Rich Dad, Poor Dad
by Robert T. Kiyosaki with Sharon L. Lechter C.P.A.
I've had this book on my shelf for at least four years since someone at NAF gave it to me, but I just read it yesterday. It only took a few hours and I'd say it was worth the time. I think I can sum it up for you, though:
1. Rich people don't depend on paychecks to get (or stay) rich. Before you even get your paycheck 1/3 to 1/2 is gone (taxes). The more you work and earn, the more you pay in taxes. Jobs mean you're working for someone else first, then the government second.
2. Pay yourself first. Don't buy a lot of doodads (like golf clubs, big screen TVs, cars, boats, etc) and then try to save what's left. The easiest way to do this is to invest in a 401K or some similar plan through your employer. According to the authors, if you start early enough, you might be able to save enough for a comfortable retirement, but you're not going to get rich.
3. Instead, the rich pay themselves first and use that money to purchase assets that will generate income (real estate, stocks, bonds, businesses, whatever). A house is not an asset. A house is a liability. You spend money on a house every month. (I liked this - it made me feel a lot better about not owning a house yet.)
4. Eventually, if you keep investing well, your investments will shelter you from government taxes. (Create a corporation you can spend the money on legal expenses and only pay taxes on what's left, not like income from a paycheck which is taxed first and then you can spend what's left.)
5. Also, you will be able to "retire" and live off the income generated by your assets - a paycheck without a job. Then you're rich.
Mr. Kiyosaki admits in the book that he's not a writer. His co-author is an accountant, also not a writer. The lack of a real author or a good editor was apparent in the book. Parts of it are repetitive, which I found annoying. But it's short and simple to read. I don't think Josh and I are going to run out and take a real estate seminar (which is how Mr. Kiyosaki started his fortune; apparently you really can buy a chocolate factory with no money down), but I'd like to make some changes in our saving and investment strategies.
Mostly the authors want to emphasize the importance of financial literacy. They aren't any real get rich quick schemes. You have to learn how to invest, and then invest. Good luck.
Sunday, February 12, 2006
The Way We Never Were
Huck's Raft: A History of American Childhood
by Steven Mintz
This is a long but interesting book that covers the experiences of children in America from Puritans and Colonial periods through the present. I was very impressed with it right up until we reached more modern times. I first checked the notes when I read broad generalizations about how divorce doesn't really hurt children as much as people feared and found (instead of supporting evidence) references to studies that did find dramatic effects into adulthood. It made me wonder then about some of Mr. Mintz's scholarship for the earlier chapters, though not enough to go back and check all the previous notes.
I gleaned a few overall points from the book. First and foremost, the way people remember childhood and the way we view childhood in past generations always leaves out the roughest lives. So Americans remember a childhood that never really existed. Childhood today is usually much better than for the majority of children in any given time in the past. (One difference for the worse seems to be an increasing proportion of children living below the poverty line, though the effects of poverty can be mitigated with some programs available today.)
Secondly is his belief that adults today view childhood and youth with ambivalence and therefore create greater stress and confusion for young people. The young are protected from "real life" in a world created for them (schools segregated by age, organized activities organized by age, lack of employment because of child labor laws, the need for advanced degrees before entering the work force) and yet are exposed more than ever to the harsh realities of life through TV, increased stress in schools with mandatory testing and the race to get into the "best" schools (from preschool to college), youth culture and consumerism. "The result is a deepening contradiction between the child as a dependent juvenile and the child as incipient adult."
Personally, as a woman of child-bearing age, I'm glad to live when I do. He calculates a Puritan woman's "lifetime chance of dying from childbirth ran as high as one in eight." Yikes. Also, throughout history, the mortality rate for children was enormous. Our children are much more likely to live to adulthood.
I do agree that children are separated too much from adults and other mentors. Extended families are spread throughout the country so aunts, uncles and grandparents are not as involved. Even interaction with adults in the community is curtailed, partly by the fact of school taking up so much time and also from parental fears (not entirely unjustified) of letting children roam around town with other adults.
