Total Money Makeover, by Dave Ramsey

I recently read The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey after a dear friend bought for it me on a whim. Compelled to read the book because it was a gift and because I know little about money, I'm much better off for doing so.

Dave Ramsey is a money guru who has authored several money books, produced financial materials such as Financial Peace University, and has a talk radio show with an advertised 3 million listeners.

The Total Money Makeover provides a theoretical financial plan for how to get and stay out of debt. With a thin venear of Chrsitianity overlayed, the book does not offer technical equations for making wise, high-return investments. Rather, it reads more like a motivational speech containing straight forward sometimes harsh advice for those up to their eyeballs in debt.

And it works. Litered with real peoples' success stories, I can find no reason why Ramsey's plan might fail if carried out with what he calls "gazelle intensity."

One concept that I appreciated about the book was this point. Most people do not recieve formal training for how to handle money. I've graduated high school, college and graduate school, and in all of that have recieved zilch in financial education. Most Americans are financially ignorant. And that's where the book starts.

The basic premise is to begin to tell your money what to do rather than the opposite. This is one of the reasons why I think Ramsey is so popular: his advice is accessible. I know virtually nothing, technically, about handling or investing money. And I'd venture that lots of people are just like me. Ramsey doesn't waste time mulling over the technicals which require a CPA to interpret. He has two basic principles: save your money and pay your debts.

In the end, the book was a simple quick read which offered inspiration for becoming financially fit more than anything else. The plan is broad enough for just about anyone, yet specific enough that I can carry it out without having to reach for help every other step. I would recommend it as a necessary read for any young person or couple getting a start on life hoping to handle money well.