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Summary: Get started on the road to financial independence
Review: Brian Tracey, world renowned leader in motivational sales and closing techniques, has written another book worthy of its title. The 21 Success Secrets of Self-Made Millionaires : How to Achieve Financial Independence Faster and Easier Than You Ever Thought Possible, is a simple roadmap to financial success. Do you want to reach the American dream of being a millionaire? Sick and tired of hearing how 7.2 million Americans are millionaires and you're not? Do you agonize as you go to sleep at night wondering how you can make that mortgage payment due tomorrow? You have got to know by now, you are not going to win the lottery, you are not going to find $1 Million in you bank account by mistake, and you aren't going to be given that check by Regis Philbin. This book is simple and straight forward. Easy steps for you to follow to become that millionaire with some sacrifice and some time. That's right, you are not going to get rich overnight. Tracey begins with such a simple step you can't believe it: Saving only 1% of your gross income per month in a special account will start you on the road to financial well being. Believe it, in my case this amounts to roughly $25 a month, easily the amount I spend on fast food in 2 weeks. Multiply this by 12 months and I have $300 saved plus interest. Once you realize you can live on 99% of your income, start saving 2%, 5%, 10% per month. Like this simple step, all of Tracey's "SECRETS" add up to your first $1,000,000. These techniques were garnered by Tracey after countless interviews of self-made millionaires caused him to realize what these individuals had in common: certain ideas which earned them income. Buy this book, follow the steps, and retire early.
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Summary: Highly Recommended!
Review: Brian Tracy presents his latest list of success principles in short, clear chapters and follows each one with a few action steps. While admitting that Tracy overstates and oversimplifies (Who can argue that honesty, hard work and good health might be valuable?), we [...] heartily recommend this book to any professional who thinks that his or her career development could use some focus and energy.
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Summary: Outstanding piece of work!
Review: I bought the video version of this same title back in the 80's along with Psychology of Success by Brian Tracy. In a world of fast talking, self serving promoters, it is refreshing to use the work by a master like Brian Tracy. Brian Tracy may be a new name to many of you even though he is the #1 best selling author of training programs for Nightingale-Conant and has been conducting seminars and producing audio/video training programs since 1983.My income has grown by more than 10 times as a result of following Brians ideas. I highly recommend this book and the video by Tracy. Psychology of Success and Psychology of Achievement are must listen to audio programs.Maximum Achievement is a must read book as well. Brian is the best.
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Summary: Way too much hype for this book
Review: I have been a long time reader of self improvement books, as well as many finance books. So, I was very interested in reading a book that would seem to have them both in one read.
I was very disapointed, although some research may have gone into where the author actually figured out the "21 Secrets", it seems to me like he went to the self help section and pulled 21 phrases out of the air and wrote short essays on them. I don't need a cross-referenced table and 30 page bibliography, but this seems a little fishy.
For those that are looking for insight into what it really makes a millionare and how to get there, I would recommend reading the "Millionare Next Door". For those that are looking for other information on self improvement anything by Anthony Robbins, the "7 habits..." by Steven Covey, or Napolean Hill's "How to Make Friends and Influence People" are great reads.
Overall, it seems like this is the Cliff Notes version of all the other books. Which is great if all you need are motivational phrases to get you to the top, but if you really want to learn and hold on to something you should look elsewhere.
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Summary: Useful despite it size.
Review: I like this book and certainly learn a lot from it. I actually use what is mention in this book as a checklist (add some other "criteria" of my own which i think is important to me) to guide my everyday bahavior. Some particular "secret" mentioned did have very positive impact on me life. Concise, simple, clear, positive and practical despite it size. A thin book. One only need to invest very little time to read, but the return is well-worth.
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Summary: Inspiring
Review: I like this book because it was short and to the point. I read it in an evening.
