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The Secret Wealth Advantage: How you can profit from the economy’s hidden cycle
During your life you will make many important financial decisions. Their success will be significantly affected by the state of the economy and financial markets when you make them.
Imagine if you had a guide to the future to help you anticipate periods of boom and bust and make decisions when to invest and take risk, and when to sell or take measures to preserve your wealth.
The Secret Wealth Advantage is that guide.
To make better investment decisions at the right times, you need to understand the 18-year cycle. It is responsible for all of the periods of wild speculation and spectacular collapse that have been a feature of the modern economy for well over 200 years. At the heart of this cycle is the property market. Understand this and you will be able to forecast precisely what will happen next.
Using a treasure trove of historical data and entertaining stories from the present and prior periods, The Secret Wealth Advantage reveals everything you need to know about the where we are within it, why it happens, why no one sees it and what you need to look out for.
And, most importantly, The Secret Wealth Advantage provides you with a practical guide for what to do at each stage of the cycle. Put this into action and a world that appears complex and chaotic can be mastered. You will have an investment edge that seasoned professionals can only dream of.
Imagine if you had a guide to the future to help you anticipate periods of boom and bust and make decisions when to invest and take risk, and when to sell or take measures to preserve your wealth.
The Secret Wealth Advantage is that guide.
To make better investment decisions at the right times, you need to understand the 18-year cycle. It is responsible for all of the periods of wild speculation and spectacular collapse that have been a feature of the modern economy for well over 200 years. At the heart of this cycle is the property market. Understand this and you will be able to forecast precisely what will happen next.
Using a treasure trove of historical data and entertaining stories from the present and prior periods, The Secret Wealth Advantage reveals everything you need to know about the where we are within it, why it happens, why no one sees it and what you need to look out for.
And, most importantly, The Secret Wealth Advantage provides you with a practical guide for what to do at each stage of the cycle. Put this into action and a world that appears complex and chaotic can be mastered. You will have an investment edge that seasoned professionals can only dream of.
316 pages, Paperback
Published July 11, 2023
29 people are currently reading
148 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
July 6, 2023
As the author of the book I can’t be expected to provide an objective view (!) but here is some genuine feedback from a reviewer prior to publication (11 July):
A masterpiece for all time.
Thucydides would be content!
Most illuminating. Excellently marshalled and incontrovertible evidence on the cycle, and a thoroughly convincing explanation as to the causes.
A masterpiece for all time.
Thucydides would be content!
Most illuminating. Excellently marshalled and incontrovertible evidence on the cycle, and a thoroughly convincing explanation as to the causes.
November 23, 2025
Very interesting book. Chapter 5 tells the story of monopoly, and the efforts people have made to solve the imbalances caused by the ‘economic rent’ of the land. Other than chapter 5, this book discusses the recovery, mid-cycle, boom, crisis phases in the 18-year boom and bust economic cycle, and what actions need be taken in each of those phases, on both the stock market and the property market,
It is more convincing to read this book along with the book ‘mastering the market cycle’ by Howard Marks.
It is more convincing to read this book along with the book ‘mastering the market cycle’ by Howard Marks.
January 8, 2024
A great work of insight into the nature of the business cycle and how to ride it to one's advantage
This book is a well written guide to mastering the business cycle for one's own profit. The secrets of the businesses cycle have been discoverer in the late 18th century and it is ties o the nature of well located land, the only 'factor of production' whose supply is inelastic. The neoclassical economic paradigm forces us to to see land as any other form.of capital, but due to its nature it must be treated as unique. Akhil Patel explains how this is the case and how it invariably leads to the business cycle which he observes follows an approximate 18.6 year cycle (discerned over the past 220 years or so). He builds on the work of Phil Anderson in his Secret Life of Real Estate and Banking which builds on the work of Fred Harrison who predicted the 2008 Crash, and ultimately on the work of the nineteenth century American economist, Henry George. The argument is compelling and very well researched. Akhil outlines a step by step guide on how to navigate the 18.6 year cycle to profit from it. However, the ideas in the book are truly disruptive and point to the possibility of effective government policies that promote economic growth driven by productive investment and fair taxation without the boom-bust cycle that devastates so many lives.
This book is a well written guide to mastering the business cycle for one's own profit. The secrets of the businesses cycle have been discoverer in the late 18th century and it is ties o the nature of well located land, the only 'factor of production' whose supply is inelastic. The neoclassical economic paradigm forces us to to see land as any other form.of capital, but due to its nature it must be treated as unique. Akhil Patel explains how this is the case and how it invariably leads to the business cycle which he observes follows an approximate 18.6 year cycle (discerned over the past 220 years or so). He builds on the work of Phil Anderson in his Secret Life of Real Estate and Banking which builds on the work of Fred Harrison who predicted the 2008 Crash, and ultimately on the work of the nineteenth century American economist, Henry George. The argument is compelling and very well researched. Akhil outlines a step by step guide on how to navigate the 18.6 year cycle to profit from it. However, the ideas in the book are truly disruptive and point to the possibility of effective government policies that promote economic growth driven by productive investment and fair taxation without the boom-bust cycle that devastates so many lives.
