The Soul of Wealth: 50 reflections on money and meaning

by Doctor Daniel Crosby

Genres: Finance, Philosophy, Business, Money, Personal Finance, Nonfiction, Economics

288 pages, Hardcover

Published October 15, 2024

Reviews

[Ben Burkhart · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Soul of Wealth by Daniel Crosby hits all the right notes. Every chapter weaves in a little history lesson, which kept it interesting and relatable. Crosby digs into what it actually means to be ‘wealthy’ beyond the numbers, making you think about the psychology and values behind money.

For anyone who loves money, history, and psychology like I do, this book is a gem. If you enjoyed The Psychology of Money, definitely add this to your list. 10/10 recommend!

[Naomi W · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. Crosby extrapolates the expertise showcased in his other books to build a more existential lens through which we can view our financial health. He speaks to financial wellness in an engaging way that adds philosophical pause that prompts you to reassess your relationship with money and meaning. It's an easy read, in that it tells you a story that sucks you in, but it asks hard questions, the ones worth trying to answer, as we balance material need and deeper meaning.

[Alexa Brascetta · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is truly the best book in personal finance.

It is thoughtful, well researched, captivating and beautiful. Each of the chapters reads like a beautiful story and in each you are left with some practical advice or guidance.

This is a book you will read again and again while taking something different from it each time.

[Jessica Jang · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved all the anecdotes about wealth, such as Tesla's habits and not caring what others think, and the many great quotes about money. It's true that we definitely need to read books like this to help us gain true wealth in life, which doesn't always come from money. And the quote about spending money we don't have to impress people we don't like has got to be one of my favorites. I would expect nothing less from an author who is also a doctor. This is a great book for someone reflecting on whether or not more money would make them a happier person. It definitely caused me to reflect on my life goals whether in regards to money or otherwise.

Thank you to Netgalley and Doctor Daniel Crosby for this ARC for an honest review. I loved it.

[LittleRead · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading this book, you will look at yourself and you’re spending patterns more closely. I found this to be an excellent book and it really is thought-provoking. It will make you second guess some of your beliefs around wealth and money for sure.

[Lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Daniel Cosby’s “The Soul of Wealth” highlights his unique writing style, skillfully merging case study research with applied behavioral psychology principles to wealth.

His conversational tone and sharp insights foster an open-minded exploration of various topics, making the book both enlightening and thought-provoking.

Cosby’s use of case studies throughout the essays not only strengthens his arguments but also encourages readers to engage with the content actively through self reflection and critical thinking.

“The Soul of Wealth” is a valuable resource for anyone seeking to better understand how their financial choices align with their values and lifestyle, while also becoming more mindful of their behaviors and environment. By combining case study research with relatable storytelling, Cosby inspires readers to reflect on wisdom, money, and their values. Enjoy the journey!

[Ruth Middleton · Rating 2 out of 5]

There were a few gems in this book but overall I found it to be very jumbled and meandering. Even though each chapter is short and should have a concise, clear point the author would jump around so much in every paragraph that I’d forget what we were talking about at the beginning. The chapter intro stories often did not connect to the point of the chapter in a clear way for me so it left my brain disjointed and grasping for coherence. My mind just does not work the way his does and this writing felt chaotic and very hard to follow. There’s also a lot of repetition. This book could have been reduced to 10 chapters and nothing would have been lost. I will end by saying it also greatly frustrated me that he didn’t number the chapters - this made it unnecessarily hard to use in a book club.

[Daniel Costigan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. Crosby has always had a strong pulse on how to use our financial assets to live fully and without regret. Money is a complicated topic both intellectually and emotionally. Dr. Crosby hits on a few timeless truths about building wealth in the money sense but his ability to challenge the reader to think more deeply about wealth in all facets of one's life is unparalleled. This isn't touchy/feely content. Dr. Crosby will challenge the reader to assess where they are in life. Are you giving yourself fully to your career? to your family and friends? to your community? to your hobbies & passions? This is what true wealth is all about.

[Cristie Ham · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Soul of Wealth is a collection of short essays about wealth. I found the book somewhat interesting but not enjoyable for me to read because every 4-5 pages there was an entirely new concept or idea about wealth that after the first 20 or so seemed to repeat thoughts but not in any organized way. It was like my brain had to reset every few minutes. I tend to read for a period of time in one sitting- I think this book would be more suited for someone who would pick it up every few days for a few minutes at a time. There were definitely some valuable nuggets of information and insight - but overall not a favorite for me.

[Dr Ranjan · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s an awesome book. Everyone must read it.

You might be solving the wrong problems. (7th Ch.)
‘What’ is Easy, the ‘How’ is hard (9th),
17. Show me your budget & I’ll show your values
Explain F. Attribution Error
18. Make Good Easy, make bad hard
19. Delayed Gratification is the ultimate life hack
The Most powerful words in Investing - ‘I don’t know’
#metaknowledge knowledge about knowledge
Become aware of cognitive bias
are best chapters of this book.

[Joseph Zairo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great guide to living a meaningful life. I thought it would be about making good personal finance decisions, and it’s about so much more than that. I agree with everything in this book; there are a lot of great ideas.

I recently read The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel. I was constantly comparing the two books. There a lot of overlap. I think The Soul of Wealth is a bit more detailed and covers a wider range of topics.

[Carol Cho · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Soul of Wealth is a wonderful book! What really struck me was how humble and grounded his writing is. It's full of deep wisdom but doesn't feel preachy or overcomplicated. So many books on money focus on "get rich quick" strategies and endless DOING, but his book is about BEING...about looking inward and exploring your mindset, purpose and values.

It's an easy read too. You don't have to go chapter, by chapter. This is a book I will come back to again and again.

[Nicola de Petra · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is great for someone without much experience in the world of personal finance. As someone who reads a lot of personal finance content, the material in this book was a bit repetitive. I enjoyed the historical anecdotes the author incorporated to illustrate each lesson. Not all of them were exactly relevant to the message of the chapter, but I found them all interesting.

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very disappointing as recommended by Someone I respect. Another book that could have been a blog post. Each chapter is made up of a random Antidote, quote/stats from a random study to suit the point and a blurb about the chapter heading…really the chapter heading is all you need. I would not buy again. Retirement manifesto is 10x better.

[Alexander · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whilst there is a good deal of repetition in these reflections, it serves to reinforce the wisdom underpinning them. A very worthy adjunct to your financial plan that prompts you to consider the 'why' as well as the 'how'.

[Navdeep Pundhir · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’m yet to figure out why reasonable financial writers succumb to the fantasy of sermonising moral values to their readers as if they’re ordained by divinity on this path! A terrible moral science book masquerading as a personal finance one

[Adam A · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pithy, mildly interesting essays on personal finance.
May be more helpful for those who are spendthrift, struggle with finances or are beginning their journey towards financial literacy but was not what I was looking for.

[Avel Deleon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly fantastic book!

[Nopadol Rompho · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wealth is not just about the money; it is much boarder than that. This book is easy to read and give you another angle of wealth.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really liked this. blends a bunch of my interests and very well written. enjoyed reading the short chapter blurbs a few at a time after doing cardio out in nature