After reading a review at The Simple Dollar about “Debt is Slavery”, I checked it out from the library to see what it was all about. It took me all of an hour and half to read it, it’s that short. Which is what I like about it. It’s short and to the point. As the author points out in his introduction, far too many financial books take up a lot of pages in which they spend more time trying to sell their systems, when in fact, their points could be made in half the amount of words used. That’s probably why the only other financial book I’ve ever read to completion was “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” – although longer, it was worth the read.
The main points were straightforward, to the point, and pretty basic, some of which I already knew (like the idea of the “Giant Marketing Machine” that wants to separate you from your money). Some were more creative, but made sense – like the idea that if I make $12/hr, and something costs $24, that’s 2 hours of my life. I think what I liked the most was the idea that most of us have “sold our soul” to a job because we need money, not because we actually are doing something that we enjoy.
This is one of the prevailing reasons I have managed to sabotage all efforts at finding or creating a job for myself. I know, that after the initial fun of learning some new technique (like when I worked at Starbucks) wears off, I will go in dreading, take extra hours only because of the cash it will make me. So, I have decided that since the most important job I will ever do is raise decent children who have something positive to contribute to the world, I might as well do that, even if it is for free. But, I digress.
I think that this is a great little book for people who are in financial distress and need some encouragement to stop the bleeding. I also think it’s a good book for young adults who will be heading off to college and be seduced with many credit card offers (as both the author and I were). In fact, it should be required reading for all teens, regardless of whether they go off to college or not.
For a more technical review, please read the on at The Simple Dollar.
*I’ve been a little under the weather lately, hence my lack of writing. I’m recouping and will be posting more of my misadventures in frugality.
I just found your blog…we are also family of three in the northwest living on a similar budget and eliminating debt. Have you read The Energy of Money by Maria Nemeth, PhD? I think it might be just the thing you are looking for–it definitely changed my life. It is WELL WORTH the money (you can get a used copy on Amazon for less than $10). It’s just incredible. Please excuse the plug, but there’s a bunch of posts about it on my blog if you’d like to check out some of the exercises that I’ve paraphrased. Parts of the book are pretty intense, but it really changes the way you treat money. Keep up the wonderful work!!
Thanks for your tip, I checked my library and it looks like I’ll be checking it out – and thus saving even more money (and shelf space). I will also wander over to your blog when I get a chance!