The Millionaire Next Door

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How can you join the ranks of America's wealthy (defined as people whose net worth is over one million dollars)? It's easy, say doctors Stanley and Danko, who have spent the last 20 years interviewing members of this elite club: you just have to follow seven simple rules. The first rule is, always live well below your means. The last rule is, choose your occupation wisely. You'll have to buy the book to find out the other five. It's only fair. The authors' conclusions are commonsensical. But, as they point out, their prescription often flies in the face of what we think wealthy people should do. There are no pop stars or athletes in this book, but plenty of wall-board manufacturers--particularly ones who take cheap, infrequent vacations! Stanley and Danko mercilessly show how wealth takes sacrifice, discipline, and hard work, qualities that are positively discouraged by our high-consumption society. "You aren't what you drive," admonish the authors. Somewhere, Benjamin Franklin is smiling.


From Library Journal
In The Millionaire Next Door, read by Cotter Smith, Stanley (Marketing to the Affluent) and Danko (marketing, SUNY at Albany) summarize findings from their research into the key characteristics that explain how the elite club of millionaires have become "wealthy." Focusing on those with a net worth of at least $1 million, their surprising results reveal fundamental qualities of this group that are diametrically opposed to today's earn-and-consume culture, including living below their means, allocating funds efficiently in ways that build wealth, ignoring conspicuous consumption, being proficient in targeting marketing opportunities, and choosing the "right" occupation. It's evident that anyone can accumulate wealth, if they are disciplined enough, determined to persevere, and have the merest of luck. In The Millionaire Mind, an excellent follow-up to the highly successful first analysis of how ordinary folks can accumulate wealth, Stanley interviews many more participants in a much more comprehensive study of the characteristics of those in this economic situation. The author structures these deeper details into categories that include the key success factors that define this group, the relationship of education to their success, their approach to balancing risk, how they located themselves in their work, their choice of spouse, how they live their daily lives, and the significant differences in the truth about this group vs. the misplaced image of high spenders. Narrator Smith's solid, dead-on reading never fails to heighten the importance of these principles that most twentysomethings should be forced to listen to in toto. Highly recommended for all public libraries. Dale Farris, Groves, TX Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From AudioFile
[Editor's note: The following is a combined review with THE MILLIONAIRE MIND.] -- Just what does it take to become a millionaire in one generation? As anyone might figure, hard work and some luck play a big part. Inheritance, interestingly, does not. But there are many other factors, and Stanley and Danko spent years interviewing people with a net worth over $1 million to find them out. Stanley takes the research further in his follow-up program. Surprisingly, many people may possess at least some of these traits. The trick is that few people possess the right combination of traits or have the courage and self-discipline to use them effectively. Cotter Smith brings a relaxed but compelling style to these programs. The combination of the reading and the excellent abridgment makes for interesting and informative listening. Stellar audio production is a welcome bonus. T.F. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine


Midwest Book Review
This expose of America's rich and how they achieved their wealth and status exposes the myth of inherited wealth and instead reveals that hard work, living below one's means, and diligent savings are more often the creators of true wealth. Big-spending tendencies and high-profile images are often rejected for thrift and low profiles in this revealing and important expose.


From Independent Publisher
A funny thing happened on the way to researching how people became wealthy: The authors discovered that most of the wealthiest households were not located in the most upscale neighborhoods. This discovery led to additional studies, and finally to this book. These wealthy people don't dine out much, are likely to drive four-year-old Buicks, and own very few Armani suits. Conversely many households in the posh areas have little real wealth. Although these "high-livers" frequently enjoy elevated household incomes, they tend to be avid consumers with minimal savings and investments. Stanley and Danko provide a real eye-opener for those who formerly associated wealth with white pillars and luxury sedans. The book contains myriad charts and statistics, mostly quite readable. It provides highly useful insights for those interested in questions of financial substance over form.


Review
Forbes The implication of The Millionaire Next Door...is that nearly anybody with a steady job can amass a tidy fortune.


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You will learn, for instance, that many millionaires bargain shop for used cars, pay a tiny fraction of their wealth in income tax, raise children who are often unaware of their family's wealth until they are adults, and, above all, reject the big-spending lifestyles most of us associate with rich people. In fact, you will learn that the flashy millionaires glamorized by the media actually represent only a tiny minority of America's rich. Most of the truly wealthy in this country don't live in Beverly Hills or on Park Avenue -- they live next door.


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