'MILLIONAIRE WOMEN' | A review Author presents success stories, rather than secrets, of business

The book does not contain the key to instant wealth.
By THERESA M. HEGEL
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
"Millionaire Women: Success Secrets of Sixteen Who Made It from Home," Jeanne Torrence Hauer (Barrington Publishing, $14.95)
In "Millionaire Women," Jeanne Torrence Hauer, a marketing professional and lecturer who lives in Shaker Heights, discusses the success secrets of women who have built prosperous businesses from their homes.
Hauer profiles 16 women from around the globe, outlining the circumstances surrounding their decision to start a home business, highlighting the moments when inspiration struck and describing their determination and perseverance through early pitfalls and mistakes.
Early in the text, Hauer explains that each "business was chosen because it hit one million dollars in annual sales, not because of any recorded net worth of the individuals."
These are more stories of personal growth and inspired risk-taking than they are of amassing great wealth.
Some of the women Hauer includes in her book are Doris Christopher, creator of The Pampered Chef; Mary Carroll, creator of Schoolbelles, a Cleveland-based manufacturer of school uniforms; and Gwen Willhite, creator of the Cookie Bouquet/Cookies by Design franchise.
Interspersed between the profiles are boxed sections Hauer calls clusters. These clusters glean the underlying "success secrets" from the women's stories, grouping them by theme.
The secrets Hauer reveals are not, of course, actual secrets, and anyone hoping for the key to instant wealth should look elsewhere. Hauer's secrets are more accurately described as a combination of common sense and motivational phrases.
Of special interest
"Millionaire Women" could be a useful tool for women with entrepreneurial aspirations. Its stories of fearless females who followed their hearts and defied convention will be encouraging to women -- and men -- who dream of working for themselves.
The book may be of especial interest for mothers trying to balance their families' needs with their own desire for a rewarding career. The profiles motivate one to approach life with a creative and unconventional outlook.
Unfortunately, "Millionaire Women" is riddled with typos and the quality of writing is not high. Its many grammatical errors and intermittent lapses of clarity detract from Hauer's message.
On the whole, however, the book is easy to read. It's structured into short chapters, and Hauer uses subheadings and bullet points to add impact to her writing.
"Millionaire Women" is not meant as a "sourcebook" or an instructional guide to starting a home-based business; instead, Hauer explains that the book will "offer up a dialogue about some of the issues women face in leading a fully productive life today."
Although the book probably won't help you make your first million, it is certainly worthwhile for the fascinating women Hauer profiles.
hegel@vindy.com