Making These 10 Choices Can Lead to Personal and Financial Freedom: The Millionaire in You Book Summary and Review

If a wealthy friend presented you with a simple 10-step plan that helped him become a millionaire, would you follow it? Michael Lebouef  created The Millionaire in You  to teach people strategies they can use to have more money, as well as more time to enjoy their money, and then ultimately to become a millionaire household.  

At the end of the twentieth century, Lebouef found that one in fourteen United States households were millionaires. Lebouef wrote this book to share the blueprint on how his household arrived there. 

Lebouef believes we only need to know four things about money: (1) how to make money, (2) how to save money, (3) how to invest money, and (4) how to enjoy money.  

In The Millionaire in You, Ten Things, You Need to Do Now to Have Money and the Time to Enjoy It, 2002, Crown Business, Michael Lebouef, Ph.D.,  challenges us to invest our time actively and our money passively.  Here is a quick overview of ten choices you can make to have personal and financial freedom.  

(1) Live the Life You Want Instead of the Life Others Expect. 

Ask yourself what you want out of life and how will I know when I achieve it.  You have to be able to visualize the life of your dreams before you can achieve it.  (a)  Be sure your goals are yours and yours alone. (b) Use the BEST [Believable, Energizing, Specific, Timed] criteria for setting goals. (c) Write down your goals and review them frequently. (d) Set goals for every major area of your life: career, family, recreation, health, personal relationships, self-esteem, and religious and spiritual goals. (e) check your goals for compatibility, (f) translate your goals into action plans. 

(2) Stack the Odds in Your Favor Instead of Against You. 

Legal immigrants to the United States become millionaires at about four times the rate of natural-born citizens.  Many believe it is because they come here seeking opportunity and find it. Being a smart risk taker can speed up a person’s journey to financial freedom. These seven guidelines may also help speed up the journey. (a) Get a good education but don’t overpay.  (b) Choose the right kind of career - one that energizes you and brings you joy. (c) Take action to ensure good health by ridding yourself of bad health habits and acquiring new healthy habits. (d) Live in an area with a low cost of living to reduce your living expenses. (e) Buy a moderately priced home. (f) Have a moderate number of children. 

(3) Be a Super Saver Instead of a Big Spender 

Every enduring financial fortune is built on a foundation of saving.  Even small savings compounded over time can be the difference between poverty and financial freedom.  With every dollar you receive, you can either save it or spend it. You will be more successful when you learn to strike the right balance. Pay yourself first at least ten percent of every dollar you earn. The earlier you start saving the more time your money will have to compound.  As your income grows, maintain the same standard of living and devote the extra income to savings. Defer your taxes by placing money in retirement savings, such as 401K’s., SEP IRA’s.  If you are eligible, use a ROTH savings account to save for retirement.  Instead of buying a new car, consider buying cars that are two to three years old and keeping them.  Pay off your credit cards every month in full to avoid paying high-interest rates. Record your spending in a log for at least one month to become aware of your spending habits and find out where you can cut back.  

(4) Increase the Market Value of Your Time Instead of Working Longer Hours. 

Focus your time and energy on getting paid more for your time, not working longer hours.  It is better to focus on employability rather than job security because it is likely that at some point you will change jobs.  An investment in knowledge and increased skills pays the best dividend.  If you work for someone else, develop a side income that is your own.  Practice giving something extra to foster customer loyalty.  Build your brand and increase your visibility. 

(5)  Do Less Better Instead of Trying to Do It All. 

Do what is most important to achieving your life dreams first, such as projects important to you and time spent with family. Otherwise, left to chance, the most important things will not get done.  The way to get more done is to do less better. The two traps to avoid are (1) confusing activity with productivity and (2) confusing urgency with importance.  Most people who are successful do not work harder, they work smarter. Use a time log to determine your biggest time wasters. Also, Lebouef includes twelve additional tips to help manage and save time that are brilliant.  

(6) Capitalize on the Unexpected Instead of Being Derailed By It. 

Always look for ways to capitalize on unexpected changes. Keep your eyes on your long-term goals and don’t allow short-term setbacks to derail you.  Don’t allow fear to prevent you from seizing a great opportunity. Use setbacks as an incentive to achieve success.  Don’t let the opinions of others limit your success. Take your dreams seriously, but not yourself.  Never quit. 

