[...] Some of his advise in his financial advise columns include "If you need money, have a garage sale" He is a self proclaimed humantarian. For those thousands upon thousands of people he has [...],used or taken advantage of, humanitarian is not the word that should be used. His self published advise articles include...Send me [$$$] and I will send you a secret" The secret being that at a certain time and date everyone who sent him the money was supposed to go outside and send "good thoughts" into the atmosphere to encourage anything or anyone out there in the universe to make contact with us lowly human beings. This book is a[...]just like his other publications.

Alan Shawn Feinstein, founder of the Feinstein Foundation , is a nationally known philanthropist and humanitarian. He has made an indelible impact on American education and public service that is quickly spreading throughout the country.

With a college background in both journalism and education, Mr. Feinstein taught public schools in Massachusetts and Rhode Island and established an English school in Thailand. He later entered the business world, starting a financial advisory newsletter in 1974 with $500 in savings. His newsletters went on to become among the most widely circulated in the world, reaching a readership of over 500,000. He has also authored several best-selling financial guides, a novel and several books for children. A book was written about him and the value of his advice: The Four Treasures of Alan Shawn Feinstein, published by Prentice-Hall in 1984.

He now dedicates his full time to philanthropic endeavors, focusing on the advancement of public service and the alleviation of hunger. He founded the World Hunger Program at Brown University, the first university center to study and try to end the causes of hunger, launched the World Hunger Brigade, a program which encourages middle school students to study hunger and design programs to fight it, and the Feinstein International Famine Center at Tufts University which carries out projects designed to help reduce hunger in countries around the world.

His commitment to the schools in the State of Rhode Island is legendary. He has dedicated millions of dollars to its elementary and secondary schools, and to its colleges and universities, to advance the importance of community service in education and the values of caring, compassion and brotherhood. He was also instrumental in the establishment of the first public high school ever to have community service as its central theme and the first college program to offer a degree in this field.

Among the many honors he has received are the American Historical Society's Distinguished Services Award, the American Red Cross Longfellow Humanitarian Award and the first Rhode Island Citizen of the Year Award by the March of Dimes Foundation. He has been named to the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame, has received the prestigious President's Medal from Brown University and Rhode Island College, and honorary doctorate degrees from Providence College, Salve Regina University, Johnson and Wales University, Roger Williams University, Rhode Island College and the University of Rhode Island. He recently founded the Citizenship Center at the International Institute of Rhode Island, and is honorary chairman of the International Scholar/Athlete Games, where his "Enriching the World" Program is a requisite for all participants from all countries. He also has given start-up funds to over 200 houses of worship throughout the country to start food pantries available to everyone in need in their communities regardless of their religious affiliation.

As well as the Feinstein School of Public Service, several other schools have been named for him including the Graduate School of Johnson & Wales University , the College of Arts and Science at Roger Williams University, the College of Education at Rhode Island College, the College of Continuing Education at the University of Rhode Island as well as elementary schools in both Providence and Central Falls.

Mr. Feinstein believes that "Helping to better the lives of others, regardless of race, creed or color, is the greatest of all achievements."