Dashing. Devastating. Dangerous. David Reis exuded power with every move of his custom-suited body. he'd been the fantasy of Starr Cimino's teenage dreams—her first lover, her biggest heartbreak. And now that he was back, she didn't dare fall under his influence again. But David was not about to call a truce. He was determined to have Starr back in his bed and planned a seduction no woman could resist.

A look into the covert influence billionaires wield in American politics and the actions citizens can take to hold them more accountable. In 2016, when millions of Americans voted for Donald Trump, many believed his claims that personal wealth would free him from wealthy donors and allow him to “drain the swamp.” But then Trump appointed several billionaires and multimillionaires to high-level positions and pursued billionaire-friendly policies, such as cutting corporate income taxes. Why the change from his fiery campaign rhetoric and promises to the working class? This should not be surprising, argue Benjamin I. Page, Jason Seawright, and Matthew J. Lacombe: As the gap between the wealthiest and the rest of us has widened, the few who hold one billion dollars or more in net worth have begun to play a more and more active part in politics—with serious consequences for democracy in the United States. Page, Seawright, and Lacombe argue that while political contributions offer a window onto billionaires’ influence, especially on economic policy, they do not present a full picture of policy preferences and political actions. That is because on some of the most important issues, including taxation, immigration, and Social Security, billionaires have chosen to engage in “stealth politics.” They try hard to influence public policy, making large contributions to political parties and policy-focused causes, leading policy-advocacy organizations, holding political fundraisers, and bundling others’ contributions—all while rarely talking about public policy to the media. This means that their influence is not only unequal but also largely unaccountable to and unchallengeable by the American people. Stealth politics makes it difficult for ordinary citizens to know what billionaires are doing or mobilize against it. The book closes with remedies citizens can pursue if they wish to make wealthy Americans more politically accountable, such as public financing of political campaigns and easier voting procedures, and notes the broader types of reforms, such as a more progressive income tax system, that would be needed to increase political equality and reinvigorate majoritarian democracy in the United States. Praise for Billionaires and Stealth Politics “Incredibly important. The authors provide—for the first time—a clear sense of the politics and political activity of the top one hundred billionaires in America, matching what billionaires have said with what they’ve done and showing the troubling transparency gap that is critical to the evolution of policy. Billionaires and Stealth Politics is a key addition to understanding our current political reality, focused on it most significant lever.” —Lawrence Lessig, author of America, Compromised “The wealth held by American billionaires exceeds the Gross Domestic Product of dozens of countries. They exercise tremendous influence over society, the economy, and politics. Yet their impact is not well-understood. Page, Seawright, and Lacombe have given us a compelling and original piece of work on an important topic.” —Darrell M. West, Brookings Institution

A powerfully persuasive and thoroughly entertaining guide to the most effective way to un-rig the economy and fix inequality, from America's wealthiest “class traitors” The vast majority of Americans—71 percent—believe the economy is rigged in favor of the rich. Guess what? They’re right. How do you rig an economy? You start with the tax code. In Tax the Rich! former BlackRock executive Morris Pearl, the millionaire chair of the Patriotic Millionaires, and Erica Payne, the organization’s founder, take readers on an engaging and enlightening insider’s tour of the nation’s tax code, explaining exactly how “the rich”—and the politicians they control—manipulate the U.S. tax code to ensure the rich get richer, and everyone else is left holding the bag. Blunt and irreverent, Tax the Rich! unapologetically dismantles the “intellectual” justifications for a tax code that virtually guarantees destabilizing levels of inequality and consequent social unrest. Infographics, charts, cartoons, and lively characters including “the Werkhardts” and “the Slumps” make a complicated subject accessible (and, yes, sometimes even funny) and illuminate the practical reforms that can put America on the road to stability and shared prosperity before it’s too late. Never have the arguments in this book been more timely—or more important.