(7) Own the Market Instead of Beat the Market

Invest in no-load index funds from a reputable company. Decide on an allocation of stocks and bonds that makes you comfortable.  If you are not comfortable with a lot of volatility in stocks, invest more in bonds. 

(8) Limit Your Losses Instead of Letting Bad Luck Ruin You. 

Buy the right insurance for your situation. Insure for big calamities you cannot afford to pay out of pocket.  The only valid reason to have life insurance is to provide income for dependents who would be financially deprived in the event of your death. Don’t overlook long-term disability insurance.  Don’t overlook homeowner’s or renter’s insurance.  Also, long-term care insurance should be considered. 

(9) Listen to Those Who Know Instead of Those Who Sell. 

Listen to a few good sources and tune out the rest.  Say “yes” to a few good opportunities and say ‘no” to the rest.  Determine what type of legal and financial advice you need. Get the best advice you can at a reasonable price.  Protect yourself from scam artists by learning to be a critical thinker. Call the Better Business Bureau, state or county consumer protection agency, state attorney general’s office, Federal Trade Commission before you spend your money on an unknown business opportunity. Most people do not need a financial planner.    Making the Most of Your Money Now: The Classic Bestseller Completely Revised for the New Economy   by Jane Bryant Quinn  and Personal Finance For DummiesPersonal Finance for Dummies by Eric Tyson contain excellent personal financial advice.  

(10) Do It Now Instead of Regretting It Later

Just as it took know-how, time, vision, talent, patience, and sustained effort for Michelangelo to create David, it will take all of these qualities for you to reach financial freedom too. Earl Nightingale defines success as the “progressive realization of a worthy ideal.”  Nightingale also said that we become what we think about. Staying in the time-money trap is easier than climbing out. It is up to you to make it happen. 

Start with your dream. Begin where you are and begin immediately to work on making your dreams come true.  Commitment creates success.  You will need to get out of your comfort zone.  Be decisive and take action. Rate yourself on how well you are doing on each of the ten choices listed above.  Ask yourself these questions: 

Am I living the life I want? 
Do I stack the odds in my favor? 
Am I a super saver? 
Am I improving the value of my time? 
Do I do less better?
Do I capitalize on the unexpected?  
Do I own the market?
Am I properly insured?
Do I listen to those who know or those who sell? 
Do I do it now?   

Remember that a million dollars buys freedom, not extravagance. Once you have your million, you will need to allocate it properly.  Lebouef reveals some good recommendations on how to allocate a million dollar retirement bucket that he received from a certified financial planner. In short, divide the money into two buckets: one for safety and one for growth. Keep the money for growth in index funds.  Divide the safety bucket in half, placing one year of income into a  money market fund and the other six years of income in short-term bond funds. Transfer all dividends and interest into the money-market account. 

Remember to continue doing what you like to do even after you are financially free to stay mentally and physically active.  Many people who achieve financial freedom enjoy finding a cause they believe in and helping it to be successful. 

Life should be a series of experiences to enjoy and savor, not merely endure. Lebouf reminds us in closing, ‘Remember the journey is the joy.” 



Rating: $$$$$ out of five.  This book  provides a strategy that a person can use to earn more money, have time to enjoy it, and keep it.   

Copyright @ 2016 Christine Esser

This book was purchased, not a gift.   

This book can be purchased on Amazon by clicking the first link below. Disclosure: We may receive a small commission from your purchase, but this will not raise the amount you pay. Thank you for reading this review. Comments are welcome.  We have not received anything from the author or publisher in exchange for this review. 

17 Ways Rich People Think Differently from Secrets of the Millionaire Mind by T. Harv Ekert: Free Book Summary and Review

There has been a lot written recently about how rich people view the world through a different lens than poor people. In Secrets of the Millionaire Mind, Ekert states, “Give me five minutes and I can predict your financial future for the rest of your life.” Eckert claims he can do this by identifying your financial blueprint. But the good news is that with the right information, you can reset your financial blueprint to operate at a higher level.  

In Secrets of the Millionaire Mind, Mastering the Inner Game of Wealth, 2005, Harper Collins, T. Harv Ekert explains how a financial blueprint works in part one.  Ekert asks us to go back and review our earliest childhood memories around money. Ekert also explains how we can identify our financial blueprint and reset it to a higher level.  

