PAULA NELSON'S GUIDE TO GETTING RICH

by Paula Nelson ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 18, 1985

About two-thirds of the way through this haphazard how-to entry, Nelson (Where to Get Money for Everything) reassures aspiring capitalists that it's not really important to understand the language of the marketplace. The admission seems gratuitous since, on the evidence of the gushy text, the author herself has at best a shaky grasp of financial vernacular--and fundamentals. In an eight-part format--featuring idiosyncratic initialisms, e.g., EO3 (for Economic Orbit of Opportunity), PEP (Passion Equals Profit), and HALT (High Action/Low Talk)--Nelson offers a sketchy catalogue of possibilities for striking it rich. Beyond you-can-do-it encouragement, though, she provides little counsel of any substance. Which is probably fortunate because, when she gets down to cases, Nelson tends to be inaccurate, murky, and misleading. Among other goofs, she classifies ""solid Blue Chips like IBM, General Motors, and ITT"" as ""low to zero risk"" commitments for equity investors. In praise of leverage, Nelson confides: ""Once you understand the basic concept. . .you can see how it can be applied in business situations, such as the now famous leverage (sic) buy-outs in real estate deals, or in everyday situations such as purchasing a car."" And, for those with a touch of larceny in their hearts, there's the loopy observation that ""In analyses of car-maker John DeLorean's business failure, most observers overlook the brilliant and innovative first step he took to secure capital for his company?"" Caveat emptor!

Pub Date: Feb. 18, 1985

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Putnam

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 1985

Categories: NONFICTION