How to Get Rich the American Way

A Next Big Idea Club Must-Read

'Eye opening, deeply researched, and snort-out-your-nose funny. I dare you to put it down.' William Bernstein, author of The Four Pillars of Investing

'Refreshingly unequivocal advice.' Publishers Weekly

In richly told stories and wild self experiments, historian and investor Joseph Moore tests history's best and worst financial advice to find what worked, what didn't, and why everyday people can still get ahead - including you.

What if so-called timeless beliefs about money like 'invest for the long run', 'compound interest builds wealth' and 'property value always goes up' were shockingly new . . . and rarely true?

From Benjamin Franklin to TikTok gurus, what 'everyone knows' about personal finance is constantly changing over time. In How to Get Rich the American Way, Joseph Moore shares the unexpected and counterintuitive lessons of the past so we can make the most of our own finances today. He explores financial folklore, forgotten bestsellers and self-help fads, as well as the real lives of everyday people whose fortunes rose or fell by following them.

Along the way, Moore tests history's best and worst advice on his own finances, with hair-raising and hilarious results. His personal journey includes wild investments, get-rich-quick schemes and founding a cryptocurrency. By the end, to his own very great surprise, he has become a multi-millionaire.

Filled with eye-opening insights you can apply yourself, How to Get Rich the American Way pushes back against sceptics who claim the American dream is out of reach. This is a thoughtful, practical, and surprisingly hopeful read that sheds new light on the prospects of getting by and getting ahead today.