Customer Reviews

Free Money to Change Your Life

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(50)

 

 

If this book had a less sensational name than "Free Money to Change Your Life--" something like, "a guide to government grants to individuals" people would probably approach it with different expectations. Calling it "Free Money..." etc. is clearly going to attract people who want easy money. Getting grant money is not. That said, this reference is valuable in that it gets the word out about funding sources that are available. It is priced reasonably for a reference book of its size, but if you're really looking for "free money to change your life" and you are willing to put in some effort following up on the information and making proposals, a better bet would be to head to the library (or buy for $65) Foundation Grants to Individuals or a similar guide which is updated annually. This is aimed towards a more general audience, and as a place to start, it's worthwhile. I, personally, would suggest looking for it in a library, because even if there are grants that are ideal for your situation, most likely 90% of the information in the book will not apply to you specifically. Not a criticism, it is to be expected in a general reference on funding sources.

First off, a caveat: I have not actually read the book. I haven't even SEEN the book, save for the occasional commercial on TV. I HAVE, however, been on the receiving end of many, many phone calls and letters from people who somehow found my office number in Mr. Lesko's book in the hopes that I could help them get a grant for their small business.

Folks, I don't know about the rest of the information in Mr. Lesko's book, but because of my office's inclusion in it, I'm a little suspicious as to the validity of everything else in the book. Yes, I deal with grants -- I'm the grants director for a higher education institution. However, take note: I GET GRANTS ONLY FOR MY ORGANIZATION, NOT FOR ANYONE ELSE. In addition, there seems to be this misconception that there are tons of "grants" out there for just about anything you wish to do.

Most reviewers of this book have already mentioned the narrow criteria of most of the grants in Mr. Lesko's book, so I won't beat that dead horse here. However, for future readers, please note that if you see a name for a grants person at a college or university or nonprofit in that book, chances are they will NOT be able to help you. Our names were likely thrown in there just because we deal with grants. You will be chasing after the moon if you tried to contact one of us -- not because we're mean or selfish, but rather because we genuinely cannot help you as that is not at all our expertise or job. You will likely be disappointed if you tried to contact us for "free money."

The vast majority of grant money available out there is for nonprofits, individuals wishing to pursue graduate-level work (Ph.D.'s and Master's degrees), or more rarely, individuals seeking funding to start up a nonprofit or charity venture. Most businesses, large and small, started out primarily with a package of loans from a variety of sources, with the occasional "incentive grant" from local, state, or federal sources (but only for narrowly defined endeavors). Your money and time would probably be best utilized if you pursued these more certain avenues than spending inordinate amounts of time chasing after hapless grants directors and federal agency bureaucrats who most likely won't be able to help you anyway.

This book never says how all those people got all that money in the advertisements. All it does is give you a list of addresses, and in most cases didn't even specify what you needed to say when you wrote them. It was really disappointing to see such a fat book with no useful information inside it. The least Lesko could have done was specify what each address was for or how his examples were able to get their money. In many cases, getting this "free money" is a lot more work than just knowing where to write. It just gets people's hopes up. However, it could be useful to someone who doesn't know how to use the Internet or ask their local librarian, but if you can get the information somewhere else I wouldn't give Lesko a dime of your money for such a waste of trees.

Let me save you some money right now. You can access the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance for Free at http://12.46.245.173/cfda/cfda.html

This listing is a lot more up-to-date, and the full version is nearly 2000 pages long. Gee, I guess the government has enough "free money" to publish its own book.

i'm a white male,downsized from my job with limited skills and education and looking to get back to school. needless to say i qualifed for nothing in this book and i think most people won't either. if this sounds like you, save your money and look else where . i sent my book back for a refund (still had to pay $7 shipping it back)

Actually, my "stars" for this book go well into the negatives, but I wasn't given that option. I teach grant-writing classes, and Matt Lesko has become a thorn in my side. I've been hearing SO much about him from starry-eyed students that I decided I needed to arm up on my knowledge about these free grant money offers -- and most of all Matt Lesko. So I started to research him. He's very, very slick. I've been able to find highly negative and even incriminating reports about him on various Better Business Bureau websites and via the U.S. government Small Business Administration. Those are reputable sources, wouldn't you say? I've also read numerous complaints from some of the poor people who have bought his books or gone to his conferences. I now share this information with the people who come to my classes and say, "There's all of this free grant money out there!" -- and expect me to teach them how to write away for it. Unfortunately, even documentation from the U.S. government doesn't always change their minds. People want to believe what they want to believe. Every "believer" I've met claims to know someone -- usually a friend of a friend -- who got "free grant money." When I ask, "Where did they get it from?" the answer I always get is, "I don't know. I just know they got it." In a nutshell, USE YOUR HEAD, folks! Anything that sounds too good to be true usually IS too good to be true. Don't believe everything you read! This man is a scam artist. Please don't waste $30 or $40 to buy his books. If you're still not convinced, then at the very least, take a look at his books at your local library *before* you put your check into the mail. You can also find investigative reports about these free grant money offers in the article archives of Businessweek, msnbc.com, and various other reputable sources.

Unless you are a pigmy with 1 eye that speaks russian-good luck finding a government program. Lesko fails to mention this little tidbit. Like most schemes, this guy doesnt tell you HOW to contact these people or what to say, I don't mind doing some work but comeon- dont just give me a blasted phone number and say "here you go" most of the numbers are outdated or the people didnt know what the heck you were calling them for, this happened phone number after phone number. Just another useless phone book, buyer beware.

The only one receiving money on this deal is Matthew Lesko. I would strongly urge readers to look in other places if they are in search of free money. The pot of gold at the end of the rainbow would be easier to obtain.

This book is grossly overrated and over priced. It did not have the information that I was seeking. If you are an average Joe this book will not apply you. The strategies in this book for obtaining grants etc. are for very specific people, in very specific categories, and even in specific regions. Chances are that you, like myself will not qualify for any of these programs. Save your money!

... I am glad I did not order this book, I wrote down some samples of
contacts that was suggested would help an african american woman to
start a small business. I say this, "Wait for an updated
version." This is the millennium programs and contacts have
changed drastically. If consumers will stop sending this guy money
for an outdated book maybe he will realize he needs to make an updated
version. You reviewers who say that anyone giving this book a bad
review are not willing to work are mistaken. I am willing to work, I
just happen to think $40 something dollars is more then I am willing
to pay for outdated programs and information.