Rich is a Religion: Breaking the Timeless Code to Wealth [Hardcover]

Mark Stevens (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 6, 2008

If you're stressed about your financial future, stuck at a job that you hate, or feel trapped by your income, Rich Is a Religion is a road map that will help you transform your life. By showing you the mindset of millionaires and billionaires, you'll learn how to make more money than you ever thought possible and how to preserve this money for your entire life. With the insights found here, you'll quickly discover how to create a solid financial base and channel your money to maximize the gift of life.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The book is interesting, loaded as it is with stories that illustrate his points. It is easy to understand for even infrequent visitors to the world of finance (moi)." (Blogcritics.org)

From the Inside Flap

The secret to building and maintaining wealth isn't a specific stock-picking strategy. Instead, it's a philosophy and behavior that you need to understand and practice in order to have the peace of mind that comes with wealth. It is, in bestselling author Mark Stevens's words, "A means of thinking and behaving . . . a financial religion."

Amidst today's dramatic downturns in the economy—massive layoffs at banks and brokerages, housing foreclosures, and high unemployment—people keep blaming Wall Street institutions or the government for their personal money woes. However, the problem stems less from the system and more from individual behaviors. While portfolios shrink in value, people continue to live beyond their means, always trying to outspend their neighbors. People are working harder than ever and have less time to enjoy the comforts they do have.

If you're stressed about your financial future, stuck at a job that you hate, or feel trapped by your income, Rich Is a Religion is a road map that will help you transform your life. By showing you the mindset of millionaires and billionaires whom the author has known, you will learn how to make more money than you ever thought possible and how you can preserve this money for your entire life, regardless of economic downswings. With the insights found here, you'll also quickly learn the difference between doing well financially and creating true wealth.

Rich Is a Religion examines how the wealthy use money as an instrument of independence, confidence, stability, and enduring value. Throughout the book, Stevens shows you how those who embrace the "religion of the rich" make the most of their money and their life, and explains how this approach can help you to:

• Engage now in the endeavors that you promised yourself you would get to some day in the future

• Have the peace of mind that comes with a rock-solid financial base

• Indulge yourself and your family with everything you desire, knowing that you will not jeopardize your financial well-being

• Work for yourself, and yourself only, if that's what you prefer

• And much more

Filled with engaging anecdotes and advice from real millionaires, Rich Is a Religion outlines a powerful new way of thinking and living. With this book as your guide, you'll quickly discover how to earn more than you ever thought possible, create a solid financial base, and protect those assets. But most of all, you'll learn how to channel your money to maximize the gift of life.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (October 6, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470252871
• ISBN-13: 978-0470252871
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,250,311 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Mark Stevens is a best selling author, CEO of MSCO, a results-driven management and marketing firm, and a popular media commentator on a host of business matters including marketing, branding, management and sales. Mr. Stevens is known for delivering business insights with blunt truths and unconventional wisdom.

Stevens shook the marketing establishment with his Business Week best seller, "Your Marketing Sucks" (Random House/Crown Business), and redefined the rules of management with "Your Management Sucks" (Random House/Crown Business, 2006).

Stevens' latest book, Your Company Sucks: It's Time To Declare War On Yourself (to be published Aug 2, 2011)idetifies the four reasons companies fail or simply get stuck in neutral and how to identify and address them so the business can break through the ice to new levels of success. Stevens also demonstrates that "customer satisfaction" is no longer acceptable: winning companies must Thrill their customers/clients.

Stevens is the author of 24 business-related books including the best sellers: "The Big Eight"; "King Icahn"; "Sudden Death: The Rise and Fall of EF Hutton" (a Wall Street Journal bestseller and Library Journal "Business Book of the Year"); and the enormously popular "Your Marketing Sucks."

