The True Cost of Happiness: The Real Story Behind Managing Your Money

Stacey Tisdale and Paula Kennedy have really made me aware of "The True Cost of Happiness" in a way I did not expect. I was startled to learn that the problem I had with finances had very little to do with money! It's really about attitude, self-esteem, and accepting life on life's terms. I found it a challenging, enlightening, and encouraging read. It is a mirror that anyone, if they are brave enough to be honest, can see how they got to be in their present relationship with money. I discovered that in my early life, money had been using me instead of the other way around. This book caused to me think about how my personality controlled the way I related to money, and money had nothing to do with that. I found that, in reality, the book was reading me very well. However, it let me know that anyone, including me, can change no matter where we are today. This book requires rigorous honesty to be effective enough to cultivate this positive change in how we view money, which is, after all, just a medium of exchange. I think students at a very young age should be made aware of this book so that they can become exposed to the fact that it is their attitude about money that will determine whether they live richly, or poorly. It is liberating to know that a change of thinking can create a better way of living by putting money in its proper place. Richard Fewell

Tisdale delivers a panaramic view of one's finacial landscape and offers rock-solid advice to make that landscape a more hospitable -- and less scary -- place. Unlike other personal finance guidance we routinely encounter, she offers common-sense and doable steps without being preachy and judgemental. Most important, Tisdale respects her readers. This book casts light on "wholististic" financial planning, and the many bits of advice from experts in a host of fields help make it a must for anybody who feels they're losing control of their finances -- and for those who are looking for further areas of improvement. Most highly recommended.