About the Author

JEAN CHATZKY, award-winning journalist, bestselling author, and sought-after motivational speaker, has created a global platform that is making significant strides in helping millions of men and women battle an epidemic with devastating impact-debt. Jean is the financial editor for NBC's "Today" show, a contributing editor for "More Magazine, " a columnist for the "New York Daily News," and a contributor to "The Oprah Winfrey Show." She also hosts a daily show on the Oprah & Friends channel, exclusively on Sirius XM Radio.
She is the author of numerous books, including "Pay It Down!: From Debt to Wealth on $10 a Day," a "New York Times" and "BusinessWeek" bestseller. Her previous book, "Make Money, Not Excuses," was a "Wall Street Journal" and "New York Times" bestseller.

Reviews

Drawing on statistics, surveys, and other research, financial coach and New York Times best-selling author Chatzky (Make Money, Not Excuses) here emphasizes the importance of self-empowerment, determination, visualization, passion, and decision-making, urging listeners to save and to evaluate their savings strategy annually. Actress/narrator Susan Denaker's (Women and Money) unaccented, well-paced, calm delivery makes this difficult subject approachable, though listeners may find disc 8 challenging owing to the quantity of numbers quoted. Reader exercises are scattered throughout-a drawback for those listening while driving or otherwise occupied. More advanced than Michelle Singletary's 7 Money Mantras for a Richer Life and Suze Orman's Women & Money, yet basic enough for the average layperson. [Embeddable audio clip available through library.booksontape.com; see Prepub Alert, LJ 11/15/08.-Ed.]-Laurie Selwyn, formerly with Grayson Cty. Law Lib., Sherman, TX Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information.

Chatzky (Make Money, Not Excuses) identifies the attitudes, financial and nonfinancial behaviors, personalities and goals that separate the haves from the have-nots. The author categorizes the new economic strata into four groups (the wealthy, the financially comfortable, the paycheck-to-paychecks and the further-in-debtors) and waxes ecstatic on the virtues and natural gifts of the rich: their many friends, uncanny intuition and philanthropy. Her adoration may cloy and many of her claims are impossible to prove (wealthy people are more resilient in their personal lives), but her practical advice is sound and well worth taking. With exercises, tests and challenges, she invites readers to become financially fluent, stressing the power of saving and investing appropriately and aggressively. Fluffier sections address the importance of finding one's passion and overcoming obstacles, while throughout the book she highlights "habits that help" and "habits that hurt." This book will appeal to Chatzky fans and will earn her an even larger following. (Mar.) Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information.