Little of real value

This is essentially one long, fear-mongering anecdote about how if people get things given to them they don't appreciate them. Perhaps this lesson applies to the children of the 1% who have never known hard times, but most folks from the working and middle classes understand the value of assets, and respect the sacrifices their ancestors made to pass them on. If you are so wealthy that you don't want to give everything to your children for fear that they will never work a day in their lives, then maybe you should look at changing the system that allows small groups of people to accumulate such obscene amounts of wealth. Give your money away to causes you value while you're still alive rather than hoarding it until you can't spend it anymore.

Ultimately this book encourages parents to enrich the descendants of others, rather than their own. While it may convince a few people, it's ultimately at odds with one of the cornerstone principles of life in general: parental investment. You don't need to believe in evolution to understand that parents who invest in their children, both mentally and physically, will have the most successful long-term outcomes. Basically, if you've done your job as a parent, you shouldn't need to worry about what will happen if you pass the bulk of your wealth on your children (unless that wealth is obscene - then maybe this book is for you).

As others have noted, there are not a lot of actual details about estate planning in this book, so it's basically just a work of anecdotal philosophy, unburdened by evidence or common sense. While this book might make you challenge your assumptions and make you think about the issues, some careful reflection will make it clear that those age-old assumptions are still valid today.

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