Money Drunk [Paperback]

Mark Bryan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 11, 1993

Unresolved money problems can lead to enormous stress and destroy relationships, careers, and lives. "The Money Drunk" offers new perspectives on the real roots of money problems, showing how to dismantle negative family and societal programming about money and how to undo the destructive patterns that sabotage financial success.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Most of us are a little 'money crazy' from part to nearly all the time. This book points the way back to sanity."
--CAROL ORSBORN
   Author of Inner Excellence: Spiritual Principles of Life-Driven Business --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

From the Publisher

In a society where many of us have hidden issues about money, it is easy to use money to act out in self-destructive ways. The authors are best-known for their brilliant book, THE ARTIST'S WAY, but in this book have created a highly effective, 90-day program -- a solvency primer -- for helping people free themselves from negative family and societal programming and create a prosperity plan for better habits with money.
Leslie Meredith
Executive Editor & Divisional Vice President
Ballantine Wellspring

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 225 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books (May 11, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345381300
• ISBN-13: 978-0345381309
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,712,040 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #35 in Books > Oprah®

More About the Author

Mark Bryan has been a teacher and writer for over a decade, and is a nationally known speaker in the human potential movement. He is the cofounder (with Julia Cameron) of The Artist's Way. His experience both in developing extremely effective self-help techniques for The Artist's Way and as a reunited father led him to create this program to help estranged fathers. Bryan received his masters in family education from Harvard University and is Director of The Father Project, affiliated with the Harvard Project on Women's Psychology, Boys Development and the Culture of Manhood. He is currently researching The Artist's Way for Work. Mark Bryan lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

49 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Got me out of debt!, August 2, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Money Drunk, Money Sober; 90 Days to Financial Freedom (Paperback)

I was given this book by my mother when I said at one point that no matter how much I made I seemed to owe even more. My husband and I owed so many thousands of dollars on high-interest credit cards that I thought 25 years would pass and we would still not be out of debt. It is now three years later and not only are we out of debt, but we have a good start on retirement savings, an emergency cushion in the bank, and we are about to buy our first house -- all things that I never thought we'd be able to do. This book first describes different types of money "addictions" (you will absolutely see yourself here), and then gives you an easy-to-follow step-by-step program to get you started on your way to being fiscally responsible. I followed the program diligently and found the exercises very helpful in keeping focused, not just on my spending but on how to use our money to make Life Changes....not just home improvements. I really can't recommend this book highly enough -- it truly saved my life.

47 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding Look at Money Addictions and Their Cure, June 25, 2000

By 

Donald Mitchell "Jesus Loves You!" (Thanks for Providing My Reviews over 109,000 Helpful Votes Globally) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Money Drunk, Money Sober; 90 Days to Financial Freedom (Paperback)

This book is based on a seminar series designed to work with those who have obsessions and addictions about money that are harmful. Unlike most books that address the psychological roots of money problems, this one develops a detailed recovery plan over 13 weeks that builds on programs for overcoming other addictions like alcoholism. Even if you don't have a full-scale addiction to money, you can use this program to diagnose and improve the places where you are misfocused in your thinking about and use of money.

One of the many valuable insights that I took away from this book was that money addictions are often associated with other addictions like alcoholism and excessive gambling. Many people will solve those addictions with great difficulty, but still find their lives missing something due to their money addictions.

One of the strengths of this book is found in the many diagnostic lists that can help you assess whether you are having or have had problems with money addiction. I certainly found myself in several chapters, and that provided useful insights to me.

Here are some of the categories to watch out for: Compulsive spending (getting an emotional rush from buying things); Big deal chasing (fantasies providing encouragement for irresponsible use of time and financial resources, and the related problems of workaholism to get more money and avoid intimacy with one's family and friends); Maintenance money focus (doing work just for the money); Poverty addiction (seeing sainthood in having little money and less spending); and Co-dependency (where your relationships are based on providing money for someone with a money addiction).

The 13 week recovery program is marvelous. I was very impressed. It starts with undoing your stalled thinking about money, and bit by bit helps you establish new and better habits about money.

The program builds a lot on measuring how you are spending and getting money, focuses you on stopping the worst of your bad habits (like taking on more debt), and gradually refocuses you on important human issues like self-esteem, compassion, peace, spirituality, and reintroducing hope into your life. This stallbusting approach is one that should work for anyone who has hit bottom and truly wants to reform. This is a book that everyone should read and use to evaluate themselves. It should also be shared with children. Money addiction is often passed down from parents to children through sharing bad habits learned in the home. If a friend shares with you that they are in a bad way financially and need help, give them a copy of the book. It will probably do them more good than giving them money that they won't be able to repay.

Live a higher quality of life from learning the lessons of this book!

37 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Jumping in with both feet, September 6, 2000

By 

Luanne Williams (Schenectady, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Money Drunk, Money Sober; 90 Days to Financial Freedom (Paperback)

There are many books that will help you become financially stable. This book is different from the rest. Money Drunk gives you an overview of the addictive personalities that money can bring out even if you have not taken a drink. It is a step by step process that over the years has worked for many people.

Relating the step by step process to money speaks only to the format of the book. The Solution is a 90-day program that will bring you on your feet in no time.

A strategy discussed in the book for balancing the budget is to divide your income into 3 parts, 1/3 for the past, 1/3 for the present, and 1/3 for the future. This is a strategy that I am still evaluating and experimenting with.

Julia Cameron's approach is gentle and reassuring. A great book for jumping into financial management with both feet.