Good Debt, Bad Debt: Knowing the Difference Can Save Your Financial Life

This is an excellent book on how to understand your money and what the difference is between good and bad debt. If you can understand what's in this book it will change your financial thinking and position. I have given it as a gift to every friend and relative that will read it and I highly recommend it to you.

What a great book. You will love the authors connection through his creative and easy to understand language. You get the feel throughout that the author doesnt try to impress you but rather provide honest advice based on both experience and research. No doubt, hands down the best and most enjoyable financial book available. The value of this book over a lifetime is immeasurable. Thank you.

I picked this book up at the library and did take my time over it (renewed once) but that is after reading the first few main chapters. Ane reading other stuff inbetween. It IS easy to become more financially set. To save money, live with a reasonably priced car and house (below your "means") and bank the differences. Short term deferment results in long term gain, don't keep up with the Joneses. Timeless quotes are given from experts through history. Humor makes this a good read. Basic math classes in our public schools would do us a world of good if they just taught these basic concepts!!! But it took me to age 40 (like the author) to learn this. Do I really need all this junk in my life? Definitely a good graduation present for any young person -- if they read it. I know in my head that putting a little away each pay will add up, but it is that immediate gratification that can ruin such a plan. Any intelligent person will see the basic, logical reasoning given here. I hope people can be persuaded to put it into practice. Yes, you can cut up your credit cards, or at least pay them off monthly. Thank you for a great book! P.S. Buying this on the gooddebt website will give a donation to childrens' autism research.

First of all I don't own this book. I just skimmed through it today at a brick and mortar store. I was very pleased to see some one had written down many of life's lessons that I've been learning the hard way. I make $35k a year and feel like a slave. And that I am, a slave to my past spending habits. Fortunately I am only 29. Despite the fact that I've already learned the hard way many of the lessons in this book, I still really enjoyed it as it confirmed many of the observations I've made about where my spending habits came from and the criticisms/cynicisms that I've formed of the advertising industry and our consumer culture in general. He uses great imagery, a rare and invaluable talent. Yes, we are very much like cows being milked for all we're worth by greedy executives. However we are not really cows, so we have a choice of whether to be milked or not. I only regret that the author did not realize these insights 10 years ago (before I had entered the job market). But such is life! There is a lot in here that is central to the pursuit of hapiness, which I gather many people, like me, have backwards. I am defintely one of the people whom he identifies in the book whose possesions own the person instead of the other way around. Perhaps it is a little too revealing as I put it back on the shelf after skimming it, knowing that it would still be there whenever I decide I want to part with some cash to give it a permanent space on my own personal bookshelf. (I say that toungue in cheek)

Bought Jon's book on Friday and read it this weekend, cover to cover. What a gift he has! I absolutely loved it. I only wish this book had come out years ago. There are so many concepts that I am going to put into practice to better my financial position. I'm going to buy two more copies: one for my daughter and one for her fiance (since they're not in the same town right now) with the instructions to read it from cover to cover and then talk . . . alot. I don't want them making the same financial mistakes I made and already I see that happening. Part of the "me now, right now" generation!