A Millionaire's Notebook: How Ordinary People Can Achieve Extraordinary Success.

• Author: Holtzman, Henry

There's no halfway to it. Whenever an author combines motivation and solid how-to information with guidelines for business success, the result is either a flat literary stew or a rich blue-ribbon bouillabaisse. "A Millionaire's Notebook" belongs on the menu of a five-star New Orleans restaurant.

There are a number of reasons why Scott's book more than achieves his goals. The writing is excellent, mixing crisply written tips with attention-grabbing narrative. His information is solid and based on personal experience. Scott's initial career setbacks and business failures marked him as a loser to most corporate personnel directors who neither encouraged him nor understood the fire in his belly. He is a writer and marketer; salesman and craftsman; businessman and dreamer. In other words, Scott is an entrepreneur.

Scott is a co-founder of American Telecast Corp., the most successful of all the companies that bring celebrities and products together to create the infomercials and commercials that haunt television channels during surprising time slots.

Even though much of the book's general information isn't new, some of the specifics tied to it are fresh and enlightening. For example, there are dozens of books that suggest getting a mentor, someone whose experience and leadership qualities you respect and who can teach you. "A Millionaire's Notebook" lists 10 highly specific strategies and tips for identifying and recruiting mentors.

At the end of each chapter Scott outlines key points under three headings: "Insights For Success Review, Laws for Achieving Success, Personal Inventory for Success." Under the first heading, he lists several major topics covered in the chapter. These are converted into "laws" that should work for anyone. Finally, the author provides a series of highly specific questions readers should ask of themselves to improve their attitude, sharpen their focus or hone their skills.

In many ways, the most powerful "how-to" segments of the book are primarily aimed at marketing and selling, not surprising for an author...