Money and Happiness: A Guide to Living the Good Life [Hardcover]

Laura Rowley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 21, 2005

Praise for Money & Happiness

"Laura Rowley makes us all understand the money-happiness connection in our own lives so that we spend our time and our efforts wisely. She gets to the heart of why money can bring feelings of stress, joy, and freedom, and Rowley offers insight that every reader can use to make smarter decisions that will lead to living a rich life in every possible definition of the term."
--Lucy Danziger, Editor in Chief, Self magazine

"This is a wry and companionable guide to getting your finances in better sync with your values, and who wouldn't be enriched by that?"
--Melinda Henneberger, Contributing Editor, Newsweek

"Money and Happiness takes cold, hard, financial information and warms it up through the voice of your best friend. You'll find out how to achieve your life dreams, and avoid money nightmares. The cost of this book may be the best investment you'll ever make."
--Kevin McKinley, CFP, author of Make Your Kid a Millionaire and host of public radio's On Your Money

"Let Laura Rowley guide you to a rational and rewarding life by helping you re-order your approach to your financial well-being. This book covers all the dimensions you need to know about how to plan properly for your reality. She teaches that you need not be loaded to be happy. And she shows you how to set, then achieve, your goals. For your sanity, Rowley is a welcome antidote to the wave of materialism washing over our culture."
--Allan Dodds Frank, Bloomberg Television

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Wealth means different things to different people. That's why the road to financial happiness begins with identifying your values. When you know what you believe and are focused on your highest priorities, you have control. You can earn, spend, save, and invest in meaningful and effective ways. You can banish money anxiety forever. You can manage your money so that it reflects your energy, imagination, and passion.

In Money and Happiness, award-winning print and television journalist Laura Rowley reveals the secret to financial happiness: aligning your money and your values.Through powerful stories of real women—their money choices, how money has shaped their lives, and how they've used it to facilitate their genuine happiness—Rowley skillfully details the practical financial tools and positive strategies you need to create "the good life" in a meaningful way.

As the personal finance columnist for Self, a women's magazine with over 5 million readers, Laura Rowley has corresponded with many women who are ambitious, educated, and earn competitive salaries. And yet many feel overwhelmed by money and don't understand how to manage their money so it maximizes their happiness.

From self-assessment tests to checklists for analyzing your spending patterns, this book will give you the financial knowledge you need to succeed. But first, you'll find tools to help you discover the source of your values—family, community, and personality—and learn how your experiences and character come together to create a larger belief system about money. Here's where Money and Happiness moves on to discuss other important financial issues, such as:

• Controlling your spending habits, paying off debts,and improving your credit score
• Saving now for what you value most and the countlessways to make your money grow for your golden years
• The risks and rewards of the investment opportunitiesavailable to you
• "Money milestones"—marriage, changing jobs,buying real estate, and having children

Rowley also explores three decades of scientific research into happiness—and uncovers how to be happy with whatever you have in the bank, while you move toward your long-term goals. Through an imaginative approach to the art and science of personal finance, Money and Happiness will inspire you to find genuine happiness with money as your partner.

From the Back Cover

Praise for Money & Happiness

"Laura Rowley makes us all understand the money-happiness connection in our own lives so that we spend our time and our efforts wisely. She gets to the heart of why money can bring feelings of stress, joy, and freedom, and Rowley offers insight that every reader can use to make smarter decisions that will lead to living a rich life in every possible definition of the term."
—Lucy Danziger, Editor-in-Chief, Self magazine

"This is a wry and companionable guide to getting your finances in better sync with your values, and who wouldn't be enriched by that?"
—Melinda Henneberger, Contributing Editor, Newsweek

"Money and Happiness takes cold, hard, financial information and warms it up through the voice of your best friend. You'll find out how to achieve your life dreams, and avoid money nightmares. The cost of this book may be the best investment you'll ever make."
—Kevin McKinley, CFP™, author of Make Your Kid a Millionaire and host of public radio's On Your Money

"Laura Rowley helps demystify the age-old connection between money and happiness while providing lots of helpful hints on how to find the right balance of both in your life."
—Terry Keenan, Anchor, Fox News Channel

"Let Laura Rowley guide you to a rational and rewarding life by helping you re-order your approach to your financial well-being. This book covers all the dimensions you need to know about how to plan properly for your reality. She teaches that you need not be loaded to be happy. And she shows you how to set, then achieve, your goals. For your sanity, Rowley is a welcome antidote to the wave of materialism washing over our culture."
—Allan Dodds Frank, Bloomberg Television

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (March 21, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471714046
• ISBN-13: 978-0471714040
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,611,798 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A reader, May 15, 2005

By 

A reader - See all my reviews

This review is from: Money and Happiness: A Guide to Living the Good Life (Hardcover)

This book inspired me to create my own emergency fund and get myself together financially. Rowley explains how and what we need to do and gives good reasons why from financial, quality-of-life and psychological perspectives. Love the great real life stories of women and how money has played a key role in their lives. In addition, the book is loaded with financial information. Read it with a good highlighter, Post-Its and/or notepad. I gained a lot mentally and financially from this book. This book will remain a resource and tool on my shelf for a long time.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Advice you don't mind hearing, not to mention taking, March 1, 2006

By 

JM - "Avid Reader" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Money and Happiness: A Guide to Living the Good Life (Hardcover)

Imagine your smartest, funniest, closest friend...Now imagine you're sitting across from her in a coffee shop, listening and I mean really listening, to what she has to say about money. You don't feel threatened. You don't feel small. You don't feel stupid. Your friend is trying to help you and you let her. That is how reading this book makes you feel. Let Rowley's book help you figure out your financial style, and easily work towards a future you can afford and feel comfortable with. Trust me, the little tests are right on the money! (sorry for the bad pun!) If you've ever had even a bit of anxiety over your debt, spending habits, or frugal to a fault ways, you are not alone. Through exciting, real life stories, Rowley talks to women just like you (you WILL see yourself in her book) and helps us plan for a future where our money and happiness can be aligned properly.

While a worthwhile read from cover to cover, it is also a book you will return to again and again, picking up a paragraph here or a chapter there, helping you stay focused on your financial future

7 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars can't make up it's mind what kind of book to be, February 21, 2006

By 

JeanHZ (NJ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Money and Happiness: A Guide to Living the Good Life (Hardcover)

This book begins to suggest that the author is going to help you figure your money personality. After a highly superficial treatment of that topic, she moves on to semi-standard financial advice which is greatly incomplete.

While I agree with the other reviewer's comments about Suze, this book isn't worth the time or cost to read.