"I Will Teach You to Be Rich", by Ramit Sethi, Review

The complete title is: “I Will Teach You to Be Rich: No Guilt. No Excuses. No B.S. Just a 6-Week Program That Works”

And Ramit Sethi's “I Will Teach You to Be Rich” really stands in sharp contrast to the usual half-voiced, traditional financial advice.

I admit, It is like a breath of fresh air—just about as fresh as a financially-themed book can get—that clears away the cobwebs of the usual platitudes that get tossed about when the topic of money comes up.

And after listening to this audio book, I gotta say: “The jig is up!” (sort of) for the old financial advisors.

In an age where rules of thumb like "save 10 percent of your income" or "cut back on lattes" don't really work because they are so vague, Sethi's plan (yes, it is indeed a kind of plan) is refreshingly specific.

Mr. Sethi doesn’t mess around.

With a 30-day trial, you can listen to this audiobook for free.

His book also fits in well with our times: the book is clearly aimed at young people, and it brings something unheard of in personal finance books for the very young: a focus on investing.

Sethi’s argument centers on the conventional wisdom we’re all advised to follow when it comes to personal finance.

He pushes against this wisdom, and in doing so, he dismisses budgeting as a pointless exercise, promotes aggressive saving at a high rate not often seen in most of our lives, and bids us to celebrate our purchases of experiences over more tangible luxury items.

With more pathos than logos, Sethi also urges us to live our lives not with a constant eye to the future—"retiring" in some sense—but to live instead for the now, enjoying the moments and making the memories that last.

It’s like he’s shouting at the top of his lungs:

“Live for today! But save, save, save!”

This ‘happy-place’ advice isn’t without its basis in sound research, but it does smack somewhat of the old "you can’t take it with you" line of reasoning.

Sethi's understanding of the concept 'rich' inclines toward a materialistic interpretation.

Although he recognizes the real importance and value of experiences, for him, they do not really count as wealth unless they are backed by propertied finance. His concept of wealth seems quite poor (no pun intended) because it does not encompass a notion of richness beyond solid, liquid, or favorable financed assets.

But Sethi is not only materially inclined; the focus of the book, repeated ad nauseam, is a one-size-fits-all approach that makes some folks (this reviewer included) question how we should take the book's edifying content seriously.

Although the Achiever is listening to the book in his or her ear, there is a level of self-personality injected that comes across even more than the written word.

In the end, “I Will Teach You to Be Rich” is an inflammatory, disruptive work that will undoubtedly resonate with a particular audience. It is a book for those who can no longer tolerate the drab, earnest, endless, lifeless prose of financial writing and who favor a more direct, almost irreverent approach to their money matters.

It makes the case that a first-class financial life, with all the requisite elements, can be attained in just six weeks, and the promise, if you take it at face value, is that attainment will not involve much in the way of difficulty, direction, or discipline.

This is, uh, ‘pop finance’—the peanut butter to the jelly of the book's premise that personal finance can be pleasant and you can live richly while you learn.

“I Will Teach You to Be Rich” is a work that should command attention, even if its contents are ultimately destined to be upended.

This book calls out to those who are complacently coasting through life. Yet, its message is so direct and forceful that it could just as easily lead the inexperienced astray if they take it at face value.

My advice: “Approach this admittedly dynamic, energetic ‘read’ with caution.”