Your Money or Your Life

Title: Your Money or Your Life

Authors: Joe Dominguez & Vicki Robin

Pages: 336

Genre: Self-help, Personal Finance

Grade: A

Synopsis: This book outlines a 9-step program that empowers the reader to reach FI (financial independence, financial intelligence and financial integrity). The steps consist of finding out how much money you have made throughout your lifetime and then comparing that to your current net worth. The next steps are to track your spending from month to month and to determine whether or not you are getting the actual monetary worth from the money that you are spending. The goal in all of this is to be able to find and reach your personal crossover point, where your investment income equals the income that you need to have to live (see http://www.yourmoneyoryourlife.org/).

My Review: I really enjoyed this book. I had heard that it was one of the most recommended personal finance books out there, that has largely stood the test of time (almost 20 years, at least). I started a few of the exercises, but decided that it would be more beneficial to get my hands on a used copy of the book and then to read this with Alison and go over the exercises together. I liked the focus the book had on reducing our personal consumerism. We have been brainwashed into thinking that it is critical for us to consume in order to the economy to continue to grow. This mindset is detrimental to ourselves and in many ways to the environment. I had always envisioned reaching the crossover point right around the time that I was to retire. I now see that with intelligent financial management, this point can be reached much earlier and then allow us to have financial freedom for a longer period of our life. It's worth it to me to live frugally and be smart with my money in order to have more time (and money) to put towards my dreams later on in life.

From the Book: "(p. xviii) This shift has arrived none too soon. Americans need to transform the way they think about, spend and save money--if only for their own security. The savings rate in the United States has dropped from just below 5 percent when the book was first published to below zero at the time of this writing. The sirens of consumerism have but us into a deep sleep. The apparent deep pockets of Uncle Credit Card allow us to indulge in living far beyond our means. According to a 1997 Public Agenda report, nearly 40 percent of Baby Boomers have less than $10,000 saved for retirement. The old norm of increasing savings in the good times to offset the inevitable fallow years has been reversed. Overspending increased during the economic expansion of the '90s. It was this head-in-the-sand attitude about savings that most concerned Joe in the years before he died in 1997. Drenched for decades in information about the national and global economic ups and downs, he found Americans myopic about the long cycles of the markets and economy."

"(p. 15) Americans used to be "citizens." Now we are "consumers"--which means (according to the dictionary definition of "consume") people who "use up, waste, destroy and squander." Consumerism, however, is just a twentieth-century invention of our industrial society, created at a time when encouraging people to buy more goods was seen as necessary for continued economic growth."

"(p. 117) You come to differentiate between a passing fancy and real fulfillment, that point of perfect balance where desires disappear because they have been completely met. Any less would be not enough. Any more would be too much. A fulfilling meal is one where all the flavors, smells and textures blend perfectly and your appetite is satisfied without even a trace of teh discomfort of having overeaten. In the same way, a fulfilling car is one that meets your transportation needs perfectly, that you will enjoy owning for many thousands of miles, that doesn't insult your wallet or your values and that, with good maintenance, will be both reliable and a pleasure to drive. Your internal yardstick would dismiss any superficial desires to impress others, to relieve the boredom of driving a two-year-old car, to own a Mercedes because you want the status symbol or to have a blue convertible that matches your eyes. Those are all external yardsticks. If an experience or a purchase is truly fulfilling, the desire disappears for a long time. You are satisfied, contented, at peace."

The Longest Walk

Title: The Longest Walk - An Odyssey of the Human Spirit

Author: George Meegan

Pages: 402

Genre: Non-fiction

Grade: B

Synopsis: George Meegan is the world record holder for the longest continuous walk in history. He started at the southern tip of South America (Tierra Del Fuego, where Carmen Sandiego used to hideout), and walked north through South America, the Darien Gap, Central America and into the United States. Instead of just walking straight from Texas to Alaska, he took a detour through Washington D.C. and New York City and then cut across Canada and the Northern states before heading up into Alaska and onto Prudhoe Bay on the shores of the Arctic Ocean. His walk was more than 19,000 miles, and took 7 years, during which time he started a family and fathered two children (with his Japanese wife, that he married in Argentina).

My Review: I enjoyed this book, but it got a little long (even though he barely skims over his last 4-5,000 miles). He talks a lot about his experiences walking such long distances, but most of the book is full of stories of his interactions with people that he meets on the walk. The stories are interesting and inspiring and I found it amazing how friendly people were in every country except the United States. Although this walk happened in the late 70's and early 80's, I think there is a lot that we can learn from all of our southern neighbors. I loved reading this book with my World Atlas open next to me on the couch as I followed his progress.

From the Book: "(p. 37, Patagonia) In fact, my itinerary, as I have hinted before, was influenced not so much by Tschiffely's journey--I hadn't even read his book--as by Snow's. Snow's original plan was not to stop after completing South America but to continue either straight up to Alaska or northeastward to Washington, D.C. My insane plan was to do both, thereby "completing" the Americas and by virtue of the extra distance gained by the detour to the east coast, recording the longest unbroken walk of all time."

"(p. 81, Bolivia) Potosi, at over thirteen thousand feet, is the highest city in the world, and it is inconceivable that anyone would ever bother to build, much less occupy, a city at such an altitude were it not for the fabulous riches of Cerro Rico. Indeed, at one time things were really humming here--French wines, Chinese silks, posh whores, etc.--Potosi's university was founded well before the Pilgrims ever thought to set sail, and in 1613 the population was a hundred twenty thousand, equal to London's."

