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Affluence Intelligence: Earn More, Worry Less, and Live a Happy and Balanced Life
We have just come through the worst recession many of us have ever seen, and in times like these, it's tempting to think that just having more money would solve our problems. Indeed, it is also widely believed that how wealthy you are is a result of external factors, such as job promotions or good investments. But the surprising truth is that affluence is actually based on a certain way of thinking, one which has never before been discussed. Now, after years of working with clients of all backgrounds--including billionaires--psychologists Stephen Goldbart and Joan DiFuria reveal the little-known concept of "Affluence Intelligence," a mindset that makes people not just wealthy but deeply fulfilled. The book includes a test to determine your Affluence Intelligence Quotient (AIQ), and a step-by-step program to raise that AIQ in just three months, for more money, more security, and more joy. Affluence Intelligence is for everyone who suspects they are devoting too much time to worrying about finances and too little time to living life.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2011
10 people are currently reading
105 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
July 2, 2012
Highly recommended for anyone who sincerely wants to take their lifestyle to the next level. The authors here give us a strategy for using our strengths and developing our vulnerabilities to gain more ease and effectiveness with money, and also capitalizing on the attitudes and behaviors that will enable you to live a more affluent life - that is, a life that is in line with your values and priorities.
June 17, 2012
This book is a good springboard for getting you to reflect on what you value in your life and where you want to take your life. It can give you an idea of how to refocus your goals, and will hopefully motivate to make some changes. It is intended for the adult who already has an established financial life, but can be used to give young adults an idea of a possible 'big picture' as well.
August 22, 2012
Full of practical advice, broken down into manageable steps. Clearly written with accessible client examples. If you're willing to put in the work (and this book tells you quite frankly that this is work), this seems like a very useful guide.
January 22, 2024
Stephen Goldbart makes a good-and-detailed case for Affluence Intelligence: What it is, how it can keep worries at bay. I figured it might do me good, learning how to think affluence-intelligently.
From what I read, this experienced reader of self-help and how-to books -- also an author of such books -- was reasonably convinced that this author delivers. Hence my FIVE STAR rating.
Yet I have zero desire to read further. On the other hand, I did learn something significant from this how-to book.
SURPRISINGLY, WHAT DID I LEARN?
In terms of what I learned here, what surprised me so?
Look, I'm fascinated by consciousness and different forms of intelligence. For many reasons, actually, varieties of intelligence make me sit up and take notice.
Learning about these capacities for learning appeals to me greatly, and so does pretty much any well written how-to book. This one struck just the right tone, for this reader, presenting content systematically, sounding well written but never pompous. The author convinced me that he knows what he's talking about. So I settled in for a good read.
WHAT SHOCKED ME WAS THE SIMPLEST THING
Goldbart was defining affluence in terms of being able to fulfill one's desires, with no fear about the amount of money those desires would cost. He gave examples like being able to take off for a week to hike in the mountains versus buying some ridiculous example of conspicuous consumption. (That's Thorstein Veblen's term, not Stephen Goldbart's.)
Reassuringly Goldbart added, "no value judgments." As if to say, "Do you have some leetle whim that will cost a million bucks? Got the cash? Then go for it, Honey."
At this point I gave the inner equivalent of a full-body shudder. I happen to live in a nation with so much dire poverty, in a world with so much dire poverty. To hear Stephen recommend spending-spending-spending on whatever one can? As if this sort of affluence is desireable?
To me that goes beyond, "Don't be judgmental." To me, that's morally obscene.
At which point I decided. I wasn't terribly interested in developing that particular kind of intelligence.
From what I read, this experienced reader of self-help and how-to books -- also an author of such books -- was reasonably convinced that this author delivers. Hence my FIVE STAR rating.
Yet I have zero desire to read further. On the other hand, I did learn something significant from this how-to book.
SURPRISINGLY, WHAT DID I LEARN?
In terms of what I learned here, what surprised me so?
Look, I'm fascinated by consciousness and different forms of intelligence. For many reasons, actually, varieties of intelligence make me sit up and take notice.
