This wise and comprehensive book begs to be read—and digested—very slowly. In it, Cia Ricco and Belinda Rosenblum have managed to make important and highly sophisticated psychological concepts very, very accessible. From the get-go, they emphasize the importance of personal responsibility, going so far as to ask the reader to sign an agreement to further his or her commitment to a life that works. Ideas like the cost of comfort and the cost of inaction help the reader learn to analyze the cost/benefit ratio of any decision. The authors offer an abundance of user-friendly and effective tools for restructuring non-supportive beliefs into supportive ones, for recognizing and moving beyond non-self-responsible communication, and for expanding the tolerance of joy. Rich discussions and colorful examples illustrate the key concepts; the authors’ stance toward the reader is unwaveringly empathic and compassionate. While psychological and financial skills and strategies are an integral part of this book—while it is, as its title suggests, about the movement to net worth through self-worth—its most powerful contribution lies in its dogged focus on the cultivation of true wealth, those non-financial assets that invigorate and vitalize. To read more, click here.
Carrie Rattle is a Principal at BehavioralCents.com, a website for women focused on mind and money behaviors. She has worked in the financial services industry for 20+ years and hopes to inspire women to better prepare themselves for financial independence.