An Embarrassment of Riches: Tapping Into the World's Greatest Legacy of Wealth - Hardcover

Green, Alexander

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1118608828 ISBN 13: 9781118608821

Publisher: Wiley, 2013

Synopsis

Tune into the news and you’ll hear stories of war, disease, natural disasters, corruption, violence, poverty, crime, nuclear proliferation, terrorism and political dysfunction in Washington.  Polls show many believe the American dream is fading, our children face limited opportunities, and the country is decidedly on the wrong track.  Yet this dour perspective – one recycled 24/7 by the national media – is a gross distortion of the world we live in today. 

As national investment expert and bestselling author Alexander Green reveals in this engrossing and provocative new book, the human race has never had it so good.  In the West today, we work shorter hours, have more purchasing power, enjoy goods and services in almost limitless supply, and have more leisure time than ever before.  Living standards are the highest they have ever been. The human life span has nearly doubled over the past hundred years.  Literacy and education levels – even I.Q.’s – are at all-time highs. Technology and medicine are revolutionizing our lives. All forms of pollution – with the exception of greenhouse gases – are in decline.  Access to the arts has never been greater.  Crime is in a long-term cycle of decline.  And the risk of death by violence has never been smaller for most of humanity.

By almost every measure, our lives today are wealthy beyond measure.  We are all heir to an embarrassment of riches.  Yet – thanks in large part the drumbeat of negative media coverage – most of us don’t realize it.  Green compares the average citizen to “a lottery winner whose ticket is lost in some upstairs drawer.”

The consequences of adopting the cynical but popular worldview are many, including needless pessimism, missed investment opportunities, and – surprisingly – even poorer health. Yet An Embarrassment of Riches provides a powerful antidote. 

Green begins with a robust survey of the many ways our lives are becoming longer, easier, safer, healthier and more prosperous.  He then embarks on a wide-ranging exploration of the ideas and the many men and women – both living and dead – that are still enriching our lives today.

Among the many subjects explored are American exceptionalism, the extraordinary power of economic freedom, the lifesaving role of medicine and technology, the life-extending benefits of optimism, the radical theology of Thomas Jefferson, the keys to civility and greatness, the wisdom of Confucius and Aristotle, the ability of beauty to enrich our lives, and even one artist’s thought-provoking take on “how to defeat death.”

In An Embarrassment of Riches, New York Times bestselling author Alexander Green offers a holistic approach to wealth – and offers a welcome perspective that allows us to live fuller, richer lives. 

About this title

From the Back Cover:

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 good—and 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 us—with characteristic insight and wit—that 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

About the Author:

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.

About this edition

• Publisher: Wiley
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 1118608828
• ISBN 13: 9781118608821
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 232