What the Rich Do!

Martha Wilson is Canadian correspondent for the Japan Times (Tokyo) and
a Toronto-based freelance editor and writer.

The amateurish look of this financial planning guide doesn’t inspire a
lot of confidence. As for content, all the standard stuff is here.
There’s useful information on paying down debt, RRSP planning, and
asset allocation, as well as some great tips (“The more you have, the
less risk you need to take”).

With its simple, gung-ho tone, the guide recalls the self-improvement
books of Dale Carnegie and Norman Vincent Peale. “It is not age,
income, education, or sex that determines financial success,” White
preaches. “It is personality: People who are positive, assertive,
confident, and action-oriented succeed. Those who are negative,
pessimistic, and afraid to make decisions do not.” Even worse are the
occasional outbursts of contempt. One of White’s reader quizzes
concludes, “Under 60 points: Boy, are you in need of a lot of help.”


If you have never read a book on money management, you might like this
one. On the other hand, if you’re familiar with even the most basic
concepts of financial planning, there’s nothing new here.