The Courage to Be Rich: The Financial and Emotional Pathways to Material and Spiritual Abundance

by Suze Orman

Best of the Best. The bestselling author of 9 Steps to Financial Freedom brings to life the intimate role money plays in all of our lives. Abridged.

Genres: Finance, Nonfiction, Personal Finance, Self Help, Money, Business, Inspirational

Audio Cassette

First published March 8, 1999

About the author

Suze Orman (born Susan Lynn Orman) is an American financial advisor, writer, and television personality.

Reviews

[justbeingarlyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Be careful of.. What you THINK, it will be What you SAY, it will be What you DO, it will be your ACTIONS, it will be your HABITS and it will eventually be your DESTINY."

[Bernie4444 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mixed message very depressing

Sorry, Suze but you mixed two books on separate subjects, and are looking at the mirror image of finance.

There is nothing wrong with rehashing ideas. One does not take rating stars away from a book just because it has been said before. You will notice that this book is different from "9 Steps" if you take the time to read it. However, if this book was intended to be purely how to invest book it misses the mark by a mile. This is more of a self-help book, which in the process also tries to help financially as a part of the process. It may be a great book for the spiritually depressed, but it is depressing for everyone else. If you can cut out all the sob stories and get to the point, the book may be useful.

The second book in this book is the financial part. There is a redeeming side to this book. That is bringing up the point that there is more to finances than just credit and savings. The chapter on starting over was excellent as most books stop when you stop (saving, living, or bankruptcy.) The formulas and schedules are sound. Even the gifting part which looks like it belongs in the first book works for the second (financial book)

Don't get clutter mixed up with assets. You may have meant it, but you were not clear, that if you use it, it is an asset, the rest is clutter. Suze, are you saying that I could have read your book from the library and invested my purchase price so I could have the purchase price and the investment prophet more towards retirement?

Reiterating this is a mirror image of finance, you can not get much nutritional value from paper money (maybe some roughage), but you get an "A life of Material and Spiritual Abundance" for this book. As was pointed out "love of money is the root of all evil"
The book is still worth reading. It is just difficult to rate because it has no focus.

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore Suze Orman. She's like the Dr. Phil of the financial world! She gives you tough-love straight up advice on how to create a whole new level of financial freedom for yourself.

I loved this book because the beginning talks a lot about *why* some people can't manage money. A lot of the way we handle money in our adulthood has to do with how we viewed it in our childhood, and more importantly how our parents exposed us to it when we were growing up. Once you understand why you act a certain way, you can set out to correct the behavior.

If you want to understand why you are the way you are with money, read this. You won't be sorry.

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a thick book, and I am not a big "self improvement" reader. But, I did get through it. It is more of a categorical book for me. I don't think I'd go through by chapter again. She is very insiteful, although I disagree about her views on paying debt versus paying tithing. I think if the Lord made all things he should be first to get his 10 percent and he will make a way for the debt to be paid off. It's called "faith".

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a neat book about finance because Orman focuses specifically on our psychological (and emotional) relationship with money and all that it entails, i.e., shame, guilt, etc.
And, then she suggests ways to make that a more healthy relationship.

Orman made an interesting suggestion that stuck with me: treat your money like you would treat a friend. Honor it. Be nice to it. Don't lie and cheat with it. Make sure you guys are always in a productive, healthy relationship and you will see the happy results. If you don't, nothing good will come from it.

[Krista · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recently came across this book and enjoyed it as a financial wake up call. Love her law of money: "People first, then money." She weaves that into so many aspects of this book. Loved the section on doing a financial, and a material de-clutter as a way to get to the heart of the things that really matter to you and what you spend your money on. Liked the fact that she was not afraid to take a spiritual position and weave those elements into the financials. Highly recommend!

[Voracious_reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Concerns emotional spending. Attempts to convince people to prioritize and to come to terms with bad spending/saving habits. Good for someone who is curious about the world of personal finance but is just getting started with reading finance books, or, for example, someone who has had money problems and is looking for a light at the end of the tunnel.

[Amy Dickenson]

So far, so good.

[Supriya · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's not just about becoming financially wealthy, it's about how to shift mentality about money and deserving in general. It's very good.

[Marjorie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has two very different parts. The first part is about the psychology (the author calls it the spirituality) of money -- facing and dealing with thoughts and feelings about earning, spending, and saving that get in the way of financial success. The second part is a practical and detailed guide to things like mortgages, investing in bonds, and retirement accounts.

At the same time I was reading this, I was also reading the current bestseller "You Are a Badass at Making Money" by Jen Sincero. The "Badass" book covers a lot of the same territory as the first part of Suze Orman's book -- but in critical ways, the values of the two authors are directly opposing.

Suze Orman says that getting into debt, especially credit card debit, hurts both your finances and your sense of self-worth. Jen Sincero actually encourages readers to get into debt, including credit card debt, so that they can pay tens of thousands of dollars to life coaches (not coincidentally, Sincero is a life coach herself).

Orman says you should put people before money. Sincero says you have to distance yourself from the people in your life or get rid of them altogether if they are not on board with your plan to get rich.

Jen Sincero's book may be more fun to read -- it's written in a zippier style and promises greater rewards -- but if you followed her advice literally, you could end up becoming an asshole or going broke, or both. Suze Orman's advice is solid, and I don't see any downside to doing what she advises. In fact, I wish I had started following her advice when I was much younger. She makes a convincing case for starting to save for retirement in your early 20s, and if I had done that, I would be in a much better situation now.

My only caveat with Orman's book is that much of the practical advice in the second half may be outdated. The edition I have was revised in 2002, and I think that may be the most recent version available. I skimmed the second part of the book to get the general idea of what she was writing about, but the specific examples that she uses may no longer apply -- and that may become even more true if the new tax bill goes into effect next year.

All in all, "The Courage to be Rich" was a good antidote to reading "You Are a Badass at Making Money."

[Kenzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Suze's attitude about money is just spiritual enough for me to see how it can be integrated into my life, but not so bound up in positive thinking that it seems ridiculous. She explains her philosophy through simple rules like "People first, then money, then things," and she encourages the use of "rich thoughts" so that we think, speak, and act in an empowered way that allows us to flourish financially. For her, rich thoughts aren't just blind positivity; they involve taking responsibility for managing money, being honest about your financial status, and being respectful of the impact money can have. Reading the book definitely helped cut through some of my own cluttered thinking.

[LeeAnn · Rating 5 out of 5]

People first, money second, things last. This is the financial management Suze Orman preaches, and she is serious about it! She begins with forgiveness and continues through the energy as well as the nuts and bolts of money.

Suze Orman's purpose seems to be helping the lay person begin to fully understand the financial scene because people who understand and take care of their money are truly powerful people who can give wonderful and needful gifts back to the world in both actions, words, and monetary gifts.

I am impressed with the scope of this book, and it's heartfelt message of courageously becoming more. I hope everyone will read it!

[Alex Hoogland · Rating 4 out of 5]

A mix of motivational and practical financial advice. I learned only a little, mostly about the bond market. I skimmed over most of the specific cases with more detailed information about marriage, divorce, death of spouse, but it could be a good reference for someone with that situation. Generally timeless advice, but also included outdated information as it was written and published in the late 90's. Enjoyed the motivational bits about living rich and how it's not just how much money you have.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excellent book. Helps us understand our own finances by understanding our emotion towards money and encourages us to have a better perspective which will yield much more wealth through time. I wish Suze was more like her voice in these early books. Today Suze's show is more process oriented and instructive for callers albeit in a short quick minute. You can't change a persons financial situation on a short phone cal

[Ray Savarda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was surprised how much useful information is in here, from the "correct" philosophy about wealth (People first, money 2nd, things 3rd) to managing finances thru deaths, divorce, some investment info, and finally how to handle monthly charitable giving.
Many examples from real people she has worked with, and situations she has seen.
I think everyone could benefit from reading this in their late teens or 20's.

[Jennifer Jank · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I was hoping for a bit more of Suze's story when I chose this book. She does offer lots of good advice, but the book is long and probably a bit hard to slog through if you're not interested in finance. I don't believe everything she says - money is not sentient - but she does have a point about changing your mindset to change your finances.

[Jason Gegere · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book starts off very nicely, helping you understand the role you play in managing money. Then it starts to focus on what happens when everyone around you passes away. It's a good book to plan for the future. Overall, it's a basic financial guidance book.

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some of the info is outdated, but the basic concepts are still sound.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

At this point... a little bit dated, but the advice still stands as stellar!

[Amie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recommend this book to everyone.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always enjoyed her books. Now I have to revisit them and take action.

[K. L. White-Hartman · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little outdated, but still an insightful read.

[Dusty Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE Suze Orman
Practical lesson to be financial and spiritually rich in these new times

[Pravin Badgandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I solved other life problems by doing exercises which author gives us to.

[Alberto Lopez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting.

[Christopher Lewis Kozoriz · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I have come to believe that the way each of us thinks and feels about our money is the key factor in determining how much we ultimately have. The main underlying reason that some of us don’t have money is that our thoughts and feelings about money have become internal obstacles that prevent us from having and keeping what we want.” ~ Suze Orman, The Courage to be Rich

Listened to the audio version of this book while commuting. All kinds of advice about money is said on this program.

I am a Canadian, so a lot of the information is not applicable to us i.e. ROTH IRAs. In Canada we have something similar to IRAs; they are called RRSPs - Registered Retirement Savings Plan. The rules are almost the same, but not quite.

There is good information on what do when going into a marriage, especially if a spouse wants a Prenuptial Agreement. I am still on the fence about Prenuptial Agreements. I know that Donald Trump and the super rich mostly recommend you get a Prenup. However, I feel like this sets up doubt that the marriage will not work out from the get-go. It is similar to having insurance; however, this is a marriage kind of insurance in case it fails, there is a plan in place.

I am particularly interested in what the Bible has to say about Prenuptial Agreements and will endeavor to study about this in the future.

[Jayne Cravens · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's eerie to read this book in 2008, with so many people losing their homes and drowning in credit card debt - this book was a call by Orman at the time (2001) for Americans to live financially smarter, to focus on activities and people in your life rather than things, and to undertake activities to be in a position where such a global financial crisis wouldn't hurt you so severely. The people who followed her advice back then are no doubt patting themselves on the back now. The most practical advice in the book is regarding buying a house - it's what I found most helpful. I would have liked more information on financial planning for retirement (that's probably another book), and I found the book sometimes a bit too elementary for me (I was, and am, already following a lot of her suggestions), but this book would make a great gift for recent college graduates, 20-somethings, even 30-somethings.

[Brendygirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this is the book my friend loaned me and I read it from cover to cover. I had already learned from her appearance on Oprah about the more you cling to every penny, the less you will have. This helped expand my mind to the emotional baggage we attach to money and how we learned to treat it and what our fears are about it. It helped me learn to never lease a car, never buy a new car, "try on" payments before you buy, how to pay off my debt early (I surpassed my goal to be debt-free by 30), how to live beneath my means, how to set boundaries between money and people, to talk openly with your partner about money, and to keep your own bank account, retirement, and money plans. Reading this in the year 2000 helped me make a killing on my first house I bought at age 24, come out of my divorce with a credit score of 806, avoid the predatory lending and housing crash, and live without worrying about money as much as most people do.

[Missy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure how to review this book. I started reading it at least 2-3 months ago and was really engaged at the beginning. For the first third or more of the book, I found the advice and perspective to be refreshing and pertinent. Once it got into specific situations like divorce and pre-nuptial agreements, mortgages, etc. I kind of zoned out. I skimmed over part of the section on bonds and other investment options and ended up skipping ahead. I picked it back up for the last couple of chapters and agreed with much of what was discussed. I agree with Ms. Orman about the power behind money. I believe that we can use it for good and that we can live in such a way that we will attract wealth. I also believe her when she says there are those who seem to repel it with their attitude and actions. I'm glad I read the parts I did and I don't feel bad picking through what I could use and skimming or skipping over the rest.

[Missy · Rating 4 out of 5]

An important book to help focus one's thoughts about money - how you look at it, value it, what you let it do to and for you, or not. It suggests one confront every thought and emotion related to money and figure out from whence it came - and if those thoughts need changing, it offers some direction. The specifics are great, too - Suze goes over the details of mortgages, IRAs, bonds, annuities... She makes accessible some complicated or else overwhelming ideas, especially if you are new to them. I imagine most young adults would get some benefit from reading this or a book of similar nature. I want to explore a couple more of hers; I imagine they get derivative at some point, but she's said enough good stuff here (and on her show, which is great) to keep the intrigue going.