THE TECHNIQUES OF BECOMING WEALTHY.

By Richard H. Rush '37.Englewood Cliffs, N. J.: Prentice-Hall,1963. 350 pp. $10.00.

At some point in life many people who have acquired wealth have the urge to share it with others. The stimulus to share may be induced by outside pressures. Or, it may come from within the thoughts of the giver for a variety of reasons. More likely, it may be a combination of both sources of pressure.

Sharing the techniques of acquiring wealth, however, is another matter. This is far from typical. Only when an unusual person is involved is it likely to happen. Richard Rush is such a person who has put together a very interesting book.

For those who have a strong desire to speed up the pace of wealth acquisition, the author provides some fascinating illustrations revealing how it may be done. He writes frankly, using firsthand experiences. In so doing he does not pad his batting average of successes so as to make the techniques of application appear too easy. He makes it quite apparent that those who would follow his prescriptions must have, or acquire, certain highly refined personal qualities such as imagination, judgment, perseverance, self-confidence, and adventuresomeness, combined with the ability to master details and evaluate the consequences of alternative courses of action. In short, one must have some, if not all, of the qualities Velben envisaged in the old-time Captains of Industry in the pre-corporate era.

The book is divided into six parts. In Part I, four chapters are devoted to the art of creating capital and income through business operations. In Part II, five chapters are allotted to magnifying capital. Part III consists of three chapters devoted to building capital through corporate connections. Part IV contains seven chapters concerned with such things as investment in a home, in the stock market, in commodities, et cetera, to the betterment of the fortunes of the investor. In Part V, one chapter is devoted to "Oil and Gas" and a second chapter deals with "Growing and Raising." In this latter chapter such things as diverse as race horses, citrus groves, and timber holdings are considered. Finally, Part VI deals with "Odd Time Capital Creation." This enticing title is misleading, however, because in this final section the author tells the reader something more about how to acquire more wealth and income for oneself; how to share it with others while including Uncle Sam in the giving; and some things about the will to acquire and about the current crop of acquirers, who are more often than not "Captains of Finance" rather than "Captains of Industry."

The author, who has been both a "Captain of Industry" and a "Captain of Finance," writes in a rapid-fire, breezy style. It is quite clear that since he left the Hanover Plain and Dartmouth's hallowed halls he has had a busy and exciting life. After all, one who has acquired a doctoral degree in business administration; who has served the Federal government; and who has participated in a great variety of financial and business ventures, cannot by any stretch of the imagination be said to have lived a dull life. One should observe, too, that he has dedicated his book "To Our Country, the United States of America, Where Democracy and Free Enterprise Make Wealth-Building Possible for Every Individual" which reveals his confidence in our "mixed economy." This is refreshing, indeed.

One might be pedantic and take the author to task for over-simplification, for a grammatical slip, or an error in fact, here and there but this writer refrains from using that review, technique. Rather, it is suggested that you read this very readable book and participate vicariously in the activities of a real modern enterpriser. It is far more fun than "Singing Along with Mitch" and, who knows, some readers may be persuaded to emulate Richard Rush in wealth and income creation, expansion, preservation, and sharing. If you do, you will add an ingredient to the economic mix which may stimulate economic growth and add to economic well being.