Killing Sacred Cows: Overcoming the Financial Myths That Are Destroying Your Prosperity [Hardcover]

Garrett B. Gunderson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2008

Our culture is riddled with destructive myths about money and prosperity that are severely limiting the power, creativity, and financial potential of individuals. In Killing Sacred Cows, Garrett B. Gunderson boldly exposes ingrained fallacies and misguided traditions in the world of personal finance. He presents a revolutionary perspective that can create unprecedented opportunity and wealth for thoughtful, mission-driven individuals.

Our financial lives are intimately connected to our societal contributions, and we must be financially free in order to achieve our fullest potential. Sadly, however, most people are held captive in their financial lives by misinformation, propaganda, and limited knowledge. Through well-reasoned arguments, unflinching logic, and revelatory insight, Gunderson defeats common clichés and faulty retirement planning advice to plainly demonstrate the following and much more:

• 401(k)s and the stock market are the most risky investments for most people and the gambling mindset they induce creates disastrous consequences.
• Conventional retirement planning advice, products, strategies, and techniques expose you to significant danger of being unable to retire, or of running out of money prematurely if you do.
• Building net worth is a recipe for creating a life of fear and poverty and how to escape that common trap.
• Debt may not be what you think it is and why that matters to your prosperity.
• 'High risk equals high returns' is destructive dogma and how reducing risk can increase your returns.

Killing Sacred Cows is a must-read for brave individuals willing to question common assumptions and teachings, overcome the herd mentality, break through financial myths, and live a purposeful, passionate, and prosperous life.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this thought-provoking work, entrepreneur and inspirational speaker Gunderson takes aim at the social brainwashing and financial planners and institutions that are constricting Americans' financial freedom and undermining their abilities to prosper with misguided and dangerous advice. The author debunks various investment myths—offering a fresh look at 401(k) fallacies—and false beliefs (high risk = high returns). In a book studded with anecdotes and historical tidbits, Gunderson excels in his description of the prevalent psychological beliefs that hinder success: the scarcity mindset in which financial success is understood as a zero-sum game; the American equation of happiness with prosperity; and the misconception that money holds power. In appeals more befitting a self-help guide than financial primer, the author argues that individuals need to embrace a mindset of self-reliance and identify their Soul Purpose. In the vein of TheSecret and the classic Think and Grow Rich, Gunderson suggests that prosperity is a state of mind from which value and wealth flow. Readers will find his assault on traditional financial nostrums fresh, eye-opening and emboldening. (July)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Garrett Gunderson is an entrepreneur who became a multimillionaire by the age of twenty-six. He is the owner of five companies, and winner of Utah's Entrepreneur of the Year award. Garrett coaches elite business owners in the financial services industry. He co-authored Curriculum for Wealth.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Greenleaf Book Group LLC; First Edition edition (July 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1929774516
• ISBN-13: 978-1929774517
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (52 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #93,861 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars The other negative reviewers are right, June 25, 2009

By 

James Foxall (Papillion, NE USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Killing Sacred Cows: Overcoming the Financial Myths That Are Destroying Your Prosperity (Hardcover)

I've read so many good books on business and finance - but this isn't one of them. There really is no substance, and the few pieces of value that you find could have been presented in a 20 page PDF file. I too found myself skipping over many paragraphs because the author kept repeating the same vague information over and over and over and over. I kept grinding through, hoping for the big payoff at the end but it never came.

41 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Big load of vague hot air, June 22, 2009

By 

T. Cox (Portland, OR United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Killing Sacred Cows: Overcoming the Financial Myths That Are Destroying Your Prosperity (Hardcover)

I don't usually review books on Amazon, but this one irritated me enough to make the effort.

This book is a new age self-help motivational screed in the guise of financial planning advice. There are a few interesting points made, a lot of questionable ones, and some potentially harmful suggestions.

I found myself skipping whole paragraphs of the author repeating himself and his vague platitudes for the umpteenth time. I felt like I was holding my breath, waiting for him to get to the meat of the financial advice... all the way to the end.

Guess what I found at the end? Several sales pitches for his and his friends seminars, websites and books.

As another reviewer said, the 'meat' of this book would only fill a single chapter. The rest is fluff.

Don't follow the (possibly fradulent) positive-reviewing sheep, and don't waste your money on this book - if you really want to take a look, get it from the library (like I did).

29 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good advice, but could have been written in 20 pages, not 271!, September 1, 2008

By 

Kris (New Jersey, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Killing Sacred Cows: Overcoming the Financial Myths That Are Destroying Your Prosperity (Hardcover)

I agree with the majority of the advice in this book. I've always thought the stock market was just a legalized pyramid scheme. It makes a lot of sense to focus on how to increase your personal productivity and income. BUT there were two overwhelming thoughts I had while reading this book:

1. Wait - didn't I just read this same sentence 5 times? It felt like the author kept repeating the IDENTICAL phrases over and over again. Like he was just trying to fill enough pages to be able to publish a book.

2. Is this a book or just a 271 page advertisement to take the author's financial seminars?

So, while it is good advice, be prepared to skim alot of pages because it is extremely repetitive. And I would say that this is a book to borrow from the library because once you've read it, there's no need to reference it again.