Very disappointing. Mostly a forms-only series of books. No intellectual "meat." Little how-to, step-by-step procedures of how to succeed in this potentially lucrative field!

In my opinion the book was useful, except for the end of each chapter (and the end of the book) when Mr. Hicks tries to covince people to buy a book, a kit or a subscription to one of his newsletters. Also most of the time Mr. Hicks impresses people (at least that is what he thinks or wants) with all his fortune and his yacht. If I had read another book, would I have stated that it was useful to me?.

I was very unhappy to find that this was just one giant advertisement for Mr. Hicks own material. All Mr. Hicks wants you to do is subscribe to his newsletter, buy his items. I didn't find one thing to help. Like buying a written infomercial.

Please believe that this guy is only trying to sell his information. He is so busy selling that he dosen't allow this book to help people. He should of just placed alot of classified ads for all the offers that are in this book. You will be able to find very little info that will be helpful to you. So I would advise that you just skim through this book at your local libary or book store and pick out what you need to know and thats it.

The 3 reasons not to buy this book:

1. The earnings potential in this book are very unrealistic. It seems as if you can be rich with almost no work.

2. Some of the business concepts are absurd(i.e. a service that uses dogs to chase ducks away from your property)

3. The author does not have your success in mind, he just wants to sell you his books and newsletters.

I took Hicks up on his offer to speak with him on the telephone. I was impressed that he would actually make his telephone number available, and would answer it himself. I had called to discuss one of his "kits". In a very amicable manner I asked Mr. Hicks for some way that I could verify his claims. Instead of responding helpfully, he said "I'll still eat tonight if you don't buy my information". He treated me like a dolt. Needless to say, I did NOT purchase anything more from him.

Why You Should Buy This Book:

If you are really serious about your financial health, here is someone who not only has done the things he teaches you, but who is actually there to help you when you need answers to questions, or individual help.

If you know anything at all about the usual "courses" and "seminars"....for getting rich in real estate, etc... you know that what happens when you buy them, no matter the quality (or lack of quality!) of the information you are given, you are either left to "sink or swim" or your questions are "answered" by a group of people hired by the course or seminar business to do customer service. Sometimes you are allowed to question the "big guy", but even then, it is usually a "stand-in-line-after-the-lecture" deal.

IWS is different, because Ty Hicks is different.

Tyler G. Hicks is a mulit-millionaire; a NewYork kind of guy: he talks fast, talks plain, and doesn't like wasting time.

I recently saw him criticized by some skeptic who called Ty and insisted on being given "proof" that what Ty teaches "really works". The man was upset because Ty did not want to play that game. But notice: the man WAS ABLE to get Ty Hicks on the phone. That is because, when you call Ty Hicks, you do not get a customer service clerk, or even a secretary... you get Ty Hicks! And Ty did not refuse to help the man make money; Ty refused to waste time "proving" ..for free... that what he has successfully done for over 30 years DOES in fact, work.

I suspect the reason Ty reacted that way is because if the man had done his homework at all, he would know that what Ty teaches works. A better thing to do would have been to call Mr. Hicks and ask a REAL QUESTION. I'm sure Mr. Hicks would have helped him beyond his wildest dreams.

I know, because Mr. Hicks helped me, many years ago. At that time, skeptics surrounding me claimed Mr. Hicks would never talk to me, and that I was a fool to even try. Because I was a VERY POOR mother with a bunch of kids; I had zero to offer Mr. Hicks. However, I had bought one of his books and a one year subscription to his newsletter. I had decided to try and find a mentor from the many authors I had read, so I took a chance and called. Mr. Hicks. Imagine my shock when Mr. Hicks himself answered the phone!

When it became obvious that Mr. Hicks not only would talk to me, but encouraged me to call him back when I needed help....and then DID HELP ME, the skeptics changed their tune to claiming Mr. Hicks was "only trying to make money off of me". At the time I found that hysterically funny. I pointed out that if that were his plan, he wasn't very bright...because at that point, Mr. Hicks was possibly earning pennies an hour ..in book royalties...counseling me! Everything Mr. Hicks did was helpful and ethical and logical. He is an incredibly wonderful person.

When I called Mr. Hicks, I had actually been on welfare (put on welfare at the insistance of my husband, who then abandoned his kids)...and was living in a town that was in the middle of a depression, with it's major industry shut down. I had six kids, three of them pre-schoolers, no job, and almost no experience.

I had some ideas, but no courage and no idea how to actually implement them.

As if he were my brother, Mr. Hicks took time to help me, step by step. Mr. Hicks answered questions I would have thought would have frustrated a successful man like him. My experience with Mr. Hicks is that he is one of the kindest, most generous men I have ever met. In the end, he helped me to purchase a brand new home of my own, with nothing down, begin a child-care business which was to blossom into a chain of child care businesses where the operators were trained and licensed, purchase rental properties and find good renters for them - BEFORE I BOUGHT THEM ....by being a good landlord and giving tenants what they need... and to use venture capital to take over a small energy-conservation company. That's not all Ty Hicks did for me; he is an incredible man. But this gives you some idea.

Don't get me wrong: Ty Hicks expects the people whom he helps to WORK. Ty Hicks cannot do it for you. He did not waste hours yakking on the phone. Instead, he did something more important: HE HELPED ME LEARN HOW TO MAKE THESE THINGS HAPPEN FOR ME! I believe: if there is anyone in the entire world - besides you - who can teach you how to become rich - ethically - Ty Hicks is the man.

You have to ask yourself: why did Ty Hicks do this for me? I was a complete stranger; I did not even have a job, and I lived thousands of miles away from Mr. Hicks. Those who have actually gone and taken action to learn and do what Ty Hicks teaches know why. If you want to find the answer; if you REALLY WANT to become wealthy and are seriously willing to do what it requires, I suggest you follow a route explained by Ty Hicks!

I would rate this a negative if I could. This book is a scam with very little practical info, mainly just a sales job for his other junk. You will sink yourself very fast using his methods.

This book was first published in 1978!

I seriously doubt Mr. Hicks rewrote one word of this book for the 90's.

Gimme a break! Click on Mr. Hicks' name under the title. This will give you a list of other books written by him. Scroll down to his "Kits" Most of them about mail-order, real estate, etc. were published in 1987! Wow.

Mr. Hicks plays on the inexperience and the desperate. He focuses only on the successes and does not mention the possible pitfalls in real estate. I found the book somewhat informative, but was quite annoyed with his pitch to subscribe to his publication.

Should be titled: 203 OTHER BOOKS AND THINGS YOU CAN BUY FROM TYLER HICKS TO MAKE HIM RICH!

Save your money. This book is one nonstop commercial to try to get you to buy Mr. Hicks' MANY other books & products. He comes off as cold-hearted and just out to make a buck himself.

One or two tentative ideas hidden amongst 342 pages of adverts for more of his products. Every time I came across another "plug" for one of his "kits" or "handbooks", I believed less and less in what he had to say.
Sort of like the literary equivalent of the door-to-door insurance salesman!
If you could get past the adverts, then there is some value in the ideas and motivational messages.

The book is 25% a glossary and 25% a full partnership contract of very little value. Only 61 pages of 163 have any pertinent information. Apparently written by a quickie formula on how to start a business, establish contacts and work hard. Very litte meat of conducting a second mortgage business. Nothing on usary or regulations. Nothing on the mechanics of discounting or county filings, repossesion. Better buy: Smart Trust Deed Investment In California by George Coats, ISBN 0-934581-01-0