Influence And Income Online: Three Millennial Millionaires Share Their SecretsOnly six to eight years ago, most people who wanted to take a message or product to the world had to ask permission (from the authorities, associations, and governing bodies that centralized content distribution).But now, because of technology (particularly social media and video), decentralization is everywhere (technology inherently decentralizes). This has empowered everyone with a phone to reach the masses without ever worrying about asking for permission again. This book reveals how three millennial influencers did just that and took their message to hundreds of thousands (and sometimes millions) of followers-all without ever asking for "permission." This is the day when kids make $1000s doing things adults once mocked with statements like:"keep making that face and it will become permanent""when are you going to stop dancing and go get a job""stop playing those video games, like someone's really going to pay you for that"As more Fortune 500 brands fall by the waste side, people like Steve Larsen, Josh Forti, me, and many other entrepreneurs, many of which are featured in this book, are taking up the baton and running without looking back.¿we are the ones Steve Jobs envisioned when he ran the most famous technology commercial of all-time in 1997: Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers.The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules.And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them,glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things.They push the human race forward. While some may see them as the crazy ones,we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.Thank you Mr. Jobs¿ and now to the crazy ones, let's go get it!James Smiley(and remember¿ it's all about attitude!)

A compelling look at a new class of the affluent - the middle-class millionaires – whose attitudes and values are influencing and reshaping American life In this groundbreaking book, Russ Alan Prince and Lewis Schiff examine the far-reaching impact of the middle class millionaires–people who enjoy a net worth ranging from one million to ten million dollars and have earned rather than inherited their wealth. Comprising 8.4 million households and growing in number, the attitudes and behaviors of these working rich are exerting a powerful influence over our society. So who are these people? They believe in the benefits of hard work. They believe in investing in themselves, and in self improvement. They are more likely to focus on drawing financial gain from their work, and less inclined to be discouraged by failure. And they don’t spend money on the extravagances indulged in by the very rich; instead, they wield their affluence according to middle-class values and ideals. From home security systems to health care, technology to travel, their spending choices are affecting us all – from the products we buy, to the communities in which we live, to the aspirations and values of the broader middle class and American population as a whole. In the bestselling tradition of Bobos in Paradise and The Millionaire Next Door, THE MIDDLE-CLASS MILLIONAIRE is a captivating narrative – part sociology, and part aspirational journey into the lives, attitudes, and values of the middle-class millionaires. Based on extensive surveys and research into more than 3,600 middle-class millionaire households around the country, this book will reshape our understanding of what it takes to be successful – and how all of us can achieve similar success.

The New York Times bestseller that gives “readers with an entrepreneurial turn of mind . . . road maps on how millionaires found their niches” (USA Today). The author of the blockbuster bestseller The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America’s Wealthy shows how self-made millionaires have surmounted shortcomings such as average intelligence by carefully choosing their careers, taking calculated risks, and living balanced lifestyles while maintaining their integrity. Dr. Thomas J. Stanley also builds on his research from The Millionaire Next Door and takes us further into the psyche of the American millionaire. Stanley focuses in on the top one percent of households in America and tells us the motor behind the engine; what makes them tick. His findings on how these families reached such financial success are based on in-depth surveys and interviews with more than thirteen hundred millionaires. “A very good book that deserves to be well read.” —The Wall Street Journal “Worth every cent . . . It’s an inspiration for anyone who has ever been told that he wasn’t smart enough or good enough.” —Associated Press “A high IQ isn’t necessarily an indicator of financial success . . . Stanley tells us that the typical millionaire had an average GPA and frugal spending habits—but good interpersonal skills.” —Entertainment Weekly “Ideas bigger than the next buck.” —Orlando Sentinel

"Texas tycoon Whit Daltry has always been a thorn in Megan Maguire's side, especially when he tried to put the kibosh on her animal shelter. But when he saves her daughter during the worst tornado in recent memory, Megan sees beneath his prickly exterior to the hero underneath. Soon, the after-storm recovery makes bedfellows of these opposites. Until Megan's old reflexes kick in--should she brace for betrayal or say yes to Whit once and for all?"-- From back cover.