Rating: 
Summary: Very Provocative Book
Review: This book makes you think about your spending and working habits in a different way and is among the most thought-provoking books I have come across this year.As others have noted, there are weaknesses in trying to follow slavishly the "program" outlined in the book, including: (i) the authors' insistence that the program be followed exactly; (ii) the supposition that inflation can be neutralized through careful spending; (iii) the precise tracking and charting of expenses and income required; and (iv) and the authors' investment advice to use only US Tresuries, regardless of the length of your remaining life. On balance, however, the book is quite adept at getting you to think about your relationship with money and possessions. What also is refreshing is the authors' noting that each person defines what is "enough" for them. There is no insistence that a particular lifestyle is preferred, and relatively little of the "earth worship" that can sometimes invade other voluntary simplicity/simple living books. I highly recommend that you at least check this book out at the library - after I read and re-read it, I ended up buying a copy for my permanent collection, even though I am not following the "program" spelled out in the book. It has enough interesting ideas even for those who aren't looking for a complete "unified field theory" for managing their lives.
Rating: 
Summary: Sound Advice for Living and Spending
Review: This is a most dynamic piece of work. Not only does it give sound advice on money management and priority organization, but it also reminds individuals of how important it is to take time and reflect on where they have been and where they want to go. The portion concerning investments and bonds was, however, overemphasized. Though I earn money in savings, it would take a very long time and a lot of luck for me to obtain a yearly interest income that would equal that of a full-time job. If I were to follow this book to the letter, I would definitely benefit monetarily, but I do not think that I would achieve the kind of financial independence that is described. But perhaps anything is possible. Nevertheless, it is one of the most outstanding works I have read on human nature. I praise the concrete examples it has given on how we can repair our finances and to become more conscious of our spending habits (many of which if we think about will come to realize that our fiscal disparities are mostly created by our lack of focus and good judgment). The sections about how Westerners have lived before, during and after the Industrial Revolution were very well-presented. I found it quite noteworthy that it is because of our human nature in this part of the world that we have allowed high standards of living to breed even higher standards and that this pattern has been destructive economically, environmentally and socially, as well-depicted by Dominguez and Robin. All in all, I give the book 5 stars, because it provides a whole new way of looking at our world and ourselves. Perhaps the most stark question I have asked myself during and after reading this bestseller is: Do I want to reorganize and restructure both my finances and my time to provide myself opportunities to be the kind of person I want to, or am I doomed to spend too large a portion of the most healthy and productive years of my existence doing someone else's agendas on someone else's terms?
Rating:
Summary: Wow! Different, yet right on!
Review: Helloooo! Are you killing yourself trying to live up to your unrealistic monetary expectations?? Do you really think you can buy your happiness? Do you find yourself being rather uncreative and thus buy all your solutions? Are you constantly cleaning out stuff, having garage sales regularly? Do you live paycheck to paycheck? Then this book can help you change your RELATIONSHIP to money. Very strange, very different, very powerful. Wonderful, refreshing, enlightening, practical. Yes, I agree that the investment idea can be more flexible (i.e. maybe mutual funds to within 5 years of Financian Independence and then switch to bonds, etc. etc.) However, you can work that out with a simple financial plan. The main thrust of this book is to help you see value in SPENDING LESS AND ENJOYING LIFE MORE. If you don't know what you would do with your time if you didn't work for pay, try books like Zelinski's "The Joy of NOT Working" so that you can create or rediscover dreams and GET A LIFE! Life-changing. No, you do not have to be a fanatical granola to benefit from the ideas in this book (although granolas can be good!). Maybe you feel you can comfortably live on no less than say $50,000 a year after taxes. That's fine. The key is attitude about consumption, spending habits, having more than "enough", the law of decreasing enjoyment, and constant "inflation" of wants--of never having "enough." You can think it out, but read this book first.
Rating:
Summary: Want financial independence & a meaningful life? Read this!
Review: This book will transform the way you view both your money and your life. Based on their own experiences, Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin developed a nine-step program that encourages people to analyze how they spend their money and their life energy. They contend that most Americans are "making a dying," not a living -- working their lives away to buy things that aren't really satisfying. To break this self-defeating cycle, they offer a "new road map" toward financial independence, one based on getting out of debt, relishing the pleasures of frugality, and finding work that is truly fulfilling. It's a journey that can change your life.
Rating:
Summary: great overall advice in cutting spending
Review: This is a great book!!! I read it twice and you can learn of different phases of money. It'll show you to focus in what's important in life. On investments is not the best guide, but it gives good overall advices. If you don't want to spend the money, get it from your public library.
Rating:
Summary: It transformed my life.
Review: The single most significant advice I've ever received.
Rating:
Summary: A good place to convey the real cost of money to teenagers.
Review: I have been using many of the principles in the book for years and read the book to 'help back up my thinking'. Then I handed the book to my wife who is deeply in debt (I am out of debt). She is yet to read it but I am hopeful that at least some of it will 'sink in' and she will change her course. You just can't make ends meet by spending $2.00 for a dollar sandwich (interest). The book is well worth reading and learning from, even if you don't do all the steps it asks you to. Live your life to your OWN satisfaction and leave the JONES alone. There are a lot of JONES' who are bankrupt. Spend money with NEED and VALUE in mind. Let the others mind their own business. It was a shame that Joe Dominguez died recently. He did live a GOOD life by helping others who needed help and were also willing to listen to his advice. A person must be willing to listen AND learn from the examples of others.
Rating: 
Summary: Good on saving money; bad on investing it
Review: The advice on clipping coupons is flawed: generally only expensive major brands offer coupons (discounting the price). Even without coupons, generic brands are cheaper and generally offer comparable quality. Even so, this is a good book for people who need to learn how to stop spending more money than they need to. The author's claim that inflation does not exist is much more problematical. Even not counting services, most experts insist that inflation is still around. And anyway, if you can put up with short-term market drops, in the long term, stocks offer much better returns than bonds. If you belive in saving & investing, check out "The Millionaire Next Door".
Rating:
Summary: Excellent reference for prioritizing the things in our lives
Review: This book is a must read. It has had a profound impact on my life as I now live a debt-free life with positive net worth. Although I continue to move toward my long-term goals, I feel so free compared to my past debt-ridden life. It's a great book that deals with the whole (your life) rather than just personal finances.
Rating:
Summary: Good but preachy
Review: Everybody should read this book, but take things with a pinch of salt. The authors make a big deal about the necessity to follow every step to the letter (or cent) to make improvements. I've followed about a third and still made big inroads into my mortgage, and manged to save a lot. I think it's best (as with most things) to read and make your own assessments before jumping in. And, can anyone tell me what coupon clipping is? Perhaps a future edition could have footnotes for non-American readers?
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