The Story Behind Guns, Drugs, or Wealth by Jerry Ford

I wrote this book because I know what it’s like to be broke. I know what it’s like to feel helpless because you lack the specialized knowledge that might help you reach your goals. They say ignorance is bliss, but really, it just hurts. I wrote this book because I believe that everyone should

have an equal opportunity to gain the knowledge he or she needs to build wealth. The problem is, everyone learns differently. This doesn’t make one person smarter than the next, but it does require a teacher who takes the time to figure out how best to teach each person. Sadly, a very small percentage of Americans attend the kinds of schools— mainly private schools—with these teachers. Only ten percent of Americans can afford private education.

One book can’t make up for the deficits in our educational system—I wish it could—but this book is meant to be like having Jay-Z or Warren Buffet coach you personally on how to build wealth by understanding the three forms of income. I want you to have a cool and fun experience reading it, while gaining valuable, specialized knowledge. I want you not just to gain knowledge, but to become knowledge. 

Most of my teachers laughed and told me that I would never amount to anything because my reading wasn’t the best. My mother lost her home because of a lack of understanding of real estate. No one taught her how to reap the benefits of owning a home. No one told her how much money she could have saved in taxes by writing off the costs associated with fixing up our home.

If I had understood the word responsibility—which literally means the ability to choose your responses—when my brother Sam was killed, I would have made better choices. When my Auntie Sandra was killed, I would have made better choices. When my best friend Steven was killed, I would have made better choices. When I lost others to violent crime and found myself starving from a lack of money, I would have made better choices.

Eighty percent of Americans are middle class, working class, or poor class. About ten percent are upper class, leaving less than ten percent as financially free. The average income on the planet is about $1,480 per month and roughly three billion people live on $2.50 per day. What do we make of these statistics? I believe that the information in your head determines what’s in your hand—but it’s also true that what’s in your hand determines what’s in your head. I read or listen to one book a week. The information I’ve gleaned from them has literally saved my life.

As I stated before, Ignorance is not bliss; that shit just hurts. It hurts because it makes you suffer. I have studied many books, learned from them, and personally picked the brains of high-net-worth individuals. I have done this so that I can share the key points with you and take out all the air, all the fluff that doesn’t matter. I have tapped into the minds of some of the wealthiest and happiest people in the world and I am going to give you their timeless principles straight up and in layman’s terms. My wisdom comes from the people from the suburbs and the people from the ghettos—the Warren Buffets as well as the Jay-Zs.

Growing up in Detroit, we were broke. Like, broke-broke. Like, moms-freeze-that-chicken-for-six-months broke. Like no heat, no lights, no water in the wintertime broke. And for those of you who don’t know, Detroit can go below zero degrees. It was so cold that me and my brothers, cousins, aunties, and everyone else that lived in my home would sleep in one room with an electric heater. During these times, we did everything in our coats. I mean everything. We slept, cooked, played charades, and got beat by moms, all in our coats. When we had no heat or hot water, we would put a pot of cold water on the electric hot plate until it got really hot, then pour it in the tub so we could bathe. It took maybe four or five pots to fill up that bathtub, which sucked because by the time you heated up the next pot, the water in the tub was freezing again!

About the Author

Jerry Ford is a Detroit native who grew up in the ghetto. He has been involved in and witnessed everything from gun violence to drug trafficking and addiction, jail, gang life, and murder. At age fourteen, Jerry’s brother, Sam, was murdered on their mother’s birthday. At age seventeen, Jerry’s best friend, Steven, was also murdered. The list goes on. One of the ways Jerry channeled his anger was through martial arts; he became a black belt in multiple styles and received gold medals in the Junior Olympics and other world-respected tournaments.

Jerry received his Bachelor’s degree from Rutgers University. Immediately after college, he started his career as a personal-fitness trainer at New York Health & Racquet Clubs, and soon became one of the company’s top trainers. Having established himself as a fitness professional in New York City, Jerry moved Los Angeles, where he became a top trainer at Equinox. After mastering the science of human engineering, Jerry parted ways with Equinox to launch his own private training business. His clients currently include high-net-worth individuals, celebrities, royal family members, fighters, and a variety of other tastemakers. While still based in Los Angeles, he travels nationally and internationally to train clients.

Jerry is also an investor in stocks, real estate, television and film properties, and anything else he believes to be worth the risk. This is his first book, and he wrote it to help others walk their own paths to success.

Visit him at Twitter at www.twitter.com/realjerryford.

