The Laws of Money, The Lessons of Life
Suze Orman
Free Press
Nonfiction, Finance/Self-Help
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Description
Love it or hate it, money is part of modern life; without it, accomplishing or acquiring anything is essentially impossible. But should money control us, or should we control money? Finance guru Suze Orman offers five basic laws about money, which apply to all aspects of life, to help even the most debt-ridden of us take back power over our money... and our lives. Also included are several worksheets and exercises.
Review
I am not what you would call a finance wizard. I know I really ought to get some sort of grasp on money, investments, and such, but frankly my head spins whenever I look at anything more complicated than a savings account. I've seen Orman's Young, Fabulous, and Broke PBS specials a time or two, and found her an intriguing and straightforward speaker. This book doesn't explain specific investment strategies, but it does explain how we tend to give money more control over us than it really has, and how such attitudes ultimately lead to disaster on a personal and financial level. Without understanding our relationship with money and how it affects (or is affected by) the rest of our lives, further investment advice is essentially meaningless. I find it interesting that her money laws reflect concepts explained in Ask and It is Given and other self-help books; the idea of internal conflicts and denial manifesting as external problems is repeated here, as is the idea that only by being honest with yourself can one achieve external prosperity. This won't be the only personal finance book you ever need, but even I could see how understanding the Laws of Money and working through her included worksheets can be greatly beneficial.