Book Summaries

In _The Millionaire Next Door_, authors Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko skewer the myths about how (and where) most millionaires live, and what it takes to become one. Their extensive research published in 1996 identified the sometimes surprising characteristics and habits shared by many millionaires. For instance, millionaires are often bargain shoppers (they buy used cars and off-the-rack clothing), pay only a small percentage of their wealth in income taxes, and shun the lavish lifestyles we often associate with being rich.

The book explains how to determine what your net worth should be, according to your age and income, and how you can build wealth over time and become a millionaire—if you have the discipline.

_The Last Lecture_ by Randy Pausch, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon University, is a distillation of his life lessons and experiences. Written with reporter Jeffrey Zaslow, the best-selling book is an expanded version of a “Last Lecture” Pausch gave in 2007, after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

The “Last Lecture” series was a tradition in which professors presented their philosophy of life, as if it were their last chance to share what was important to them. It truly was a last chance for Pausch, who had only months to live. His book and lecture, which went viral and has been viewed by millions, are about living your dreams.

In 1951, a 30-year-old African-American woman named Henrietta Lacks entered Johns Hopkins Hospital to be treated for cervical cancer. In a matter of months she was dead, overcome by her cancer’s malignancy. Her cancer _cells_, however, would prove immortal—and change medicine forever.

_The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks_ tells the story of Henrietta, her family, and her incredible cells. Tracking both the scientific advances owed to “HeLa” cells and the struggles of Henrietta’s descendants, author Rebecca Skloot leads readers through the history of cell research, the ethical implications of scientific study, and the human story of a poor and ailing family whose matriarch contributed to some of 20th-century science’s greatest achievements.

In our society, we admire success-oriented people, or go-getters. But in _The Go-Giver_, authors Bob Burg and John David Mann turn that idea on its head. They argue that you should make _giving_ rather than _getting_ your first priority in business and in life—and success will follow. In the form of a business parable in which a mentor puts a frustrated go-getter on the path to success and fulfillment, the authors explain why and how you can change from being a go-getter to a go-giver by practicing the Five Laws of Stratospheric Success.

How do you feel about New Year’s resolutions, breaking rules, or keeping commitments to yourself? These might seem like simple questions, but your answers point to a personality type that defines why and how you take action.

_The Four Tendencies_ explains the four very different personalities determining how we deal with external and internal expectations. Learn why your daughter won’t do anything when you ask her to, why your spouse will go to the ends of the earth for you but can never seem to do anything for himself, and why your colleague asks too many questions at team meetings.

_The Five People You Meet in Heaven_ is a poignant story about a man named Eddie’s journey after death. In heaven, he meets five people who teach him about the meaning and value of his own life. Through their stories and lessons, Eddie learns about connection, forgiveness, sacrifice, and love.

Through this book, you’ll have the chance to imagine your own life’s purpose and the lives you’ve touched along the way. The author is Mitch Albom, best-selling author of _Tuesdays with Morrie_ and _The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto_.

At times, most of us have felt unmotivated, discouraged, and as though things were falling apart. In this short parable, _The Energy Bus_, author and motivational speaker Jon Gordon explains how to turn things around when this happens. The allegory about a middle manager hitting rock bottom takes place on a bus, where the driver and passengers share with him 10 rules for reenergizing his life through positive thinking. Practicing these simple principles can help you build successful teams at work and improve your relationships. Like the story’s main character, George, you can learn to enjoy life’s ride.

Many people dream of quitting a job and becoming their own boss by starting a business. A million new businesses are started each year, but 40 percent fail within the first year and 80 percent fail within five years. Underlying the high failure rate are persistent romantic notions about how businesses are born and what it takes to succeed.

In _The E-Myth Revisited_, Michael E. Gerber explains how focusing solely on the product undermines new businesses and just trying to work harder undermines new businesses. **The right approach is to view your business like a franchise—to systematize operations so that it no longer relies on you.** This thirty-year-old classic is a part-practical and part-philosophical guide to conceptualizing and starting a business.

_The Compound Effect_ by Darren Hardy offers simple tips on achieving success and living the life of your dreams. The idea is similar to compound interest in finance – small, everyday decisions add up to huge returns over time.

While the concept is simple, that doesn’t mean it’s easy. Hardy presents six strategies for successfully and carefully directing your choices to shape your destiny in a positive direction and offers a plan of action for improving your results.

_The Challenger Sale_ upends the conventional wisdom that building relationships with customers is the key to sales success. Instead, they contend, **the best salespeople take control of the sale by challenging customers’ thinking with new insights and pushing back** instead of giving in to customer demands. While there are five distinct types of sales reps, it’s these so-called Challengers who consistently excel in selling the complex business-to-business solutions required in today’s business world. Based on a massive study of thousands of sales reps worldwide, the authors uncover the skills and behaviors that drive Challengers’ performance and explain how to replicate them in any sales force.