Financial Peace: Restoring Financial Hope to You and Your Family

The author's own experience with debt and bankruptcy is the backdrop for the story of his journey from financial riches to loss of everything and then to survival when he found new success through his counseling efforts, which are framed by his religious beliefs. Ramsey determined that his personal experience with financial pain was an ideal foundation for a career in assisting consumers in handling debt. The reader learns that it takes considerable sacrifice, discipline, and patience to control money, and Ramsey contends that a huge percentage of Americans, caught in a web of instant gratification, need help in managing their finances. The core of the book reflects on 25 principles, which the author calls "peace puppies," great creatures that are eager to please and love their master but, without discipline, will become wild and mean. These puppies include avoiding the worship of money, giving money away to worthy causes, living substantially below one's income, and laying out written details of a cash-management plan. One caveat: the book concludes with a set of financial worksheets; however, they do provide an excellent introduction to disciplined planning. Mary Whaley

By the age of 30, author Ramsey had earned and lost millions in his real estate business. He is now financially secure again through helping others learn from his mistakes. The information he presents on sound financial money management is not new, but his personal experience with money difficulties helps to relate this solid advice to just about anyone, especially those in serious debt. Ramsey advises, as do many others in this field, to stop borrowing, always pay cash, tear up those credit cards, use debit cards, negotiate the price of everything, settle for something older and less expensive, and, more importantly, become disciplined savers instead of spenders. Ramsey's philosophical approach is rooted in his strong religious beliefs about personal financial management and helps to distinguish his take on this topic. The author narrates as if he is addressing a large audience rather than reading from a book. Handy worksheets, which aren't likely to last in libraries, are included for those seriously committed to acting on his advice. Consider only on demand in public libraries.?Dale Farris, Groves, Tex.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.