Killing Sacred Cows: Overcoming the Financial Myths That Are Destroying Your Property

There are books you read and you wonder how you could have lived without their wisdom prior to reading. They are the same ones that you wish you would have read sooner. For me, Killing Sacred Cows is definitely one of those rare books. The philosophies & perspectives in Killing Sacred Cows have completely changed me, my family and the direction we are taking our lives. It has challenged me to view every decision I make (financially, mentally, with my family, spiritually & physically) from a much different and better place. I was once told that the quality of your life is in direct correlation to the quality of the questions you ask yourself. Garrett's book challenges its reader to answer and ponder some of the most insightful questions I have ever come across. What I enjoyed most about the book was that I thought I was sitting down to read a book that was "only" about personal finance, which would normally bore me to tears. Instead I found that with each page came amazing insight and ideas for every aspect of my life, including my finances. The reason a book on finances challenged me to look at all aspects of my life is due to the fact that Garrett argues, which I believe to be his most powerful lesson, that finances and personal wealth are not beyond you as a being, but an extended realization of you. Under that assumption, the book challenges you, rather than the products you choose to invest. Now that I have completed the book, my mornings ritual is to utilize the book as a way to get my mind going in the most productive direction possible by reading small excerpts from each of the chapters.

I never really thought about my beliefs as "Sacred Cows." This book helped me to open my eyes and see many of my personal sacred cows that have been holding me back. I have read Rich Dad Poor Dad, and many other finance books. They have been very helpful, but I think that "Killing Sacred Cows" is one of the best. Garrett Gunderson is insightful, and shares many good examples. Seeing blindspots, myths, and Sacred Cows for what they are is important, and this book helped me to do just that.

I was raised in an upper middle class, entrepreneurial household. Financial and business topics were a regular dinner table topic. I went to a Top 20 business school. I ran a 250 person company. I started 3 successful companies. I was a pretty financially savvy guy. So I thought. What I learned in Killing Sacred Cows, and my subsequent research to confirm what I learned, "unlearned" 36 years of false financial programming. And my financial results since I read the book have been incredible. And I am living a happier, richer, and more financially prosperous life as a result of what I learned in Killing Sacred Cows. Killing Sacred Cows has been just as important to my Financial Awakening as Rich Dad, Poor Dad was. It's that good.

As a long time CFP (Certified Financial Planner) I was shocked & disbelieving with the sort of information that Garrett Gunderson lays out so well in his book, "Killing Sacred Cows". When you have spent over twenty years in the financial services world and a different or supposedly better approach to financial planning comes out I was and most advisor's are naturally very skeptical. The claims of the approach that Garrett advocates just seemed to me to be "too good to be true". After a great deal of rigorous research I have had to acknowledge that what Garrett says is actually very solid. The most upsetting thing for me as a CFP was the realization that so many of my clients have been misled by me using the standard financial planning approaches that most all of my fellow professionals also use or misuse. Garrett Gunderson has put this bigger picture (holistic) economics based approach into such a well written and totally solid book that is easy to read and more importantly it is easy for normal people to begin to see beyond the standard financial planning BS that is being taught to everyone. You can not help but be a much more wise and aware steward of your precious life resources (money, time, attention, energy...etc) by picking up a copy of Garrett's excellent book "Killing Sacred Cows" as soon as you can.

this book gives it to you straight. I was surprised by how insightful it is. It's full of explanations and practical advice about the world of personal finance that I've never read anywhere else. This is the kind of book that I'm sure a lot of financial institutions hope no one reads, because it clearly exposes popular investment/saving strategies that don't actually work. I wish I would have read this 10 years ago because it would have saved me a lot of time and money. Read it, and then have everyone you care about read it.