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Summary: Sounds good, but contradictory and impractical
Review: I'm not wealthy, but I've worked long enough in business to see that Tracy's advice leaves a few things to be desired. For one thing, his "secrets" sometimes come into confict. For example, Number 6, "Work Longer and Harder," conflicts with Number 7, "Dedicate Yourself to Lifelong Learning" and Number 18, "Take Excellent Care of Your Physical Health." Time management is a zero-sum situation, so devoting more time to work subtracts from time that could be used for studying, relaxation, sleep or exercise. It's no coincidence that financially successful people tend to be unlettered and unhealthy. As for impracticality, Number 11, "Be Absolutely Honest with Yourself and Others," is generally good advice for dealing with people who provide you with value and with whom you need to trade on a regular basis. But in the real world, after years of hard experience I have found that I frequently have to lie to get rid of potential customers who are too irrational or stupid to listen to reason -- that is, to do things my way instead of causing me trouble. It's better not to form the business relationship in the first place if the costs are likely to exceed benefits. And as for Number 4, "Do What You Love to Do," again it sounds inspirational. But in the real world, how many of us are able to make a living doing what we REALLY want to do? On the whole, the book offers some good advice. But Tracy's reality must be somewhat different from mine.
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Summary: Eloquent and Practical
Review: Long ago while growing up in Chicago, I read two books which have had a lasting impact on my personal and professional development: Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People and Napoleon Hill's Think and Grow Rich. I make it a point to re-read both at least once a year; also Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography. My guess (only a guess) is that these three books have also had a positive and lasting impact on Brian Tracy. Their influence is suggested in this book as are the Four Gospels and Saint Paul's various Letters in the New Testament. However, we all realize that each of us must assume full responsibility for our successes and failures in life. The most valuable lessons we learn are from our own experiences, especially from failures. Tracy notes that "more than 90% of all financially successful people today started out broke or nearly broke. The average self-made millionaire has been bankrupt or nearly bankrupt 3.2 times." Hmmm. He chose self-made millionaires as the focal point of this book "because these people had demonstrated social qualities and behaviors that were observable and measurable." He offers 21 "success secrets," most of which are really not secrets. I would be very surprised if any one of them is unfamiliar to anyone who reads this book. For me, this is the key point: No matter what we read and how carefully we read it, now matter how much wisdom is provided by what we read, NOTHING beneficial will result unless and until we embrace appropriate values, then make decisions and take appropriate actions which are guided and informed by those values. Tracy insists that success is predictable. I presume to add, that the same is true of failure. "Your greatest responsibility is to dream big dreams, decide exactly what you want, make a plan to achieve it, practice the strategies in this book, take action every single day in the direction of your dreams and goals, and resolve [as Churchill urges] to never, never, never give up." Throughout his book, Tracy does indeed recommend specific strategies to follow and includes a series of Action Exercises to complete. In that event, "You become unstoppable and your success becomes inevitable." Hill, Carnegie, Franklin, and countless others do indeed share the credit for whatever I may have achieved in my life thus far but only I am responsible for what remains of that life. It is not enough to read and admire Tracy's book. As I have previously indicated, the challenge is to embrace appropriate values, then make decisions and take appropriate actions which are guided and informed by those values. The extent to which we respond to that challenge will determine whether or not we succeed or fail when pursuing whatever our dreams may be.
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Summary: Excellent Summary of Success Factors !!!
Review: Mr Tracy succeeded in summarising many important points of success psychology in this very small book. Many thoughts (if not all) are not his original thougths (nevertheless, bringing great thoughts together is of non less achievement). While the first time reader of success psychologoy might have not find enough background information, every reader will find something useful of this "summary" of key those key success factors.
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Summary: borrow it don't buy it
Review: This book has a catchy title but there is nothing really unique here. He probably could have summed this up with 5 secrets. Some of them are definitly repetative like dedicate yourself to lifelong learning and learn every detail of your business. One particular recommendation is very laughable do what you love and the money will follow. Yeah right. I think you need to discipline your self to do things you don't like to do to be successful. This book is definitly not worth the price of admission.
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