interest first, not by blind loyalty to a company that has no corresponding loyalty to its employees. On the other hand, I have real problems with their idea that you should work for money and seek self-actualization and meaning from other things in your life. This is based on a number of assumptions that I believe are false: (1) "Jobs" are created by employers and/or the marketplace, not by the people who do them; (2) the way things are is the way things are going to stay; and (3) the satisfaction you get from, say, coaching your kid's soccer team is more "genuine" than what you can or should get from your work.
This is the 1950's suburban paradigm that I grew up with -- but the world of work is changing and the concept of "job" (let alone "company" and "industry") is shifting. If people detach themselves emotionally from their jobs now, they'll miss the opportunity to transform the work place into something more human-centered -- and I think we have a window of opportunity to do this now that may not last forever.
Also, just in practical terms, I think it's naive to believe that an activity that takes up at least 50 hours a week (when you count in lunch breaks with co-workers, commuting time, dressing and undressing, etc.) can be NOT meaningful to you! (This reminds me of Quentin Crisp's dictum: "It's no good running a pig farm badly for 30 years while saying 'Really, I was meant to be a ballet dancer.' After 30 years, pigs will be your style.")
My own approach to career selection would be to start by saying "What's most important to you in life?" Then I'd ask (1) Can you make a job out of it? If so, great; you're one of the lucky ones. (2) If not, can you find work that's related to it? If so, you're also lucky. (3) If not, what job can you take to make enough money to live on and still have enough time to do what's important to you? Pollan and Levine address #3 well -- but for those of us fortunate enough to have found #2 (as I did) or even #1, their advice is laughable.
Rating:
Summary: Live Rich - more than money, but happiness, too!
Review: I keep many volumes of financial wisdom on my shelf, but I particularly enjoy "Live Rich" and "Die Broke." A caveat - they are both only half of a book; the first half is a book, the second, a reference guide for specific subjects, a financial encyclopedia. This book adeptly guides the reader toward sound principles that can lead not only to financial health, but to the emotional health and well-being that can grow from financial freedom. With many stories and anecdotes, this is an easy, fun, and informative read that will benefit all who pick it up.
Rating:
Summary: Good advice for the "Long-Time" Employee
Review: I liked this book because it provides a wake-up call for those of us who have had the same job with the same company for most or all of thier careers. I've been at the same company for 27 years. Back in the early 70's, companies were very different and careers were assumed to be lifelong, or at least you hoped the company would be stable. Loyalty, respect, honesty, integrity, dedication....all terms of the past and shouldn't be confused with today's business world. Stephen Pollan explains how these traits are a thing of the past and that if you don't become aware of the modern methods of doing business, you'll be lost with the times when your company dumps you for "economic" reasons. I hope more folks read this before it's too late. The book also provides some helpful hints and tips of how to handle modern day interviews, job hunting, clothing, attitudes, etc.
Rating:
Summary: Do it for the money and the love will follow.
Review: I loved this book (audio version). At the time I was struggling with my job because although I was making money, I didn't love the work. Mr Pollan cleared my mind and with clear and useable tools I was able to re-invent my work self and put my priorities in order. 1. Work for money. 2. Work for yourself. 3. Go home and enjoy the family/community time.
I recommend the audio version (Stephen, why not release a CD version?) because the author's voice is classic and you can feel the conviction of what he's saying. I also have the print version and it is a little more dry (straight information.)
I have given the audio as a gift a number of times and each person calls to thank me for the 'life altering gift'.
It can change your view of money and work and enjoyment if you'll let it.
Rating:
Summary: Do it for the money and the love will follow.
Review: I loved this book (audio version). At the time I was struggling with my job because although I was making money, I didn't love the work. Mr Pollan cleared my mind and with clear and useable tools I was able to re-invent my work self and put my priorities in order. 1. Work for money. 2. Work for yourself. 3. Go home and enjoy the family/community time.
I recommend the audio version (Stephen, why not release a CD version?) because the author's voice is classic and you can feel the conviction of what he's saying. I also have the print version and it is a little more dry (straight information.)
I have given the audio as a gift a number of times and each person calls to thank me for the 'life altering gift'.
It can change your view of money and work and enjoyment if you'll let it.
| 
