The Money Therapist: - A Woman's Guide to Creating a Healthy Financial Life - Marcia Brixey
The Money Therapist offers women of every financial strata the advice, tips, and solutions they need to get out of debt, create a budget, spend wisely, and save money.  Marcia's empowering, you-can-do-it attitude and helpful tools and resources encourage and inspire women to achieve financial fitness.  With information on organizing financial records, getting out of credit card debt, safeguarding against identity theft, and taking advantage of interest through automatic deductions, The Money Therapist is the first step to achieving financial peace of mind.

"Marcia Brixey spends all her time helping women get their financial houses in order -- from the basement, where debts and secrets eat away at the foundation, all the way to the solidly planned roof you want over your head on those rainy, money-challenged days.  In The Money Therapist, she guides readers step-by-step in organizing their money messes and offers them a wonderful blueprint for economic empowerment."
David Bach, author of Smart Women Finish Rich and Automatic Millionaire

"The Money Therapist is fabulous, engaging, and inspiring.  It's chock full of useful information.  I highly recommend it for every women who wishes to be in control of her money."
Barbara Stanny, author of Overcoming Underearning, Secrets of Six-Figure Women and Prince Charming Isn't Coming: How Women Get Smart About Money

"To ensure a healthy financial life, buy this book!  The Money Therapist speaks to women of all ages.  Read this book, take action, and you will be on your way to financial security.  It's a simple as that."
Candace Bahr and Ginita Wall, CPA, CFP
Co-founders of the Women's Institute for Financial Education

"This book provides a reasonable blueprint for working toward financial security.  It's just as helpful as anything personal finance superstar Suze Orman has churned out, and if you buy this book, you'll be supporting a local author."
Barbara Lloyd McMichael, the Bookmonger

Happy for No Reason - Marci Shimoff

Are you ready to live a life of prosperity and happiness?  If so, I recommend you begin by reading Happy for No Reason.

Marci Shimoff interviewed 100 people whom she refers to as the Happy 100. Their qualities included:

• Having a sense of lightness or buoyancy
• Feeling alive, vital, energetic
• Having a sense of flow, openness
• Feeling love and compassion for yourself and others
• Having passion about your life and purpose
• Feeling gratitude, forgiveness
• Being at peace with live
• Being full present in the moment

Happy for No Reason discusses the seven steps to being happy from the inside out.  Step 1 is Taking Ownership of Your Happiness.  Begin by ridding yourself of the happiness robbers – complaining, blaming and feeling shame.  Know that it's never too late to kick these robbers out of your life.  The three happiness habits for empowerment are (1) Focus on the solution, (2) Look for the lesson and the gift, and (3) Make peace with yourself. Want to know the other 6 Steps -- buy the book and start reading.

LifeMoxie! - Ambition on a Mission - 9 Strategies for Taking Life by the Horns - Ann Tardy
Do you want your life to have more meaning? - Are you ready to have more fun, enthusiasm and excitement? - If you answered YES, reading LifeMoxie is a must! - This book resonated with me and reaffirmed my life decisions, especially since I founded Money Wise Women. - One of my favorite passages is "Learning to say yes to adventures, opportunities, dreams and our life requires us to shift our focus from our fears to our goals."

Ann Tardy shares the strategies for creating moxie in your life starting with Beat the Alarm Clock. - You'll learn why it's important to acknowledge your successes; mute your naysayers and tune into your yeasayers. - Next, find out why you should say yes first and figure out the how later; fake it until you make it and make lemonades when life throws you lemons. - Learn how to get what you need and want by asking and be uncomfortable -- step outside your comfort zone. - Once you start on the LifeMoxie mission, there's no stopping you so don't forget to keep moving.

