Journey to Prosperity

G. Alan Sieve is the rich uncle you'd like to interview to learn how he became rich-and how you can too.

Like the millionaires Dr. Thomas J. Stanley profiled in The Millionaire Next Door series, Sieve gained his fortune over a lifetime.

His three keys to financial success are:

1. Living well, beneath your means: This is not just about living frugally, but saving on everyday expenses, such as through thrifting, while creating a bucket list-setting goals and priorities-for getting what you really want.

2. Starting to save as soon as possible, and saving as much as possible for as long as possible: A graph sums this up, showing how compound interest builds wealth, why it's important to start saving early, and how one can make up for not getting an early start. Sieve adds that cultivating wealth-working to develop steady income streams-is a precursor to wealth building.

3. Investing wisely: Sieve notes simple investing strategies one can follow, starting with contributing at least 15 percent of your income to your employer's 401(k) or similar plan at work and your own IRA or Roth IRA. This includes investing in low-cost mutual funds. Asset allocation also helps match your investments to your risk tolerance, especially as you near retirement, to avoid risk and boost returns.

Journey to Prosperity would be a great gift for adult children or grandchildren who are setting out in their financial lives, especially if they haven't fully grasped the importance of frugality, saving and investing. In this inspirational personal-finance account, Sieve, an award-winning writer, photographer and editor, shares what he has learned, using simple terms in an easy-to-read style. This is augmented by his own photographs, paired with quotes from famous people.