Review by Dentarthurdent -- The Billionaires’ Hand...
Posted: 15 May 2020, 14:59
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Billionaires’ Handbook" by Andrew Stevenson.]
There is a common way that most people look at the world, especially regarding the law and how to treat fellow humans. For the most part, this perspective is developed in us through societal rules and laws, unspoken or otherwise. They enable harmony. Maybe, though, they also hold us back. Maybe it would be a less steep journey to the top if one were climbing over the exhausted bodies of others to get ahead. In The Billionaires’ Handbook, Andrew Stevenson explores another path altogether; not one that disregards the set rules, but rather one that religiously adheres to the rules it sets itself.
This informative book seeks to educate the reader on the subtleties of the economy, and how its laws so suspiciously seem to favour the rich at the expense of the majority. So conspicuously, that one might be inclined to think that this one percent had a gigantic hand in writing the rules of the game. As Stevenson puts it, “If you want to win, just rewrite the rulebook.” The author uses a billionaire protagonist who conspiratorially explains to the reader how he got to the top, somewhat egging the reader on to follow the same path. He uses simple language and movie references a lot, in a way that makes it easy for any reader to understand, regardless of the depth of their knowledge on the topic. Even more to this end, Stevenson makes a point of explaining concepts that may not be considered common knowledge, even briefly narrating the history of different economic systems.
I found the book to be rather well-edited, seeing as there were very few errors. Additionally, it seems to have been written in form of slides as opposed to normal pages, and this choice complements the inclusion of relevant images quite well. On the topic of the images, I have to say that I enjoyed the use of creative illustrations as they add to the relaxed humour present in the entire work, and this was what I liked best about the book.
The billionaire’s voice is portrayed as upbeat and amoral in a way that’s just sarcastic enough not to be bogged down with judgement for the wealthy, but is instead tongue-in-cheek enough to rebuke the callousness of those who encourage harm to others and the environment simply for personal gain. Furthermore, the work contains a section towards the end that gives feasible solutions to current problems, especially those brought about, or allowed, by wealth-seeking individuals. This, I felt, was a nice way to wrap up a book that may otherwise make you lose just a little faith in humanity.
I’m going with a perfect rating for this one. Honestly, my only issue with this unique book was that some of the illustrations were a little difficult to follow, and that's hardly reason enough to remove a star. The Billionaires’ Handbook deserves 4 out of 4 because of Stevenson’s uncommon presentation of a not-so-rare premise, the humour and the wit, in addition to the reasons above. The work is short without feeling rushed, and I can’t think of anyone I would expect to dislike it.
******
The Billionaires’ Handbook
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
There is a common way that most people look at the world, especially regarding the law and how to treat fellow humans. For the most part, this perspective is developed in us through societal rules and laws, unspoken or otherwise. They enable harmony. Maybe, though, they also hold us back. Maybe it would be a less steep journey to the top if one were climbing over the exhausted bodies of others to get ahead. In The Billionaires’ Handbook, Andrew Stevenson explores another path altogether; not one that disregards the set rules, but rather one that religiously adheres to the rules it sets itself.
This informative book seeks to educate the reader on the subtleties of the economy, and how its laws so suspiciously seem to favour the rich at the expense of the majority. So conspicuously, that one might be inclined to think that this one percent had a gigantic hand in writing the rules of the game. As Stevenson puts it, “If you want to win, just rewrite the rulebook.” The author uses a billionaire protagonist who conspiratorially explains to the reader how he got to the top, somewhat egging the reader on to follow the same path. He uses simple language and movie references a lot, in a way that makes it easy for any reader to understand, regardless of the depth of their knowledge on the topic. Even more to this end, Stevenson makes a point of explaining concepts that may not be considered common knowledge, even briefly narrating the history of different economic systems.
I found the book to be rather well-edited, seeing as there were very few errors. Additionally, it seems to have been written in form of slides as opposed to normal pages, and this choice complements the inclusion of relevant images quite well. On the topic of the images, I have to say that I enjoyed the use of creative illustrations as they add to the relaxed humour present in the entire work, and this was what I liked best about the book.
The billionaire’s voice is portrayed as upbeat and amoral in a way that’s just sarcastic enough not to be bogged down with judgement for the wealthy, but is instead tongue-in-cheek enough to rebuke the callousness of those who encourage harm to others and the environment simply for personal gain. Furthermore, the work contains a section towards the end that gives feasible solutions to current problems, especially those brought about, or allowed, by wealth-seeking individuals. This, I felt, was a nice way to wrap up a book that may otherwise make you lose just a little faith in humanity.
I’m going with a perfect rating for this one. Honestly, my only issue with this unique book was that some of the illustrations were a little difficult to follow, and that's hardly reason enough to remove a star. The Billionaires’ Handbook deserves 4 out of 4 because of Stevenson’s uncommon presentation of a not-so-rare premise, the humour and the wit, in addition to the reasons above. The work is short without feeling rushed, and I can’t think of anyone I would expect to dislike it.
******
The Billionaires’ Handbook
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