In part two, Ekert discloses 17 ways wealthy people think differently than middle-class and poor people. In a nutshell, here are 17 wealth files to embed into your conscious and subconscious to continue on your path to wealth.  

(1) Rich people acknowledge that we all create our own lives.   

(2) Rich people play the money game on the offensive to win. 

(3) Rich people commit to becoming rich. 

(4) Rich people think big and deliver as much value as possible to the marketplace. 

(5) Rich people focus on opportunities. 

(6) Rich people admire other rich and successful people. 

(7) Rich people associate with positive and successful people. 

(8) Rich people promote themselves and their value. 

(9) Rich people believe they are bigger than their problems. 

(10) Rich people are excellent receivers.  

(11) Rich people choose to be paid based upon results. 

(12) Rich people believe the world is abundant and look for ways to have it all. 

(13) Rich people focus on net worth, not working income. 

(14) Rich people manage their money well. 

(15) Rich people look for ways to have their money work for them. 

(16) Rich people act in spite of their fear. 

(17) Rich people constantly learn and grow. 


Of course, this book serves as an introduction for Ekert to convince you to attend his seminar. But even if you have no interest in attending the seminar, the book does have a lot of worthwhile advice that can help a person learn to think in a manner that is more conducive to earning and keeping wealth. One of the best nuggets I found in the book is Ekert's advice on how to divide up your income into different buckets, and to live on only fifty percent of your net income so the remaining portion of your money can be placed into long-term and short-term savings, charitable giving, and even having fun.  But, you can read the book if you are interested in learning more about that.  As Ekert explains it, the way you know if you know something is to look and see if you are living it.  If not, you still have some things to learn about money, success, and life." 

Rating: $$$$$ out of five.  This book can help a person make changes to earn more money.  

6 Lessons from Rich Dad, Poor Dad and 10 Strategies to Build Wealth by Robert T. Kiyosaki: Free Book Summary

This is the book that opened my eyes and convinced me that I was thinking all wrong. I had been indoctrinated into the get a good education, work hard, find a good job with benefits, buy a house, and all will be well philosophy of life. The get a good education part of this equation had left me heavily indebted and bewildered as to how I had fallen so far off track when there were no good jobs to be found in my field because firms were downsizing, not hiring.  

Then Robert Kiyosaki, in Rich Dad, Poor Dad, What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money - That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not, 1997, Warner Books, opened my eyes and I finally understood that I had been sold a false philosophy that may have applied in a previous generation but no longer applied in general to the times I was living in. It was a painful view of reality that I wish I had learned before incurring all that debt; but, nonetheless, the knowledge and awareness can now serve me well and it can serve you well too if you did not learn these six lessons at home.  

These are the six lessons: 

(1) The Rich don’t work for money.

Kiyosaki writes about having two dads. One dad got a great education and became a teacher and administrator in the school system, buying a larger house with each raise, but eventually being pushed out of the school system for political reasons, and retiring poor in need of help. The other dad dropped out of high school to support his family by running a store, and continued to buy  additional businesses that he managed but had others working for him, and he purchased rental properties, and eventually retired a very rich man.   

When Kiyosaki was in grade school he asked the Rich Dad to teach him how to make money and the Rich Dad designed a course for him to learn how life operates. Initially, he only paid Kiyosaki ten cents an hour to teach him that he needed to change himself and his philosophy and not blame the Rich Dad for being cheap in paying him. 

Rich Dad shared that the poor and middle class work for money, but the rich find ways to have money work for them.  Whereas poor and middle-class people often are controlled by fear and greed, the rich learn to work for financial freedom. Rich dad told Kiyosaki to be truthful about his  emotions and use his mind and emotions to work for him, not against him. Rich dad explained that we are all employees but at different levels. 

The main cause of poverty and financial struggle is fear and ignorance, not the economy or the government or the rich. Self-inflicted fear and ignorance keep people trapped. 

Learning to master fear and greed and choosing thoughts and actions that lead to financial freedom, rather than reflexively depending on a job when there are other options available to make money, is the first step in wealth building.  This way of thinking teaches the wealthy to see opportunities to earn money that others miss.  

(2) Why teach financial literacy? 

In the long run, it is not how much money you make, but how much money you keep, and how many generations keep it, that matters.  Mastering financial literacy is an essential step to becoming wealthy.   The first step to financial literacy is to know the difference between an asset and a liability.  An asset puts money in your pocket.  A liability takes money out of your pocket. The wealthy use their income to invest in assets that place money into their pockets. 

