Making the World a Better Place

The first selection for my History Book Club this school year was Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace…One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson. The book details Greg Mortenson’s years-long struggle to build schools in rural Pakistan and Afghanistan. His schools are meant especially to help educate girls in an area of the world where so many girls are illiterate.

The story is co-authored with a journalist (David Oliver Relin), and the book often reads like a narrative news story. Relin interviewed a vast number of Mortenson’s colleagues and its very interesting to hear their side of things and their take on different events in his life.

Overall, the book is fascinating and inspiring and makes me want to do something to make the world a better place. I would definitely suggest this book to anyone and everyone. Its awesome to read about a normal, everyday guy from Bozeman, Montana making a major difference in the world.

A-

The Total Money Makeover - Dave Ramsey (4 of 5 Cut Up Credit Cards)

I recently finished Dave Ramsey's The Total Money Makeover. I was impressed with his no-nonsense approach to personal finances. The core principles of his book are debt elimination and practical preparation for the future. Unlike many other financial advice books, he quotes scriptures from the Bible to support his principles.

For the first third of the book, he openly tells the reader all the things that they are doing wrong with their money. Essentially, in these chapters he argues that all debt is bad and should be avoided like the plague. At times, his tone was a little too much for me, but it did get the point across.

His relationship with the reader becomes a bit more cordial when he begins his basic steps to financial success. They are:

1 - "With gazelle-like intensity" build a liquid $1,000 emergency account.
2 - Eliminate all debt (except for the house), starting with the smallest balances.
3 - Build a 3-6 month savings account.
4 - Secure college funds for your children.
5 - Pay off the house.
6 - Seek to reach the financial "pinnacle point" in which your money makes more then you do.
7 - Enjoy the rest of your life playing (within moderation), investing, and giving to others.

In his conclusion, Dave Ramsey declares that money is only good for the three things listed in step number seven. The most important of these is giving to others. He teaches that by balancing our own finances, we can better help bless the lives of others.

I enjoyed the book. It was straightforward and practical. I liked the religious elements scattered throughout the book, but I felt it was a bit heavy-handed at times.

Thanks Carmen, for your initial review of this book. I think everyone should read it. If you like the book you should also visit his website www.daveramsey.com and check out his radio show which is also available in podcast form.