
Title : Wall Street on a Shoestring: Financial Success for Just Five Dollars a Day
Author : Clare La Plante
Rating : 4 Stars out of 5.
Summary : FINALLY, a book for now-small, future-big investors!
Clare's crystal-clear writing style helps the novice investor make sense of it all. A way to START NOW, with pocket change. Great book!

Title : The Last Chronicle of Fairacre: "Changes at Fairacre", "Farewell to Fairacre", "Peaceful Retirement"
Author : Miss" "Read
Rating : 5 Stars out of 5.
Summary : Much-loved series reaches finale
Miss Read has written over 40 titles, with this handsome omnibus edition collecting her last three Fairacre stories.
"Changes at Fairacre", charts the heroine's relationship with her predecessor at the village school, Miss Clare. "Farewell to Fairacre" covers her decision to retire and the final tome shows how Miss Read copes with her new-found life of leisure.
In an afterword, the author says she is laying down her pen "with a thankful heart". It is all the more surprising therefore that these final tales show no sign of staleness. In particular, "A Peaceful Retirement" is quite playful in tone as Miss Read copes valiantly with a series of unlooked-for marriage proposals.
Given that the school year is so regular the author manages to describe events such as Christmas celebrations and harvest festivals with no sense of repetition, and as ever captures the tensions between town and country living, children's and adult worlds and men and women beautifully.
With "Last Chronicle of Fairacre", Dora Saint, the real-life Miss Read, can take her own retirement from authorship knowing that she has served her readers well.

Title : Rich Dad's Retire Young, Retire Rich: How to Get Rich Quickly and Stay Rich Forever! (Rich Dad)
Author : Robert T. Kiyosaki
Rating : 5 Stars out of 5.
Summary : EXCELLENT!!!!
I have just finished reading this book and it was absolutely fantastic. I must admit that some of it was alittle tough going but stick it out it is well worth it.
I read this book and was left feeling more inspired than I have ever before. It has completely changed my way of thought and I have already started buying the other books to continue learning rich dad's way of thought, anything is possible if you believe it is. I WILL be rich!!

Title : Roth to Riches: The Ordinary to Roth Ira Handbook
Author : John D. Bledsoe
Rating : 5 Stars out of 5.
Summary : An easy-to-read book on Roth IRAs that's also comprehensive.
This is the first consumer-oriented book published (July, 1997) about the Roth IRA. As it turns out, it is a superb effort and one that other authors will be hard pressed to match with future Roth IRA titles. The author obviously spent many months fine-tuning his work. As the editor of the Roth IRA Web Site, I read this book in well under two hours and found it to be a remarkably easy-to-read book. One doesn't expect books on topics such as Roth IRAs to be pleasant reads, but this book was both fun-to-read and informative at the same time! I also gave the book to several others to read (including one person who had no idea how IRAs worked) and they confirmed my judgement. This is a great book on both traditional IRAs and Roth IRAs.
From a technical viewpoint, the information presented appears to be quite accurate and comprehensive. Although the Roth IRA technical corrections were not yet signed into law when the book was published, the author was obviously quite familiar with the proposed changes and he does reference the more important provisions. (The last page of the book provides a form to send in for a free report on the final Roth regulations when available.)
The book is 198 pages (8½" x 11" size) with the actual text running through page 90. Pages 91 through 121 are what the author calls Roth Conversion Advantage charts. Most of the rest of the book consists of a reprint of IRS Publication 590, the IRS explanation of IRAs. After you see the IRS explanation of how traditional IRAs work, you will like Roth IRAs even more!

Title : The Joy of Not Working: A Book for the Retired, Unemployed, and Overworked
Author : Ernie J. Zelinski
Rating : 5 Stars out of 5.
Summary : This book should be required reading for everyone over 15!
Everyone should read this book as soon as possible -- not just the retired, the unemployed, and those otherwise without work. Even though this book confirms my beliefs of making the most of life and leisure, Ernie still manages to make me think some more. I have recommended this book to many of my family, friends, and former (since I have quit the corporate life too!) colleagues. Ernie makes it clear that there is more to life than a job, TV, and materialistic dreams. I'm buying 5 copies to give to family and friends!
Ron Verstappen

Title : Still Here: Embracing Aging, Changing and Dying
Author : Ram Dass
Rating : 5 Stars out of 5.
Summary : Fierce grace
I have been fortunate enough to meet Ram Dass on two occasions including a five day meditation retreat. This book distills the experiences of a lifetime of searching for spiritual meaning. It is probably not the best introduction to him, but it will help anyone facing their "midlife crisis" or having to deal with experiences that confront you with your mortality. Will you "flunk the test" when it is time to leave your body behind?
It's worth keeping an eye out for the DVD "Fierce Grace" (from USA)which is a fine 90 minute documentary with interviews with Ram Dass before and as he manages his life after his stroke - as well as some excellent historical footage from his life in the sixties.
Namaste.

Title : Life Begins at Fifty: A Handbook for Creative Retirement Planning
Author : Leonard J. Hansen
Rating : 5 Stars out of 5.
Summary : A valuable, user-friendly tool for constructing one's life.
As my own writing sometimes includes advice columns, an editor recommended I read "Life Begins at Fifty" as a primer on how to make a wide range of sometimes complex topics easily accessible for the lay reader. It proved an excellent direction. Mr. Hansen has obviously covered the waterfront for a long time, and the breadth of his knowledge and the manner in which he integrates and conveys his subjects provides a stark contrast to most of the platitudes and off the shelf advice readers are subjected to. My spry 82 year old mother found the book a fascination and said that if she'd had access to it decades ago it would have significantly influenced and changed a number of her decisions. I know the book will prove an interesting tool for me, as it prods me toward topics I know I should be thinking about but keep putting off. One of the most evident virtues of the book is that Mr. Hansen never seems to be fighting a rearguard action as Father Time starts piling on, but instead clearly views the last half of life as when things really get interesting, a viewpoint readers of his book are likely to embrace.