Many middle-class families buy  liabilities, such as a house, and  they think these are assets.  But these liabilities force them to have to continue working a job to continue to pay these debts.  The poor only have expenses that they pay. 

(3) Mind your own business. 

Invest in assets that place money into your pocket. These can include businesses that do not require your presence to operate. [If you have to work there, it is a job, not a business.] Purchase stocks, bonds, mutual funds, income generating real estate, notes [I.O.U.’s], royalties from intellectual property such as books, music, scripts, patents, or anything else that has value, produces income, and has a steady market. 

(4) The history of taxes and the power of corporations. 

Taxes initially were passed that were intended only for the wealthy. But the wealthy figured out clever ways to avoid paying the taxes. The government’s appetite for money grew and the taxes mostly fell on the middle class and the poor. The tax man is often the biggest bully after your money. 

The rich use their clout to get laws and tax codes that benefit them. For example, rich people use “1031" exchanges that allow them to trade one piece of property for another more valuable property without being taxed. 

The rich learn financial literacy, how to invest, how to understand markets [the basic law of supply and demand], and they learn to use the law to their advantage by forming corporations.  By forming corporations, the rich are able to  pay their expenses, such as cell phone payments, vehicle payments, even vacations for board meetings before they pay taxes on the money the corporation earns. Additionally, the rich learn ways to protect their assets from lawsuits with layers of legal protection.  

(5) The Rich invent money. 

Many in the middle class subscribe to the strategy of putting a hundred dollars into savings every month for 40 years and then having money at retirement.  But this mindset of placing all their money for investment into savings for retirement could blind people into not seeing opportunities for making a better return on their investment dollars.  For example, in a down economy, purchasing an apartment complex might provide a greater return on investment dollars.  

Great opportunities are not seen with the eyes. They are seen with the mind. 

Investors come in two types. The first type of investor buys a packaged investment. The second type of investor creates the packaged investment that others buy. 

(6) Work to learn - don’t work for money. 

The old acronym that “job” means just over broke applies to many even today. Thus, seeking work for what you will learn there, rather than for pay and benefits, will often benefit people more in the long run.  Once people are trapped into working to pay bills they become like hamsters on a wheel, always running but going nowhere. 

Kiyosaki's educated Dad worked harder and harder, the more he climbed the totem pole at his job. Whereas, his Rich Dad gained more and more freedom from work, the longer he worked managing his companies and real estate. 

10 Steps to take on Your Journey to Wealth

(a) Develop a compelling reason for getting wealthy. 

(b) Choose daily with each dollar you receive to be wealthy or not. 

(c) Choose friends carefully and learn from others’ money stories; 

(d) Master a money-generating formula and then learn a new one; 

(e) Pay yourself first;

(f) Pay your brokers well; 

(g) Always ask how fast you will get your money back with each investment you make. 

(h) Assets buy luxuries; 

(i) We all need heroes - Find people who invest well and learn from them. 

(j) Teach and you shall receive - Give that which you want to receive. If you want money, be charitable and give to a church or your favorite charity.  If you want knowledge, teach someone else what you know.  

More strategies to employ 

(a) Stop doing what you are doing and assess where you are at on your financial journey. What is working and what is not working?  How can you fix what is not working? 

(b) Look for new ideas you can use. These can be found in bookstores. Look for new formulas you can use to generate wealth. 

(c)   Take action.   Do what the income generating formula advises you to do, step by step.  Find someone else who has done it successfully and take them to lunch.  Take classes and buy tapes.  If you are investing in real estate, make offers. 

Money is only an idea. If you want more money, change your thinking.  We have all received two great gifts, our mind and our time. Each person chooses how to use both of these gifts. With each day and each dollar that enters our hands, we have the power to choose our destiny by making decisions on how to use that day and that dollar that correspond with wealthy philosophies, middle-class philosophies, or poor philosophies.  

Rating: $$$$$ out of 5.  I am so grateful Mr. Kyosaki opened my eyes.  I hope you will consider reading his book if you were sold a philosophy that no longer works.  

opyright @ 2016 Christine Esser

This book was purchased, not a gift.   

This book can be purchased on Amazon by clicking the first link below. Disclosure: We may receive a small commission from your purchase, but this will not raise the amount you pay. Thank you for reading this review. Comments are welcome.  We have not received anything from the author or publisher in exchange for this review. 

