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Praise for An Embarrassment of Riches
"In An Embarrassment of Riches, Alex Green reveals a decidedly different world than the one we get from the 24–hour news cycle. By virtually every measure of human well–being, we are living in the best of times. If you′re concerned about the future, this is the case for rational optimism. Enthusiastically recommended."
Joel F. Wade, PhD, author of Mastering Happiness
"An unrepentant optimist, Alex Green here counters the emotional but nonfactual arguments of the doomsday pundits. The truth is we′ve never had it so goodand I believe the uplifting worldview, so eloquently expressed in these pages, will prevail."
Mark Skousen, Editor of Forecasts & Strategies, founder of FreedomFest and bestselling author of Investing in One Lesson, The Big Three in Economics, The Making of Modern Economics and Maxims of Wall Street
"An Embarrassment of Riches is a superb collection of essays that looks clearly at the challenge of finding meaning and perspective in our post–modern world. The insights here are not just thought–provoking but deeply inspiring."
Michael Masterson, bestselling author of Automatic Wealth, The Reluctant Entrepreneur and Seven Years to Seven Figures
"In An Embarrassment of Riches, Alex Green opens the door to a fuller, better way to think about wealth. Finally, someone is talking not just about quantity but about quality."
Bill Bonner, founder of Agora Publishing and bestselling author of Family Fortunes, The New Empire of Debt and The Idea of America
"This book is a beacon. With each page, Alex reminds uswith characteristic insight and witthat there is much to be thankful for, if we would only open our eyes and see."
Hal Movius, founder and President of Movius Consulting and co–author of Built to Win: Creating a World–Class Negotiating Organization
Preface ix
Introduction xi
PART ONE: A WEALTH OF GRATITUDE 1
A Message from the Land of the Unwell 3
The Reason You Should Be Biased 7
What We Live to Discover 11
Like No Other Nation in the World 15
How to Put a Touch of Glory in Your Life 19
The Greatest Star of Them All 22
The Man Who Invented Christmas 26
Do You Know Where You Are? 29
The Mind–Boggling Universe, Part II 32
The Best That Has Been Thought and Said 35
A Titan for Freedom and Prosperity 39
The Great Key to Successful Living 43
What You Can Learn from “The Gadfl y of Athens” 46
The True Rulers of the Planet 50
Confessions of an Analog Man 54
How to Be Miserable in One Easy Lesson 58
For Music Lovers Only 61
PART TWO: A WEALTH OF WISDOM 65
Where Can Wisdom Be Found? 69
Discovering a New Sense of the Sacred 73
The Cash Value of the American Mind 76
The Key to Civility … and Greatness 79
How to Defeat Death 83
The Sage Who Spoke to Everyman 86
The Greatest Best Seller of All Time 90
The Pursuit of Moral Perfection 94
How Apple Got Its Zen 97
The Secret of “Big–Ass Salads” 101
Take a Vacation Inside Your Head 107
The Biggest Question of Them All 111
A Requiem for an Atheist 115
The Nation’s Most Misunderstood Man 120
Why Grant’s Final Victory Was His Greatest 124
The Other Freedom Document of 1776 129
The Right Man at the Right Time 134
The Most Powerful Thing You Can Do for Your Body 137
The “Howling Atheist” Who Governed the Country 143
PART THREE: A WEALTH OF UNDERSTANDING 149
Why You Love and Need the Rat Race 153
How to Live the “Good Life” 156
Nassim Nicholas Taleb … and the Pursuit of Phronesis 159
The Gift a Man Gives Himself 162
A Billionaire’s Best Advice 165
The Lost Art of Conversation 168
A Visit Everyone Should Make 172
The Man Who Made Dreams Come True 176
How to Talk Politics without Committing Murder 180
The True Secret of Success 184
How to Be a Big Loser 188
Three Words That Will Save Your Life 193
Are You Awake? 196
The One Factor That Changes Everything 200
The Lies We Tell Ourselves 205
How the First Americans Became Last 208
The Top Five Regrets of the Dying 213
A Short Lesson in Humility 217
Afterword 219
Further Reading 223
About the Author 227
Index 229
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ALEXANDER GREEN is the Chief Investment Strategist of The Oxford Club and the author of three national bestsellers: The Gone Fishin′ Portfolio, The Secret of Shelter Island and Beyond Wealth. He has been featured on Oprah & Friends, Fox News, The O′Reilly Factor, CNBC, MSNBC, and C–SPAN and has been profiled in the Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek, Forbes, and many other publications. He currently lives in Charlottesville, Virginia, and Winter Springs, Florida, with his wife Karen and their children, Hannah and David.
