THE ONLY MONEY BOOK FOR THE MIDDLE CLASS

by Donald R. & Joan M. German German ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 2, 1982

The ""Economics of Enough"" sounds reasonable--but by itself it doesn't go very far. The Germans, that is, advise middle-class readers to accumulate wealth and prepare for retirement by increasing their income ten percent, and cutting family expenses and tax payments ten percent. They warn against excessive consumer debt, pyramid schemes, and get-rich-quick devices. On the positive side, about all they have to offer are savings accounts, home ownership, and IRAs or Keogh Plans. It's true, as they note, that 100,000 inflation-ridden dollars are better than 10,000 inflation-ridden dollars--and, for the unsophisticated and imperiled, all this moderation could serve as a counterpoise to the many recent books that advocate heavy borrowing to make risky investments. But those who want a readable, basic discussion of family financial arrangements, using the same conservative assumptions and the same homey tone as the Germans, will be better off with Sylvia Porter's New Money Book, Jane Bryant Quinn's Everyone's Money Book, or Bob Rosefsky's brand-new Money Talks (p. 852)--all of them fat, comprehensive, detailed books, where the Germans' is thin, spotty, and generalized. (The difficult subject of estate planning gets less space, for instance, than the hints for paring charitable contributions.)

Pub Date: Feb. 2, 1982

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Morrow

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1982

Categories: NONFICTION