About the Book:

Author and Celebrity Personal Trainer Jerry Ford has authored a powerful, painfully honest book entitled GUNS, DRUGS, OR WEALTH as a help and inspiration to others who also seek personal wealth and independence.

Said Jerry Ford: “ ‘Guns, Drugs, or Wealth’ is about how I went from the hard streets of Detroit to building wealth through stocks, real estate and smart spending. I share with my readers how I began to build my wealth as a personal trainer. As I wrote this book, I imagined myself having a front porch casual conversation with my readers. This how-to guide on building wealth will not only teach people how to build wealth, but it’s written in layman’s terms. The genres of this book are business, inspiration, and self-help.”

Mr. Ford’s book tells all that he has learned, offering readers specific, tried-and-true tools for building wealth by creating three streams of income: (1) passive income (through real-estate investing), (2) portfolio income (through stock market investing), and (3) earned income (through hard work and smart spending).

As a personal trainer, Jerry Ford has worked with many, many “big name” clients, including rapper Big Sean to musical artist MoBeatz. One special trip led to Ford becoming an author. “I was traveling with Big Sean and MoBeatz and decided to journal a few hours a day on the trip. A few hours turned into many…and two months later I had created the manuscript for my book.”

A tragedy earlier in his life also drove Jerry to pull himself up from a hard life in his native Detroit and build a life for himself as a personal wealth coach and trainer. “My brother Sam was murdered…I miss him every day. He inspires me to get out of bed and go as hard as possible in life every day…I feel like I am living for two people instead of just one, myself.”

“Being an author was never a plan,” asserted Jerry. “I knew I needed to figure out a way to help the eighty percent of America who are poor or middle class. I knew that I needed to help the three billion people on the planet who are really poor. Of course this book doesn’t make up for the world’s educational flaws, but it’s a start. Schools don’t teach people how to build wealth.”

Praise for Jerry Ford and His Method

"Jerry traveled across the globe to train me. He goes hard in fitness and in life!"  

--Alisha Boe, actress best known for 13 Reasons Why on Netflix

"I am inspired by Jerry's principles of building wealth through real estate and stock market investments as well as entrepreneurship. With multiple streams of income, the sky is the limit when it comes to potential earning power. This book is here to help!"  

--Adrienne C. Moore, actress best known for Orange Is the New Black on Netflix

"Jerry is a beast, and I can totally understand why. Coming from our city, it's life or death." 

--Dj Mo Beatz, best known as Big Sean's official DJ

"Jerry is not only a trainer; he's an entrepreneur. He has come up with incredibly creative ways to service his high-end clientele. Not only do I enjoy working with Jerry--he's great to hang out with." 

--Marc Webb, film and television producer

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The Story Behind Moments That Made America by Geoff Armstrong

Many years ago, while attending teachers college in Canada, I was forced to take a class in North American history. Early in the class, the instructor began talking about the initial stages of the

French and Indian Wars. So far, the course had been rather uninteresting. When he introduced the massacre of British forces near the Monongahela River, I naturally assumed it would be more interesting than the painful process we had endured up to that point. This was, after all, a class for people destined to become teachers and we assumed the instructor was a “master” teacher. It definitely ended up being interesting, but not in the way the instructor intended.

Since the earliest European settlements in North America, the English and the French had banged into each other as they battled for control of the continent. In 1755, British General, Edward Braddock mounted a major offensive against the French at Fort Duquesne in the Ohio River valley. At Braddock's request, a young American officer named George Washington joined Braddock’s offensive. That offensive was the beginning of a conflict that would forever determine the future of the group of colonies that would in a few years become the United States.

In the middle of June, with twelve hundred men, and officers, the British army began its march into the contested region. In European-style formation, their scarlet uniforms glowing in the summer sunshine, Braddock and his men moved against the French Fort. Washington tried to persuade Braddock to set up security, but Braddock, suffering from what turned out to be terminal arrogance, ignored Washington’s advice.

Their route led along two concealed ravines covered with trees. What Braddock didn’t know was that the ravines concealed 600 Native American warriors and 250 French soldiers. As soon as the British reached the ravines, the woods erupted with musket fire. Stunned by the attack, the British struggled to fight back as their legendary discipline disintegrated.