Think Again:  New Money Choices, Old Money Myths - Karen Ramsey
If you're looking for an easy-to-read and understand book about money myths, this is a must read!  I bought this book several years ago and read it in one sitting.  In the introduction Karen Ramsey says "We're so screwed up about money.  We think that it will solve all our troubles."  You'll learn about 21 money myths - both the emotional and practical issues relating to each issue.  If you have a difficult time saying no to your kids, you'll love the chapters on kids!  This is a great book!  Karen Ramsey developed the workshop "Caring for Your Soul in Matters of Money".

Nice Girls Don’t Get Rich:  75 Avoidable Mistakes Women Make With Money - Lois P. Frankel, Ph.D.
Lois Frankel tells us "Being rich is about having the ability to live your life abundantly - however you define abundance."  The mistakes women make include Setting Artificial Boundaries; Not Taking Care of Your Most Important Asset: You; Spending Money to save Money; and Not Taking Advantage of Compound Interest for Retirement.  Each mistake includes Coaching Tips for achieving success.  It’s a wonderful, easy-to-read book!

Overcoming Underearning:  Overcome Your Money Fears and Earn What You Deserve - Barbara Stanny
If you’re an underearner and ready to earn what you deserve, this is a must read!  The book is filled with stories of women who have struggled and succeeded with breaking through their earnings barrier.  It’s written much like a workbook -- providing you with exercises and goal setting.  The author leads you through the steps to achieve your goals while inspiring you with the stories of other women.

Secrets of Six-Figure Women:  Surprising Strategies to Up Your Earnings and Change Your Life - Barbara Stanny
A phenomenal book!  And a must read if you have a high tolerance for low pay, make a lousy negotiator, give your time and knowledge away for free, and live in financial chaos.  After reading the book I was inspired to think bigger – and motivated me to take “The Stretch -- “Dare to do what you think you cannot”.  I broke through to the next level professionally.  Barbara Stanny mentored me to reach the next level.  We’ve become good friends and work together to teach Overcoming Underearning workshops.

Prince Charming Isn’t Coming:  How Women Get Smart About Money - Barbara Stanny
Don’t you just love the title of this book?  And, haven’t we all expected Prince Charming to rescue sometime in our lives?  According to Barbara Stanny Prince Charming doesn’t have to be a man, it could be the lottery, an insurance settlement or even the perfect job.  Barbara weaves her personal story and stories of other women throughout the book.  If you’re ready to take control of your own financial future, you’ll find practical tips and guidance in this book.  And, you’ll know that you’re not the only woman with fears about money management and investing.

Smart Women Finish Rich - David Bach
I read this book in a couple of days.  I had never realized how important my personal values were in relationship to money.  But, as David Bach explains "your attitude about money are what define everything that matters about your personal financial situation: how much money you need, how hard you are willing to work for it, how you will feel when you finally get it."  The magic of compounding interest made me wish I had read this book when I was in my 20s.  The book is easy to read and provides the steps, tools and inspiration to achieve financial security.  It should be required reading for all college aged women!

The Finish Rich Workbook - David Bach
Another excellent, down-to-earth book by David Bach.  It teaches basic money management skills based on your personal values.  I liked the questionnaires found throughout the book because they made me “stop and think”.  The Time Value of Money Chart should be shown and explained to all high school student.  It graphically shows that if “Billy” invested $2,000 per year from age 14 to 19 at a 10% annual return he would have $1,184,600 at age 65. Now, that’s a WOW!  I wish someone had showed me this chart when I was 14.

The Automatic Millionaire - David Bach
I saw David Bach on Oprah and immediately bought and read this book.  The entire theme is to make everything you’re doing financially automatic.  We’ve all heard the saying "pay yourself first".  The best way to succeed in "paying yourself first" is to have automatic deductions from your paycheck for your 401(k).  Continue with automating your finances - have automatic deductions from your paycheck or bank account for your IRA’s, mutual funds, emergency savings accounts, etc.  You won’t be able to put this book down!