I also think young people are not allowed to take on responsibilities as they grow older. I'm not suggesting I'd like to return to a time of child labor or that we'll need Caleb to contribute to the family welfare by working on the farm, but a 16 year old boy should be developing a sense of maturity and responsibility in some way besides getting good grades and not crashing the car. I know I didn't have much responsibility at that age - not even cooking dinner once a week. I survived, of course, but I think there could be great benefit in asking young people to contribute to family and society with activities appropriate for the age.
Luckily, we have some time to figure that out for our own kids.
by Steven Mintz
This is a long but interesting book that covers the experiences of children in America from Puritans and Colonial periods through the present. I was very impressed with it right up until we reached more modern times. I first checked the notes when I read broad generalizations about how divorce doesn't really hurt children as much as people feared and found (instead of supporting evidence) references to studies that did find dramatic effects into adulthood. It made me wonder then about some of Mr. Mintz's scholarship for the earlier chapters, though not enough to go back and check all the previous notes.
I gleaned a few overall points from the book. First and foremost, the way people remember childhood and the way we view childhood in past generations always leaves out the roughest lives. So Americans remember a childhood that never really existed. Childhood today is usually much better than for the majority of children in any given time in the past. (One difference for the worse seems to be an increasing proportion of children living below the poverty line, though the effects of poverty can be mitigated with some programs available today.)
Secondly is his belief that adults today view childhood and youth with ambivalence and therefore create greater stress and confusion for young people. The young are protected from "real life" in a world created for them (schools segregated by age, organized activities organized by age, lack of employment because of child labor laws, the need for advanced degrees before entering the work force) and yet are exposed more than ever to the harsh realities of life through TV, increased stress in schools with mandatory testing and the race to get into the "best" schools (from preschool to college), youth culture and consumerism. "The result is a deepening contradiction between the child as a dependent juvenile and the child as incipient adult."
Personally, as a woman of child-bearing age, I'm glad to live when I do. He calculates a Puritan woman's "lifetime chance of dying from childbirth ran as high as one in eight." Yikes. Also, throughout history, the mortality rate for children was enormous. Our children are much more likely to live to adulthood.
I do agree that children are separated too much from adults and other mentors. Extended families are spread throughout the country so aunts, uncles and grandparents are not as involved. Even interaction with adults in the community is curtailed, partly by the fact of school taking up so much time and also from parental fears (not entirely unjustified) of letting children roam around town with other adults.
I also think young people are not allowed to take on responsibilities as they grow older. I'm not suggesting I'd like to return to a time of child labor or that we'll need Caleb to contribute to the family welfare by working on the farm, but a 16 year old boy should be developing a sense of maturity and responsibility in some way besides getting good grades and not crashing the car. I know I didn't have much responsibility at that age - not even cooking dinner once a week. I survived, of course, but I think there could be great benefit in asking young people to contribute to family and society with activities appropriate for the age.
Luckily, we have some time to figure that out for our own kids.
Friday, January 20, 2006
One of My Favorite Authors
A Thread of Grace
by Mary Doria Russell
I've been planning to read this book since it was first published because Mary Doria Russell is one of my favorite authors, even though she'd only written two books. This one is very different from the first two, though just as well-written. Set in Italy during the Nazi occupation (after surrender to the Allies), the novel explores the lives of fictional characters during the turbulent times. In a life-like way, we have no way of knowing if the characters make the "right" decisions for themselves, their families, or the people they are trying to save. I have to admit, I found the book distressing, but that's because it was so real to me. Those were dark days, even for the ones who strove always to keep light alive.
Now, her previous two books are amazing and I highly recommend them: The Sparrow and Children of God. I won't say much about the second book because it's all such a surprise, but I will say that the story is truly incomplete without it. Do not neglect it after reading The Sparrow. In the first of these books, Ms. Russell describes a realistic account of a Jesuit expedition to a new planet, populated with intelligent alien life. Right from the beginning, the reader knows all did not go well, but perhaps some good does come of it...That's the question, of course. (And those of you paying attention earlier might guess that the answer we learn in the first book is only partially true.)
I'm a science fiction fan, and these two books bring science and God together in a lovely and challenging dance. So many science fiction books about intelligent alien life discount God, but what if God has guided intelligent life on more than just Earth? What might our meeting be like? Read these books even if you don't usually indulge yourself with science fiction.
Special thanks to Bill who first introduced me to The Sparrow, just in time for me to read Children of God during those first few weeks of Caleb's life when it was my turn for the midnight to 4 am stint on the couch.
by Mary Doria Russell
I've been planning to read this book since it was first published because Mary Doria Russell is one of my favorite authors, even though she'd only written two books. This one is very different from the first two, though just as well-written. Set in Italy during the Nazi occupation (after surrender to the Allies), the novel explores the lives of fictional characters during the turbulent times. In a life-like way, we have no way of knowing if the characters make the "right" decisions for themselves, their families, or the people they are trying to save. I have to admit, I found the book distressing, but that's because it was so real to me. Those were dark days, even for the ones who strove always to keep light alive.
Now, her previous two books are amazing and I highly recommend them: The Sparrow and Children of God. I won't say much about the second book because it's all such a surprise, but I will say that the story is truly incomplete without it. Do not neglect it after reading The Sparrow. In the first of these books, Ms. Russell describes a realistic account of a Jesuit expedition to a new planet, populated with intelligent alien life. Right from the beginning, the reader knows all did not go well, but perhaps some good does come of it...That's the question, of course. (And those of you paying attention earlier might guess that the answer we learn in the first book is only partially true.)
I'm a science fiction fan, and these two books bring science and God together in a lovely and challenging dance. So many science fiction books about intelligent alien life discount God, but what if God has guided intelligent life on more than just Earth? What might our meeting be like? Read these books even if you don't usually indulge yourself with science fiction.
Special thanks to Bill who first introduced me to The Sparrow, just in time for me to read Children of God during those first few weeks of Caleb's life when it was my turn for the midnight to 4 am stint on the couch.
Monday, January 16, 2006
A New Revolution
A Return to Modesty: Discovering the Lost Virtue
by Wendy Shalit
It's easier to propose this book as a married woman and as a devout Catholic than if I'd suggested it 10 years ago (unlikely as that would be since it was published in 1999), but I hope you don't discount it for that reason. This book is an insightful look at society today and how its standards for sex education and sex itself damage the very souls of women and girls. Essentially, she says that men and women are different, biologically and psychologically, in the way we view sex and its meanings. Modesty, particularly in women, is the natural, innate female response to that difference, and our culture has been battling it (partly unsuccessfully) since the 1960s.
You can read some excellent reviews of the book by clicking on the link above or by going to Eighth Day Books (where Josh first learned of it).
Instead, I'll quote a few sentencess from the book I found memorable.
Now, I'm not sure I agree with all of her assertions. It seems to me that there are other causes to the struggles of young women (anorexia, cutting, rape, stalking, etc.) than just a lack of modesty. I do think, however, she makes a strong case for a better world for our daughters, and ourselves, with a return to modesty. There's also a good chance Josh and I will decide to pull our kids out of sex education when the time comes (even if they are in Catholic schools).
And don't forget to read the appendix. Trust me; some real gems only appear there.
by Wendy Shalit
It's easier to propose this book as a married woman and as a devout Catholic than if I'd suggested it 10 years ago (unlikely as that would be since it was published in 1999), but I hope you don't discount it for that reason. This book is an insightful look at society today and how its standards for sex education and sex itself damage the very souls of women and girls. Essentially, she says that men and women are different, biologically and psychologically, in the way we view sex and its meanings. Modesty, particularly in women, is the natural, innate female response to that difference, and our culture has been battling it (partly unsuccessfully) since the 1960s.
