Rating: 
Summary: THE INVENTORS BIBLE, JUST FANTASTIC.
Review: An unmatched resource. Comprehensive. Authoritative. Levy gives stories, and the stories behind the stories. Unrivaled, in my experience, in the careful attention to critical topics, and in its honesty. I recommend this book to anyone with an itch who needs timely and accurate information.
Rating:
Summary: Survival Guide
Review: Having been down the product development road, I can say this with utter conviction: If you, as an inexperienced inventor and developer, depend on an older, more experienced partner to "mentor" you through the process, you will end up facing that "mentor" in court. Better plan: Go ahead and enjoy that cordial relationship with your older "mentor" - - invite him/her to your wedding, listen intently to his/her colorful anecdotes, introduce him/her to your parents, etc. But while you're enjoying the early honeymoon stages of business bliss, buy a copy of Levy's indispensible "Idiot's Guide" and go at it with a yellow highlighter and Post-it notes. Knowledge is power. Written and designed to offer concise, bite-sized units of useful information, Levy's book belongs on the shelf of anyone who considers him- or herself a "creator." Non-creative vultures are circling, looking for people with ideas they can exploit. Here's your weapon; you have only yourself to blame if you don't take advantage of Levy's simple lessons. - JOHN MICHLIG, author of GI JOE: THE COMPLETE STORY OF AMERICA'S FAVORITE MAN OF ACTION, and creator of THE GI JOE MASTERPIECE EDITION
Rating: 
Summary: It's okay.
Review: I am happy for the author for his successes, but... he knew people that could help him get his foot in the door. He really has no knowledge of how to help you get YOUR foot in the door, other than general comments on what he would do if he had not known anyone. I am slightly unhappy with the book because the reason I bought it was to get my ideas developed into tangible products. This book will tell you valuable info on what the terms are and helpful info on making a decision about how to proceed, but not enough info about getting to the decision makers of a company. You will be more knowlegable if you buy this book, but you still have a ton of research ahead of you, as the author doesn't help you by providing names and address of key personnel that can help you get your idea or invention shown. Some of you may still feel like "idiots" when you're done reading this book. (?)
Rating:
Summary: great book
Review: I bought Levy's Toy and Game Inventor's Handbook after it was recommended to me by a toy company representative. It was so helpful that, out of curiosity, I purchased his Complete Idiot's Guide to Cashing-In on Your Inventions, too. I have never read books with more inspirational messages, home-spun advice, and easy to remember passages that energized and emboldened me. I am no longer intimidated by large corporations and know what they need to make decisions. The books have clearly shown me how to take stock of my creative potential, and confidently approach companies in a toy market that is moving at an accelerating rate of change. Levy's passion, work ethic, common sense and honest approach to business have given me new confidence. They are contagious. This guy knows his stuff. Brian
Atlanta, GA
Rating:
Summary: The Power is in the Sale.
Review: I recently bought the Complete Idiot's Guide to Cashing In on Your Inventions and found it a treasure trove of invaluable information. This is real world stuff, written by a guy who is obviously in the arena everyday. It was exactly what I needed to give myself an edge. In fact, following Levy's advice, I have already placed two products with licensees. Levy is described on the back cover of his book as "a marketing genius with a flair for invention." The capacity for creating is shared in measure by us all. The capacity to create salable products and commercialize them is a skill known but to a few. Inventors who do not appreciate the importance of marketing will wind up with 100% ownership of nothing. Levy has achieved remarkable commercial success, and every serious inventor or designer who wants advice on how to successfully license to industry should read this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Better than Edison Himself!
Review: I tried plowing through this book from beginning to end and found it much more valuable as a general reference than as a step-by-step guide. This is because every case is different and requires different treatment in handling the patents and trademarks involved. The author puts forth various alternative approaches to patenting, licensing, trademarking, manufacturing, etc. - each section is useful in ascertaining the best approach you should take in your own particular case. There are many options that may not occur to someone like myself who is going through this process for the first time, so it is a big help to be mentored by someone who's been down that road before. Bruce Boatner
Inventor, PEGASUS Wind Engine (TM)
Rating:
Summary: Advice From Soup To Nuts
Review: I tried plowing through this book from beginning to end and found it much more valuable as a general reference than as a step-by-step guide. This is because every case is different and requires different treatment in handling the patents and trademarks involved. The author puts forth various alternative approaches to patenting, licensing, trademarking, manufacturing, etc. - each section is useful in ascertaining the best approach you should take in your own particular case. There are many options that may not occur to someone like myself who is going through this process for the first time, so it is a big help to be mentored by someone who's been down that road before. Bruce Boatner
Inventor, PEGASUS Wind Engine (TM)
Rating:
Summary: Complete Idiot's Guide to Cashing in On Your Inventions
Review: Inventor-marketer Richard C. Levy has written a one-of-a-kind, practical, easy-to-read and understand guide to licensing inventions. It is the
quintessential tool for inventors who want to attain the American dream. I have read the complete body of literature on invention marketing and this book is the best of the lot. His forte is business practices, and every bit of advice is rooted in his own empirical experience. Nothing is theoretical. In particular, Levy's 10 Commandments of Negotiation are outstanding. And the licensing and option agreements will save me thousands of dollars in legal fees. It is obvious that the author makes his living from royalties and not books and seminars. Most books in this genre are written by self-proclaimed inventors, invention marketing experts, and patent lawyers. Few of these people can point to success. The money they earn is from consultation fees, not royalties. Levy is a full time player whose success has been remarkable,
and it can be seen beginning with the cover photo depicting him with some of his licensed products. If you want an added edge, read this book.
Rating: 
Summary: not very useful
Review: obviously, this guy makes money with his "inventions." although i wouldn't call him so much as an "inventor" as he is a highly successful marketing man. "inventor" of the Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus GAME!!! i mean, come on. this book has a few useful tidbits which are more or less common sense, but is mostly a lot of fluff--useless "interesting" facts hodge-podged together (probably by well paid research staff). also, the guy can't resist throwing in some boastful quasi-relevant stuff whenever he gets the chance, very annoying. as a first-timer who is trying to patent/market a piece of medical technological equipment, i found this book pretty useless. all in all, i thought the take-home message of the book can pretty much be summarized by "inventing and marketing is hard, but don't give up!!" sure the guy is rich and successful and a good marketer, but this book doesn't really help YOU to become rich, successful, and good at marketing. i'm not a bitter person, just someone trying to find good info to eventually become a successful person. i couldn't help but feel i'd been completely "had" after buying this book. the money for this book could have gone to better uses, other than making this guy more rich.
Rating:
Summary: Chicken and Egg Dilemma
Review: OK, I think the book appears to cover the ground I want to find out about. The problem is I haven't yet made enough out of my inventions to afford to buy this book, that will tell me how to make money out of my inventions. I am being slightly flippant, but I am trying to make a serious point. Bootstrapping always is and always was the problem for all inventors trying to license their technology. You need some capital before you can protect your ideas sufficiently well that you can make money from the licenses to it. Patent protection is enormously expensive for the individual. If you start out as in inventor, you almost by definition start with no capital. If you start with capital, chances are you are only a part time inventor. So, who is the book pitched at and does it tell the reader how to solve the bootstrapping problem? If the book has the answer to this one question, then I'd say it is a good buy. If not, then it won't help. I won't know the answer until I see a copy.
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