Incredible Secret Money Machine II

John Walker, cofounder and first CEO of Autodesk wrote in his Philosophy chapter of Information letter #1 in Jan 19, 1982 (before incorporation of Autodesk in April 1982: "To those of you who know the esteem in which I hold Don Lancaster's book, The Incredible Secret Money Machine, some of the concepts you've seen here may seem alien or repugnant. My theme all along in this is ``the game has changed''. To be blunt, they're playing the ball game with real balls now. It's possible to follow the Don Lancaster route and earn a reasonable income for life while maintaining your own freedom and lifestyle, but you only generate income when you work, and you must resign yourself to seeing people with less merit in your eyes advance beyond you on the ladder of material success." In footnote he added "Must read!" and then he made millions in Autodesk. So this book is definitely not only for craftsmen, if you read it properly you can build empires like Autodesk ($1.8B this year).

This book is not about being a "player", as in starting a company with the intent to go public and cash out. Instead it reveals some important truths and doles out advice about using your experience, skills, and knowledge to create a satisfying and profitable micro-enterprise, and to live a lifestyle that leads to real freedom and happiness. The book is a bit dated in parts because it was written long before the dotcom boom/bust of the late '90s. However, in this age of outsourcing and corporate downsizing, Lancaster's book is still a useful resouce for older workers cut loose from the corporate fold, and for younger people who don't care to get stuck in a dead end career.

When I first started my life as an entrepreneur my brother gave me a copy of the Incredible Secret Money Machine. I read it many times and whenever I followed it's advice, I prospered, and whenever I tried to "make it" doing the conventional things it advised against, I failed.This book is for the average person who want's to have a little independence and security making money with their own technical or craft talents. It's a must-read!

I was turned onto this book by my friend Charlie in the 80's, who had successfully and happily run his own technical and craft money machines for many years. Since the book was out of print at the time, I had to search very hard to find a copy. Don, through this book, has helped me to understand that I didn't need to be an employee, nor employ others in order to do my own technical venture and make a comfortable living. The advice is timeless (i.e. avoid taking on "granfaloons" (the government or large corporations), spend less than what you make, get by on less, invest in yourself, etc.) and continues to translate well into the internet economy.I have taken to re-reading the book every year or so, to help adjust what I'm doing to increase my happiness and control over the direction of my career/life. I have found it helpful to interact with others who are into this same "money-machine" lifestyle, and continue to enjoy many of the philisophical and other bits of advice provided.The book is easy to read, humorous, and captivating. I had previously read Don's TTL and CMOS books, and also found those to be invaluable. This book is so genuine and unique, that nothing that I've found (and I've looked) has inspired me so much in my quest to do my own thing and run a small business.Thanks [email protected]