Rich People Things

"Social criticism at its scorching-hot best."--Barbara Ehrenreich "Think H.L. Mencken crossed with Jon Stewart."--The Phoenix In Rich People Things, Chris Lehmann lays bare the various dogmas and delusions that prop up plutocratic rule in the post-meltdown age. It's a humorous and harrowing tale of warped populism, phony reform, and blind deference to the nation's financial elite. As the author explains, American class privilege is very much like the idea of sex in a Catholic school--it's not supposed to exist in the first place, but once it presents itself in your mind's eye, you realize that it's everywhere. A concise and easy-to-use guide, Rich People Things catalogs the fortifications that shelter the opulent from the resentments of the hoi polloi. From ideological stanchions such as the Free Market through the castellation of media including The New York Times and Wired magazine, to gatekeepers such as David Brooks, Steve Forbes, and Alan Greenspan, Lehmann covers the vast array of comforting and comprehensive protections that allow the über-privileged to maintain their iron grip on almost half of America's wealth. With chapters on Malcolm Gladwell, the Supreme Court, the memoir, and more, no one is spared from Lehmann's pointed prose. Chris Lehmann is employed, ever precariously, as an editor for Yahoo! News, Bookforum, and The Baffler, while dissecting the excesses of his social betters for his column Rich People Things at TheAwl.com. He lives in Washington, DC, with his wife Ana Marie Cox and a quartet of excellent pets.

"Originally published in 2010 in the United States by London House Press. This edition issued based on the hardcover edition published in 2014 in the United States by Simple Truths, an imprint of Sourcebooks"--Title page verso.

When Bad Things Happen to Rich People is a novel of social satire, a black comedy set in Chicago in the summer of 1995. The novel's protagonist, Nix Walters, is an adjunct instructor of English at a communications college in the loop with few prospects for advancement. He had become a literary punch line when his novel, touted as the next big literary phenomenon, was universally panned by critics. He and his pregnant wife, Flora, are struggling financially; however, their fortunes change when Nix is asked to ghostwrite the memoirs of publishing magnate Zira Fontaine. While grateful for a lavish author fee, Nix quickly finds his marriage, his career, and his sense of identity threatened as he struggles with a difficult subject, navigates office intrigue of Fontaine's corporation, and faces impending fatherhood. These tensions come to a turbulent climax when a brutal heat wave hits the city. Written in the spirit of great naturalist novelists of the previous century, such as Dreiser, Norris, and Crane, with a black comic twist, Morris's first novel is a study in aspiration and self-deception in the face of unforeseen adversity. Set among the broad lawns of Lake Forest where the domestic staff skim leaves from the pool and the sweltering streets of Chicago's pre-gentrified Wicker Park neighborhood, where children plunge into the raging stream of open fire hydrants, When Bad Things Happen to Rich People is a broad panorama of our current social reality.

Did you read about the janitor who donated $1 million dollars to his local library? Do you ever watch in amazement as your well-off boss haggles over the price of a tuna fish sandwich? Is it possible to find an advisor to help you invest your money—without losing it all to a Bernie Madoff-like con man? In the same spirit of Reader’s Digest magazine’s popular 13 Things They Won’t Tell You series, the editors at America’s Most Trusted Magazine have developed the ultimate roadmap for making the most of your money and avoiding the wallet-sucking scams that are keeping you off Easy Street. We talked to everyday and not-so-everyday rich folks, and to the experts who helped make them rich, to learn their secrets on what to save for, how much to save—and where to stash cash so that it grows (hint: not that bank savings account). We also got their tips for developing “rich guy vision”: The uncanny ability to make financial goals and reach them in five, ten even 20 years—while smartly navigating economic pitfalls and surprises. You’ll learn what services you should be getting for free, how to ask the right questions to get behind-the-scenes deals, and how to “live rich” even on an everyday budget. You’ll stop wasting money, blowing your budget (or flying blind without one), and getting scammed. This book will enlighten you, horrify you, and give you a whole new perspective on when to spend and when to stash it deep in your pockets. Inside you’ll discover countless eye-opening strategies for: Saving and investing. The savvy tricks you need to know to grow your money wisely—from branching out beyond your 401K to getting tax breaks you didn’t know you deserved. Plus: what the IRS, stockbrokers, and bankers won’t tell you. House and home. All the tips your rich neighbors might not want you to know, including: smart versus stupid renovations; smart ways to increase your home’s value; advice on first and second mortgages; buying and selling your home. Plus, what your mortgage lender and real estate agent won’t tell you. The Household Budget: How to build a budget that lets you “live rich” while saving. Topics include smart vs. stupid splurges; online budget tools and calculators; tips for saving on utilities, gasoline, groceries and car repairs. College planning. Some of the most famous rich people in the country (Mark Zuckerberg, anyone?) are also famous for dropping out of college. You’ll get out-of-the-box thinking about the value of private versus public universities; 529 plans; loans, scholarships, and financial aid; advice from college admissions officers. Of course, millionaires also tell us how they made money by following their hearts and doing what they love—and you can approach your kids’ education with that in mind. Plus: what your scholarship and test-prep services, financial planner, and student-loan company won’t tell you. Retirement. How the rich really want to spend their golden years, and the clever ways they seed the ground now to ensure their retirement dreams bloom and flourish later. Plus what your 401(k) manager, pension plan, and financial planner won’t tell you. Along the way, you’ll discover top savings strategies for clipping coupons and hunting down bargains, how to pass Go and collect the big salaries, and the biggest mistakes that cost the rich their fortunes. With this handy companion, you’ll have all the savvy, patience, and smarts you’ll ever need to get ahead—and stay there.

