Cleveland Teacher’s New Book Offers Personal Advice while Criticizing Schools, Banks and President Bush

In a shocking new advice book, Cleveland teacher and writer, Mark Barnes, vilifies American education, calls President Bush’s No Child Left Behind plan “ill-conceived,” endorses vices and indirectly attacks Dr. Phil, Tony Robbins and every diet book ever written. In “An Ordinary, Happy Man: Living rich when you’re not wealthy,” Barnes bashes government and gurus, while outlining 7 keys to a happy and financially independent life.

Cleveland, OH (PRWEB) October 4, 2006 -- Mark Barnes is not crazy about public school education in America, which is surprising, considering that Barnes is a junior high school English teacher. He is also an author, and in his new book, “An Ordinary, Happy Man,” coming to Amazon.com October 20, Barnes harshly criticizes public education, which he contends handcuffs teachers, because of President Bush’s “No Child Left Behind” plan.

Barnes’ nonfiction advice book, with the subtitle, “Living rich when you’re not wealthy,” takes an honest, if sometimes cynical, look at ordinary life, based on the author’s own experiences with financial hardship, marriage, children from single-family homes, personal health issues and daily frustration from a variety of areas.

Using himself as the model of a reformed unhappy person, Barnes outlines 7 keys to a happy and financially independent life, in a fast-paced book that often reads like a letter from a trusted friend, who isn't afraid to attack high-profile people and government policy, in order to make a point.

“An Ordinary, Happy Man” is a mix of profound personal anecdotes, humorous and surprising declarations and straightforward, simple advice.

From a new angle on goal achievement to a fresh approach to debt elimination to learning how to laugh and cry, Barnes covers the gambit of personal success and happiness. This controversial writer even calls out the surgeon general, saying that warnings about smoking and drinking are overstated and contending that vices are healthy and can actually help people live longer lives. “Have you ever heard more useless warnings than those spouted by the Surgeon General?” Barnes asks, in “An Ordinary, Happy Man.”

“Traffic accidents claim over a million lives each year, but you never see a sign at the BMV announcing that the Surgeon General warns that if you get behind the wheel, some maniac might plow into you, while darting in and out of rush hour traffic.”

Although this sardonic tone pervades the book, what truly separates “An Ordinary, Happy Man” from other self-help books is the heartfelt, forthright stories the author tells about himself that underscore the advice that follows.

For example, Barnes shares how he became involved in a high-stakes real estate swindle, hoping to get rich, but, instead, going broke. “About three years into this frightening enterprise,” he writes, “I cashed out my teaching annuity and maxed two credit cards into the tens of thousands, just to pay mortgages on vacant properties, in a horribly ill-conceived effort to salvage my good credit. Shortly thereafter, I filed bankruptcy. . . My own family didn’t know (this), until I wrote this book.”

After this revelation, Barnes reveals a remarkable paradox – how losing everything in a real estate scam ultimately led to financial independence, which he achieved with a debt-elimination strategy he outlines in a section of the book called, Fix your financial life.

A writer with a wide array of talents, Barnes has published how-to books, dozens of magazine articles and a novel. He also writes an Internet column. According to the author, though, he is most excited about his latest work, “An Ordinary, Happy Man,” which the author calls the simplest, yet most effective, advice anyone can ever get.

“I love writing fiction,” Barnes says, “but I am a teacher first, so giving advice is really a huge part of my job and my life. I see myself as a professional helper, and I truly believe ‘An Ordinary, Happy Man’ summarizes all I know about helping. Having this book published is my proudest moment as a writer, because I know every person who reads it will be a better, happier person.”

Published by DNA Press, “An Ordinary, Happy Man” will be available at www.amazon.com and in bookstores on October 20. It is distributed by IPG.

Contact Mark Barnes directly for an interview.

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