The first discharge of musket fire targeted the officers. Panic-stricken, the British regulars huddled together in small groups, firing ineffectively into the surrounding trees and bushes. Protected by the trees, the French and Indians continued to target the officers. At six-foot-four and on horseback, Washington was the most conspicuous target in the entire expedition. Witnesses describe him as riding from group to group, attempting to rally the men. Four musket balls tore through his coat and two horses were shot out from under him. Inexplicably, nothing touched him.

Finally, Braddock was shot through the lung and carried from the field. He later died of his wound.

Washington was able to enforce enough discipline to form a rear guard and allow what was left of the British expedition to retreat. According to most records, only one mounted officer survived the engagement that would become known as the “Monongahela Massacre”. That officer was George Washington.

He should have died, one more unknown, low ranking colonial officer. Had he died that day the America we know would not exist and the entire history of North America, perhaps the world, would have been different. And that college instructor completely missed the point. What surprised me was how much time he spent discussing the poor British planning. I tuned out of his lesson because I was fascinated by the incredible realization that an event 200 years ago had changed my life and the lives of everyone on the planet. What if George Washington had never been there to lead America to victory in the Revolution? What if he wasn’t there to become America’s first president? American history aside, without realizing what he had done, that instructor had given me the key to teaching history. Make it relevant. Make it obvious that even an event a thousand years earlier could have a profound impact on everyone living today. Many years later I also realized that he had given me an idea for a book that I would call “Moments That Made America”.

About the Author

Geoff Armstrong began his teaching career in 1965 after receiving a teaching diploma from McGill University’s Macdonald College. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Montreal’s Concordia University in 1967 where his major field of study was history. Armstrong credits writers such as Bruce Catton, and Thomas B. Costain, as well as the encouragement of his father who had little formal education, but a deep love of reading and of history, as the inspiration for his own life-long interest.

Throughout a 25-year teaching career he taught history at several grade levels and learned quickly that to reach the hearts of his students, history had to be made immediately and deeply relevant and accessible: that some event that took place centuries before those students were born had a direct and profound influence on every aspect their lives. He also learned that talking down or writing down to his students was a recipe for defeat. It is this awareness, shaped by a quarter century of teaching and countless questions by thousands of intelligent young people that has informed and shaped his writing.

His latest book is Moments That Made America: From the Ice Age to the Alamo.

You can visit his website at www.MomentsThatMadeAmerica.com.

About the Book:

From its geological birth during the breakup of the Pangaea supercontinent millions of years ago, through the nation-shaping key events that led to its political independence from the British superpower, and other crucial, sometimes miraculous events that worked to create the nation, Moments That Made America: From the Ice Age to the Alamo explores those defining moments, both tragic and inspirational that profoundly shaped the nation and its people - crucial turning points that worked inexorably to mold and make America. These pivotal "tipping" events formed America's geographical, sociological, political and historical landscape. Part 1 culminates with the discovery of gold in California and the role it played in fulfilling America’s dream of Manifest Destiny.

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The Story Behind Dark Spiral Down by Michael Houtz

The inspiration comes from a real-life issue not often seen by the public. I’ve been involved in children’s concerns—professionally and personally—for most of my adult life. My series shines a

light on a little-known issue with the kidnapping of America children by one parent and taken to a foreign country against the will of the other parent. In 1983, a small consortium of countries adopted the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child abduction. Only about half of countries worldwide recognize the status quo child custody arrangement existing before an unlawful removal of a child from their home country.

            

 I made a conscious decision that the main protagonist, Cole Haufner, was not a special forces operator, CIA agent, etc.  I took my knowledge of martial arts and went the other direction. He’s an expert in Shaolin Kung Fu, a monk, who disdains fighting and shuns the limelight. I thought the story arc would add a lot more nuance and layers portraying a lead character that didn’t follow the typical path we see in this genre. I wanted to observe his reaction to situations where he processed a conflict from a different mindset. When he does employ his skill set, the results are more shocking.

             

My road to publication isn’t overly dramatic--maybe to me it is! I’d finished the rough draft and needed some experienced eyes on the writing. I had no formal training and no friends on the Bestseller list. I was fresh from a career in medicine—not a bastion of fiction production. I entered a contest for the promised written reviews by the judges. I’d forgotten all about it and received a call one evening months later informing me I’d won the Zebulon award for the suspense/thriller/mystery category. I fell numb, unsure what to even say to the person on the other end. A few months later, I went to a conference where I pitched my newly-awarded story to a publisher out of New York. I received a request to rewrite a rather gruesome scene and a full manuscript submission. Within a few days, I shot it out expecting the usual 3 month or more standard reply. Within 24-hours, an email reported the file forwarded to a senior editor and she’d get back to me within a few weeks. 48-hours later, the editor notified me she loved the story and would present to the Board for a contract option. “These things can take a little time,” she reported. “Probably a month or so.” 36-hours later, I had a prepared contract in my hand. That wasn’t the typical timeline I’d been led to believe from others in the industry. Needless to say, I was shocked at the rapid pace from the contest submission to contract signing. I’m currently working on the next in the series, and I’m back to work on my original manuscript, a medical thriller with ties to the state of affairs overseas we’ve all seen since 9/11.

Happy Reading!

Mike

About the Author

After a career in medicine, Mike Houtz succumbed to the call to hang up his stethoscope and pursue his other passion as a writer of fast-paced thrillers. A rabid fan of authors such as Clancy, Mark Greaney, Vince Flynn, and Brad Thor, Mike loves series writing with strong characters, fast pacing and international locations, all of which explode into action in his debut novel, a 2017 Zebulon Award winner. When not at the keyboard, he can be found on the firing range, traveling for research across the globe, or trying out the latest dry-fly pattern on a Gold Medal trout stream.

He lives at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado.

His latest book is the thriller/international/action novel, Dark Spiral Down.

Website: www.mikehoutz.com

Twitter: www.twitter.com/michaelhoutz

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/author.mikehoutz/

                          https://www.facebook.com/mike.houtz.77

BOOK BLURB:

COLE HAUFNER is a reluctant superstar in the professional mixed martial arts world. After his latest fight, his wife and child perish in a car crash. His grief deepens when his brother, BUTCH, a Delta Force operator, is absent from the funeral and reported missing by two furtive strangers who show up unannounced at the burial. Despairing, and acting on a tip, Cole travels to his childhood home in southeast China, looking for his brother.

Butch and his teammate, HAMMER, are the sole American survivors of a gun battle between their unit and North Korean commandos, both sides fighting over possession of a stolen suitcase containing a miniaturized fusion device that could either provide unlimited clean energy or be converted to an undetectable bomb seven times more powerful than a nuclear explosion. Leading the North Koreans is the sociopath, Commander PARK. Pressed into helping the Koreans is a disgraced former CIA operative, BARRETT JENNINGS.

Cole meets with the uncle who raised him, MASTER LI, and is warned to stop his search for Butch. Barrett discovers Cole’s identity (with the help of a genius computer hacker, LILLY), which opens a twenty-year-old wound when Barrett was blamed for the disappearance of Cole’s father, along with the man’s invention. Barrett enlists the 14K organized crime syndicate to help capture Cole. Hammer, separated from Butch during the fight for the device, thwarts the gang’s attempt to kidnap Cole, and the two then set off to find Butch and the device. All parties converge on the city library where Butch, now disguised as a monk, is attempting to communicate with the Pentagon. Barrett and Park capture Butch, while the 14K gang nabs Cole.

Danger mounts as Chinese authorities begin investigating foul play within their borders. Cole fights his way free of the gang and reunites with Hammer.  Both men find Barrett’s apartment and discover Lilly (the man’s stepdaughter), who divulges Barrett’s identity and plan. Cole clashes with Hammer, who is willing to sacrifice Butch in order to recover the fusion device. Lilly offers her help in exchange for her and Barrett’s rescue from Park’s grip. Meanwhile, Barrett discovers the true nature of the case the North Koreans are pursuing and, sensing he and Lilly are to be assassinated by Park once he has the device, frees Butch. Butch, trusting Barrett was sent to rescue him, leads the turncoat to the site where he hid the device. Barrett, hoping to make a quick fortune selling it, shoots Butch before escaping with the case.

Cole, along with Hammer and Lilly, arrives at the location of Butch and finds him gravely wounded. Butch fingers Barrett for shooting him and for stealing the case. Cole wants only to save his brother but Butch makes him promise to kill Barrett and recover their dad’s invention. The revelation that the device is his father’s scientific discovery propels Cole forward to fulfill his brother’s mission. Cole is forced to abandon Butch at a hospital. Cole pursues Barrett to a remote dock where the ex-CIA man is planning to escape China by boat. With the Chinese military now actively looking for Cole, Cole confronts Barrett and Park sparking a gunfight. Barrett kills Park. As Barrett turns the gun on Cole, Hammer kills Barrett. Cole, Hammer and Lilly escape via the boat, and the fusion device is safely returned.

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