The Money Class

Suze Orman has such a familiar persona that narrating a book by her would be a difficult task for anyone. Nancy Linari succeeds at evoking the tough-love sensibility that Orman made famous on her television show. But Linari's tone, pitch, and volume are slightly gentler than Orman's own and are perhaps more suited to the audio format. The listener will appreciate her periodic pauses and soft delivery since Orman's biting Northeastern accent could become grating over the 11 hours of this volume. This is an intimate lesson on personal finance, and Linari makes it sound as if one were listening to a friend's well-delivered advice. M.R. (c) AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine

April 25, 2011
With a clarion call to "stand in your truth," Orman (The Money Book for the Young, Fabulous & Broke) re-engineers much of the advice given in her previous works for her latest volume. Chock full of financial advice pertinent to the post-2008 economic landscape, the book addresses every age and stage of life. Organized into nine "classes," with each class/chapter further divided into related lessons, Orman's effort is characteristically upbeat and no-nonsense, offering lessons on family matters, homeownership, saving for college, emergencies, retirement, and more. Orman firmly guides readers when dealing with parenting issues or underwater mortgages. Orman declares herself "vehemently anti-allowance," opting instead for paying children to do household chores, and she explains how to implement such a policy. A class on careers gives honest advice for anyone facing continued unemployment or thinking of taking a lower paying position. And three of her classes focus on financial planning for the future and how readers as young as 20 can begin saving for retirement. After finishing Orman's book, and completing her exercises, readers will have a very clear sense of how they can achieve what she has rechristened the "New American Dream."