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FALLING FOR MONEY

Name: FALLING FOR MONEY
Author: Krisstina Wise
ISBN: 978-1-62535-126-5

by Krisstina Wise ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 14, 2014

Law of money No. 2, then: Caveat emptor.

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A serviceable blend of rah-rah life coaching and love song to the dollar.

There’s really only one law of money, namely this: Income must exceed outgo. Wise, the former CEO of goodLife Companies, “an Austin-based real estate company devoted to five-star customer service,” spins variations on any number of themes in this how-to personal finance book but none so directly as that commandment. Urging that her readers—presumably, young women just setting out in life, though “5 percenters” bent on speeding up their “velocity towards financial independence” are welcome, too—embrace the vision of a “lifetime love affair with money,” the author serves up the usual stuff: If you want to be rich, have faith (in money and in the natural justice that comes from some people being rich and some poor, but in the big banker up in the clouds, too), visualize success, maintain a budget, make sound investments, etc. The cheerleading is mostly platitudinous and unsurprising (“The best thing I’ve done for myself is to forgive myself…I’ve learned that it’s possible to be ambitious, passionate, happy, and imperfect all at the same time”), and the practical information will be quite obvious to readers with even a small amount of financial sense: “Divide each of your annual budget numbers by twelve to calculate a monthly amount.” “Set business and career goals that correlate to generating your desired income.” And so forth. For readers without that pre-existing modicum of financial savvy, Wise’s book is potentially useful, especially its filling-in-the-blanks worksheets, including a monthly and quarterly checklist and an interest compounding table to calculate money required for retirement. In a crowded market, though, there are many better books.

Law of money No. 2, then: Caveat emptor.

Pub Date: May 14, 2014

ISBN: 978-1-62535-126-5

Page Count: 156

Publisher: Charles Pinot

Review Posted Online: Sept. 22, 2014

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

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NUTCRACKER

by E.T.A. Hoffmann ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 28, 1996

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This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)

Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996

ISBN: 0-15-100227-4

Page Count: 136

Publisher: Harcourt

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER AND THE MOUSE KING
by E.T.A. Hoffmann ; adapted by Natalie Andrewson ; illustrated by Natalie Andrewson

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER
by E.T.A. Hoffmann & illustrated by Julie Paschkis

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TO THE ONE I LOVE THE BEST

EPISODES FROM THE LIFE OF LADY MENDL (ELSIE DE WOLFE)

by Ludwig Bemelmans ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 23, 1955

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An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.