You found the right place: this book is written for you if you make over $100,000 and want ways to reduce your taxes, save more money in general and make more. It's exactly the book I wish I had a few years ago.When I made my first million dollars, I waited around for an award ceremony that never happened. At that point I started looking around for books, websites, podcasts, or videos to shed light on what do "rich" people do to reduce their taxable income use their money to make even more, and how to save more money now that I'm earning a lot more.But I was shocked to find that there was nothing around. There were a shit ton of stories about how to start a business, how to make $1,000 a month, seven habits for manifesting money-but what about the guys and girls who actually have a little bit? Stumped, I bent over and paid my taxes like a good citizen.But I knew the super rich understood something I didn't. They had the "bible" of rich shit you do when you have bookoo bucks. I wanted in.Here are a few examples of what they were doing: - Donald Trump has saved $100 million+ from doing land easements- Most yacht owners expense 50%+ or more from their boat by moving into a charter- Mitt Romney used the IDGT to minimize his $100 million estate taxes.How do they do it? Answering that question became my mission: to uncover what super rich people are doing that us commoners don't know about, so we can take power back for ourselves.But there wasn't a central repository of this knowledge. So many financial advisors were poor; they gave out information, but hardly any of them followed those strategies themselves. Furthermore, when they did give me advice or when I found suggestions in blog posts, it was unclear how these things actually worked.So I kept asking around to find out what others they did, and took notes. I've interviewed lots of millionaires, wealth managers, and tax strategists to figure out what to do with my own money, and here I'm sharing it with you. Everything in this book is a validated strategy for high earners that I've personally used or talked with someone directly who's done it for themself.

This book offers the easiest way yet to learn the key principles of investing. Weighing in at just 136 pages, it conveys more knowledge than many books twice as long, with charm and humor that makes it a pleasure to read. For those who are new to the subject, the book starts at the very beginning, explaining such basics as the difference between stocks and bonds. The book isn't just for beginners, though. People who have invested for years will learn how to achieve faster growth at lower risk by eliminating unnecessary (and sometimes hidden) expenses and maintaining better diversification. The first section of the book, "Laying a Foundation," explains how money grows and the relationship between risk and reward. The second section, "The Investor's Toolbox," introduces stocks, bonds and other categories of investments, as well as different types of investment accounts. The final section, "Building a Strategy," explains how investments really work (why a stock's price might go down, not up, immediately after a company announces good news, for example) and shows how to put sound investment principles into action. The author isn't content to point his readers in the right direction. He also offers a way to develop habits of thought that will help them stick with a good strategy through difficult times. Read this slim volume and you'll be prepared for a lifetime of investing.

Bankers, money managers, fast-trackers, and the ultra-rich themselves spill valuable insider secrets on how to spend your money wisely—and when not to spend it at all. Bankers, money managers, fast-trackers, and the ultra-rich themselves spill valuable insider secrets on how to spend your money wisely—and when not to spend it at all. Based on the popular Reader’s Digest column, 13 Things Rich People Won’t Tell You offers the most surprising secrets from self-made wealthy folks for making financial abundance a reality. Packed with fascinating stories and insider advice on saving, investing, and spending wisely, this book will expose financial secrets of all kinds so you can become on instant expert in everything related to your money.

"Bibliography found online at tonyrobbins.com/masterthegame"--Page [643].