Originally self-published, as was his bestselling fable, The Christmas Box
, Evans's pithy little financial guide lays out the five principles common to many self-made fortunes. While seemingly simple—decide to be wealthy; take responsibility for your money; keep a portion of everything you earn; win in the margins; and give back—the lessons require discipline and commitment from their practitioners. They also require curtailing spending and eliminating debt. Evans shares his lessons through poignant personal stories, a few well-placed statistics and philosophical observations such as: "freely giving of our wealth is also the only way to fully protect ourselves from our wealth." The slim book even manages to squeeze in lists of sidelines for boosting income, family budget saving tips, two financial planning forms and dozens of inspirational quotations. Thankfully, Evans forgoes the cloying, self-aggrandizing prose common to how-to-be-rich-like-me books and refrains from padding the volume with ads for tie-in ventures. Instead his friendly advice brings the secrets of wealth accumulation to common readers. (Jan.)
