Since many of us are already familiar with Suze Orman’s Women and Money, I thought this would be a great book to help launch our new Book Club.

Here’s my review (which some of you may have already read) with some added insights and thoughts about possible discussion questions.

How many of us wish we had a better grip on our personal finances?

If you’re like me, maybe you’ll be as fascinated by the title as I was, Women and Money: Owning the Power to Control Your Destiny. This sounded like something I could find very interesting – money, power and my destiny. I started reading.

Let me say I really threw myself into absorbing this book. Since I’d never read any previous Suze Orman material, I really had no expectations.

I was immediately impressed with how well Suze wrote for her target audience. It was as if good girlfriends were having a cup of coffee and a heart-to-heart talk. She’s honest, straightforward and supportive. She’s certainly a girlfriend who pulls no punches!

Suze Orman is clear, even from the very first few pages, that she’s shocked by just how “clueless” so many women are about their own finances. All types of women – lawyers, schoolteachers, moms, successful business owners, even her best friends. Women, she found, are reluctant to take control of their finances and even more reluctant to seize their financial power.

Suze shares financial answers to the questions many of us have been reluctant to ask. This book is easily understood and extremely thorough. Personally, if a finance book becomes too technical, my mind turns off. With this book, I didn’t turn off. I read and listened to the whole thing, cover to cover.

I see Women & Money as a how-to blueprint for gaining and retaining control of our personal finances. There’s something here for everyone, no matter your financial “intelligence.” Example: You don’t need to wait until you have thousands and thousands of dollars to invest for the future.

Women with all different financial abilities will benefit from reading this book. Beginners can start off on the right foot. Savvy women, who haven’t yet taken control of their own finances, can begin moving forward with confidence.

I especially appreciated the definitions, the shaded boxes filled with explanations, the practical resources and the action plans. All and all, it was broken down into bite-sized pieces so even the most reluctant among us can take immediate action without fear of failure or of becoming overwhelmed.

Honestly, I was impressed with all eight chapters because I took away pearls of wisdom from each one. My favorites?

Chapter 4 – You are not on sale. Women have a tendency to undervalue themselves, thus earning less than men. No more discounting our worth – let’s take ourselves off the sale rack!

Chapter 5 – The 8 qualities of a wealthy woman. This chapter is a combination of self-development and financial development. Wealth begins with the internal belief you have about yourself. A wealthy woman enjoys harmony, balance, courage and more . . . I especially appreciated the way Suze Orman blended them together to give us a clear picture of a “healthy” wealthy women.

Chapter 6 – The save yourself plan. This is a five-month plan (one day a month) to financial self-sufficiency. She gives us a workable plan and all we have to do is implement it. Included in this chapter is information on banking, credit cards, trusts and must-have documents. To me, this chapter is the backbone of the book.

Women & Money is especially informative for beginners. Yet, I believe all women who are truly ready to claim or reclaim their financial independence will also be pleased with reading Suze Orman’s book. The only women who might become bored, are the extremely savvy one’s who already have complete control over their finances.

Women & Money is about advancing in powerful positive ways. Suze Orman’s advice is real and practical. Now, it’s up to us to take this advice and put it into action.

I’ve included this link to Amazon.com Women and Money if you’re interested in the book and you’ll also find a downloadable audio version.

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