Rich by Thirty: A Young Adult's Guide to Financial Success.

For most teens and early twenty-somethings who may be working in low-paying jobs and dealing with such expenses as rent, tuition, and repaying student loans, being rich by age 30 may seem an impossible task. Lesley Scorgie, however, managed to achieve it without incurring any student loans or credit-card debt—and by the age of 25. (At age 17, she touted her financial strategies for young people as a guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show.) In Rich by Thirty, she shares her advice with readers in a straight-forward, easy-to-follow way.

The content is organized in eight chapters: “Get Motivated: Why Money Matters,” “Get Organized: File Folders, Banks, and You,” “Get Started: The Joys of Budgeting,” “Get Out from Under: Avoiding the Credit Crunch,” “Get Saving: Right Here, Right Now,” “Get Investing, Part 1: The Basics,” “Get Investing, Part 2: Options and Strategies,” and “Get Specific: Homes, Kids, and Stuff Like That.” The guide includes some excellent examples of how to avoid credit-card debt; shop well, but frugally; and invest money wisely. The sections on saving money from part-time employment for secondary education are especially well thought out and useful. Descriptions of real-life situations keep the book moving and relevant to its audience.

The guide also includes some graphs and workbook style charts to assist readers with setting and following their financial objectives. The use of more of these visual components in future editions will definitely benefit the reader. If followed, Scorgie’s advice has the potential to dramatically change the future for many. Highly recommended.