These days, choosing not to go to college is a surprising decision. But the Extraordinary Success with a High School Diploma or Less series uses recognizable figures in business, politics, and the arts to assert that college is not necessarily a prerequisite for success. Hollywood helmer Cameron was a college dropout. But he often went to a local university library to read other students' theses on film theory. Shortly after, he directed his first film using what he had learned, and later he had huge critical success with Terminator. Etingoff highlights the need for self-motivation and a desire to learn no matter what the setting. The book is careful to point out that not everyone who skips a traditional college experience will be a millionaire, and includes a chart to compare annual salaries of a variety of professions.

ETINGOFF, Kim . James Cameron: From Truck Driver to Director . reprods. ISBN 978-1-4222-2481-6; 978-1-4222-9356-0 . LC 2011020319. ETINGOFF, Kim . Jennifer Aniston: From Friends to Films . map. ISBN 978-1-4222-2480-9; 978-1-4222-9353-9 . LC 2011020321. HILL, Z. B. Mark Zuckerberg: From Facebook to Famous . reprods. ISBN 978-1-4222-2303-1; 978-1-4222-9365-2 . LC 2011023726. SEBA, Jaime . Steve Jobs: From Apples to Apps . ISBN 978-1-4222-2299-7; 978-1-4222-9360-7 . LC 2011029218. ea vol: 64p. (Extraordinary Success with a High School Diploma or Less Series). chart. photos. further reading. index. websites. CIP. Mason Crest . 2012. PLB $22.95; ebook $28.95. Gr 5-8 Each title begins with the same introduction explaining that it isn't necessary to have a college degree to be an achiever; motivation, hard work, and a dream are enough. Then subsequent chapters follow their subjects from their early to present lives (or deaths), without avoiding the darker facts. What isn't stressed is that most of these individuals did attend college for some time and/or were trained in their fields. Further complicating the point, each book ends with a chart of the highest-paying jobs that don't require a college career, but the authors don't mention that various positions require specialized training. Chapters begin with valuable "Words to Know" sections, but the layout is text-heavy and uninviting. These titles are poorly written and, at times, inaccurate.