Rating: 
Summary: 12 people really like this book that much?
Review: I hadn't planned on writing a review, but the lack of criticism has motivated me to do so. There are basically two parts to this book. One part gives practical advice on money and investing. This part is useful but no more so than a dozen other guides to personal finance from people like Suze Orman or Peter Lynch. The other part of the book which distinguishes it from the others is the Buddhist, spiritual approach. Unfortunately Kinder is an accountant by training but only a self-proclaimed Buddhist teacher. His expertise in the former and his superficial understanding of the latter is painfully clear here. Kinder is critical of New Age ideas, but that's what he has turned Buddhism into in this book. This is bothersome enough, but couple that with incredibly purple prose and you get a book that is often either aggravating or laughable. In the end this book is a useful reminder to save and invest, and you can start that by not paying for this.
Rating: 
Summary: A profound book of knowledge, heart and financial planning
Review: I have never read such a profound book of knowledge, heart and the expression of the process of financial planning as the book "The Seven Stages Of Money Maturity" by George Kinder. It is a must, if you desire to understand the power of money dynamics in your life and your family's lives. Even as a financial planner of 17 years, I read this book in two days. I could not put it down until I had finished it. Kinder's ability to weave the sensitivity of people and their feelings with the processes of financial planning has created a great primer for the uninitiated as well as the professional.
Rating:
Summary: Far and away the most USEFUL book about money available.
Review: I have read most of the money books that are around and they have all been helpful to various degrees. But now there is a book available that takes money issues to a completely new level. Kinder's experience as a financial planner combined with his understanding of how the mind works from his work as a Buddhist practitioner and teacher has provided anyone with the opportunity to discover the real core of our money issues.If you have any issues around money, and most people I know do, read this book. You will find it entertaining, practical, and most important you will discover the REAL ISSUES that are keeping you from being at ease around money AND the tools to transform those issues.
Rating:
Summary: Highly Recommended!
Review: I highly recommend this book! George's book was extremely beneficial to me personally and as a financial planner. The book is very insightful and provides exercises that help guide you through the steps to financial freedom. It helped me reach a better understanding of my money beliefs and behaviors. Using the same exercises, I have been able to work much more effectively with my clients and at a much deeper level. I recommend The Seven Stage of Money Maturity to my clients as a valuable resource. This book is great for anyone who is excited about taking control of their personal situation around money.
Rating:
Summary: Read this book!
Review: I purchased a book about money and ended up growing as a person. I could not put this book down! The exercises will bring back memories and give you those "Aha!" moments.
George Kinder writes in a way that keeps you captivated.
I highly recommend this book for anyone.
Rating: 
Summary: A Major Disappointment
Review: I really, really, REALLY wanted to love this book; unfortunately, it's long on practical advice (all of which can be found in other financial self-help books), and very short on Buddhist insight about money.
I was hoping for practical advice on how to invest with environmentally-friendly companies, focusing on organic growers, or tips on finding responsible eco-business to support. No help there.
I was also hoping for some deep insight on circumventing investing with companies that exploit child labor. The best the author can do is to turn a blind eye to such questionable corporations, and suggest that, in essence, since we don't really know for sure what the corporations are doing, go ahead and invest in them (in so many words). Another disappointment.
Finally, I'd like to know where the Buddhist insights are. Instead of a profound book that offers a radical approach to money, we are given a run-of-the-mill financial book with New Age window-dressing that embraces pop psychology. I don't mean to sound rude, but I was quite disappointed with this.
Rating:
Summary: Right On the Money!
Review: It is said (and perhaps even quoted in THE SEVEN STAGES) that, when a pickpocket looks at a Saint, all that he sees are his pockets. What this book made me realize is that, when a Saint looks back at the pickpocket, all the Saint sees is another Saint waiting to emerge. Kinder's masterwork is clearly the result of the deepest kind of personal transformation, and, as must always be the case with such things, his victory is a victory for us all. Make no mistake --- the Seven Stages are truly guideposts to Sainthood, and VERY few people have attained the higher rungs of "vision" and "aloha". Do any of YOUR acquaintences have the instinctive generosity of St. Francis? I, for one, would be happy to move completely off the bottom two rungs of "innocence" and "pain", even though I am an expert in financial risk management (My risk expertise does qualify me to say that Kinder's practical advice is also right on the money --- literally!).
Rating:
Summary: The 7 Stages is a must read.Extremely insightful.
Review: Kinder's command of the human experience modeled(and applied) through his thoughtfully designed 7 stages of money maturity(as a teaching gem) is the most insightful and useful tool I have experienced in gaining clarity around my issues of money.This has made it possible for me as a planner to
effectively assist my clients in pursuit of their dream of freedom.More importantly, it has made it possible for ME to dream too.
This one is not to be missed!
Rating:
Summary: Zen of Money! Right brain stuff for left brain people!
Review: Learn how your views and beliefs around money were formed years ago but influence most of your actions related to non-money issues. You'll get an aha in the first 10 pages. You'll think about money in the same way after reading this book.
Rating:
Summary: An Integrative Model for Navigating Personal Finances
Review: My experience of George Kinder's breakthrough book, The Seven Stages of Money Maturity, has been life changing. As a financial planner I was first drawn to reading it out of professional curiosity and to learn something about the emerging "Life Planning" movement within financial services. What I discovered was the most comprehensive understanding about how our relationship with money forms, and what throws us out of balance with money, that I had encountered. As the book progresses through the Seven Stages, what emerges is a clear and specific model that leads one out of confusion, fear, distortion, or insecurity about money and personal resources. The process progresses towards a healthy, vigorous state that supports appropriate choices and strategies that allow one to financially organize the life that is genuine and congruent with whom an individual is, the values that matter, and the activities one wants to be engaged with. There are numerous case histories that illustrate the unfolding stages, including the obstacles that had to be addressed and the layers of change that occurred. One of the outcomes from the study of the Seven Stages is that I now have a much more expanded vocabulary and conceptual framework for describing and communicating with myself and with clients about subtle issues concerning money. Money and finances are tough subjects for many people to talk about - there are still many taboos in our culture about open and frank discussions of money. As my clients read The Seven Stages of Money Maturity and begin working through some of the basic exercises Kinder has designed, a new capacity for clear and direct conversations emerges. I watch as embarrassment, denial, and anxiety lessen, while enthusiasm, engagement, and exploration increase. Defining one's real goals, implementing new strategies, and tracking the progress over time have increased the sense of empowerment and possibility in my clients, and for me as their advisor. My recommendation is that anyone who has an interest in having a healthy, functional relationship with their financial and personal resources would benefit from reading this book and going through each exercise honestly and thoughtfully. It will have an impact, and may bring awareness to habits, patterns of thought, and personal beliefs that are no longer helpful or useful in our adult development and growth. In addition, I found The Seven Stages of Money Maturity to be beautifully written and insightful as a text about being human and the challenges of everyday life.
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