From inception to implementation, from opening to expansion, this is the definitive nuts-and-bolts guide for the budding entrepreneur--be it the M.B.A. who wants out of the rat race to the homemaker who wants to work out of the living room.

Buying a home is probably the single most important investment people ever make. But once you understand the process, much of the fear will vanish. And the joy of owning your own home and putting down roots offers security and satisfaction.

Stephen Pollan walks first-time buyers through the whole process, from house hunting to moving day. He has seen the whole picture as a lawyer, broker, banker, and financial adviser. He, Mark Levine, and Michael Pollan show you how to:

search for a location and learn how to evaluate it

assemble your team: broker, lawyer, contractor, accountant, inspector, and insurance broker

make sure your team serves you, not just the deal itself

use the tactics of negotiating, including offers, increments, what to say, and when and where to say it

examine the contract in detail--what to look for and what to insist on

choose the right bank for your mortgage, straighten out credit difficulties and potential objections

prepare, practice, and plan for the "mysterious ritual" of closing or settling on a house.

"The Field Guide to Home Buying in America" teaches you to be your own best expert and makes home buying a joyous and rewarding experience.

Here are the simple truths that motivate people of any age to find and accept lasting happiness, illustrated with the stories of real people, and illuminated with the observations of spiritual leaders and great philosophers.

For more than three decades, attorney, financial consultant, and life coach Stephen M. Pollan has been advising clients and readers on the business of living--everything from home buying and employment contracts to marriage and parenting. He has taught his clients and readers to "Die Broke" (use assets rather than build up an estate), to stage "Second Acts" (reinvent their lives), and, most recently, to "Fire Your Boss" (take charge of their own work lives).

Throughout these books, Pollan stresses that attitudes as well as actions are essential to success. Indeed, over the years he realized that the happiest and most successful people he'd met were also those who were the most energetic and exuberant, regardless of their age. By noting these attributes and incorporating them in his own life, Pollan came to understand that our attitudes are not just one element of succeeding at the business of living, they are in fact the foundation of leading a happy life.

Attitude is everything.

Those attitudes most essential to our deepest satisfaction and happiness reflect what our spiritual leaders and philosophers from every major tradition have taught us. We don't have to look to external forces to validate us and give us self-worth. We already have within us all we need to find fulfillment and lead happy, satisfying lives--lives without regrets.

To finally be happy we need to accept responsibility for our own happiness. When we know the secrets arealready inside us, all we have to do is start living them. With this book, we can begin now.