UNAPOLOGETIC WEALTH

An angel investor and financial empowerment expert encourages women to reframe their approach to wealth.

“Women are doing the work,” writes Dawood, who notes that while women are earning, saving, giving, and supporting their loved ones, many “still feel stuck.” Encouraging women to reframe the way they think about money, the author blends practical advice centered around financial empowerment with a broader psychological commentary on the way that women have been taught “to be responsible with money but not to take real ownership of it.” Dawood poignantly highlights how “generational welts”—the “deep, inherited scars left by exclusion, silencing, and limitations”—still hold a psychological grip on women today. Such attitudes include cultivating a disconnected approach toward money as a defense mechanism (“I’m not good with money”) and the persistent sense of guilt felt by women who buy things for themselves, even when they can afford them. Arguing that women should take agency over the human urge to build wealth—not just in the financial sense, but also the stability that comes with controlling one’s own time and livelihood—the author blends historical and psychological commentary with practical advice on saving, investing, and generating lasting wealth. To this end, Dawood provides a parallel workbook and worksheets for financial planning, reflection questions accompanied by lined paper for personal journaling, and other practical tools. The chair of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee and chair emeritus of the Angel Capital Association, Dawood is a leading advocate for the financial empowerment of women. Like the author’s TEDx talks, podcasts, and previous publications, this book balances her expert understanding of American financial markets with a jargon-free, conversational approach to financial literacy that draws on real-world examples from women across the socioeconomic spectrum. The handbook is accessible, its text peppered with illustrations, diagrams, and other visual aids. While geared toward women, this book will be of use to any readers looking to take greater agency over their finances.

An accessible guide to overcoming the taboos and myths surrounding money.