Really Rich: The Ten Future-Proof Behaviors That Create Wealth

This ho-hum manual from Crown (The Entrepreneur’s Field Guide), founder of the annuity brokerage Revise, explores how entrepreneurs can build successful businesses. Distilling his guidance into 10 directives, Crown entreats readers to adjust their product or business model according to market feedback, discussing how Instagram started as a mobile check-in service before pivoting to photo sharing after realizing that was the app’s most popular feature. Crown distinguishes himself from other business authors by prioritizing quality of life concerns alongside the bottom line. For instance, he encourages readers to pursue the career path that provides the most fulfillment rather than the highest earnings, drawing on his experience in the finance industry to report that despite investment bankers’ hefty salaries, they’re usually miserable from working 70-hour weeks. Unfortunately, the three principles focused on kindness (“exude kindness”; “get humble”; “don’t be a jerk”) are obvious, suggesting that rudeness sours team dynamics, and that potential investors will be more likely to take meetings if they’re treated nicely. Other advice is too vague to be useful, as when Crown repeatedly touts the importance of “futurecasting,” but says little about what it entails besides considering what kind of life one hopes to lead. A few bright spots don’t make up for the thin advice. Agent: Jeff Ourvan, Jennifer Lyons Literary. (Jan.)