That Pot at the End of the Rainbow

Just one dollar. That's all it takes to dream. A dollar, five numbers and your head spinning with everything you could do with that kind of money. But as Michael Mechanic asks in “Jackpot: How the Super-Rich Really Live – and How Their Wealth Harms Us All,” what will that money do to you?

You'd easily find ways to spend it, from high-end restaurants to designer shoes to luxury vehicles. Buy yourself a mansion, sure, but remember those rooms come at an additional cost: upkeep, insurance, utilities. Ditto on your new jet or yacht. In your mind, your would-be winnings may already be spent, but read this book and you'll think again.

Making that wealth stretch from now to the next generation isn't going to be cheap, and it'll take serious work. You'll need lawyers, accountants and financial advisors who will need constant decisions from you. Like most newly wealthy people, you'll probably worry about keeping your cash and about making more. For sure, relationships with almost everyone you know will be changed. And by the way, think hard about leaving scads of cash to the kids.

Yes, money talks, and it talks loudly to politicians and people in high positions. Just one percent of the one percent are unimaginably powerful – money buys more than just things – and the gap between the haves and have-nots widens annually.

The question, says Mechanic, is why we've tolerated it for so long ...

Before you do a deep dive into introspection, know that "Jackpot" is darn entertaining, filled with stories of folks who unintentionally struck it rich in ways they never expected. Reading their stories feels almost like a workbook for potential winners: Do you do this or that? Buy a plane or change careers? Build another house? Whee, who cares!

Mechanic takes readers on a shopping spree that initially seems wild but that eventually feels like no fun at all. This reality check becomes a behind-the-checkbook look at big money's mindset, its racial issues, the serious drawbacks to having it and its responsibilities, and don't be surprised if you don't like what you see.

Lack of money is hard – but having it is no walk in the bank, either.

Still, it's fun to dream, so keep “Jackpot” just offstage in your fantasy. If you've ever watched those numbered balls spin, fingers crossed, this book is a big win.

"Jackpot: How the Super-Rich Really Live – and How Their Wealth Harms Us All" by Michael Mechanic. 416 pages. Simon & Schuster. $28.