Chapters 5 and 6 are good. ( )

Although the first part of the book purports to help us analyze what we really need to be happy, this is NOT about having a sustainable lifestyle, or about ensuring there is a clean earth for our grandchildren, but about making investments that will allow us to be as greedy as we want. It seems to be geared toward a Yuppie lifestyle, e.g. instead of building a second vacation home, which will lose it’s appeal as our children grow up, we might be better off taking our family on a European vacation for a fraction of the cost. His advice to parents whose children are suffering emotional damage from peer teasing about their lack of the latest fashions or technology? Does he advise working with schools to develop anti-bullying or social awareness curriculum? No, he seems to say if you put your kids in a preppie school you should follow up with all the accoutrements they need to thrive there.
The first half of the book is a mishmash of various psychological theories and research, some of which have questionable relevance to his text, such as linking traffic accidents to research that shows our brains don’t interpret distant objects as dangerous because when our brains were developing as proto-humans nothing moved as fast as cars do now. Huh?
He uses Maslow’s hierarchy of needs to show that, once we have our basic survival needs met, we will get most pleasure from being altruistic, like Bill Gates and Warren Buffett (Buffett gets used frequently as a model throughout the book). And what do we need to be altruistic? Money, of course.
As an investment advisor, you can trust him (wink, wink) and the advice he gives in the second half. The astute reader might catch the “Truth in Investment” caveat hidden in all the upbeat promises: “Without it the Investment Prize, the system would collapse”. His role—for his own job security and personal financial security—is to ensure every reader has confidence in the stock market, despite all its ups and downs, and enough self-doubt that we will hire an investment advisor to help us choose Quality and Value.
His investment advice boils down to choosing Quality and Value and then waiting. He never explains how to judge Q and V (which we should leave to our investment advisor), tho he goes at length to describe the effects of timing of investments, and elaborating on how large our Investment Prize will be because of compounding. He –and every other investing book--neglects to tell us that all this investment gain is just on paper. If we want to use any of that increased value, such as for our retirement, we’ll have to sell our stock. Will our retirement needs match with an upswing in the stock market? What will happen when all the baby boomers are trying to cash in their stocks at the same time? But, hey, don’t believe me. I’m not an investment advisor. Besides, I’ve got my own 401(k) I’ll want to cash in soon. You really need to get out there and Invest In Our Country. ( )

Now more than ever, most people are looking to stretch their budget and make every dollar count. In these times where the economy is unstable at best and inflation runs rampant, it has become essential to reevaluate current living expenses, honestly explore standards, and plan for the expected costs in the future. But how are you to know how much is enough? Financial gurus and authors Arun Abey and Andrew Ford offer their aptly named book to answer that very question.

“How Much Is Enough? Making Financial Decisions That Create Wealth and Well-Being” is a well-rounded guide to short and long term financial planning. While asking the tough questions, they force their readers to take a good, hard look at the concept of ‘money’ – the psychology and resultant behaviors behind the power we give it – and why we may not be where we think we should be. Abey and Ford present some extremely profound information and I found the application to my own situation to be both surprising and eye-opening!

“How Much Is Enough?” will completely alter your view of ‘money’ and ‘wealth’ while informing you to what is possible with some effort. The authors utilize the examples of successful individuals such as Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, and Steve Jobs to create a foundation for their information while motivating the reader to think of more than just ‘income creation’. Instead, they promote a ‘give to receive’ approach – giving back to further global growth and heighten personal satisfaction. “How Much Is Enough?” provides a truly holistic method towards financial stability and ultimately, real happiness.

Normally when I review books, I ensure any recommends I give are directed to only those interested in the basic genre(s) it fits within; very rarely do I read a book I think everyone should read. But in this case, I cannot think of a person or group that shouldn’t read this book! We live in a society in constant need of more cash and more toys while never finding that feeling of satisfaction in attaining ‘success’; even lottery winners have not found the happiness they expected in their winnings. Authors Arun Abey and Andrew Ford help find balance, modify money attitudes, and alleviate the stress in future financial planning. By far, “How Much Is Enough? Making Financial Decisions That Create Wealth and Well-Being” is the most enlightening book I’ve read all year – an absolute must read!

--Reviewed by Vicki Landes, author of “Europe for the Senses – A Photographic Journal” ( )