September 30, 2023
There is an interesting and engaging thing about this book: it talks about history with an outlook into the future where you arrive with the lessons learned from the past. The contents guide you through 18years of economic cycles which are known to repeat in similar format every 18 years. There is some history, ideas and conclusions. Overall this is a very good educative book.
December 30, 2023
Well written with interesting thesis and interesting historical background. I heard Patel on the podcast “State of the Markets” and enjoyed listening to him so much that I felt compelled to buy his book. Waiting to see if his predictions come to pass.
July 27, 2024
I wish I read this book before but I think I'm still in a good time just before 2026 😊 I learned a lot about how and why crashes/recessions happen. I am not a property investor, I am more on the stocks side and with this together with the technical analysis I learned I will definitely have an advantage this time.
December 27, 2023
A book that everyone should read if they want to be successful in the share & property markets
August 20, 2024
If you are into markets of all types and timing and cycles - this is really interesting
December 8, 2023
Excellent book! I have both read it in hard copy and listened to it as an audiobook, and it was certainly worth the second reading. Lots to get your teeth into, and crucial information in 2024. The way Henry George's thinking and his 'Remedy' was suppressed by the economics fraternity in the first half of the 20th century is shocking. Good to see Akhil Patel joining Fred Harrison and others in shining a light on George's important thinking, and relating it to modern day challenges. This book is both full of historical insight, and an essential handbook for investing today, whatever your asset class of choice.
September 5, 2023
Didn’t agree with his analysis of all asset classes but his cycle theory based on historical data is compelling. If he’s right we are in 2024 going to see mania in property and stocks but by late 2025/2026 it will all tumble.
At the very least google ‘Patel 18 year cycle’ and learn about his model. I’m glad I read the book and can refer back to it over the coming years.
At the very least google ‘Patel 18 year cycle’ and learn about his model. I’m glad I read the book and can refer back to it over the coming years.
December 15, 2024
Fascinating journey through history
This book lays out a trading strategy that allows you to anticipate trends. It is impossible to time the market tops and bottoms, but you can use the trends to improve your returns.
This book lays out a trading strategy that allows you to anticipate trends. It is impossible to time the market tops and bottoms, but you can use the trends to improve your returns.
April 27, 2024
A very informative overview of how economic cycles have played out over the last 200 years. I look forward to seeing whether our current cycle plays out in the way the author suggests.
October 9, 2025
Wasn't quite sure how this book would go down since I'm not too clued up on finance, but it was so well structured and clearly written that I couldn't really go wrong.
An extremely compelling case is made for this 18.6 year economic boom and bust cycle.
Great real world references and examples - with even a nice layer of personal experiences (both good and bad) and perhaps surprisingly, clear, actionable guidance on what to actually do to take advantage of the cycle, not just wishy washy ideas strung together.
Would highly recommend!
An extremely compelling case is made for this 18.6 year economic boom and bust cycle.
Great real world references and examples - with even a nice layer of personal experiences (both good and bad) and perhaps surprisingly, clear, actionable guidance on what to actually do to take advantage of the cycle, not just wishy washy ideas strung together.
Would highly recommend!
January 10, 2024
Refer to rating system below for calibration:
Comments:
The book does a good job of highlighting financial systems and cycles in an easy to understand way. It may encourage me to invest differently or to at least consider where I think world is in the cycle. It's always hard to fully recommend a finance book as they can be subjective.
My rating system is as follows:
1 - Stopped reading before completing as didn't intrigue me enough (therefore rating incomplete)
2 - Completed reading but did not enjoy
3 - Enjoyed but not enough to want to keep on bookshelf
4 - Enjoyed and want to keep on bookshelf
5 - I'm actively telling people how great this book is!
Comments:
The book does a good job of highlighting financial systems and cycles in an easy to understand way. It may encourage me to invest differently or to at least consider where I think world is in the cycle. It's always hard to fully recommend a finance book as they can be subjective.
My rating system is as follows:
1 - Stopped reading before completing as didn't intrigue me enough (therefore rating incomplete)
2 - Completed reading but did not enjoy
3 - Enjoyed but not enough to want to keep on bookshelf
4 - Enjoyed and want to keep on bookshelf
5 - I'm actively telling people how great this book is!
February 29, 2024
Eye opening
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews