MONEY SECRETS OF THE AMISH
By LORILEE CRAKER
ISBN 978-1-59555-341-6
Published by Thomas Nelson
Reviewed by Clint Walker
Money Secrets of the Amish is my second book review in a series about Christian viewpoints on money and materialism. The book is written by veteran writer and journalist Lorilee Cracker from Grand Rapids, Michigan.
The first thing I must say about Money Secrets is, it is an entertaining read. Cracker brings a lot of her experiences in handling money to the forefront, often in a humorous way. There are several block quotes in each chapter that are appropriately selected and present memorable concepts. The author uses several anecdotes and success stories from other people, both mainstream American and Amish, to further her point. Finally, the book has some great advice.
As one might guess, Lorilee advocates for simpler living as a tool for being in a healthier financial position. So several chapters in this book have to do with delaying gratification, getting the full life out of the products you purchase, and reusing and repurposing stuff in an attempt to be more frugal. Yet there is so many more pithy observations than this.
Some of the observations that stood out to me were:
• Not paying bills on time is stealing from those you owe money to
• Purchasing gifts from a second hand store for others is entirely appropriate
• The idea of savings being like an umbrella to protect you from a “rainy day”
• That bartering your junk or services to supply needs or wants may be wise
I found Money Secrets to be smart, funny, and informative. It was a quick easy read, and a helpful thing for anyone to have on their bookshelf.
*This book was provided by Booksneeze in exchange for an honest review
By LORILEE CRAKER
ISBN 978-1-59555-341-6
Published by Thomas Nelson
Reviewed by Clint Walker
Money Secrets of the Amish is my second book review in a series about Christian viewpoints on money and materialism. The book is written by veteran writer and journalist Lorilee Cracker from Grand Rapids, Michigan.
The first thing I must say about Money Secrets is, it is an entertaining read. Cracker brings a lot of her experiences in handling money to the forefront, often in a humorous way. There are several block quotes in each chapter that are appropriately selected and present memorable concepts. The author uses several anecdotes and success stories from other people, both mainstream American and Amish, to further her point. Finally, the book has some great advice.
As one might guess, Lorilee advocates for simpler living as a tool for being in a healthier financial position. So several chapters in this book have to do with delaying gratification, getting the full life out of the products you purchase, and reusing and repurposing stuff in an attempt to be more frugal. Yet there is so many more pithy observations than this.
Some of the observations that stood out to me were:
• Not paying bills on time is stealing from those you owe money to
• Purchasing gifts from a second hand store for others is entirely appropriate
• The idea of savings being like an umbrella to protect you from a “rainy day”
• That bartering your junk or services to supply needs or wants may be wise
I found Money Secrets to be smart, funny, and informative. It was a quick easy read, and a helpful thing for anyone to have on their bookshelf.
*This book was provided by Booksneeze in exchange for an honest review
2 comments:
I like the simple practical lifestyle of the Amish although I don 't agree with the4ir rigid, legalistic doctrines.
Amrita,
Have you actually spent time with the Amish to know that they are "rigid and legalistic"?
I think they actually live in great freedom. I found this book (Money Secrets of the Amish) gave me a glimpse into how playful and free the Amish actually are. And it had some excellent tips on saving money. Sure, the Amish set some boundaries on their life that may seem odd to us, but they also seem to have a contentment that many Americans can't find. This book talks about that contentment thing as well. if you like novels, there are tons of them about the Amish, (Beth Wiseman writes a lot about them, and does so very well) I learned a lot about their culture from Jodi Piccoult's novel Plain Truth.
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