9 Rules of Wealth from Millionaire Teacher by Andrew Hallam: Free Business Book Summary

If you are looking for an easy to understand book on how to invest your money in financial instruments, such as stocks and bonds on your own, without using a financial adviser, Millionaire Teacher is probably the best book available. But it offers more than that. On a school teacher salary in Canada, the author was able to become a millionaire by age 38 by investing in index funds, and he shares how he did it here. 

 Most importantly, in Millionaire Teacher, The Nine Rules of Wealth You Should Have Learned in School, 2011, John Wiley & Sons, Andrew Hallam discloses if you want to use this get rich slowly approach to wealth building you must live below your means. Most people were never taught the very basics of financial literacy in high school or even at home. This book seeks to redress that. 

Here are the 9 rules the author used to become a millionaire.

(1) Spend like you want to grow rich.

If you want to grow rich, you must have a purposeful plan and watch what you spend carefully so that you have money you can invest. Your perceptions dictate your spending habits. 

Don’t try to create the illusion of being wealthy by buying expensive things. Instead, buy quality items at a discount. 

Don’t overspend on automobiles or large homes. 

Andrew Hallam thought of debt as a life-threatening disease and avoided debt at all costs. Initially, he  lived on 30 percent of his teacher salary and this allowed him to dedicate 70 percent of his salary to paying off student loans and other debts. Even though he lived in Canada, he never turned on the heat. Instead, he wore layers of clothing. He ate as inexpensively as possible, picking up free clams and mixing them with potatoes or pasta. He lowered his housing expenses by house sitting for others and renting a room in a house, rather than pay for a nice apartment. You dramatically increase your odds of being wealthy by being frugal, especially if you are young.

 (2) Use the greatest investment ally you have. 

Time is the greatest investment ally you have. Begin investing early. The earlier you invest, the more time you will have for compound interest to work in your favor. Financially efficient households know what their costs are each month and save and invest as much as practicable. Invest on the date you are paid, don’t wait until the end of the year or month. The only time you should not invest is if you are carrying high-interest credit card balances. Pay off the high-interest accounts first before investing.

 (3) Small percentages pack big punches. 

Warren Buffet has advised that the best way for an average investor to get a fair return on money is to invest in an index fund. The three main types of index funds are a home country index fund, an international index fund, and a bond index fund. Index funds have lower costs than managed funds. 

(4) Conquer the enemy in the mirror. 

Stocks are just like other items that you buy in the marketplace. Your goals should be to buy when prices are low and eventually sell when prices are high. But many investors sell when prices are low and buy when prices are high and so they fail to make money. Generally, it is difficult to time the market. Time in the market is what matters most for most investors. 

(5) Build a mountain of money with a responsible portfolio. 

A mix of a total stock market index fund and a bond index fund works well for many investors. Some recommend taking 100  and minus your age, and that is the percentage that should be in a stock index fund. But this may depend on how secure you are in your other investments. For example, a person with a secure government pension might be able to have a little more in stocks. Some like to add an international stock index fund that comprises all countries.

A couch potato approach that some recommend is to invest in stocks and bonds equally throughout the year and, once a year, re-balance the two so that they are equal again. 

(6) Sample a “round-the-world ticket” to indexing. 

For a 40-year old, one recommended mix of stock index funds consists of
35% Vanguard U.S. Bond Index (Symbol: VBMFX) 
35 % Vanguard Total U.S. Stock Market Index Fund (Symbol: VTSMX) 
30% Vanguard Total International Index Fund (Symbol: VGTSX) 

If rebalancing stock and index funds is more than a person wants to do, there are also Target Retirement Funds that are offered by Vanguard. Look for the mix of stocks and bonds that fit your age.  Ignore the target date of the fund. 

(7) Peek inside a pilferer’s playbook. 

If your money is already with a financial advisor, breaking free may be difficult because they will not want to lose you as a client. But if you consider that even pension fund managers do not do as well as having a mix of stock and bond index funds, this may strengthen your resolve.  

(8) Avoid seduction. 

Someone you know will always have a hot stock tip for you. If it sounds too good to be true, it likely is not true.

(9) The 10% stock-picking solution if you really can’t help yourself.

