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[Book Review] The Millionaire Next Door

"The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America’s Wealthy" by Thomas J. Stanley, Ph.D. and William D. Danko, Ph.D. is a book written to explain the millionaire phenomena and how anyone can go from being the next door neighbor to being the millionaire next door.

Stanley, a former professor of marketing at Georgia State University, worked side-by-side with Danko, associate professor and chair of marketing at the University at Albany, State University of New York, to study the statistics and trends of the wealthy. What they found was the wealthy were not those who frequent country clubs and go on lavish vacations, but those who live in upper-middle class neighborhoods and enroll their children in public schools. The wealthy were those able to sacrifice and save their money, said Brian Delaney, president of Protech Pest Control, Silver Spring, Md.

"I have shared this book and these thoughts with many people on my staff, as well as family and friends, and have convinced many of them to start a savings and investment plan that will last a lifetime," Delaney said.

"You aren’t what you drive" is a common theme throughout the book, a theme Stanley and Danko swear by. With seven simple steps including frugality, patience and passion, the authors say the common men and women of America can dabble and play with the American dream of fortune while working hard and investing their money.

As the book spent more than three years on the New York Times bestseller list, many Americans were learning the ways to fortune. And while most learned new tricks of the trade, for Delaney the book’s messages hit a bit closer to home.

"Personally, I found that this book codified and defined many of the beliefs that I already had about money, saving and investment. Somehow, I had never quite organized these individual thoughts into a cohesive plan for life," said Delaney, who discovered the book on tape while commuting to work in Washington, D.C. "‘The Millionaire Next Door’ really does provoke thought and introspection, and affords one an opportunity to contemplate the role of money in one’s life. I think the book also allows the reader to self-assess his or her personal attitudes toward money and their aptitude toward making it and spending it." — Jess Wagner

Massey Services goes "Back To School"

"How can you tell the difference between a moth and a butterfly?" In Bob Belmont’s usual genuine and relaxed manner, he is teaching second graders about insects of the world.

Students shout out answers ranging from "they’re not as pretty" to "they have bigger wings."

After entertaining their responses, Belmont, technical and training director for Pest Prevention, and in-house entomologist at Massey Services, Maitland, Fla., answers with certainty, "If you look at the antennae on the insect, you will see that moths never have lobes on the end of their antennae, but butterflies do."

In support of the National Pest Management Association’s "Pest Management Month" in April, representatives of Massey Services spent three days at Dommerich Elementary School and Maitland Middle School in Florida, showing second and sixth graders insect specimens from around the world, and discussing pest behavior and the importance of protecting people’s home and health from pest-related threats.

For the elementary school students, the teach-in session provided a precursor to a field trip the students took to a local park to search for insects. Massey Services provided the second graders with activity sheets, magnifying glasses and plastic bags for collecting their insects.

"This presentation goes along with the Sunshine State standard benchmarks for science," said Stephanie Sonstroem, a second grade teacher at Dommerich Elementary. "We’re studying plants and animals and it’s wonderful to have someone with expertise work with the children."

At Maitland Middle School, Belmont presented various specimens, ranging from beetles to butterflies, and even a bird-eating tarantula, to more than 150 sixth graders. As children walked into the classroom, they immediately asked if the insects were real (they were real but not alive).

The sixth graders also viewed NPMA’s "Pride and Professionalism" video, which emphasizes the pest management professionals’ role in protecting public health.