The Narrow Road: A Brief Guide to the Getting of Money

Dennis, founder of Maxim magazine, is one misunderstood mogul. He intended his previous book, How to Get Rich, to be ironic. Readers found it "inspirational," and he's back in the ring to make his point. Like the first book, this is another tongue-in-cheek "anti-self help manual, written to dissuade the majority of readers from making the attempt to acquire real wealth." He presents short meditations on motivation, rules of management, and conquering mental impediments. His wit is dry, and his advice ranges from thought provoking ("If you cannot treat your quest to get rich as a game—a silly game with serious rules—you will never be rich") to, more frequently, exceedingly silly ("You are a wild pig rooting for truffles. You are a weasel about to rip the throat out of a rabbit. You are an entrepreneur.")—but the crabby tone becomes grating. And since some of the content was repurposed from the original book, this collection, for all its entertainment value, ends up feeling slim and unfulfilling. Maybe the third time really will be the charm. (Apr.)