If you aren’t convinced that index funds are the right mix for you, set aside ten percent of your investment income and try your hand at picking individual stocks. Look for stocks with low debt levels. 

Rating: $$$$$ out of five.  Excellent book.    


Copyright @ 2016 Christine Esser

This book was purchased, not a gift.   

T

10 Marketing Rules that Work for Small Businesses from No. B. S. Direct Marketing by Dan Kennedy

Dan Kennedy spent many years developing marketing strategies that work for small neighborhood businesses and even very large successful businesses that rely on direct sales.  In No B.S. Direct Marketing: The Ultimate No Holds Barred Kick Butt Take No Prisoners Direct Marketing for Non-Direct Marketing Businesses, Kennedy shares ten rules he developed to help small business owners market their products and services more effectively.  

Although much has changed in where we go to find customers, the basic principles on how to sell have not changed. In No. B.S. Direct Marketing, 2006, Entrepreneur Press, Dan Kennedy shows small business owners why using mail-order marketing strategies that focus on getting the customer to take action now are more effective than traditional marketing techniques used by large companies.  

In marketing, there are three essential components: the message, the market, and the medium used to convey the message. Most small business owners know how to sell their products or services in person.  Thus, Kennedy believes small business owners can benefit from using these same sales techniques but modifying them to fit the media they are using to sell to customers in print. 

Here are ten of Dan Kennedy’s marketing rules:     

(1) There will always be an offer or offers

At the end of each marketing ad, there will always be an offer that is interesting and appealing to the customers you are trying to reach.  An offer can look like this: Get your free pdf book by providing your full name and best email address. 

(2) There will be a reason to respond right now. 

Your goals is to get a person who is lazy and distracted to take immediate action. 
          

(3) There will be clear instructions. 

A confused client or customer will not act. Provide a clear, focused path that guides the customer or client to make contact with you by making a specific action such as a call or providing an email address and what will happen once they act.  

(4) There will be tracking and measurement. 
        
 All business people need good data and facts to make intelligent decisions.  Tracking the results of each ad is essential. The return on investment for each dollar spent must be tracked to measure which ads are working in which media and which ads and media aren’t working. 


(5) Branding as By-Product. 

The focus should be on results and sales, not branding. But branding could be an end-product of effective results-oriented marketing. 

(6) There will be follow-up. 

Each time a customer responds to an ad, identification data will be captured, such as name, phone number, address, email address and an offer to send something will be made to continue the relationship.  After a first-time customer buys, efforts will be made to help that person become a repeat buyer. 


(7) There will be strong copy. 

Sales copy must be strong to get people’s attention. Subtlety does not sell. 


(8)  In general, it will look like mail-order advertising. 

Accumulate mail order ads and ads at the back of magazines that look like mail-order ads and modify them for your ad copy.  Study the mail-order marketing greats: E. Joseph Cossman, Gerardo Joffee, Robert Collier, and Joe Sugarman. 


(9) Results rule, period. 

If an ad sells, it is good.  If it does not sell, it isn’t good. Opinions don’t matter. 


(10)  You will be a tough-minded disciplinarian and keep your business on a strict direct marketing budget for at least 6 months. 

Anything that does not conform to the other nine rules, should be tossed. Next, decide and use a marketing plan. Dan Kennedy recommends his book, The Ultimate Marketing Plan as a guidebook to develop a marketing plan. Third, develop new ads and tools that conform with the prior nine rules. Fourth, measure your results. Fifth, read books, articles, and attend seminars about direct marketing. 

You need to be using the right message, the right media, and be selling to the right market for your marketing plan to work best. Discover this by learning more about your best customers. Then match your message to your best customers. Use as many media sources as you can so that if there is a disruption in one, your message will still be reaching your customers. If you own a small business, taking  the time to master direct marketing will likely be a very productive use of your time. 

Rating: $$$$$ out of five.  Excellent book.  Dan Kennedy knows how to market  goods and services for small businesses. But his usual market is conservative businessmen from the south and midwest. Be prepared to ignore comments directed to his core audience if you do not share those characteristics.  


Copyright @ 2016 Christine Esser

This book was purchased, not a gift.   

This book can be purchased on Amazon by clicking the first link below. Disclosure: We may receive a small commission from your purchase, but this will not raise the amount you pay. Thank you for reading this review. Comments are welcome.  We have not received anything from the author or publisher in exchange for this review.