REVIEW

Book Review: Who's Afraid To Be A Millionaire? by Kelvin Boston

Written by Justin McHenry
Published October 17, 2006

Are you afraid to be a millionaire? Maybe you are and you don't even know it. At least that's what Kelvin Boston, host of the PBS show Moneywise, is saying in his new book titled — wait for it — Who's Afraid To Be A Millionaire?

You may not be afraid of having money, of course. But you may be afraid of doing what it takes to become a millionaire, even though the potential is there for just about all of us, regardless of our salaries. The world is a financial game, and if you're not playing, you're losing. More than anything, Boston's goal with this book is to get the average person to at least consider playing, by taking the steps necessary to put a plan in place and follow it.

To that end, Boston spends the first quarter of the book talking less about getting money and more about the psychology that holds people back from financial success (or any other kind of success). Fear of making decisions, fear of taking responsibility, fear of leaving your comfort zone, fear of losing money, fear of old age and death — all these fears and more come into play, stopping many people before they even start.

Once Boston feels he's got you on board, he goes through the essential building blocks of financial success, including creating a financial plan, managing credit, buying a home, investing/retirement planning, and insurance.

I found it interesting that Boston also includes a chapter on starting a business. Not because it's a bad idea — it's certainly not — but because even though Boston is targeting the average person with modest means, encouraging readers to start a business shows he also means, well, business. Yes, he wants you to find financial success regardless of your income, but he also wants you to stretch yourself to increase your income, and owning a business may be the most difficult yet rewarding option of all. To take this step means overcoming perhaps the biggest fear anyone faces in attempting to become a millionaire — fear of failure.

While Boston offers various levels of detail on each of the financial building blocks, it's mostly at a beginner level. If you're fairly confident on financial matters, you probably won't find much new here. On the other hand, if you're a newbie, Boston does a good job of getting you pumped up to do something about your financial future, then sets you on the path without overwhelming you in detail. Who's Afraid To Be A Millionaire? isn't about drawing up every play, it's about getting you off the sidelines and into the game.

Justin McHenry is Research Director for IndexCreditCards.com, a site offering credit card research, tips, calculators and a listing of over 900 currently-available credit cards. He also blogs on money matters at Zen Personal Finance.
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Book Review: Who's Afraid To Be A Millionaire? by Kelvin Boston
Published: October 17, 2006
Type: Review
Section: Books
Filed Under: Books: Self-Help, Books: Reference, Books: Nonfiction, Books: Business, Review
Writer: Justin McHenry
Justin McHenry's BC Writer page
Justin McHenry's personal site
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#1 — April 16, 2008 @ 21:18PM — andres [URL]

afraid supa afraid until the end

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