| Who Runs the World? We also attract the best and the brightest entrepreneurs from around the world. Think Nvidia's Jensen Huang from Taiwan... Microsoft's Satya Nadella from India... and the world's richest man, Tesla's Elon Musk, from South Africa. Ronald Reagan said it best: "If we ever close the door to new Americans, our leadership in the world will soon be lost." True, we have closed the door recently to illegal immigration, but we need to keep the door open to qualified foreign entrepreneurs who want to make a contribution to our nation, and we need to increase the quotas on laborers seeking the America Dream. My son-in-law Pablo is from Argentina and was just made an American citizen after five long years of background checks and several thousand dollars in legal fees. He's on Cloud 9 because he knows that his future is now bright, and his opportunities are endless. (Pablo and his wife, our daughter Hayley, are talented musicians – you may have seen them perform at FreedomFest.) After Visiting 80 Countries... In my long career, I have visited over 80 countries. And wherever I travel, people's eyes light up when I tell them where I'm from. You don't normally hear the words "The Italian Dream" or "The Chinese Dream" or the "Iranian Dream," but you do hear "The American Dream" all the time, and they dream of being part of it. How to Live "The American Dream" This brings me to Alex Green's great new book, "The American Dream: Why It's Alive and How to Achieve it" ... Alex Green and Mark Skousen comparing book titles in New Orleans in 2025. As you probably know, Alex Green is the Ernest Hemingway of the Oxford Club, the best writer and investment advisor, and he has now written the greatest book ever on "The American Dream." Paradise Lost... or Paradise Gained? First of all, he does a great job countering the arguments that the American Dream is dead for most Americans, that they can't afford a home, that they can't save and invest, and they can't find their dream job. The facts prove otherwise, however; today there are a record number of millionaires in the US. And most of them started with "nothing but their own vision," to quote Ayn Rand. Green takes on the media, politicians and public intellectuals who complain you can't make it anymore. On the Forbes list of the 400 richest Americans, less than a third made the list through inheritance. The rest earned it through innovation, vision, persistence, and hard work. Not only does Alex show you how Americans in the past have achieved well-being and financial independence, but he has extensive chapters on how YOU, your heirs, and all Americans can be "healthy, wealthy and wise," to quote Ben Franklin, the father of the American Dream. His book has individual chapters that reveal... - Chapter 13: "Home Sweet Home," how almost anyone can buy a house using his techniques. This is a fun chapter, especially reading his account of buying his first home with nothing down!
- Chapter 16, "The World's Simplest Investment Plan": how to save and invest automatically in the US stock market indexes, known as "dollar cost averaging."
- Note: In "The Triumph of the Optimists," a study of 34 country funds in the 20th century concluded that the US stock market outperformed all of the other markets, gaining an average 10% a year. And that trend has continued into the 21st century. American Exceptionalism is still alive!
- Chapter 20: "There's No True Wealth without Health." This chapter alone is worth the price of the book, especially if you are retired and worried about the four killers (heart attack, cancer, diabetes, and stroke).
I should also caution you about his most controversial chapter 19, "Aim to Die with Zero." Definitely makes you think! How to Buy "The American Dream" at a Price You Can Afford Alex's book is one of those motivational "how to" books that you will read and then reread, and will want to pass along to your family and friends. After you read it, don't put it on your bookshelf. Place it on your coffee table and let it start a meaningful conversation. Is the American Dream still alive? Let the debate begin and end – with Alex's masterpiece. Retail price is $28, but you can buy it at Amazon in hardcover (as low as $12.95), Kindle ($17), or audible ($20.35). Speaking Engagement in Utah on March 26 After speaking at the Investment U conference in Las Vegas next week, I'll be headed up to Utah to speak on Thursday, March 26, at the Marriott School of Business at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. I'll be speaking on "The Genius of Adam Smith" in honor of the 250th anniversary of the publication of "The Wealth of Nations" (1776). It runs from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at the Tanner Building 710, and it includes dinner. The event is sponsored by the Adam Smith Society. The event is open to the public and there is no charge, but you must register for the lecture at RSVP for "An Evening With Mark Skousen". Yours for peace, prosperity, and liberty, AEIOU, Mark | 
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