Description
Book SynopsisTune 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
Table of Contents
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