Stevens' firm, MSCO--founded in 1995-- has representsed a stellar roster of clients including Nike, Starwood, GE, Guardian Life, Intrawest, Estee Lauder, The MONY group, Environmental Systems Products, Saturday Evening Post , Virgin Atlantic, and many others.. Through integrated marketing campaigns, MSCO focuses on achieving results for its clients instead of awards that serve egos. Mark Stevens possesses an innovative and iconoclastic view of the business world, having served as a journalist and nationally syndicated columnist and having held management positions at several global corporations. His incisive understanding of critical business issues is geared toward achieving extraordinary growth and success for his clients.

Stevens is an in-demand speaker and a frequent guest commentator on Fox Business Channel and a wide range of media from Entrepreneur to Dow Jones.

Stevens writes the wildly successful blog, "Unconventional Thinking."

Books by Mark Stevens have been published in USA, UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, China, Germany, Spain, Japan, Russia and Brazil.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The code of the truly wealthy, December 20, 2008

By 

Steve Burns (Nashville, TN) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Rich is a Religion: Breaking the Timeless Code to Wealth (Hardcover)

The book opens up the code of the truly wealthy. Written by a multimillionaire author and CEO, who experienced both poverty and wealth. This is not a book of theories and formulas, it is written by a man who has lived them and observed them first hand in billionaires through personal relationships. I really enjoyed reading this book and found it very difficult to put down because it completely reconfirmed my own beliefs and lifestyle that has taken me also from poverty to a high six figure net worth.
The rich pursue passions not numbers of dollars. They treat money with respect and never squander it. They put their wealth in assets that increase in value. Their goal is to enjoy a high quality of life, not to show off and impress others with their wealth. The vast amount of the money that the rich have is invisible, and is setting in places that insure their financial independence. They never waste money, and use it as a tool for bringing what they desire into their lives. They take calculated risks, but never "bet the farm".
"It's not what you earn in life that counts; it's what you keep" the rich work smart, increasing their wealth while decreasing their amount of work. Using businesses, stocks, investments, and other vehicles of wealth they make money while they sleep. They are not stuck on selling their time for cash, or getting a "good" job.
They seek to simply their lives into exactly what they truly want. Sometimes, less is more. Happiness is not found in dollars, it lies in your passions, personal life, relationships, friends, family, and peace of mind. "The quality of life is a better way to measure winning and losing than dollars and cents".
I have read hundreds of books on personal finance and this wonderful book has done the best job I have seen of summing up the "religion" of the rich and how you can join them. Outstanding job Mark Stevens!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A FUTURE CLASSIC A MUST READ!, December 31, 2008

By 

Ed Laflamme (Wilton, CT) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Rich is a Religion: Breaking the Timeless Code to Wealth (Hardcover)

From the first page to the last, "Rich Is a Religion" is captivating. I could not stop reading once I started.

The first book I ever read about success, business and money was "Think & Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill, it was given to me 39 years ago by a successful business friend of mine. That book changed my thinking, my life, just like "Rich Is a Religion" will. But, if I could have a wish, it would have been that I read "Rich Is a Religion" first! Why? Because in a most powerful way it illustrates that the rich, the wealthy, RESPECT MONEY and that's why they have attained and maintain their wealth.

What I loved about the book are the personal accounts Stevens offers in how the wealthy think. How those "in the religion" use money as a tool and don't flaunt what they have. They are happy and enjoy the security and protection money offers.

Lastly and most importantly, "Rich Is a Religion" offers a "how to" for those who want to join the religion, and of course you don't have to be rich to join. Stevens is not talking about joining a "cult" but adopting a set of beliefs, a philosophy that will help lead anyone within the "religion" to attain success. And the best part, it's free!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Hodgepodge and mediocre, September 28, 2010

By 

X. Li "Lee" (NC, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Rich is a Religion: Breaking the Timeless Code to Wealth (Hardcover)

There're some good points about wealth accumulation in this book, but you will find them in much better written books somewhere else.

The writing is really bad and a pain to read. The author tried to communicate some worthy ideas, but his delivery was just too mediocre, even worse than most online ebooks and blogs.