It's More Than Money, It's Your Life
- Candace Bahr & Ginita Wall
After reading that list I knew I had to read this book!  A great book to read if you’re just getting started!  There are quizzes and questionnaires throughout the book, which help you get to the root of your "money" issues.  There’s a Money Style Quiz, which helps you determine whether you’re a "Hoarder", "Avoider" or "Splurger".  The Money Wi$e Women™ Book Club read this book and howled in laughter as we shared our personal money style.  The book is upbeat, fun and a great book to read and discuss with your friends.

The 9 Steps to Financial Freedom - Suze Orman
This is the book that started me on my own personal journey to financial fitness.  It made me realize how important it was to put my financial house in order.  Especially the chapter on credit card debt.  Suze asks if you would go to a dinner party and tell a group of close acquaintances that you have $17,000 in credit card debt.  It made me stop and realize it was time to get rid of our credit card debt.  Using the steps provided, we took action and eliminated our credit card debt.  You’ll also find basic information on how to handle your money.  And, you’ll discover how your attitudes about money were shaped and develop new attitudes.  The only thing I didn’t agree with is Suze’s belief that you can do it alone without a financial advisor.  I’m not saying it’s a must to have a financial advisor, but I do believe a good financial advisor can be a mentor and educator.

Why Women Earn Less: How to Make What You're Really Worth - Mikelann Valterra
If you’re ready to dig down deep and understand why you’re not earning what you’re worth, this is a must read.  So many of our money beliefs are rooted deep in our history.  And, we don’t even realize it.  Women often give away their services and talents for less than they’re worth and often for free.  We’re caregivers – taking care of everyone, but ourselves.  This book will help you realize the importance of "earning what your worth".  It helps you explore your own history of underearning, teaches you skills to increase your earnings, helps you explore the relationship between debt, financial vagueness and underearning and learn how to negotiate for more money.

Think $ingle!  The Woman's Guide to Financial Security at Every Stage of Life - Janet Bodnar
Don’t let the title scare you away from reading this book!  Janet Bodnar explains it’s not about being single, it’s about thinking single.  She wants women to be confident in their ability to support themselves financially if necessary and comfortable with handling money.  You’ll learn how to deal with money when you’re single, married, divorced, widowed, etc.

Get Clark Smart - Clark Howard
Clark Howard has lots of great ideas and tips on money, cars, real estate, insurance and much more.  He includes tips at the end of each chapter.  Most people don’t want to think about dying, which is probably why approximately 70% of Americans don’t have a will.  I found the information and tips on funerals extremely helpful.  Clark’s tip is to "Join your local Memorial Society and make your funeral decisions yourself, ahead of time."  I checked it out and downloaded planning forms, which included a letter to my family, vital statistics, information for the funeral home and estate planning information.  The book was worth reading just for this tip alone!

Clark’s Big Book of Bargains - Clark Howard
Clark Howard is the host of The Clark Howard Show, which is a radio talk show syndicated on more than 150 stations nationwide.  Clark Howard prides himself on being frugal.  He tells the reader that he’s extra cheap when it comes to clothing and only recently bought a shirt that cost more than $10.  I don’t consider myself frugal, but like most women I like a good bargain.  Some of the ideas in this book didn’t appeal to me at all.  But, there were others I’m already using.  For example, using a search engine to find online coupons when I’m shopping online.  Just type "coupon code" in the search engine.  It worked like a charm.

What’s Next?  Women Redefining Their Dreams in the Prime of Life - Rena Pederson
I’ve read this book at least three times since it was recommended to me in 2002.  In fact, it reinforced my decision to take early retirement from my job and live my dream and passion to educate women on financial fitness.  Rena Pederson begins the book by telling the reader the importance of asking the right questions:

• "How do you learn to listen to that little voice inside of you?"
• "How to do you filter out the voices of well-meaning people who say "don’t’?"
• "How can you get away from the busy-ness and much-ness of life to find peace of mind?"
• "If you could add one accomplishment to your life, what would it be?"
• "How would you like to be remembered?"
• "How can you be sure of what you need to do?"