"(p. 84, Bolivia) After reaching Oruro, I was surprised to learn how many Mormons were living here. Or maybe they just stood out. They could probably be spotted from a high-flying jet, so conspicuous were they in their brown suits, wide ties, briefcases full of evangelical props, and close-cropped blond hair. I spent an hour and a half in the company of two of them, a pair of earnest, sincere, and intensely boring young men. While one with great solemnity sought to convert me, the other standing a foot before my face, silently held a booklet with illustrations to accompany the lecture and periodically flipped the pages for my benefit. It was a hard-earned tea."

"(p. 123, Ecuador) ...During my first few hours in Loja, I had good fortune to run into two young Mormon missionaries who let me sleep one night in their room and three further nights at their temple. My four days in Loja were somber ones, however, not so much because of the Mormons, who didn't try to convert me (at least not very strenuously), but because of the constant rain."

"(p. 377, Alaska) In this land of great opportunity and few roads (in most regions the Alaskan Highway is the only real road), the immense distances can only be reasonably handled by air, in fact, half of all the private aircraft in the world are registered in Alaska. Near any urban center, such as they were, I couldn't look up into the sky without seeing at least one fixed wing clawing itself into the sky."

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Title: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Author: J. K. Rowling

Pages: 8 discs

Genre: Fantasy

Grade: A

Synopsis: Harry Potter is back for his second year at Hogwarts. Once again, he is glad to be out of the Dursley's house and with his best friends. During the school year, students are mysteriously being petrified and Harry is hearing voices in the wall. Can Harry Potter save Hogwarts and find out what is petrifying the students?

My Review: I'm a sucker for these books. I had a great time listening to the book because there is so much that I have forgotten since I read it last. While it's hardly believable that the young Harry Potter is able to solve the mysteries that are stumping the greatest wizards of his time, it sure makes for a good read. I'm looking forward to listening to the next book.

Ella Minnow Pea

Title: Ella Minnow Pea

Author: Mark Dunn

Pages: 208

Genre: Fiction

Grade: A-

Synopsis: Ella Minnow Pea is living happily in the island country of Nollop of the coast of South Carolina. The small island is named after Nevin Nollop, the famed author of the famous pangram, “the quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog.” As letters fall one-by-one from the 36-letter pangram on a monument to Nollop, the government of the island decrees that once a letter falls from the monument, that letter may no longer be used in speech or writing without severe punishments – including expulsion or death. The book is a compilation of letters (correspondence) that are written between the island’s inhabitants. As more and more letters fall from the pangram, they are removed from the book. Ella is on a quest to come up with a pangram at least 4 letters shorter than Nollop’s in order for the council to reinstate the full alphabet.

My Review: This has to be one of the most clever books that I have ever read. It’s a quick read because the letters (correspondence) between the people are often fairly short. The book does get more difficult to read and understand as more and more letters are removed from the approved alphabet. Very unique and imaginative story, and very clever writing. Have a dictionary handy as you’re reading because Dunn’s command of the English language is superb.

From the Book: "(p. 6) On Wednesday, July 19, the Council, having gleaned and discerned, released its official verdict: the fall of the tile bearing the letter "Z" constitutes the terrestrial manifestation of an empyrean Nollopian desire, that desire most surely being that the letter "Z" should be utterly excised--fully extirpated--absolutively heave-ho'ed from our communal vocabulary!"

"(p. 153 - B,C,D,F,J,K,Q,V, and Z have fallen) "U" is gone. I suppose you're aware. The 1st aeiouy to go. Up until now the other graphemes were not aeiouys. When the aeiouys start to go, Ella, writing to you turns exponentially more grueling. I will not throw in the towel, though. I trust that you won't either. I truly relish our partnership."

"(p. 175 - B,C,D,F,J,K,Q,U,V,X, and Z have fallen) Lately, I haph startet painting my torso in pretty, motley hews. I sit in phront oph the mirror in the sleepy-room. I atmire my hantyworg. I am a hooman apstrat paining."

Fablehaven - Grip of the Shadow Plague

Title: Fablehaven - Grip of the Shadow Plague

Author: Brandon Mull

Pages: 496

Genre: Fantasy

Grade: A

Synopsis: This book picks up right where the last book left off. Kendra and Seth are still at Fablehaven and they are suspicious of the Sphinx’s loyalties. Kendra is recruited to be a Knight and heads off on a secret mission to retrieve one of the remaining artifacts. She continues to discover more and more about her special condition. Seth is stuck at home, but notices that many of the creatures at Fablehaven that are good are turning evil and finds that he has a few special abilities of his own as well.

My Review: These books almost seem to be getting better and better. They are full of unexpected twists, new characters and interesting creatures. I am finding Seth to be less annoying in this book than others, but his courage is still admirable. Very exciting and intriguing book and very hard to put down.

From the Book: "(p. 367) Hooves clomping over the whitewashed planks, Doren sprinted along the boardwalk after Rondus, a portly satyr with butterscotch fur and horns that curved away from each other. Puffing hard, Rondus cut through a gazebo and started down the stairs to the field. Only a few steps behind, Doren went airborne and slammed into the heavyset satyr. Together they pitched violently forward into the grass, staining their skin green."