The Education of Millionaires

It's Not What You Think and It's Not Too Late

By: Michael Ellsberg

Narrated by: Erik Synnestvedt

Length: 9 hrs and 42 mins

Publisher's summary

The Myth: If you get into a good college, study hard, and graduate with excellent grades, you will be pretty much set for a successful career.

The Reality: The biggest thing you won't learn in college is how to succeed professionally. Some of the smartest, most successful people in the country didn't finish college. None of them learned their most critical skills in an institution of higher education. And like them, most of what you'll need to learn to be successful you'll have to learn on your own, outside of school.

Michael Ellsberg set out to fill in the gaps by interviewing a wide range of millionaires and billionaires who don't have college degrees, including fashion magnate Russell Simmons, Facebook cofounder Dustin Moskovitz and founding president Sean Parker, WordPress creator Matt Mullenweg, and Pink Floyd songwriter and lead guitarist David Gilmour. Among the fascinating things he learned:

• How fashion designer Marc Ecko started earning $1,000 a week in high school with his own clothing business and later grew it into an empire.
• How billionaire Phillip Ruffin went from lowly department store clerk with no college degree to owner of Treasure Island on the Vegas Strip.
• How John Paul DeJoria went from homelessness to billionaire as the founder of John Paul Mitchell Systems hair care products.

This book is your guide to developing practical success skills in the real world. Even if you've already gone through college, the most important skills weren't on the curriculum - how to find great mentors, build a world-class network, learn real-world marketing and sales, make your work meaningful (and your meaning work), build the brand of you, master the art of bootstrapping, and more.

Learning the skills in this book well is a necessary addition to any education, whether you're a high school dropout or a graduate of Harvard Law School.

©2011 Michael Ellsberg (P)2012 Gildan Media Corp

Critic reviews

"Michael Ellsberg's audio book is provocative and wise. Tuition is skyrocketing, job prospects are grim, and the race for bogus credentials has turned into a runaway status competition for positional goods. The Education of Millionaires offers a renegade path for anyone who wants vital skills without the crushing burden of student debt." (Peter Thiel, co-founder, PayPal, first outside investor, Facebook, creator of the Thiel Fellowship)

"Your success in a knowledge society depends on mastery of soft skills and practical intelligence-and yet they don't show up in college or high school curriculums. Ellsberg's rebellious audio book provides a street-smart education to fill the gap." (Keith Ferrazzi, author of the #1 New York Times best seller Who's Got Your Back)

Read this book if you are thinking about college, or starting a business!

As a 19 year old who has started and failed his own retail business, I can say this one of the best books on self education I have ever read.

If you aren't sure if college is for you, or if you feel like you want to be educated more on the subject this book is great. The author does not suggest you quit school, but shows how it has effected other entrepreneurs. Great read 10/10 very grateful to Michael Ellsberg.

best book ever!

this is a sensational recording that is bursting with value. I learned so much about college and how it may or may not be right for me. this is going on my must own list and will be rereading it again soon.

Things I wish I was taught in school...

Michael, you are a saint. The only problem with this book is that I've probably pissed off all my friends because I keep talking about how amazing it is.

Great book.

This book helps open your mind and break the thoughts of conformity. Teach yourself what others won't. You will be the outlier in this life.

Its a great listening!

First of all, I love Erik Synnestvedt as a narrator! He gives so much life and understanding to the text.
Now this is a great book of this genre. All the success skills chapters made a lot of sense to me and helped me give a boost in life and business! Ignorance is sin. Self education is freedom.

Life Changing

This book was a huge confirmation to thoughts, feelings and observations I've had for years now. I will be a disciple of the message wherein from now on, as I've found a spiritual foundation that also supports much of the ideals expressed in this book.

Nothing too inspiring but decent anecdotes

This want a terrible book, but it wasn't something I'd probably read again. There was SO much time spent knocking academia that it almost feels the entire pitch of the story was: Education bad. Bootstrapping good. But perhaps the least enjoyable part of this audiobook was the reader. Every line finished with a thick, affected lilt that graveled his voice and sounded like a conscious choice. Distracting and unappealing.

I can't get past the introduction

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Maybe the book, not the audio book.

What was most disappointing about Michael Ellsberg’s story?

I couldn't get past the introduction.... The narrator drags out the last letter of the last word in each sentence. He sounds like a "Vally Girl" when he talks... It's super annoying.

Would you be willing to try another one of Erik Synnestvedt’s performances?

Absolutely NOT

Did The Education of Millionaires inspire you to do anything?

Not yet

Good book, horrible narration

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

No, narration was awful

Would you be willing to try another one of Erik Synnestvedt’s performances?

Never again. He was painful to listen too. Shame on the author for hiring this guy.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It was like listening to nails on a chalkboard with Eric's narration. I know that is harsh, but it honestly was that bad.

Any additional comments?

Really great book, it is unfortunate with the narrator made it unpalatable.

Great book, narration could be better

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes. This book is full of very useful information. If you liked the 4 hour workweek, then this is definitely a good read.

How could the performance have been better?

The narrator's use of inflection at the end of each sentence made me want to stop listening. In fact, I will not pick another audible book with this narrator due to this.