You can read some excellent reviews of the book by clicking on the link above or by going to Eighth Day Books (where Josh first learned of it).
Instead, I'll quote a few sentencess from the book I found memorable.
Women had a special vlunerability in the past, we are told, only because there was a risk of pregnancy. Now that we have the Pill, all vulnerability is abolished. But we seem to be learning that there is more to sexual vlunterability that the risk of pregnancy. (page 91)
Modesty is a reflex, arising naturally to help a woman protect her hopes and guide their fulfillment--specifically, this hope for one man. (page 94)
At least when there is a risk of pregnancy, there is a physical corollary to the emotional risk--so you are careful. And because the women had to be careful, the men were careful too. Our bodies naturally protected our hearts....I'm talking about the young woman who hopes for marriage and is essentially waiting for "the right guy"; I think for her the Pill is seductive and, I would go as far as to say, dangerous, holding out the promise of sex without consequences, and without any "irregularities." (pages 207-208)
Now, I'm not sure I agree with all of her assertions. It seems to me that there are other causes to the struggles of young women (anorexia, cutting, rape, stalking, etc.) than just a lack of modesty. I do think, however, she makes a strong case for a better world for our daughters, and ourselves, with a return to modesty. There's also a good chance Josh and I will decide to pull our kids out of sex education when the time comes (even if they are in Catholic schools).
And don't forget to read the appendix. Trust me; some real gems only appear there.
Wednesday, January 04, 2006
More Interested in the Journey
Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman's Soul
by John & Stasi Eldredge
I received this book for Christmas (thank you, Josh, Grammy and Paw Paw) and was excited about it because I read The Journey of Desire by John Eldredge years ago and loved it. It was a pretty quick read for me because I didn't linger too much over the places where I was supposed to think about my past and so on. All in all, I think it's a fine book. I guess I feel like I must have different problems than the ones it's meant to address. I had an uncomplicated childhood, a great relationship with both of my parents, fulfilling friendships, and a marriage with a man who only improves my relationship with God. I wouldn't go so far as to say you shouldn't read it, and it might even be exceptionally valuable if you are a woman who has suffered abuse or neglect from parents, other family members, friends or lovers. It did bring up some experiences that made me think seriously about how I'd like us to raise our daughter (if we ever have one), and was a worthwhile book for those ideas alone.
Now, The Journey of Desire is a whole other ball game. I still apply lessons I learned in that book to my life and will probably read it again (as much as I read anything again). I highly recommend it to anyone who's seeking a godly life or struggling to find God in daily life. (Special thanks to David and Becca who gave us this book one year for Christmas.)
by John & Stasi Eldredge
I received this book for Christmas (thank you, Josh, Grammy and Paw Paw) and was excited about it because I read The Journey of Desire by John Eldredge years ago and loved it. It was a pretty quick read for me because I didn't linger too much over the places where I was supposed to think about my past and so on. All in all, I think it's a fine book. I guess I feel like I must have different problems than the ones it's meant to address. I had an uncomplicated childhood, a great relationship with both of my parents, fulfilling friendships, and a marriage with a man who only improves my relationship with God. I wouldn't go so far as to say you shouldn't read it, and it might even be exceptionally valuable if you are a woman who has suffered abuse or neglect from parents, other family members, friends or lovers. It did bring up some experiences that made me think seriously about how I'd like us to raise our daughter (if we ever have one), and was a worthwhile book for those ideas alone.
Now, The Journey of Desire is a whole other ball game. I still apply lessons I learned in that book to my life and will probably read it again (as much as I read anything again). I highly recommend it to anyone who's seeking a godly life or struggling to find God in daily life. (Special thanks to David and Becca who gave us this book one year for Christmas.)
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