Rating: 
Summary: Missleading and irresponsible
Review: The biggest problem with this book is the author's advice that people should keep their mortgage for as long as possible. The author made this suggestion based on the following reasoning: one can make a nice profit by getting a 7% mortgage and invest his extra money for an average return of 10%! Now, obviously this book was written in the internet boom years (1999-2000) when the average return probably was even higher. But is it reasonable to assume that you will always get 8, 9 or 10% returns (after tax) on your investment? Certainly not in 2001! If the author were right, why didn't the banks themselves invest the money and get 10% rathan than lending at 7%? I don't think the banks are that dumb. The author may argue that he meant 10% over a long period of time, say 10 years, not just one year. He has a point. But if you look at the Japanese market for the past 10 years, do you see 8, 9, or 10% returns? Ten-years is a long time. Of course, I hope this type of long lasting recession wouldn't happen in the U.S. But if god forbid it happens, do you think it would be wiser to use your extra money to pay off the mortgage rather than putting in the stock market? The bottom line is this: past history cannot be used to predict the future. If you are sure you can get higher returns on investment than the mortgage rate, then by all means do it. Not everyone are as good at investing as the experts are. By advising average people to delay paying off their mortgage because they can hypothetically make more money on the stock market, the author is missing the point if not irresponsible.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent Blueprint to Wealth!!
Review: Excellent Blueprint to Extraordinary Wealth!!
Reviewer: Wendy Pablico from Lawndale, CA
Thank you, Ric Edelman for your information. Great information on "carrying a mortgage." I also found information to share with my who is 17 1/2 year old son. I hope my son will be one of the wealthy people in Ric's future book ;-)My son promised to save $1.50 per day, because that is easy to save. Happy Mom!!Once I opened the book it was hard to put down. I ordered a used copy. Arrived on time in ment condition, I was expecting a paperback but received a hard copy ;-)
Rating: 
Summary: Reasonable advice on achiving ridiculous goals
Review: Many of Edelman's more specific suggestions on how to save money are reasonable, though none would be a complete revelation if you know anything about money. He gets carried away too much, however, and often turns what could be a solid advice into an extremist nonsensical dictum. Also, while Edelman has some good ideas on _how_ to save money, don't trust him to give you good guidelines on _when _to save, and _why_ to save. For instance, Edelman suggests that even if you are 60 it is not to late to start saving, because you still have up to 30 years ahead of you - enough to save a fortune by the time you die. The question he doesn't answer is: what's the point of having a million dollars when you are 90 and would you not wish on your death bed that you spent the money while you were still alive? Ric Edelman seems to take it for granted that dying with a fortune is the best way to live your life, even if to achive this you have to save money on smallest expenses, as he suggests. For a much more balanced coverage of this topic, I recomend "Die Broke" by Pollan and Levine. I think Edelman's book would be useful for people who just can't get themselves to save. If you already have reasonable saving habits, "Die Broke" will do you much more good.
Rating:
Summary: Same stuff I heard before!
Review: I saw this guy on Oprah and felt he was a little self-righteous. Yes, I believe people should invest, as I do as well. But I don't need to treat them like idiots. One thing in this book that irritated me was when he said: "Don't say 'If I had a million, I could make a million more with that'. It's obvious!" I'm thinking: "Well, gee Mr. Edelman! How many people if they got even a fourth $1 million would invest it? About less than 10% of the people would throw that into the market, while the rest would get deeper in debt." Just because 'anyone can do it' doesnt mean they well. There is an old saying my dad said to me when I told him that arrogant statement I read: "What's easy to do, is also easy not to do' He says the same things I have heard in less, arrogant ways:
1) Put as much as you can in a 401-K
2) Invest every single buck you can get your hands on into investments, because a little can build up after a while.
3) Spend less than you make. That, minus the arrogance he displays is what the book is about. And another thing...there seems to be a lot of "experts" suddenyl popping up selling info on the stock market. While they advice they present (possibly copied) is good, all they are doing is trying to capitalize off the investing field.
Rating: 
Summary: Not Bad...I've Read Better
Review: If you are under 40, read another book. Ric's seven tips for "extraordinary" wealth fit uptight invetors with no risk tolerance. The book contains seven secret tips that wealthy people know, that we don't. They don't seem so top secret to me. If you really want to retire with half a million this book could help...but if you want to have 10 million read a book like "Rich Dad, Poor Dad," or "How to Pick Stocks Like Warren Buffett."
Rating:
Summary: Sound investment advice without the jargon
Review: This books covers several sound investment concepts and principles in an extremely simplified way. If you are unsure of what terms like- "Dollar cost Averaging", "Diversification", "Investment Time Horizon", "Time Value of Money" etc. _really_ mean then you should consider this book as required reading. BUT if you are already aware of all of these common concepts and principles of investing and short on time and money (although that would be ironical) then this isn't required reading for you.
Rating:
Summary: Some good information...
Review: The book had a lot of good information on retirement plans but that was about it. Everything else was either information from one of his other books (which he's just worded differently) or his clients "talking." It seemed like his clients could have wrote a better book than he did.
Rating: 
Summary: Very helpful
Review: I enjoyed this audio book. I think the content is well presented and definitely informative for the below average investor like myself. The author makes a very good point - now is the time to invest, regardless of when "now" is. Just get started. The author does present information that is useful in making a sound decision about investing and becoming financially independent.
Rating:
Summary: Success is Easier Than You Thought
Review: This is a fun and honest book that is based on the experience of wealthy people. It reveals and examines the ways they achieved their financial wealth. The author works from the principle that ordinary ("middle- and upper-middle-class") people who are interested in investing in their own wealth can achieve it without having to make drastic changes in their lifestyles. Ric Edelman (and the people on whom he based his study) explains that by following eight simple, easy and effective strategies, you too can become wealthy. I enjoyed his humor, simple and direct language and the testimonies from real people; all of this makes the "secrets" he discusses accessible and realistic. If you are interested in the possibility of wealth, success and happiness in all areas of your life, the book Working on Yourself Doesn't Work by Ariel and Shya Kane also offers a way to achieve all of those things. They use clear and simple language in explaining and illustrating their three principles of transformation, using examples from their lives and the lives of people they work with.
Rating:
Summary: Words of Wisdom
Review: I just bought this book last week and I couldn't stop reading it. Oustanding piece of material and has a lot of practical advice. A good read and not boring at all. The author uses analogies to get his points across. This is a must buy for anyone wanting to learn how to build their retirement even if they don't have much money to start with. The author has a lot of recommendations. Get the book; read it; digest; learn how to build wealth!!!
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