Rich Like Them: My Door-to-Door Search for the Secrets of Wealth in America's Richest Neighborhoods by Ryan D'Agostino

From the Publisher

Ryan D'Agostino, former senior editor at Money, wanted to know how the wealthiest in America got that way. So he asked. Knocking on 500 doors in some of the most affluent zip codes in America, D'Agostino met with men and women who welcomed him in and shared their most difficult financial decisions, toughest setbacks, greatest strategies, most triumphant moments, and deepest insights. In RICH LIKE THEM, he weaves together what he learned and offers maxims for achieving wealth, such as "Never Let Pride Get in the Way of Profit," and "When you fail miserably, be thankful." Filled with inspiring stories and straight-up advice, RICH LIKE THEMis a lively and practical get-rich guide that any reader can follow.

Publishers Weekly

While academics frequently conduct research to try to unlock the secrets of garnering great wealth, Esquire editor D'Agostino took a more direct-and more entertaining-route: he picked the 20 wealthiest neighborhoods in America and went door to door, garnering interviews with 50 very wealthy, very different individuals-including doctors, art dealers, real estate moguls and one shrimp-peeling-machine manufacturer. Many of the author's subjects confessed that they have been less motivated by a drive for wealth than a desire for a certain lifestyle, an obsession with a certain field and a need for independence, and that focus, passion and street smarts have contributed more to their success than luck or any formal training. Several of his interviewees leveraged their success through reinvestment, often in real estate, raising the question of how well their net worths have survived in the current credit crunch. While D'Agostino freely admits that his sample is far from scientific, weighted heavily to friendly people who happened to be at home when he went calling, his debut is witty and inspiring. (Jan.)

Elizabeth L. Winter - Library Journal

Have you ever passed a neighborhood of palatial homes and wondered who lives inside, what their lives are like, and how they can afford such lavish lifestyles? D'Agostino (Esquire) has, and here he chronicles his journey into some of America's 100 wealthiest ZIP codes, where he went door to door looking for insight into how the rich become rich. While D'Agostino discovers that "not everyone who makes $1.6 million a year is Lao-tzu," he does manage to gain some insight into the personal traits and principles that have helped some of America's wealthier people achieve their successes. He weaves anecdotes of his visits with the wealthy into chapters on the ability to see what others don't see, make one's own luck, be obsessed with something, understand the nature of risk, and keep a kind of humility even in the midst of success. Most of what he finds isn't revolutionary, but readers will get a certain voyeuristic pleasure in peering into some of America's richest homes, and they may pick up some useful tips for personal financial success. Recommended for public libraries.

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