Rating: 
Summary: Excellent guide to living debt-free and accumulating wealth
Review: If you're sick and tired of living from paycheck to paycheck, Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace is an excellent guide of learning how to manage your money. Dave's teachings are Christian-based and emphasize learning to budget, getting and staying out of debt, bargain shopping, and ultimately accumulating enough wealth to retire with peace of mind.My wife and I first became aware of Dave's teachings through his syndicated radio program. Since we have been following his teachings, we have learned to live on less than we make and have managed to pay off over $12,000 of debt in only 8 months. I highly recommend this book for anyone who is struggling to keep their finances in order. I have also given several copies of this book as graduation and wedding presents.
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Summary: Unique Points -- Easy-to-read
Review: This is the best book I have ever seen on personal finance. It is easy to read and uses entertaining anecdotes to keep the reader interested. So much of the world of personal finance is dominated by people and institutions selling financial products. Ramsey calls for people to be cautious about financial products in favor of simply living on less than they earn and paying down debts. When a salesperson approaches us and says "May I help you?" we prepare ourselves to talk to someone who is trying to sell us something. With financial products, especially debt, people are often too eager to be sold. I think it's rare to hear this point of view because a lot of the information we get about personal finance flows from lending institutions. Think of this book as the other side of the story. This book gives hard-to-find advice about how to deal with financial emergencies. There's a whole other side to the unctuous, friendly-sounding credit card offers that are so common-- they lend money to people who cannot afford it. When people cannot pay, they sell the accounts to bill collectors who try to get people to put their obligations ahead of basic necessities by using lies, obscenities, threats, insults, and any other tricks they can think of. Where else do you read about this? As other reviews have pointed out, Ramsey has an abrasive personality and right-wing political views. I totally disagree with his right-wing values, but he doesn't spend enough time on them to detract from the valuable personal finance information. Another criticism is that Ramsey uses his "ministry" as an advertising vehicle for the very financial institutions he's criticizing. He claims that institutions that he endorses operate by his principles. I doubt, however, that he is picky about his endorsements, so follow Ramsey's advice from this book-- be skeptical about financial products, even ones he endorses on the radio. I highly recommend this book. It can be easily understood by someone without a high school education and no experience with money. It has advice aimed at helping such a person with financial problems. At the same time, it has equally valuable advice for someone with an advanced education and high-paying job. High-income people often feel pressure to live an affluent lifestyle at the expense of other priorities. This book is a good antidote to that pressure.
Rating: 
Summary: Knowledge without Action is Powerless!
Review: Dave Ramsey presents some very good information and IF most people appled it they could indeed create Financial Peace. The truth is as Dave says on page 271, "..Reading this book and obtaining knowledge is good, BUT IT IS NOT ENOUGH." Over 7 trillion dollars in consumer debt has families struggling with not only money but with time. They need a system that takes less than an hour a month, which is about all of the time and energy they have to break free. Dave certainly has the heart of his reader in mind when he wrote the book.
Rating:
Summary: Life changing advice, easy to understand
Review: This book and Dave Ramsey's radio show has changed our lives. It started with the radio show four years ago that motivated my husband and I to attack our debt (about $1k in credit card and $9k in student loan) and pay it off in 6 months. Then we sold our SUV that was costing us [money every] month so we're driving two older-model used cars. The only debt we have now is our home which we refinanced on a 15 year mortgage. We cut up all our credit cards and pay cash for everything - even $20k for a inground pool. We finally made a budget that works and using the envelope system have been able to stick to it. We have an emergency fund in the bank that would last us 6 months if we were both fired from our jobs. Best of all our marriage is better. NO more money fights! By working Dave's baby steps and having a budget that we developed together my husband and I find we have a much better marriage. We've since become coordinators for Dave's Financial Peace University through our church. Whether or not you believe in Dave's religious views, if you follow the baby steps outlined in this book, you will change your life. We are investing for retirement, saving for our kids college and have a secure financial future.
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Summary: WARNING! Only read if you are prepared to be debt free!
Review: This is by far, the best financial book on the market. In an easy to understand, common sense approach, Dave opened my eyes to the real world of financial peace. We have paid off all our debt, with the exception of our home, in 6 months, by following Dave's plan. This truly changed my life and gave me financial peace.
Rating:
Summary: Knowledge without Action is Powerless!
Review: Dave Ramsey presents some very good information and IF most people appled it they could indeed create Financial Peace. The truth is as Dave says on page 271, "..Reading this book and obtaining knowledge is good, BUT IT IS NOT ENOUGH." Over 7 trillion dollars in consumer debt has families struggling with not only money but with time. They need a system that takes less than an hour a month, which is about all of the time and energy they have to break free. Dave certainly has the heart of his reader in mind when he wrote the book.
Rating:
Summary: Change your life...now!
Review: This, in a nutshell, is a great book. That is a title that I do not give lightly but the reason that I do is that the principles in this book have the potential to change you life and the lives of your children. In a very easy to read and understand writing style, Dave Ramsey communicates how to win at the personal finance game. He teaches how to get out of debt and stay out. He teaches how to invest wisely for your future. And he teaches how to come up with a monthly financial and how to live it so that it works. I've tried for years to make a budget work for me but seemed to blow it every single attempt. Putting Dave's practical methods into practice, I've seen how a plan can put me in "control" of my money, instead of wondering every month "where did it go!" I would recommend this book to anyone that's serious about getting control of their lives. It is not for those looking for casual reading. Read only if you want to change your life.
Rating:
Summary: Life changing book
Review: My husband and I have gained so much from this book that we now give it as a wedding gift. Following Dave's plan we were able to eliminate all of our debt. As a result I can be the stay at home Mom. Dave has taught us how money works as well as useful information about insurance, credit cards, and investing. We now owe no one...but Dave Ramsey!
Rating:
Summary: Financial Peace
Review: This stuff works! As Dave says, his advice is the same things your grandma told you. The difference is, Dave takes the same common-sense principles and tells you how to put it into practice in a straight-forward, entertaining way.
Rating:
Summary: Stewardship
Review: Financial Peace by Dave Ramsey is a terrific tool to aid the reader in restoring financial hope. Ramsey is practical in explaining the importance of being a good steward over the resources that God has blessed us with. I was particularly moved by the "peace puppies" concept that he and his wife expressed at the end of every chapter. Financial Peace helps the reader to see the importance of avoiding traps such as "stuffitis" and directs the reader's attention to more pressing issues regarding financial stability. Ramsey expresses the principle of giving by the means of planting seeds into worthy causes. Financial Peace teaches us about sacrificing, living below our income and finding a natural gift for us to work at. I highly recommend this book for any and all who would like to restore financial rest to his or her life and to the lives of their family. God expects us to be good stewards of all resources and Dave Ramsey shows us how to do that with Financial Peace. This is an excellent read. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I am sure that many others will also. Kudos!
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