There's an overplayed selling point in way too many start-your-own-business books, one that's often a deal breaker for me. It's when an author tries to wow the reader with how much money they're going to make or how much freedom they're going to have if they only dare to follow their advice. It's an easy hook, and I find it terribly disingenuous. I realize most people need to be constantly reminded of the potential reward in order to do something hard, or take chances, but I'm far more interested in the hard work and the particulars of the process. All the dollar signs thrown around is, at best, a distraction. At worst, I don't trust the author's intentions and we're done.

The Million-Dollar, One-Person Business by Elaine Pofeldt commits the above sins but in small, ultimately forgivable doses. It's like the author was trying to emphasize the 'how-to' and an unseen editor was pushing for more feel-good dollar sign mentions. This book does better what many of these types of books attempt to do—convince you to act upon your restless instinct to want to stop playing the old rat race game and try something new. ( )