The Cold Hard Truth on Men, Women, and Money

Starred review from August 12, 2013
Books on investing usually require a thorough understanding of how the stock market works, and can frustrate or overwhelm the lay reader. Enter O’Leary (Cold Hard Truth: On Business, Money & Life), a tremendously successful entrepreneur who moonlights as an investor on TV’s Shark Tank. In his latest book, O’Leary guides readers through financial decisions big and small, challenging them to understand their relationship with money, and focus on improving that relationship. These changes, according to O’Leary, will ultimately lead to greater financial stability. The beauty of O’Leary’s approach is that it’s straightforward and addresses the reader’s changing financial needs at different life stages, from wedding planning and marriage, to buying a new home and having kids, to midlife and retirement. He lists numerous common money mistakes that people make and how to fix them, including: drowning in credit card debt; having no emergency savings; and not knowing where to invest. O’Leary pays particular attention to raising money-savvy kids and addresses the high cost of higher education and the lower costs of retirement. Full of valuable advice imparted in a no-nonsense manner, this book will have a profound effect on how people relate to and manage their money. Agent: Mel Berger, William Morris Endeavor.