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Who should read it
People who are fed up with get-rich-quick schemes and tired of the rat race that has become the norm in the American culture.
Synopsis
"Avalanche" is subtitled "A Modern Parable," and as such it reinforces
the adage that money can't buy happiness. In the book, Andrew Craver,
a real estate developer who has made oodles of money through a lifetime
of increasingly shady business practices, suddenly decides that
he needs to stop and get back to what really matters.
He discovers that his goal to earn money at all costs has had serious consequences. He has drifted apart from his
wife and children, lost his youthful physical fitness and squandered much of the money he has earned.
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Author: Steve Sanduski and Ron Carson |
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Publisher: Kaplan Publishing |
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Available in hardback |
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Strong/weak points
"Avalanche" is a poor attempt at pointing out the values necessary
for a happy life. Readers will be much better served to consult
books in the "What Color is Your Parachute" series. "Avalanche"
offers a somewhat hackneyed story of one man's spiritual journey
to the discovery that money can't buy happiness, and that worshiping
the god of money usually results in unintended consequences. This
is certainly a worthy goal in writing a book. However, the authors
miss the mark with the overly contrived story of Craver.
Readers will probably be able to relate to the situations
in the book, but the dialogue between Craver and his wife, his children,
his mentors and supporters is flat and insipid. Even the scene when
Craver's boss fires him for botching his last big deal is trite
and full of clichés.
When Craver asks himself if this is all there is to
life, the concept is riveting, but the execution is poor and readers
will roll their eyes at some of the writing. If a parable is simply
a story aimed at teaching a lesson, then "Avalanche" does the job.
But if you want to feel connected to the characters or feel inspired
in the process, then "Avalanche" fails to achieve that goal.
Takeaway
Although it is a short book and only takes a few hours to read, "Avalanche" is not the best use of a busy person's time.
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