Dan Miller wants his readers to get fired. Or rather, he warns that because “the Donald” probably isn’t coming to their towns, readers should fire themselves. In his recent book “No More Mondays: Fire Yourself — and Other Revolutionary Ways to Discover Your True Calling at Work” (Penguin, 2008), Mr. Miller, a “life coach” who says he bucked tradition by attending college against his Mennonite father’s wishes, outlines how to be a results-oriented “eaglepreneur” who makes maximum profits without being bogged down by traditional work methods, not to mention stress.

There are three ways to make money, Mr. Miller explains: a standard salary, a commissioned salary, or a results-based salary. Although some may feel more comfortable with a steady job with benefits and a pension plan, relying on traditional jobs is risky, as businesses continue to outsource jobs and pension plans dissolve. Mr. Miller uses examples of modern success stories such as Warren Buffett and Bill Gates, as well as lesser-known eaglepreneurs (such as the inventors of a gag-gift called the “panic button”), to illustrate how using one’s unique abilities rather than repeating the successes of others will lead to landing the most suitable job. According to Mr. Miller, the way to achieve financial security and never dread another Monday is to become a results-based eaglepreneur in a field that sparks feelings of passion.

* * *

Dreaming of becoming a millionaire? Brian Koslow, who earned his first million by 31 and is now an executive coach and business growth strategist, offers a year’s worth of advice in the revised edition of “365 Ways To Become a Millionaire (Without Being Born One)”(Plume, 2008). Originally published in 1999, Mr. Koslow provides “12 Time-Tested Principles for a Lifetime of Prosperity and Success,” including integrity, credibility, reputation, listening, productivity, money, confrontation, and leadership. His advice ranges from “Always keep your word” (no. 1) and “The more you judge people, the more you push them away” (no. 47), to “Always wear expensive shoes” (no. 63) and “Never write an order with an inexpensive pen” (no. 88). Some of his advice may seem simple, such as “Never interrupt another person…” (no. 166), but each piece of advice is routed in experience and, according to Mr. Koslow, is crucial to becoming flush with millions. And in this crazy-busy world, advice such as “When your business is more important than your family or taking care of yourself, you are not delegating enough” (no. 301) is always a welcome reminder, especially if it’s a step on the way to amassing a fortune.

* * *

Those needing a career boost (or who know someone who might) but can’t stand the thought of reading a career guidebook, “Whoa, My Boss Is Naked … : A Career Book for People Who Would Never Be Caught Dead Reading a Career Book,” by Jake Greene (Currency/Doubleday, 2008) might be a step in the right direction. This book begins at the very beginning. With pop-culture references and snarky commentary on today’s television and movies, Mr. Greene advises first-time workers (or those who’ve recently entered the marketplace, only to find the reality of a piddling paycheck and mindless photocopying wasn’t what they’d imagined) on how to advance their careers without becoming a “corporate tool.” These are lessons young workers might not know, and older worker might wish they had known. From “commit to a sound” (becoming an expert in one thing, rather than trying to fill every role) to avoiding “career-limiting moves,” such as leisure binge-drinking and cliques at the office, to the bottom line: Work hard, lose the ego, listen well, and keep your eyes open,” Mr. Greene walks readers through all the potholes of office life in a fun and irreverent way that might keep even the hippest (and most resistant) office addition riveted.

* * *

Recently re-released in paperback, “Ambition Is Not a Dirty Word: A Woman’s Guide To Earning Her Worth and Achieving Her Dreams” (Broadway, 2008), by the founder of the Women’s Business Alliance, Debra Condren, is a book for women moving up the corporate ladder. Ms. Condren imagines a workplace full of confident women who never apologize for their statements, never avoid confrontation, and never doubt themselves, much less their desire to smash through the glass ceiling. “This is business,” Ms. Condren writes. “And business isn’t like some big commune where everyone is going to be friends and holding hands in a sun circle.” She has eight rules of ambition, such as “Get More Power From Powerful Advice” and “Be More Irresponsible to Others — and more Responsible to Yourself,” and steers women to change the course of their careers by taking credit by celebrating success and quizzing them to determine whether a reader is giving too much time to those who undermine her, Ms. Condren’s book leads women down the road to success and advises them on quashing the voices, belonging to themselves and others, that may be holding them back.

vhendrickson@nysun.com