(X-post from livejournal: http://dracodechristus.livejournal.com/5462.html )

I remember very vividly when my father told me the secret to getting rich quickly (and legally). He said a small fortune could be raised overnight using a simple newspaper ad (this was a while ago). The content would be as follows:
"Want to get rich quick? Order our correspondence course, and become wealthy overnight! Please send your name, address and a $10.00 check or money order to Wealth Solutions, 123 Madeup St. Mytown, ST 45678."
The 'correspondence course' would be a 1-page letter instructing them to purchase a similar ad and sell the same 'course' to other people who want to get rich with minimal effort.

I've been reading several books on wealth and finance lately. I have run across several that claim that the principals set forth in their pages, if followed, will make a millionaire of the reader. Some of them are really more about motivation and a success mentality than actual wealth strategies. This type of advice is valuable to an extent, but at the end of the day I start to wonder if some of these authors know one more secret to gaining wealth that they do not present... convince readers that buying their book will give them a shot at wealth. Is their formula to financial success as simple as creating a 150 page 'newspaper ad'? I'll let you all know after a couple of years of investing.