Learning about these capacities for learning appeals to me greatly, and so does pretty much any well written how-to book. This one struck just the right tone, for this reader, presenting content systematically, sounding well written but never pompous. The author convinced me that he knows what he's talking about. So I settled in for a good read.
WHAT SHOCKED ME WAS THE SIMPLEST THING
Goldbart was defining affluence in terms of being able to fulfill one's desires, with no fear about the amount of money those desires would cost. He gave examples like being able to take off for a week to hike in the mountains versus buying some ridiculous example of conspicuous consumption. (That's Thorstein Veblen's term, not Stephen Goldbart's.)
Reassuringly Goldbart added, "no value judgments." As if to say, "Do you have some leetle whim that will cost a million bucks? Got the cash? Then go for it, Honey."
At this point I gave the inner equivalent of a full-body shudder. I happen to live in a nation with so much dire poverty, in a world with so much dire poverty. To hear Stephen recommend spending-spending-spending on whatever one can? As if this sort of affluence is desireable?
To me that goes beyond, "Don't be judgmental." To me, that's morally obscene.
At which point I decided. I wasn't terribly interested in developing that particular kind of intelligence.
November 28, 2020
This book tries to do too much, while actually doing too little. It is explicable that a book supposedly about cultivating affluence doesn't provide the common-sense advice to "learn about the stock market, learn about alternate investments, and see a financial management specialist" until the final 1/8 of the book! Instead the pages are actually filled with weak notes about the psychology of success, i.e., "learn to end each sentence without sounding like a question."
What...the...hell.
What...the...hell.
May 25, 2021
2 ambitious obectives - live a happy and balanced life as well as earn more - not achieved. The book was too short and advice too general as to how to achieve the "earn more" goal. Specifics set down in a 3 month plan as to how to monitor your progress in Chapter 11 - more self-help books should incorporate this.
April 21, 2021
Decent reflection tool concerning your life choices. Though I think you're much better off reading books on Financial Independence.
February 27, 2016
There is work to be done--beyond the reading of the words in this book--in order to get the most value from this. But the work, I think, can be very valuable in the long run. The authors give you a number of different lenses from which to broaden your perspective on issues around values attitudes and behaviors around money, time, productivity, passion, peace, optimism, etc . . .
Guiding you through these concepts, the authors encourage you to do the work they suggest with as open a mind as possible. It's not an inspirational or pithy book. It never glosses over or diminishes the reality of today's economy or the very real challenges of the vanishing middle class in light of unchecked and growing inequality. This book did, however, reminded me of the power of my perspective, my bias, as well as the amount of choice and influence I actually have in creating a reality of my own.
No magic bullet here, or wonder-pill. What this book does have, however, are real tools and steps a person can take (try)--over the course of a 3-month period--to create real change in both his psychology as well as his saving's account--and the often strained relationship between the two.
Guiding you through these concepts, the authors encourage you to do the work they suggest with as open a mind as possible. It's not an inspirational or pithy book. It never glosses over or diminishes the reality of today's economy or the very real challenges of the vanishing middle class in light of unchecked and growing inequality. This book did, however, reminded me of the power of my perspective, my bias, as well as the amount of choice and influence I actually have in creating a reality of my own.
No magic bullet here, or wonder-pill. What this book does have, however, are real tools and steps a person can take (try)--over the course of a 3-month period--to create real change in both his psychology as well as his saving's account--and the often strained relationship between the two.
April 2, 2013
I think many people would find the AIQ quiz helpful in terms of pinpointing particular issues (if they are honest with the answers!) They also give some concrete ideas for how to address the issues that you determine from the quiz. However, I felt like I already had a good idea of the issues (from reading other books), so the quiz results were not a surprise to me and I didn't feel like I got a huge amount of new knowledge from this book. I think this would be a good book for someone who is unhappy with the direction of their life and who wants to pinpoint where that unhappiness might be originating.
August 28, 2013
I was okey, similar to all the related books. I didn't learn new things.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews