The Ten Roads to Riches: The Ways the Wealthy Got There (And How You Can Too!) (Fisher Investments Press) [Hardcover]

Kenneth L. Fisher (Author), Lara Hoffmans (Contributor)

Book Description

Release date: October 20, 2008 | Series: Fisher Investments Press (Book 9)

Discover how your net worth can be worth more

The Ten Roads to Riches takes an engaging and informative look at some of America's most famous (and infamous) modern-day millionaires (and billionaires) and reveals how they found their fortunes. Surprisingly, the super-wealthy usually get there by taking just one of ten possible roads. And now, so can you! Plenty of books tell you how to be frugal and save, but The Ten Roads to Riches tells you how you can, realistically, get super-rich.

Throughout these pages, renowned investment expert and self-made billionaire Ken Fisher highlights amusing anecdotes of individuals who have traveled (or tumbled) down each road, and tells you how to increase your chances of success. Whether it's starting a business, owning real estate, investing wisely, or even marrying very, very well, Fisher will show how some got it right and others got it horribly wrong.

• Find out the right questions to ask when starting your own business-the richest road of all
• Learn what Mark Cuban, Rupert Murdoch, and rapper Jay-Z have in common, and how you can emulate them
• Discover how to avoid high-profile flameouts like the Enron guys and jailed plaintiffs' lawyer Melvyn Weiss

Whether you're just beginning to plan your financial future or well on your way, The Ten Roads to Riches can show you how to gain and, more importantly, maintain the wealth you want.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Amazon Exclusive: Ken Fisher on The Ten Roads to Riches

Have you ever wondered how the super-rich built their wealth—and whether you could build big wealth too?

The Ten Roads to Riches takes an engaging and informative look at some of America’s most famous (and infamous) modern day millionaires (and billionaires), and reveals how they found their fortunes. Surprisingly, the super-wealthy usually get there by taking just one of ten possible roads. And now, so can you.

Even if achieving super-wealth isn’t your goal, you can still learn how to build more modest wealth following the same successful paths others have used. In The Ten Roads to Riches, renowned investment expert and self-made billionaire Ken Fisher highlights amusing anecdotes of individuals who have traveled (or tumbled) down each road, and shares advice on increasing your chances of success. Whether it’s starting a business, owning real estate, investing wisely or even marrying very, very well, Fisher will show how some got it right and others got it horribly wrong. Whether you’re just beginning to plan your financial future or well on your way, The Ten Roads to Riches can show you how to gain, and more importantly, maintain the wealth you want.

Ken Fisher is best known for his prestigious "Portfolio Strategy" column in Forbes magazine, where his 24-year tenure of high-profile calls makes him the fourth longest-running columnist in Forbes’ 90-year history. Ken is the founder, Chairman, and CEO of Fisher Investments, and has appeared in most major American finance or business periodicals. He is also the author of the bestselling investment book, The Only Three Questions That Count, which is published by Wiley.

Amazon Exclusive: Q&A with Ken Fisher, and Map of the Ten Roads to Riches

Q&A with Ken Fisher

Map of the Ten Roads to Riches

---

From Booklist

There’s not enough space to list all 10 roads, but here are 5 of them: start a successful business, become a CEO of an existing firm, turn celebrity into wealth, capitalize on other people’s money, and—and this reviewer's favorite—marry well. Fisher, a self-made billionaire, chronicles how some of today’s millionaires made their fortunes and how you can, too. He offers case histories of famous and not-so-famous examples of success and failure. In his final chapter, “The Road More Traveled,” Fisher says that the first step is saving, and the second is to invest in something that offers substantial returns. He warns that bonds are a riskier investment than stocks, and he provides a five-step guide to saving and investing. --George Cohen

See all Editorial Reviews

---

Product Details Hardcover: 228 pages Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (October 20, 2008) Language: English ISBN-10: 0470285362 ISBN-13: 978-0470285367 Product Dimensions: 6.3 x 0.9 x 9 inches Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies) Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews) Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #81,248 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #78 in Books > Business & Investing > Personal Finance > Retirement Planning

---

More About the Author

Ken Fisher: CEO of Fisher Investments

Ken Fisher is founder, Chairman and CEO of Fisher Investments, an independent money management firm managing tens of billions of dollars for large pension plans, endowments, and foundations globally, as well as thousands of high net worth individuals.

Ken Fisher: Forbes Columnist

Ken Fisher is best known for his over 28 year tenure as Forbes' Portfolio Strategy columnist--the fourth longest running columnist in Forbes 90+ year history. Third-party research firm, CXO Advisory Group's "Guru Grades" ranks Fisher as one of the most accurate stock market forecasters over recent years.*

Ken Fisher: Bestselling Author

Ken Fisher has written eight books on investing and personal finance, four of which were New York Times bestsellers. Recent books include 2011's Markets Never Forget, 2010's Debunkery, 2009's How to Smell a Rat, 2008's The Ten Roads to Riches, and 2006's The Only Three Questions That Count - all published by John Wiley & Sons. Other books include 1984's Super Stocks, 1987's The Wall Street Waltz, and 1993's 100 Minds That Made the Market. Ken Fisher's books have been translated into 9 languages, reaching over 3/4 of global GDP.**

Fisher Investments Press

Ken Fisher's firm, Fisher Investments, embarked on a publishing imprint with John Wiley & Sons in 2007, focusing on investing-related topics. Titles published under the imprint, Fisher Investments Press, so far include 20/20 Money and Own the World and the Fisher Investments On series, which focuses on the 11 primary investing sectorsThe series includes in depth coverage on nine popular financial sectors, and Emerging Markets.

Other Ken Fisher Contributions

Ken Fisher has been published, interviewed and/or been written about in many major American, British, Canadian, German and Swiss finance or business periodicals. Fisher has been on the Forbes 400 list of richest Americans and the Forbes Global Billionaire lists since 2005. Ken Fisher is also on Investment Advisor magazine's prestigious IA-30 list of the 30 most influential people in and around money management over the last 30 years.***


*http://www.cxoadvisory.com/gurus. As of 9/5/2012. Fisher Investments has no affiliation with CXO Advisory Group. Ken Fisher's market forecasts in Forbes represent his personal forecasts of the overall market and are not an indication of the performance of Fisher Investments. Not all forecasts may be accurate as those in the past. Investing in securities involves the risk of loss. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Investments in foreign securities involves additional risks such as losses related to other currencies and securities markets.

**Based on countries' official languages and GDP reported by the IMF, as of 12/15/2011.

***http://www.advisorone.com/2010/05/01/thirty-for-thirty

---

Customer Reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars

(21)

4.2 out of 5 stars

5 star

13

4 star

3

3 star

2

2 star

2

1 star

1

See all 21 customer reviews

“ It is an easy, breezy read. ” David Merkel  |  8 reviewers made a similar statement

“ You will make enemies. ” DrDeb  |  2 reviewers made a similar statement

“ Hey, if you want to get married, hang around with rich people and fall in love with one of them! ” T. Faranda  |  3 reviewers made a similar statement

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An insightful and humorous read about building wealth November 1, 2008

By T. Faranda

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

This is a fun, breezy read, as investment advisor and long-time Forbes columnist Ken Fisher has written a serious, but humorous book about how to build wealth. And at 216 pages a quick read.

Fisher's last book, "The Only Three Questions that Count", was superb. This latest book is very different from "The Only Three Questions...", which is all about personal investing but which also has application to other areas of a person's life.

"The Ten Roads to Riches" is about the varied ways a person can build personal wealth. Fisher draws from his own experience of meeting many successful people, as he charts the paths. The chapters are insightful and written in a tongue-in-cheek style with ideas that can be easily visualized.

Some examples: The first chapter "The Richest Road", which is founding your own business and building it into the next Microsoft, Nike, or Charles Schwab. The third chapter, about the "Ride-alongs", people who hitch theirselves to the Bill Gates's or Warren Buffett's of the world and rise as they and their firm rise. If you are Warren Buffett's longtime sidekick, there's got to be wealth in that, right? (Yup. Charlie Munger is his name and his net worth is $2 billion.)

Chapter four is "Rich ... and Famous". Some tips: compose songs, don't sing them, and star high school baseball players have slightly better odds of making the big leagues then star football players.

Chapter five is "Marry Well, Really Well", which is very amusing, but also serious. Hey, if you want to get married, hang around with rich people and fall in love with one of them! Plenty of examples including John Kerry (twice) and John McCain....

Chapter six is "Steal It - Like a Pirate, But Legally", making a career as a plaintiff's lawyer and suing companies. Enough said.... And chapter nine is "Trumping the Land Barons" - all about real estate.

The last chapter is "The Road Most Travelled", about doing it the old-fashioned way - get a good job, work hard, save and invest wisely.

Each chapter is a survey, giving multiple examples of people who took the particular road, and offering ideas, but no detailed plan. At the end of each are brief reviews of suggested additional readings for anyone who might be inclined to follow that particular path. I was surprised that there are actually serious books about how to "Marry Well", but maybe I shouldn't have been?

An enjoyable, quick read about one aspect of the business of life. Read more ›

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Book Review from the Aleph Blog January 23, 2010

By David Merkel

Format:Hardcover

Many dream of riches. Few achieve them. Why? It usually involves self-denial and hard work. It's not that anyone can't achieve riches, if they start young enough, but they won't make the sacrifices to do so. A strong education helps, but is not absolutely required. As my old boss Eric Hovde said to his staff repeatedly, the biggest difference in success comes from the degree of effort put forth. I would only add that working smart amplifies the effort of working hard.

Ken Fisher the billionaire asset manager, identifies the ten ways he has seen to become wealthy. They are:

1) Build a significant business.

2) Manage a significant business.

3) Be the right hand man of a wealthy person.

4) Be a star athlete, entertainer, or one who significantly facilitates star athletes and entertainers.

5) Marry a wealthy person.

6) Be a lawyer that helps clients sue for major amounts of money on a contingency fee basis.

7) Manage a lot of Other People's Money.

8 ) Be an inventor of something popular, a popular writer, a prominent politician, or invent an organization that a lot of people want to give money to.

9) Borrow a lot of money and speculate on property appreciation.

10) Work hard, save a lot, and invest wisely.

I think he has nailed it. My way of summarizing it is that you have to do something that makes a lot of people happy, or at least has the potential to make a lot of people happy. Or, make one wealthy person very happy or unhappy. Three groups -- how do they work out?...

A) Those who do something that makes a lot of people happy can earn a lot:

* Successful business founders, CEOs, right hand men, inventors
* Stars and their significant enablers
* Good asset managers
* Good writers
* Successful real estate developers

B) But even those that promise to do something to make people happy and fail at it can earn a lot:

* Any CEO of a big enterprise can earn a lot -- at one investment firm, we used to joke that you got paid $50 million to destroy a company -- it is what they had to pay to get rid of you. Their right hand men will still prosper too, just not as much. In the current financial crisis, that is what gores many about the large surviving firms that were bailed out. The executives are still prospering after previous dumb decisions. Easy to complain about it, but it is nice work if you can get it. (Note: this is why they should not have been bailed out, especially not at the holding company level. Government officials lie when they say they could not have done it differently. I for one suggested alternatives ahead of time.)
* The same applies to CEOs that tweak the company's earnings while they are there, but leave their successor in the hole.
* Many still follow stars as their stars fade; they may not make as much, but it is still a lot. Same for writers that lose their knack.
* Many asset managers have an early period where they don't have much in the way of assets, and their track record is great; their ideas for excess return are executable with the current assets under management [AUM]. That leads to growth in assets, until they are too big for the asset class in which they have expertise. They become index-like, or they venture outside their circle of competence, and their track record suffers. But AUM is high, and the fees can provide a nice income. Assets are sticky if you don't do too badly, and are a good salesman/storyteller.
* Politicians can make a lot of money off of contacts or giving speeches once out of office, even if they were on net harmful to the nation while in office.
* Some charities (or nonprofits like mutual insurers or credit unions) can be less than scrupulous about what managers get paid.
* The real estate speculator, the CEO, and certain investment managers can have a "Heads-I-win, Tails-you-lose" attitude. America gives people a lot of second chances before you are permanently branded as a fraud. It only takes one big win to make a lot for yourself, even if you destroy the well-being of others in the process.

C) Then there are those that only have to serve a few:

* The spouse of a wealthy person.
* The right hand man of a wealthy person, and
* The Trial Lawyer going after a big tort
* Serve yourself, as an ordinary person working at a job.

No one begrudges the wealth of those in group A -- they have served society well. Many begrudge the wealth of those in group B -- they have not served society well. Group C? It depends on motives. More later on this.

One thing is certain, though. There aren't many seats in each of the "roads to riches," except for the last ordinary one, #10. Few are founders of massive enterprises, or CEOs, or stars, or investors of must-have products or processes. Few can serve in high office, or write best-sellers, or be able to source a lot of assets to manage. Few can get the capital markets or banks to loan them millions, even billions. Few get to try a lawsuit where a huge award is won. Few get to marry rich. Also, most succeeding have to hit their right path while young, to allow enough time for compounding their success.

It takes a lot of effort and good breaks in order to be at the top of any economic situation where there is a lot of wealth. Even road #10, doing well at your job, saving a lot and investing wisely is tough. Few get to become "The Millionaire Next Door," but more achieve reasonable wealth that way than all of the rest combined.

Ken Fisher writes about all of these areas in an entertaining way, and gives practical advice on how to follow each road, including additional books to read, and techniques for getting started. It is an ambitious and compact book weighing in at around 230 pages of text including the preface. It is an easy, breezy read. As a bonus, in road 10, Ken Fisher shares basic investment advice for the retail investor.

More than Quibbles:

I owe a lot to Ken Fisher for advice that he gave me in Winter 2000, and though I enjoyed the book, I can't endorse it wholeheartedly. He is out to tell you how to do it, even in cases where there might be significant moral compromise. He acknowledges that, but says it is a part of the game.

To me, the key question is what your motives are. It's one thing to enter into a risky business, offer full disclosure to all stakeholders in advance, make a best effort, and fail. It is quite another to trick/cajole people into backing you without full knowledge, and fail.

It is one thing to try a legal case where the damages are proportionate to the harm caused, and another thing to help create disproportionate judgments. It is one thing to serve a wealthy person who asks you to do things that are ethical, and another thing to serve in things that are unethical. Once you have fans, a privileged job, or "sticky assets," do you start giving less than your best? I write this as one that is himself prone to laziness when things go well. It is a common sin that one has to fight.

Are you looking out for the best interests of those you serve, and society more broadly? A tough question for any of us, but society itself does not do well when a dominant proportion of it does not serve for good motives. If it gets bad enough, the society will lose legitimacy and vitality.

Finally, it is one thing to marry because you love the person, and want to give your all to your future spouse. It is quite another thing to enter in with crossed fingers, and say, "Maybe this will work, maybe it won't. I will be careful to protect myself, because the odds of failure are significant. But economically, it will work out for me either way. I'm wealthy if we marry, whether it works or not, because the prenup will leave me well off."

Here's the common vow: I, (Bride/Groom), take you (Groom/Bride), to be my (wife/husband), to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part. Maybe promises don't mean much any more, but I can't see how one marrying for money can say that with a clear conscience.

Before my wife and I married, but after we were engaged, we were at a bookstore together, and we were looking over some marriage books to find one our pastor recommended. She found a book entitled, "Marry Rich." She said to me, "This is a joke book, right?" I said, "Uh, you would be surprised at the motives some have in marriage." She began leafing through it, amazed at the level of greed involved. She married her poor graduate student boyfriend anyway. 23 years later things are still working out well for her (and me).

One final note, not from the book: greed wears people out. It is one thing to do what you love so long as money is not the sole purpose. But those that are greedy for gain at all costs destroy themselves, and those around them. It is not a good trade. Read more ›

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars An Outstanding Work November 28, 2009

By Maxim Masiutin

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

I'm a fan of Ken Fisher's books. While he's other books are mostly about capital markets, but this one is a completely different book. It is based on Ken Fisher's experience in observing Forbes 400 list and managing wealthy people's money as a CEO of Fisher Investments. Based on these observations, the author have identified ten most usual patterns on becoming rich. The book isn't about getting rich quick. It's about getting mega-rich in ways that work over time.
What is the difference between this book and the author's other books about capital markets? The books on capital markets will teach how to invest wisely, but they don't teach how to become a billionaire, they just assume you already have enough investable money to have interest in capital markets and how they work.
To have enough investable money, it's better to be rich. And this is what this book about. While books like "Millionaire Next Door" in a plenitude, they teach you to save, to live beyond your means, to have compounding interest work for you as a way to get rich. But a majority of billionaires, like Bill Gates, never saved a penny. They have just created their wealth, rather than accumulated it by saving.
If you liked the chapter "Managing other people's money", I can also recommend the author's subsequent book "How to smell a rat", that augments and expands the topic of this chapter.
Pros
- Lots of statistical figures to proof the author's assertions
- Lots of useful tips throughout the book
- Lots of myths demystified about different professions, commonly believed to bring megawealth, e.g. sports players, actors, musicians, lawyers, etc....
- Each chapter has valuable references to further reading
Cons
- Minor factual errors: for example, the author wrote that Warren Buffett bought a "tiny" company Berkshire Hathaway. In fact, in 1955 the company had 15 plants employing over 12,000 workers.
- An audio version on CD (released by HarperAudio on November 4, 2008) has a foreword read by Ken Fisher with very awful quality, the sound seems to be distorted by excessive compression, voice sounds like "electronic" and is hard to tolerate. The rest of the book, read by J.s. Gilbert, is OK. Read more ›

› See all 21 customer reviews (newest first)

Write a customer review

Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Can't stop listening to it.

I bought the audio book more than a year ago and I still keep listening to it quite often in the car. Read more

Published 4 months ago by Gabor Devenyi

3.0 out of 5 stars Regarding purchase of used book: The Ten Roads to Riches..

Great book! Don't mind purchasing use books. However,disappointed this used book had County Library stamped and stickers throughout! Read more

Published 10 months ago by Silver

2.0 out of 5 stars Straight scoop, not a quick path to wealth, includes political...

I was skeptical because I've received junk mail from the author's investment firm. This mail is geared toward getting those with funds invested in stocks through his firm. Read more

Published 22 months ago by Citizen John

5.0 out of 5 stars Ten different roads to wealth

Others have described the contents of this book very well. It's a great book for the young adult trying to figure out what to do with their life and if making money is important,... Read more

Published on February 1, 2011 by The Creative Investor

5.0 out of 5 stars Refreshingly Original, Frank, and Thought-Provoking

"The Ten Roads to Riches" reminded me a little of Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged" in its clear and unapologetic message that individuals (and perhaps all of society collectively) would... Read more

Published on January 5, 2011 by DrDeb

5.0 out of 5 stars Ease on down the road

I like this book, it helps you identify the road that might be right for you.

Published on August 11, 2010 by Rick Valentine

5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyed every line

This is my first Ken Fisher book and I loved it. It's fun and it's honest. Yes, he doesn't provide step-by-step guide for every road, but it wasn't his goal. Read more

Published on July 29, 2010 by Nataliya

5.0 out of 5 stars A fun, fast read about how you can get wealthy too.

The Ten Roads to Riches: The Ways the Wealthy Got There (And How You Can Too!) (Fisher Investments Press)
Review by Richard L. Weaver II, PhD. Read more

Published on March 12, 2010 by And Then Some Publishing LLC

2.0 out of 5 stars Boo hoo hoo ... BOO HOO HOO

I waited and waited for this book to finally get to paperback because I couldn't afford the hardcover.

I bought it and held it close. Read more

Published on December 20, 2009 by Architect of Skin

3.0 out of 5 stars Ten Ways to Wealth

Ken Fisher is the founder and chairman of Fisher Investments, a very successful global money management firm. His many books and advertisements have made him quite well known. Read more

Published on August 25, 2009 by Edward Mendlowitz

Search Customer Reviews

Only search this product's reviews

There's a problem loading this menu right now.

Learn more about Amazon Prime.

Watch. Read. Shop. Relax.

Millions of Amazon Prime members enjoy instant videos, free Kindle books and unlimited free two-day shipping.

> Get started

• Unlimited Instant Videos
• Prime Instant Video
  Unlimited streaming of thousands of
  movies and TV shows with Amazon Prime
• Learn More About Amazon Prime
• Amazon Instant Video Store
  Rent or buy hit movies and TV shows
  to stream or download
• Your Video Library
  Your movies and TV shows
  stored in the cloud
• Watch Anywhere
  Watch instantly on your Kindle Fire,
  TV, Blu-ray player, or set-top box

• MP3s & Cloud Player
• MP3 Music Store
  Shop over 20 million songs
• Music on Kindle Fire
  Discover how to play your music
• Cloud Player for PC
  Play, manage and download your music
• Cloud Player for Web
  Play from any browser
• Cloud Player for Android
  For Android phones and tablets
• Cloud Player for iOS
  For iPhone, iPad and iPod touch
• Cloud Player for Home
  For Sonos and Roku

• Amazon Cloud Drive
• Your Cloud Drive
  5 GB of free storage
• Get the Desktop App
  For Windows and Mac
• Cloud Drive Photos for Android
  For Android phones and tablets
• Cloud Drive Photos for iPhone
  For iPhone and iPod touch
• Learn More About Cloud Drive

• Kindle E-readers
• Kindle
  Small, light, perfect for reading
• Kindle Paperwhite
  World's most advanced e-reader
• Kindle Paperwhite 3G
  With free 3G wireless
• Kindle E-reader Accessories
  Covers, chargers, sleeves and more
• Kindle Store
• Kindle Books
• Newsstand
• Kindle Owners' Lending Library
  With Prime, Kindle owners read for free

• Kindle Fire
• Fire
  All new--faster, twice the memory
• Fire HD
  7", Dolby audio, ultra-fast Wi-Fi
• Fire HD 8.9"
  8.9", Dolby audio, ultra-fast Wi-Fi
• Fire HD 8.9" 4G
  With ultra-fast 4G LTE wireless
• Kindle Fire Accessories
  Cases, chargers, sleeves and more
• Kindle Apps & Resources
• Kindle Cloud Reader
  Read your Kindle books in a browser
• Free Kindle Reading Apps
  For PC, iPad, iPhone, Android, and more
• Manage Your Kindle

• Appstore for Android
• Apps
• Games
• Test Drive Apps
  Try thousands of apps and games right now
• Amazon Apps
  Kindle, mobile shopping, MP3, and more
• Your Apps and Devices
  View your apps and manage your devices

• Digital Games & Software
• Digital Games
  For PC and Mac
• Free-to-Play Games
  For PC and Mac
• Digital Software
  For PC and Mac
• Your Games & Software Library

• Audible Audiobooks
• Audible Membership
  Get to know Audible
• Audible Audiobooks & More
• Bestsellers
• New & Notable
• Listener Favorites
• Whispersync for Voice
  Switch between reading and listening

• Books
• Books
• Kindle Books
• Children's Books
• Textbooks
• Audiobooks
• Magazines
• Sell Your Books

• Movies, Music & Games
• Movies & TV
• Blu-ray
• Amazon Instant Video
• Music
• MP3 Downloads
• Musical Instruments
• Video Games
• Digital Games

• Electronics
• TV & Video
• Home Audio & Theater
• Camera, Photo & Video
• Cell Phones & Accessories
• Video Games
• MP3 Players & Accessories
• Car Electronics & GPS
• Appliances
• Musical Instruments
• Electronics Accessories

• Computers
• Laptops, Ultrabooks & Tablets
• Desktops & Monitors
• Computer Accessories & Peripherals
  External drives, mice, networking & more
• Computer Parts & Components
• Software
• PC Games
• Printers & Ink
• Office & School Supplies

• Home, Garden & Pets
• Kitchen & Dining
• Furniture & Décor
• Bedding & Bath
• Appliances
• Patio, Lawn & Garden
• Arts, Crafts & Sewing
• Pet Supplies

• Tools, Home Improvement
• Home Improvement
• Power & Hand Tools
• Lamps & Light Fixtures
• Kitchen & Bath Fixtures
• Hardware
• Building Supplies

• Grocery, Health & Beauty
• Grocery & Gourmet Food
• Wine
• Natural & Organic
• Health & Personal Care
• Beauty
• 50+ Active & Healthy Living

• Toys, Kids & Baby
• Toys & Games
• Baby
• Kids' Clothing
• Baby Clothing
• Video Games for Kids
• Amazon Mom
  20% off diapers, free shipping and more
• Baby Registry

• Clothing, Shoes & Jewelry
• Clothing
• Shoes
• Handbags
• Accessories
• Luggage
• Jewelry
• Watches

• Sports & Outdoors
• Exercise & Fitness
• Outdoor Recreation
• Hunting & Fishing
• Cycling
• Athletic & Outdoor Clothing
• Boating & Water Sports
• Team Sports
• Fan Shop
• Sports Collectibles
• Golf
• All Sports & Outdoors

• Automotive
• Automotive Parts & Accessories
• Automotive Tools & Equipment
• Car Electronics & GPS
• Tires & Wheels
• Motorcycle & ATV
• Industrial & Scientific
• Industrial Supplies
• Lab & Scientific
• Janitorial
• Safety

• Unlimited Instant Videos
• MP3s & Cloud Player
  20 million songs, play anywhere
• Amazon Cloud Drive
  5 GB of free storage
• Kindle
• Appstore for Android
  Get a premium app for free today
• Digital Games & Software
• Audible Audiobooks
• Books
• Movies, Music & Games
• Electronics & Computers
• Home, Garden & Tools
• Grocery, Health & Beauty
• Toys, Kids & Baby
• Clothing, Shoes & Jewelry
• Sports & Outdoors
• Automotive & Industrial
• ›Full Store Directory

• Sign in
  New customer? Start here.
• Your Account
• Your Orders
• Your Wish List
• Your Recommendations
• Your Subscribe & Save Items
• Your Collections
• Manage Your Kindle
• Your Cloud Player
  Play from any browser
• Your Cloud Drive
  5 GB of free storage
• Prime Instant Videos
  Unlimited streaming of thousands
  of movies and TV shows
• Your Video Library
• Your Games & Software Library
• Your Android Apps & Devices

Your Shopping Cart is empty.

Give it purpose—fill it with books, DVDs, clothes, electronics, and more.

If you already have an account, sign in.

There's a problem previewing your cart right now.

Check your Internet connection and go to your cart, or try again.

View Cart (0 items) (0 item) (0 items)

• Create a Wish List
• Find a Wish List or Registry
• Wish from Any Website
  Add items to your List from anywhere
• Wedding Registry
• Baby Registry
• Kids' Birthdays
• Friends & Family Gifting

Front Cover | Front Flap | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

Search Inside This Book:

---

What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?

• The Only Three Questions That Still Count: Investing By Knowing What Others Don't  by Kenneth L. Fisher Hardcover
  4.0 out of 5 stars (3)
  

  $19.47
• Plan Your Prosperity: The Only Retirement Guide You'll Ever Need, Starting Now--Whether You're 22, 52 or 82 (Fisher Investments)  by Kenneth L. Fisher Hardcover
  4.1 out of 5 stars (7)
  

  $17.61
• How Rich People Think  by Steve Siebold Paperback
  3.7 out of 5 stars (98)
  

  $13.93
• Debunkery: Learn It, Do It, and Profit from It -- Seeing Through Wall Street's Money-Killing Myths  by Kenneth L. Fisher Paperback
  3.8 out of 5 stars (22)
  

  $11.23

› Explore similar items

Like 1371715856 false -1 3 3 2 (3)

---

Forums

Topic	From this Discussion
Not on Kindle?	Be the first to reply

Have something you'd like to share about this product?

Start a Discussion

Start a new discussion

Topic:

First post:

Receive e-mail when new posts are made

Prompts for sign-in

 

Guidelines

Search Customer Discussions

Search all Amazon discussions

---

Listmania!

Ultimate Guide To Money Doesn T Buy Happiness: A list by Mark Minding   Strategy Books: A list by Garrett W. Jacobs "Garrett W Jacobs"   Bill Pflum's Favorite Investment and Personal Finance Books: A list by William J. Pflum Create a Listmania! list

Search Listmania!

---

So You'd Like to...

Learn from Billionaires: A guide by D. Drews "JiveBoy4FIRE"   Retire as SOON as Possible: A guide by Peter Poblano Create a guide

Search Guides

---

Look for Similar Items by Category

• Books > Business & Investing > Business Life
• Books > Business & Investing > Industries & Professions
• Books > Business & Investing > Investing
• Books > Business & Investing > Management & Leadership
• Books > Business & Investing > Personal Finance > Budgeting & Money Management
• Books > Business & Investing > Personal Finance > Retirement Planning
• Books > Business & Investing > Small Business & Entrepreneurship
• Books > New, Used & Rental Textbooks > Business & Finance > Finance

Get to Know Us Careers Investor Relations Press Releases Amazon and Our Planet Amazon in the Community

Make Money with Us Sell on Amazon Become an Affiliate Advertise Your Products Independently Publish with Us ›See all

Let Us Help You Your Account Shipping Rates & Policies Amazon Prime Returns Are Easy Manage Your Kindle Help

• Brazil
• Canada
• China
• France
• Germany
• India
• Italy
• Japan
• Spain
• United Kingdom

6pm Score deals on fashion brands

AbeBooks Rare Books & Textbooks

AfterSchool.com Kids’ Sports, Outdoor & Dance Gear

AmazonFresh Groceries & More Right To Your Door

AmazonLocal Great Local Deals in Your City

AmazonSupply Business, Industrial & Scientific Supplies

AmazonWebServices Scalable Cloud Services

Askville Community Answers

Audible Download Audio Books

BeautyBar.com Prestige Beauty Delivered

Book Depository Books With Free Delivery Worldwide

Bookworm.com Books For Children Of All Ages

Casa.com Kitchen, Storage & Everything Home

CreateSpace Indie Print Publishing Made Easy

Diapers.com Everything But The Baby

DPReview Digital Photography

Fabric Sewing, Quilting & Knitting

IMDb Movies, TV & Celebrities

Junglee.com Shop Online in India

Kindle Direct Publishing Indie Digital Publishing Made Easy

Look.com Kids' Clothing & Shoes

MYHABIT Private Fashion Designer Sales

Shopbop Designer Fashion Brands

Soap.com Health, Beauty & Home Essentials

Vine.com Everything to Live Life Green

Wag.com Everything For Your Pet

Warehouse Deals Open-Box Discounts

Woot Never Gonna Give You Up

Yoyo.com A Happy Place To Shop For Toys

Zappos Shoes & Clothing

• Conditions of Use
• Privacy Notice
• Interest-Based Ads
• © 1996-2013, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates

Product Details

• Hardcover: 228 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (October 20, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470285362
• ISBN-13: 978-0470285367
• Product Dimensions: 6.3 x 0.9 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #81,248 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #78 in Books > Business & Investing > Personal Finance > Retirement Planning

More About the Author

Ken Fisher: CEO of Fisher Investments

Ken Fisher is founder, Chairman and CEO of Fisher Investments, an independent money management firm managing tens of billions of dollars for large pension plans, endowments, and foundations globally, as well as thousands of high net worth individuals.

Ken Fisher: Forbes Columnist

Ken Fisher is best known for his over 28 year tenure as Forbes' Portfolio Strategy columnist--the fourth longest running columnist in Forbes 90+ year history. Third-party research firm, CXO Advisory Group's "Guru Grades" ranks Fisher as one of the most accurate stock market forecasters over recent years.*

Ken Fisher: Bestselling Author

Ken Fisher has written eight books on investing and personal finance, four of which were New York Times bestsellers. Recent books include 2011's Markets Never Forget, 2010's Debunkery, 2009's How to Smell a Rat, 2008's The Ten Roads to Riches, and 2006's The Only Three Questions That Count - all published by John Wiley & Sons. Other books include 1984's Super Stocks, 1987's The Wall Street Waltz, and 1993's 100 Minds That Made the Market. Ken Fisher's books have been translated into 9 languages, reaching over 3/4 of global GDP.**

Fisher Investments Press

Ken Fisher's firm, Fisher Investments, embarked on a publishing imprint with John Wiley & Sons in 2007, focusing on investing-related topics. Titles published under the imprint, Fisher Investments Press, so far include 20/20 Money and Own the World and the Fisher Investments On series, which focuses on the 11 primary investing sectorsThe series includes in depth coverage on nine popular financial sectors, and Emerging Markets.

Other Ken Fisher Contributions

Ken Fisher has been published, interviewed and/or been written about in many major American, British, Canadian, German and Swiss finance or business periodicals. Fisher has been on the Forbes 400 list of richest Americans and the Forbes Global Billionaire lists since 2005. Ken Fisher is also on Investment Advisor magazine's prestigious IA-30 list of the 30 most influential people in and around money management over the last 30 years.***


*http://www.cxoadvisory.com/gurus. As of 9/5/2012. Fisher Investments has no affiliation with CXO Advisory Group. Ken Fisher's market forecasts in Forbes represent his personal forecasts of the overall market and are not an indication of the performance of Fisher Investments. Not all forecasts may be accurate as those in the past. Investing in securities involves the risk of loss. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Investments in foreign securities involves additional risks such as losses related to other currencies and securities markets.

**Based on countries' official languages and GDP reported by the IMF, as of 12/15/2011.

***http://www.advisorone.com/2010/05/01/thirty-for-thirty

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An insightful and humorous read about building wealth November 1, 2008

By T. Faranda

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

This is a fun, breezy read, as investment advisor and long-time Forbes columnist Ken Fisher has written a serious, but humorous book about how to build wealth. And at 216 pages a quick read.

Fisher's last book, "The Only Three Questions that Count", was superb. This latest book is very different from "The Only Three Questions...", which is all about personal investing but which also has application to other areas of a person's life.

"The Ten Roads to Riches" is about the varied ways a person can build personal wealth. Fisher draws from his own experience of meeting many successful people, as he charts the paths. The chapters are insightful and written in a tongue-in-cheek style with ideas that can be easily visualized.

Some examples: The first chapter "The Richest Road", which is founding your own business and building it into the next Microsoft, Nike, or Charles Schwab. The third chapter, about the "Ride-alongs", people who hitch theirselves to the Bill Gates's or Warren Buffett's of the world and rise as they and their firm rise. If you are Warren Buffett's longtime sidekick, there's got to be wealth in that, right? (Yup. Charlie Munger is his name and his net worth is $2 billion.)

Chapter four is "Rich ... and Famous". Some tips: compose songs, don't sing them, and star high school baseball players have slightly better odds of making the big leagues then star football players.

Chapter five is "Marry Well, Really Well", which is very amusing, but also serious. Hey, if you want to get married, hang around with rich people and fall in love with one of them! Plenty of examples including John Kerry (twice) and John McCain....

Chapter six is "Steal It - Like a Pirate, But Legally", making a career as a plaintiff's lawyer and suing companies. Enough said.... And chapter nine is "Trumping the Land Barons" - all about real estate.

The last chapter is "The Road Most Travelled", about doing it the old-fashioned way - get a good job, work hard, save and invest wisely.

Each chapter is a survey, giving multiple examples of people who took the particular road, and offering ideas, but no detailed plan. At the end of each are brief reviews of suggested additional readings for anyone who might be inclined to follow that particular path. I was surprised that there are actually serious books about how to "Marry Well", but maybe I shouldn't have been?

An enjoyable, quick read about one aspect of the business of life. Read more ›

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Book Review from the Aleph Blog January 23, 2010

By David Merkel

Format:Hardcover

Many dream of riches. Few achieve them. Why? It usually involves self-denial and hard work. It's not that anyone can't achieve riches, if they start young enough, but they won't make the sacrifices to do so. A strong education helps, but is not absolutely required. As my old boss Eric Hovde said to his staff repeatedly, the biggest difference in success comes from the degree of effort put forth. I would only add that working smart amplifies the effort of working hard.

Ken Fisher the billionaire asset manager, identifies the ten ways he has seen to become wealthy. They are:

1) Build a significant business.

2) Manage a significant business.

3) Be the right hand man of a wealthy person.

4) Be a star athlete, entertainer, or one who significantly facilitates star athletes and entertainers.

5) Marry a wealthy person.

6) Be a lawyer that helps clients sue for major amounts of money on a contingency fee basis.

7) Manage a lot of Other People's Money.

8 ) Be an inventor of something popular, a popular writer, a prominent politician, or invent an organization that a lot of people want to give money to.

9) Borrow a lot of money and speculate on property appreciation.

10) Work hard, save a lot, and invest wisely.

I think he has nailed it. My way of summarizing it is that you have to do something that makes a lot of people happy, or at least has the potential to make a lot of people happy. Or, make one wealthy person very happy or unhappy. Three groups -- how do they work out?...

A) Those who do something that makes a lot of people happy can earn a lot:

* Successful business founders, CEOs, right hand men, inventors
* Stars and their significant enablers
* Good asset managers
* Good writers
* Successful real estate developers

B) But even those that promise to do something to make people happy and fail at it can earn a lot:

* Any CEO of a big enterprise can earn a lot -- at one investment firm, we used to joke that you got paid $50 million to destroy a company -- it is what they had to pay to get rid of you. Their right hand men will still prosper too, just not as much. In the current financial crisis, that is what gores many about the large surviving firms that were bailed out. The executives are still prospering after previous dumb decisions. Easy to complain about it, but it is nice work if you can get it. (Note: this is why they should not have been bailed out, especially not at the holding company level. Government officials lie when they say they could not have done it differently. I for one suggested alternatives ahead of time.)
* The same applies to CEOs that tweak the company's earnings while they are there, but leave their successor in the hole.
* Many still follow stars as their stars fade; they may not make as much, but it is still a lot. Same for writers that lose their knack.
* Many asset managers have an early period where they don't have much in the way of assets, and their track record is great; their ideas for excess return are executable with the current assets under management [AUM]. That leads to growth in assets, until they are too big for the asset class in which they have expertise. They become index-like, or they venture outside their circle of competence, and their track record suffers. But AUM is high, and the fees can provide a nice income. Assets are sticky if you don't do too badly, and are a good salesman/storyteller.
* Politicians can make a lot of money off of contacts or giving speeches once out of office, even if they were on net harmful to the nation while in office.
* Some charities (or nonprofits like mutual insurers or credit unions) can be less than scrupulous about what managers get paid.
* The real estate speculator, the CEO, and certain investment managers can have a "Heads-I-win, Tails-you-lose" attitude. America gives people a lot of second chances before you are permanently branded as a fraud. It only takes one big win to make a lot for yourself, even if you destroy the well-being of others in the process.

