Get Out While You Can - Escape The Rat Race [Paperback]

 

 

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Let me first warn you that I'm fairly certain most of the 5-star ratings on this book are fake. Take a closer look at them: They are very vague in describing the book's content, they all say more or less the same thing in the same style of marketing-lingo, and they never mention any of the inevitable problems that you will come across in trying to implement the (few) ideas presented therein.

The book consists primarily of filler and very little substance. He spends the first 20-25% of the book (about 120 pages in written form) telling you that you're wasting your life working a full-time job, and telling you that you will always be in debt, etc. It very quickly gets old and boring. The entire first quarter of the book reads like an advertisement that's about to sell you a Get-Rich-Quick scheme -- At this point warning flags should go up because a good book shouldn't have to work so hard to sell itself to you. He tells stories, makes comparisons to famous millionaires, makes pointless lists and arguments, and so on. For example, he devotes several pages describing computations for how rich you would at the end of the month if you started the month with £0.01 and doubled your money every day.

Ironically, in one of his anecdotes the author explains exactly what this book is: He describes that back in the mail-order days, he paid for a get-rich-quick scheme and instead received an envelope stuffed with junk. So he realized that he could make money by packaging junk to thousands of people.

So for 100+ pages, he describes why you're a loser in society for working a full-time job and selling your life for money, and promises a lifestyle of riches and millions, while leaving you free to do whatever you want. He explains that the result of every day of his work, results in £1 a day steady income for the rest of his life. Which is a nice concept if it would work; i.e. if he taught you how to quickly develop and launch a small business that makes £1 a day then the book would have been amazing.

However, he does not deliver.

Instead of plans and techniques, he describes various methods for scraping a few pennies from the internet. For example, scouring eBay for cheap items that you might be able to resell for higher prices. He suggests buying up internet domains in the hope that someone will buy them from you at a higher price later on. (Hardly a strategy to quit your day job for.) His main concept is setting up a number of small websites in the hope that people will click on ads. (His philosophy is "If you can't beat the internet giants like Amazon, join them by helping them sell products")

He fails to mention that you are competing with billions of literate people in the world, most of which are happy to work for £1-£2 an hour, in a market with almost no barrier to entry. He fails to mention that the accumulated overhead of running so many websites will soon reach a critical point where you will not have time to do anything else.

In fact, by describing how much time he wastes on pointless and fruitless efforts, he slips up and reveals the fact that he doesn't make nearly as much money as he says he does. I've known plenty of millionaires that hardly have time to go to the post office. I'm personally working in the City of London pulling in roughly £50 an hour. To me, most of the things he mentions doing make me cringe, because they are such blatant wastes of time. For instance, he describes how he entered a competition to sell 15 beanbags in the month before Christmas, and near the end he spent considerable time watching his seller's page: at one point refreshing it every 5 minutes for an hour. For what? The prize was a £90 beanbag. Anyone who's making serious money would value an hour of their time more than a potential free beanbag. If he wanted a beanbag why didn't he just buy one?

I almost feel guilty giving this pile of rubbish 2 stars instead of 1, but I want to be fair and the book does contain a basic introduction to domain trading, website building, ad revenue, and affiliate marketing, for those that are interested. If you take out the filler, the author could have made a decent 50-page book out of it. I also like the £1 a day concept. That is all you will get out of this book however, so if you read it, you're reading 400+ pages for a few bits and pieces tucked away in a huge pile of fluff.

At the end of the day you have to realize that if someone really figured out a working method to make millions from the internet, they would not be selling it to you for £5 or £10 or even £100.

Fantastic read. This book was recommended to me and I am recommending it to you. If you want to make some extra cash or even earn a full time income from home (or anywhere with an Internet connection) then you will find all the help you need to get started within this book. It covers everything you need to know from registering your domain to getting traffic and of course monetizing your site. The premise of the book is that rather than being paid one hourly wage for each one hour worked, it is possible to get paid over and over again for that same hours work by having multiple revenue streams in the form of niche websites. I found it inspiring and motivational and think anyone looking for a way out of the 9-5 slog will benefit from reading this. I have no doubt that you will make money if you follow his advice. I already am. Not much, but I'm confident I will. Hope this helps.

An excellent read from an entertainment point of view. Revolutoinary and full of ideas from a personal work point of view. Followed his guidelines of setting up your own website. The difference about Marshall is his emphasis on doing something you love and bluring the lines on the definitions of working hours. I won't go on but a book like this has been a long time coming for so many. No get rich quick scheme here, only a blueprint for liberation.
Also, asked him to put a link for a new site on his website to boost its SEO. He wrote back like an old friend! Gentleman.

Patrick

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5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant book!
I knew nothing about creating and hosting a website on the web before reading this book even though I worked in IT. Read more

Published 16 hours ago by DreemUK

4.0 out of 5 stars Inspirational stuff
Where to start? For one, a very inspirational book. The author tells it exactly how it is - if we work for someone else we will always be a wage slave (a fact that nobody can... Read more

Published 2 days ago by MR G MILLER

5.0 out of 5 stars A serious alternative to the 9 to 5
At first glance you could be forgiven for thinking that this is another one of those "rags to riches" books that will try to convince you that you too could be driving a Ferrari... Read more

Published 3 days ago by Rosebud

3.0 out of 5 stars Nice ideas, but Plan B won't work for many people
I've read the 4-5 star reviews and the 1-2 star reviews, and the book; and I can see how either opinion could be formed. Read more

Published 10 days ago by nik26

5.0 out of 5 stars A brilliant book
This book is a brilliant book and a must read for anyone wondering "is this really what life is about? Read more

Published 11 days ago by nar

4.0 out of 5 stars An inspiring read
This is certainly a book to get you thinking! George gives you his take on how to get out of the "rat race" and develop a better quality of life. Read more

Published 12 days ago by Anna

5.0 out of 5 stars A good starting point
Get Out While You Can is a good start to internet marketing, and very inspirational...there is a vast amount of knowledge to be gained by both a beginner and enough insite for a... Read more

Published 1 month ago by J. L. Platt

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding, If Not Even Just a Bit Better than That
This book was recommended by a friend whom I trust, and I'm so glad I didn't put off reading it.

There is a lot of generosity in these 440 pages; this is a guy who has... Read more

Published 1 month ago by Max Eames

5.0 out of 5 stars A very worthwhile investment
Practical, engagingly written, chock-full of useful information - if you're thinking of leaving 'wage slavery' you won't regret buying this book! George Marshall is inspirational.

Published 1 month ago by A. Neild

1.0 out of 5 stars I'm not usually this stupid
I'm usually very cynical when it comes to this sort of book. I saw it as being a bit of a Rich Dad Poor Dad type book with a bit more of a UK edge. Read more

Published 1 month ago by Mr. C. Cooper

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