Book Review: "Scarcity"

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Book Review: "Scarcity"

What's my rating for "Scarcity"?

I gave the book a 4.5 out of 5 Rockstar rating.

The insights I gained while reading this book has informed no fewer than sixteen articles and a number of talks I’ve written and delivered since discovering it in 2014. It helped me explain a number of situations I’d faced or witnessed others face where, no matter what we did over the short to medium-term, our situation seemed to either stay the same or get worse, almost akin to being caught in a rip tide.

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Book Review: "Victory Lap Retirement"

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Book Review: "Victory Lap Retirement"

What's my rating for "Victory Lap Retirement"?

I gave the book a 4 out of 5 Rockstar rating.

Victory Lap Retirement offers up a good dose of inspiration, thanks to co-authors who are living what they advise and you can tell they’re enjoying this phase of their lives. I get the feeling they’re just getting started. Further, they share a great deal of their experience throughout the book by sharing their personal story at every stage, from how they managed their careers to planning and executing their “Victory Lap”. Their positivity and energy is infectious.

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Book Review: "The Index Card"

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Book Review: "The Index Card"

What's my rating for "The Index Card"?

I gave the book a 3.5 out of 5 Rockstar rating.

In 2013, Harold Pollack suggested that all we need to know about personal finance can fit on an index card. When a reader asked to see it, the statement went from metaphor to reality.

The result took the personal finance world by storm and the vitality of that single post is still felt today.

The 2016 book by the same name, Harold Pollack and co-author Helaine Olen provide the meat behind the nine points captured on the original index card and tweak the recommendations.

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Book Review: "The Wealthy Barber"

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Book Review: "The Wealthy Barber"

What's my rating for "The Wealthy Barber"?

I gave the book a 4 out of 5 Rockstar rating.

In this work of fiction, author David Chilton chose a small town barber shop as the setting for his characters’ much needed discussions about money.

Roy, the shop’s owner, has become known around town as the man to talk to when it comes to personal finance and that’s where David, the story’s protagonist, goes to get his hair cut and his financial mind sharpened every month, along with his sister Cathy and his best friend Tom.

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Book Review: "One Bed, One Bank Account"

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Book Review: "One Bed, One Bank Account"

What's my rating for "One Bed, One Bank Account"?

I gave the book a 3 out of 5 Rockstar rating.

Who likes to have “the talks” with their significant other, especially “the money talks”? If I were asking this question in a room full of people, how many hands would go up? Many of us would rather go for a root canal!

There’s strong evidence that communication deteriorates over the duration of a relationship, and that this deterioration is fueled by this nasty little thing called assumptions – we think we know what our spouse thinks, likes, wants and we don’t bother to check if it’s still true. That’s why books such as “One Bed, One Bank Account” are so important in reminding us of the benefits of having these conversations, not just once but as an ongoing endeavor.

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Book Review: "Deep Work"

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Book Review: "Deep Work"

Want to know what Free to Pursue thinks about Cal Newport's book "Deep Work"?

I gave the book a 5 out of 5 Rockstar rating.

Author Cal Newport uses top insights from highly-respected sources to drive home the point that deep concentration is going the way of the dodo bird in a society increasingly focused on immediacy and that harnessing and developing this ability further leads to both a personal competitive advantage and a happier life.

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Book Review: "The Automatic Millionaire"

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Book Review: "The Automatic Millionaire"

Want to know what Free to Pursue thinks about David Bach's book "The Automatic Millionaire"?

I gave the book a 3.5 out of 5 Rockstar rating.

Here are the main points Bach covers in "The Automatic Millionaire":

  1. Want to be a millionaire? Pay yourself first.
  2. Automatic allocation of money helps us meet our goals.
  3. Homeowners are significantly wealthier than renters.
  4. Credit cards are a significant driver of consumer debt.

Despite its patent generalizations in some areas, "The Automatic Millionaire" is a book worth reading for anyone who has not reached their regular saving and/or debt repayment objectives.

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