We all want to get rich. And for three hundred years, we’ve been told how to do it:
- Invest for the long run.
- Build compound interest.
- Never go into debt.
- Buy real estate.
- Skip the latte.
The problem? Most of that advice is newer than we think. And a lot of it hasn’t held up.
That’s the premise of How to Get Rich in American History by Joseph S. Moore, PhD, one of the most entertaining, counterintuitive books I’ve read in years.
Moore is a historian who spent a decade digging through three centuries of financial wisdom aimed at everyday Americans. Then he did something no financial historian has done before: he tested it himself. Wild investments, get-rich-quick schemes, his own cryptocurrency.
The results are instructive. Moore went from working-class roots and near financial ruin to retiring in his forties.
The Concept That Will Change How You Think
One idea alone is worth the price of the book. Moore distinguishes between slow time and fast time — and once you understand the difference, you’ll never look at your daily decisions the same way. No spoilers. Read the book to learn what they are. Just know that slow time is where you build wealth.
For professionals, this framework has immediate application. The daily grind that feels unremarkable isn’t. It’s where true wealth is generated.
History Is More Engaging Than You Think
How to Get Rich in American History is well-written, with no scent of AI. I appreciate that.
It’s also one of the funniest books I’ve read on any subject. Moore has an eye for the absurd in life and financial history, and there’s no shortage of material — the scams that keep recycling themselves, the advice that contradicts itself across generations, the schemes that seemed brilliant until they weren’t. You’ll laugh at the past and rethink your present.
Why This Book Belongs on Your Shelf
How to Get Rich in American History is practical, counterintuitive, and genuinely hopeful. You’ll get an honest appraisal of the financial advice we’ve been fed over the years, with plenty of debunking of the so-called truths we never question.
As you read, you may find yourself asking if there’s any hope of building a fortune. Keep reading. Before winding up, Moore gives us seven strategies that don’t work and 16 that do.
The American Dream isn’t dead. And this may be the only book that can help make it a reality.
