Letters from Home: A Wake-up Call for Success and Wealth - Hardcover

Reiser, David R.; Reiser, Andrea R.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0470637927 ISBN 13: 9780470637920

Publisher: Wiley, 2010

Synopsis

Wake up, America (before it's too late!)

Worried about the state of our nation? You're not alone. David and Andrea Reiser, authors of Letters From Home: A Wakeup Call For Success & Wealth, want to restore America to its former glory--and they know just the values that will take us there.

Everywhere you look, from talk shows to the office water cooler to the dinner table, you see people wringing their hands about the state of our nation. No wonder: It feels like we're living through a slow-motion train wreck. Our national debt is out of control. Our politicians are corrupt. Our business leaders are greedy, inept, or both. Our young people are disrepectful and lazy. And a shocking number of citizens are more interested in grabbing entitlements than in working hard to pursue the American Dream.

Okay, these unflattering descriptions don't fit everyone. But if we're honest, we have to admit they do apply to enough citizens to constitute a problem--a big one. And according to David and Andrea Reiser, coauthors of Letters From Home, if we' don't shift our culture back to one that embraces the principles that made our country great, conditions will only worsen.

That's the hope that fueled the writing of Letters From Home, a project that's part cultural treatise and part kick in the pants: for parents, for young people, for influential leaders--really for anyone and everyone who values America and wants to see it restored to its former glory. 

Written in the form of letters to the authors' four sons, the book explores 15 basic American virtues that built our country and that foster individual success. Each chapter includes profiles of exceptional "real people"--the authors' wealth management clients, friends, and neighbors--who truly walk the talk.

The authors are proud to contribute 100% of royalties from the publication of this book: 50% will support breast cancer research at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (mskcc.org) and FORCE (facingourrisk.org); and the other 50% will help end chidhood hunger in American through Share Our Strength (strength.org).

About this title

About the Author

David R. Reiser is a Senior Vice President-Wealth Management at MorganStanley SmithBarney, with offices in Westport, Connecticut, and Newport, Rhode Island. Andrea R. Reiser is an author, blogger, and community volunteer. They are the parents of four boys, and live in Westport, Connecticut, and East Hampton, New York. For more information: ReiserMedia.com.

David and Andrea Reiser are proud to contribute 100% of royalties from the publication of this book: 50% will support breast cancer research at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (mskcc.org) and FORCE (facingourrisk.org); and the other 50% will help end chidhood hunger in American through Share Our Strength (strength.org).

From the Back Cover

"In Letters From Home David and Andrea Reiser lay out for their four sons the structure within which they have been raised - a structure that stresses honesty, decency and a path to success in life that is based on traditional American values. It is a timely message for these young men as they move into manhood. It is a timeless message that they can pass on to their children and grandchildren."

--Geraldine A. Ferraro

"David and Andrea Reiser in Letters From Home create a prescription for happiness, prosperity and fulfillment in life that works for everybody--traditional virtues and values to guide young Americans as well as corporate CEOs. In an era where many Americans believe we have lost our compass, this book shares a playbook that inspires us to make the world a better place and to work hard to achieve the American Dream for ourselves and our families. Their passion for a meaningful and good life is deliciously contagious and worth passing on to all whom you love."

--Howie Phanstiel, Retired Chairman & CEO, PacifiCare Health Systems

"Letters From Home is a creative, inspirational and hopeful book for any parent who wants to inspire their child to live a successful life. It empowers parents to wisely influence and educate their children about how to meaningfully navigate the challenging journey called life, so that they can become the moral person, passionate professional and altruistic member of society, they were always meant to be. David and Andrea Reiser cleverly weave wise and personal letters about life, to their four children, mix it with a little bit of history and other compelling stories, to further highlight these essential and classic messages; which too often get lost in today's morally confused society. Bravo!! And thank you for writing this jewel of a book, for all of us to treasure."

--Robi Ludwig, Psy.D., Psychotherapist & TV Personality

"America is the 'land of opportunity'-not through a pre-ordained right, but through hard work, integrity, and vision. In our increasingly global economy, Letters From Home reminds us of the principles that make America great today, and that our children will need tomorrow. Wisdom for all ages leaps off the pages, as Letters From Home brings the American spirit to life for the whole family."

--Mark Palmer, CEO, StreamBase Systems

"Letters from Home is a beautiful reminder that true success means much more than money and materialism. It means embracing the responsibility of giving back to others with your hands and your heart: from the planet itself to the brotherhood and sisterhood of humanity to the local community to the small cadre of friends and loved ones we call family. If all young Americans took inspiration from the lessons in this book, together we'd create the kind of world we all wish for."

--Andy Sabin, President, Andrew Sabin Family Foundation

"Letters From Home poignantly outlines the building blocks we need to teach our children--and sometimes, each other--about what it means to be good citizens of the world. This is not simply a book about how one achieves success in life; it is about the importance of family, respect, integrity, work ethic, and determination on life's journey--factors easily lost or forgotten in today's fast paced, smart phone-crazed world. Through letters to their four sons and profiles of their friends and acquaintances, David and Andrea Reiser give us unique glimpses into the way in which they and others in their community have realized their dreams, and remind us that the true definition of success in life has little to do with money, and more to do with what we give back to this world."

--Sheila Lirio Marcelo, Founder & CEO of Care.com

From the Inside Flap

It's Time to Rediscover America.

Our nation is deteriorating. Slowly but surely the virtues and values we once celebrated--responsibility, resilience, dignity, respect--have been abandoned. Our work ethic has been replaced by an entitlement ethic. And as we lose the cultural traits that brought us to our leadership position, America's standing in the world will surely fall as well.

But there is good news, say David and Andrea Reiser. By rediscovering the qualities that made America great, we can start to turn things around. We can teach our young people--not to mention ourselves, our employees, and our fellow Americans of all ages--what truly leads to success, prosperity, and fulfillment. That's what Letters from Home is about. Written in the form of letters to the authors' four sons, it explores fifteen basic American virtues that built our country and that foster individual success. Each chapter includes profiles of exceptional "real people"--the authors' wealth management clients, friends, and neighbors--who truly walk the talk. A few examples of what the book teaches:

• Work hard, and go above and beyond in all that you do
  
• Be resilient and learn from adversity
  
• Seize opportunity when it comes(and it comes every day)
  
• Follow your moral compass faithfully and consistently
  
• When you fall, take responsibility for getting back up
  
• Save prudently and spend thoughtfully
  
• Practice gratitude, and know that you're blessed
  

Part cultural treatise and part kick in the pants, Letters from Home is a moving reminder that we live in a land of freedom and opportunity. It should inspire us all--parents, influential leaders, and ordinary citizens alike--to do everything in our power to honor and perpetuate that legacy.

Edition details

• Publisher: Wiley
• Publication date: 2010
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0470637927
• ISBN 13: 9780470637920
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 272