A charming, easy-to-read fable providing useful pointers on personal finance management.
In this finance-focused tale, a South African ex-athlete is led on a journey to uncover the secrets to achieving lasting wealth.
Growing up in rural South Africa, Ash has the good fortune of being skilled at sports and securing the heart of local girl Suraya. He becomes a rugby star in the big city and lives a high-spending lifestyle, dropping his hometown sweetheart. Then disaster strikes: Ash’s hamstrings go out and he’s forced out of the game. In debt and despair on a plane returning home, he meets the mysterious TK, who tells him about the “money fountain” and how there are core principles through which one can achieve and sustain financial security. Destiny intervenes once again, however, with Ash losing TK’s contact information while leaving the plane. Ash returns home, reunites with Suraya and begins to raise a family, but he soon falls prey to debilitating financial schemes. That’s all apparently part of the plan, however, with TK eventually reappearing in Ash’s life, leading him to a series of mentors who reveal the key tips—e.g., routinely save 10 percent of your income, invest in an account that compounds and rewards you with either interest or a dividend—that put Ash on track to “conscious wealth” and help him “pay it forward” to become a successful TK-like guide himself. Authors Van Eyden, an economics professor, and Wells, a South African business entrepreneur, have written a gently humorous tale that outlines rather obvious but important aspects of fiscal responsibility. Their money examples are based on South African currency, however, which may confuse some readers. Also, some of their suggestions may cause skepticism: Surely it is not so easy, for example, to find “a stock that earns 15 percent or more.” The authors’ use of fate and “Destiny” (as an actual character) also seem at odds with their philosophy that one can and should try to control the financial forces in one’s life. Still, the smooth-flowing narrative may be an effective way to present dry economic topics to general audiences.
A charming, easy-to-read fable providing useful pointers on personal finance management.Pub Date: Dec. 29, 2013
ISBN: 978-1492812098
Page Count: 160
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: March 10, 2014
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A readable and invaluably thorough resource for understanding retirement finances.
A comprehensive guide offers advice on preparing for retirement.
Pfau begins his exhaustive breakdown of retirement planning with a note of caution for prospective retirees about to enter the labyrinthine jungle of United States federal regulations: Patience and information are the only surefire ways to make it through. “Fight the impatience that could lead you to choose short-term expediencies carrying greater long-term costs,” he warns, and his book is designed as the ultimate weapon in that fight. The author takes readers through every aspect of constructing their retirement’s financial superstructure, balancing the realities, and preparing for the unexpected. Everything from stock market speculation to the pluses and minuses of annuities to life and long-term-care insurance are discussed in great detail. Pfau acknowledges that there are many competing schools of thought on all of these issues, and he bases his own framework on the fact that different people approach their retirement finances in different ways. Some place their top priority on dependability, while others want more flexibility. As the manual explains the author’s approach, it is often seriously technical, full of thorny terminology and many charts and graphs, as befits the complexity of the subject. Readers are given clear but extremely in-depth instructions on how to navigate the intricacies of Medicare, for instance (a lack of understanding of the rules, Pfau writes, “can lead to gaps in coverage, overpayment on services or coverage, and unanticipated outcomes”). And in every section, readers are urged to do the “legwork” of discovering their options. The ultimate goal is to create a sufficient and sustainable retirement portfolio. Although the sheer amount of granular detail the author brings to the subject can seem daunting, the clarity of his explanations will smoothly carry even financially illiterate readers along.
A readable and invaluably thorough resource for understanding retirement finances.Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-945640-09-4
Page Count: 474
Publisher: Retirement Researcher Media
Review Posted Online: Sept. 20, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
In a society where growing older elicits “over the hill” birthday cards, eminent psychotherapist and geriatric expert Lustbader (Univ. of Washington; What’s Worth Knowing, 2004 etc.) unveils the pleasures of aging.
This book germinated during a bus tour in New Zealand, when the author told a group of 18- to 24-year-olds that “these are the worst years of your lives.” Many of the young travelers, depressed and uncertain, were relieved to hear that life gets better after their 20s. Blending memory with pearls of wisdom, Lustbader illustrates the bounties of a life well-lived. Sure, aging brings physical aches and pains, but it also bestows self-acceptance and true self-knowledge. As the body moves closer to death, “the mirage of power and money fades.” In its place comes contentment and a true appreciation for human relationships. Time may ultimately cause loss, writes the author, but “to grieve is to experience a relationship.” Lustbader is quick to caution, however, that aging does not automatically bestow wisdom, as one woman in her late 40s realized after grief caused her to break years of sobriety, an action that culminated in the loss of her job. Further, old age does not stop productivity. At 89, Carmen Herrera sold her first painting. The author also pinpoints the significance of gratitude, generosity and courage with the tale of a 71-year-old woman who, when told she was going blind, hosted a party and gave away her most treasured belongings: her books. To her surprise, friends offered to visit her weekly to read aloud. According to Lustbader, it’s knowing what is meaningful that makes for a peaceful transformation. The key is hope. Much-needed wisdom about aging.
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-58542-892-2
Page Count: 256
Publisher: TarcherPerigee
Review Posted Online: July 5, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2011
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