Customer Reviews

The Accidental Millionaire: How to Succeed in Life Without Really Trying

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I received this book as a complimentary gift while at the Henry's Photography Show in Toronto, Canada and I must say that it was very inspiring. It's an easy and comical read! I come from a video/tv background and ended up being so inspired while reading the book, that I enrolled in a photography course. Although the book primarily focuses on Gary's memoirs, there are some great nuggets of advice that Gary imparts about approaching success. For example, focus on the process, not the result. I would highly recommend this book to photography enthusiasts as well as anyone eager for insight into approaching success in their own life.

I have to admit, I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked up this book. I absolutely LOVED this book. Not only is there a great dose of humor, the path that has gotten Mr. Fong to the point he is today is one of the most engaging stories I have read.

Gary's parents were immigrants and wanted nothing but the best for their only child. They struggled after Gary's dad lost his job at Boeing and his mom took to styling and selling wigs, prepping them in their small 600 square foot apartment. Can you imagine everything in your home being covered with the lacquer emitted from hair spray? Gary knew by the age of 10 that he needed to take his life into his own hands.

Many of the aspects of this book are pulled from journals that Gary kept as a child and they are such a unique insight into a man who has truly lived up to his full potential. A keen business mind and the determination to try and make a career out of something that showed him a glimpse of success after college made Gary a millionaire.

This book is one that I would highly recommend - even though it is a work of non-fiction (which is not usually something that I would enjoy to be honest) the style of writing is extremely fluid and full of humor, intelligence, and the drive to succeed.

I found this book by accident. I didn't know anything about Gary Fong, but I am so glad I found the book. (Strolling through Barnes & Noble - sorry Amazon!) This book is for everyone, not just for photographers or entrepreneurs. I don't read "making it in business books" so I don't know how this one compares, but it's excellent in that he applies his Zen sensibility and a wonderful creativity to his intelligent approach to business and life. This book kind of has it all: honesty, overcoming adversity, funny stories, success, failure, how a visionary works, cliffhangers, romantic troubles and like a great Hollywood Romantic Comedy - a very, very happy ending! Women will love the romance - men will love his "building an empire" stories. I loved it all. Congratulations, Gary, you are an inspiration and deserve all that you have. And by the way - don't want to burst your bubble - but you DID work very hard. That's the only white lie in this book.

I loved his early version. i'm sure he added more here, cause the version i have is not 272 pages. I learned from Gary how to take advantage of opportunities when they come your way, his version of "don't set goals" he mentions in the foreword. I am a photographer and i love his lightsphere and wish i had invented it. he tells about how he hounded his future mentor until the mentor relented and how he didnt know the first thing about medium format cameras but winged his way. Good thing his mentor saw right through Gary and was willing to teach Gary the ropes.

As a wedding photographer, I found Gary's book to be both entertaining and thought provoking. Gary has a unique philosophy about life and success, and his stories are interesting and very funny. His book made me laugh and encouraged me to view my own situation as a photographer a little differently, and even motivated me to take a few more risks. I enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone interested in business and photography.

I liked his style of writing; easy going and frank. You feel you know him. It's adventurous and very entertaining.

I had Gary Fong's book on order since May (!) and just received it a couple of days ago.

Gary might think of himself as an ordinary guy who didn't plan to get rich. But it's obvious he's smart as heck. Combined with his savvy, entrepreneurial approach to making a buck, it doesn't surprise me that he's a millionaire.

The autobiography is a fascinating, entertaining and often hilarious read. And it has more interesting characters in it than a Quentin Tarantino movie.

Interesting, compelling and encouraging. You never know how life will turn out. Try everything!

The reason I read it is because it was a gift from a family member and I was naturally interested because Gary Fong is a famous wedding photographer, inventor and entrepreneur. I realize that everyone might not connect with the book in the same way I did, but this one is a really fun read because it is so conversational and such an honest, intimate look at one man's life and struggles. There's really not much in the book about making millions (which is probably a good thing) - only the philosophy of thinking about things in a different way and having fun while doing it. I like to think of it as the modern, simpler version of "Zen And The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance".

One of my favorite little nuggets of information comes at the very end of the book (page 260 of 264):

Gary says, "When you're passionately preparing for one thing, the universe may be preparing you for something else. As long as you're actively and creatively preparing for something, you're usually on the right track."

I got the photo of the book above from Amazon.com, where Gary's book is currently listed less than $11! Go grab it today!

For more than two decades, my favorite business book has been Growing A Business by Paul Hawken. But it just got replaced atop my list of best business books for the entrepreneur. If you want to get a visceral feel for how to make any business really work - it's all about constant, ongoing discovery - this is the best book you can read.

Besides containing a lot of wisdom, it's hysterically funny. It contains all the non-business aspects of Gary's life, too, and he pulls no punches revealing his foibles. This makes the lessons he's drawn that much more real and useful.

When you're finished, you'll have more than one fresh idea for a fresh new approach to something - and you'll be excited about trying it! Oh, and you'll want to have dinner with the author. What a wild, wise wit!