One passage that really resonated with me was "When we’re all dead and gone, nothing will matter, except the people we have touched in a positive way."  The book is full of inspirational and motivational passages and stories.  I met Rena Pederson for coffee while I was in Dallas in September 2004.  She’s an amazing woman, who is obviously passionate about empowering women.  I keep copies of this book on hand to give to friends.

Wake-Up Calls - Joan Lunden
I loved this book!  I’ve read it many, many times.  And, always have extra copies on hand to give to friends.  Joan Lunden begins by telling readers that she’s always been drawn to motivational and inspirational books because they give her guidance and challenge her to be better person and act on her dreams.  Exactly how I feel when I read something inspirational!  Joan weaves her story throughout the book and ties her lifetime experiences into quotes.  You’ll be motivated to set goals for yourself and move towards them.  I found the quote that inspired me to live my dream and passion in this book -- "Our purpose in life is to find our gift, perfect it and give it back to others."

The Four Agreements - Don Miguel Ruiz
My girlfriend, Sandie gave me this book for Christmas several years ago.  I didn’t read it right away, but, once I started reading it I couldn’t put it down.  Don Miguel Ruiz explains that we’ve learned to live our life trying to satisfy others and being ourselves is our biggest fear.  His four agreements are powerful:

1. "Be impeccable with your word."  We use the word to curse, blame, find guilt and destroy.  It’s often used to express anger, jealousy, envy and hate.
2. "Don't take anything personally."  Don't judge yourself by how others perceive you.  Whatever others do is because of themselves, not you.
3. "Don't make assumptions."  Making assumptions creates a lot of emotional chaos.  And, you can make problems in your relationships when you make assumptions.
4. "Always do your best."  Your best may vary from one moment to the next.  If you do your best, you’ll be productive and good to yourself and your family.

A powerful book that I’ve read over and over and over again!

If Life is a Game, These are the Rules
- Cherie Carter-Scott
How many times have you wondered, "Why is this happening to me?"  Cherie Carter-Scott shares "there are no mistakes in life, only lessons that are repeated".  It reminds me of Oprah’s believe that life gives us messages, first in whispers.  If you don’t listen, the whispers get louder, and it if you’re still not listening, you’ll get hit on the head by a brick.  Avoid the bricks by reading the rules in the game of life:

1. "You will receive one body."
2. "You will be presented with lessons."
3. "There are no mistakes, only lessons."
4. "A lesson is repeated until learned."
5. "Learning does not end."
6. "There is not better than ‘here’."
7. "Others are only mirrors of you."
8. "What you make of your life is up to you."
9. "All your answers lie inside of you."
10. "You will forget all of this at birth."

The ten steps provide a road map to help you on your journey to spiritual growth.  Because my life has been full of so many lessons, the chapter on rule #2 is my favorite.  It begins with "You are enrolled in a full-time informal school called ‘life’.  Each day in this school you will have the opportunity to learn lessons.  You may like the lessons or hate them, but you have designed them as part of your curriculum."  How profound and true!  I’ve read this book several times and learn something new each time.

Deep Breath of Life - Alan Cohen
This is the best daily inspiration book I've ever read!  I’ve been reading this book daily for more than four years.  It’s a delightful, thought provoking and uplifting book.  I often think the daily message was written just for me!  Alan Cohen includes a story, quote and affirmation with each daily message.  Another book I keep on hand to give to friends.  Take time for yourself -- spend a few minutes each day to read and reflect on the daily inspiration.

Pathways to Passion - JoAnn Contorno
I bought JoAnn’s book after hearing her speak at a Women’s Conference in Chicago August 2001.  Her presentation was inspirational, motivational, memorable and funny!  And, her book reinforced her presentation.  I love the chapter on Dreams, Goals and Realities.  JoAnn reminds us that:

• Goals are dreams with deadlines
• Dreams become goals when you decide to do the work to make them come true.
• Sharing your goals with supportive people can help you realize them.

If you’re ready to live your passion and achieve your goals, read this book!