Book Review: Dave Ramsey’s ‘Financial Peace Revisited’

Book Review: Dave Ramsey’s ‘Financial Peace Revisited’

April 30,, 2012, Epoch Times

FinancialPeaceRevisited2-341x350

Financial Peace Revisited” by Dave Ramsey hit bookshelves in 2003 with seemingly less notice than past, and certainly future, releases from the uberpopular financial adviser. As such, readers have truly missed out. And so, we revisit “Revisited.”

Dave Ramsey has come a long way since building a multimillion-dollar real estate company, filing for bankruptcy, and writing his first book, “Financial Peace” in the early 1990s.

Today, Dave Ramsey is a brand unto himself, advising individuals and businesses how to manage their money via a multitude of best-selling books, a syndicated radio show reaching 4.5 million people a week, live events, school programs, and television appearances.

His success is surely due to his “tell it like it is” style, his humble approach to doling out advice, and his passion for helping others. Notable, as well, is his timing.

Since developing his main message that “debt is dumb,” the economic landscape has changed its viewpoint on debt from one of a strategic tool to that of a risky prospect. Mr. Ramsey has been calling out debt since long before any mortgage crisis dominated headlines. The man has established himself as the go-to guy in times of financial challenge.

Financial Peace Revisited” is the follow-up to Ramsey’s first book, “Financial Peace,” which outlined the lessons he harshly learned after losing his $4 million real estate company to poor debt dealings and then taking control of his financial life once and for all. “Revisited” offers up a very easy read, broken down into chapters each centering on his financial principles and each concluding with what he calls “peace puppies,” few-word summations of the chapter’s main ideas.

Like many of his works, “Financial Peace Revisited” is also peppered with Bible verses that he uses to explain the source of his understandings related to finance. Some may find this to be an added bonus, some may roll their eyes; each reference paints a clear picture of who Ramsey is, what he believes, and where his overall philosophy comes from.

The principles themselves call on readers to “Avoid Stuffitis”—the worship of “stuff”: “Give money away to worthy causes”; “Find where you are naturally gifted”; “Live substantially below your income”; and “Dump debt,” the advice he deems the hardest to convince others to take.

“Revisited” differs from its predecessor in that special attention is given to family lifestyle. Ramsey dedicates time to issues specific to single people, married people, and families. Dave’s wife, Sharon, shares her “thoughts” at the end of each chapter, making it an especially resonating read for couples.

The book also comes equipped with a substantial appendix containing practical tools to put the advice into action, like a budget worksheet, a debt snowball worksheet, a retirement planning worksheet, sample letters to creditors and credit bureaus, and more.

The message Dave Ramsey extols in his books and across all of his public platforms changes very little from one to the other. His principles are sound, however, and easy to incorporate. “Financial Peace Revisited” is a great read for anyone new to Ramsey’s philosophy or for fans who could use a push forward or a little inspiration.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*