C) Then there are those that only have to serve a few:

* The spouse of a wealthy person.
* The right hand man of a wealthy person, and
* The Trial Lawyer going after a big tort
* Serve yourself, as an ordinary person working at a job.

No one begrudges the wealth of those in group A -- they have served society well. Many begrudge the wealth of those in group B -- they have not served society well. Group C? It depends on motives. More later on this.

One thing is certain, though. There aren't many seats in each of the "roads to riches," except for the last ordinary one, #10. Few are founders of massive enterprises, or CEOs, or stars, or investors of must-have products or processes. Few can serve in high office, or write best-sellers, or be able to source a lot of assets to manage. Few can get the capital markets or banks to loan them millions, even billions. Few get to try a lawsuit where a huge award is won. Few get to marry rich. Also, most succeeding have to hit their right path while young, to allow enough time for compounding their success.

It takes a lot of effort and good breaks in order to be at the top of any economic situation where there is a lot of wealth. Even road #10, doing well at your job, saving a lot and investing wisely is tough. Few get to become "The Millionaire Next Door," but more achieve reasonable wealth that way than all of the rest combined.

Ken Fisher writes about all of these areas in an entertaining way, and gives practical advice on how to follow each road, including additional books to read, and techniques for getting started. It is an ambitious and compact book weighing in at around 230 pages of text including the preface. It is an easy, breezy read. As a bonus, in road 10, Ken Fisher shares basic investment advice for the retail investor.

More than Quibbles:

I owe a lot to Ken Fisher for advice that he gave me in Winter 2000, and though I enjoyed the book, I can't endorse it wholeheartedly. He is out to tell you how to do it, even in cases where there might be significant moral compromise. He acknowledges that, but says it is a part of the game.

To me, the key question is what your motives are. It's one thing to enter into a risky business, offer full disclosure to all stakeholders in advance, make a best effort, and fail. It is quite another to trick/cajole people into backing you without full knowledge, and fail.

It is one thing to try a legal case where the damages are proportionate to the harm caused, and another thing to help create disproportionate judgments. It is one thing to serve a wealthy person who asks you to do things that are ethical, and another thing to serve in things that are unethical. Once you have fans, a privileged job, or "sticky assets," do you start giving less than your best? I write this as one that is himself prone to laziness when things go well. It is a common sin that one has to fight.

Are you looking out for the best interests of those you serve, and society more broadly? A tough question for any of us, but society itself does not do well when a dominant proportion of it does not serve for good motives. If it gets bad enough, the society will lose legitimacy and vitality.

Finally, it is one thing to marry because you love the person, and want to give your all to your future spouse. It is quite another thing to enter in with crossed fingers, and say, "Maybe this will work, maybe it won't. I will be careful to protect myself, because the odds of failure are significant. But economically, it will work out for me either way. I'm wealthy if we marry, whether it works or not, because the prenup will leave me well off."

Here's the common vow: I, (Bride/Groom), take you (Groom/Bride), to be my (wife/husband), to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part. Maybe promises don't mean much any more, but I can't see how one marrying for money can say that with a clear conscience.

Before my wife and I married, but after we were engaged, we were at a bookstore together, and we were looking over some marriage books to find one our pastor recommended. She found a book entitled, "Marry Rich." She said to me, "This is a joke book, right?" I said, "Uh, you would be surprised at the motives some have in marriage." She began leafing through it, amazed at the level of greed involved. She married her poor graduate student boyfriend anyway. 23 years later things are still working out well for her (and me).

One final note, not from the book: greed wears people out. It is one thing to do what you love so long as money is not the sole purpose. But those that are greedy for gain at all costs destroy themselves, and those around them. It is not a good trade. Read more ›

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars An Outstanding Work November 28, 2009

By Maxim Masiutin

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

I'm a fan of Ken Fisher's books. While he's other books are mostly about capital markets, but this one is a completely different book. It is based on Ken Fisher's experience in observing Forbes 400 list and managing wealthy people's money as a CEO of Fisher Investments. Based on these observations, the author have identified ten most usual patterns on becoming rich. The book isn't about getting rich quick. It's about getting mega-rich in ways that work over time.
What is the difference between this book and the author's other books about capital markets? The books on capital markets will teach how to invest wisely, but they don't teach how to become a billionaire, they just assume you already have enough investable money to have interest in capital markets and how they work.
To have enough investable money, it's better to be rich. And this is what this book about. While books like "Millionaire Next Door" in a plenitude, they teach you to save, to live beyond your means, to have compounding interest work for you as a way to get rich. But a majority of billionaires, like Bill Gates, never saved a penny. They have just created their wealth, rather than accumulated it by saving.
If you liked the chapter "Managing other people's money", I can also recommend the author's subsequent book "How to smell a rat", that augments and expands the topic of this chapter.
Pros
- Lots of statistical figures to proof the author's assertions
- Lots of useful tips throughout the book
- Lots of myths demystified about different professions, commonly believed to bring megawealth, e.g. sports players, actors, musicians, lawyers, etc....
- Each chapter has valuable references to further reading
Cons
- Minor factual errors: for example, the author wrote that Warren Buffett bought a "tiny" company Berkshire Hathaway. In fact, in 1955 the company had 15 plants employing over 12,000 workers.
- An audio version on CD (released by HarperAudio on November 4, 2008) has a foreword read by Ken Fisher with very awful quality, the sound seems to be distorted by excessive compression, voice sounds like "electronic" and is hard to tolerate. The rest of the book, read by J.s. Gilbert, is OK. Read more ›