Lynnette Khalfani (now Khalfani-Cox) may mistakenly lure fresh out of college readers with her Zero Debt for College Grads. (College drop outs are, apparently, on their own. They should consider themselves blessed.) In a divorced from reality manner, Khalfani hammers the keyboard and churns out the sort of badly written sentences that fit her resume. As a chatter to Rachel Ray and Oprah, she can beam and exude confidence. On the page, however, all her shortcomings are evident.
This book outraged four readers and we were wondering how bad it was? Then we read it. Imagine for a moment that you're a recent college grad who has lost their job. You're on unemployment and you read this:
One of the biggest disservices that we do to ourselves as consumers is when we hide from the credit company or others we oew. Credit card companies shouldn't have to hunt you down.
Doesn't it sound like Kelli Maroney's "Spirit Bunnies" speech in Fast Times At Ridgemont High? Does it sound like anything that will help you?
And, for the record, if you can hide from your credit card company for up to seven years, you stand a good chance of walking out on that debt. It'll be on your credit report but, in tough financial times, that's the least of your worries.
Who does the author work for? If you've just paid $14.95 for her book, that question is especially pertinent.
Robert T. Kyosaki and Sharon L. Lechter teams up to tackle the economy -- which may be the most realistic approach. And unlike our last author who holds a degree in English lit, Lechter is a CPA. Their book is Rich Dad Poor Dad and it's an entertaining volume from page one but probably something better suited for stronger economic times.
"The economy is falling apart . . . but that doesn't mean you have to!" declares Jill Keto and Daniel Keto's Don't Get Caught With Your Skirt Down: A Practical Girl's Recession Guide. This book is surprisingly packed with helpful information. For example, haggling for an item? We've all been told to do this. But there's actually more to it than the, "I don't want to pay that much." For instance, did you realize you had to get the seller vested in the transaction?
They explain (step one) that the price is just a number on paper. You should make an offer (haggle). But there are more steps: "Make the seller show you lots of items. Be quiet and let them expend loads of energy taking you around, blabbing on and on about the variety of the merchandise from which you can select. The goal is to use up their time and physical and mental energy. You need to get the seller invested in the transaction." That's very useful advice. It doesn't end there. If there are two (or more) items you are planning to purchase, bargain on each item individually. Use charm, they advise and, most importantly, "recoil in silence" at the first discounted price you're offered. Keep staring and see if your silence won't force the seller to offer another price.
Not only is the book filled with practical advice and written in a humorous manner, the authors make a point to seriously address the economic realities. With many of the books, you may feel the authors have no idea what it's like to be unemployed but the Ketos get the realities across and do so without talking down to the readers.
Last up, Rosalyn Hoffman's Bitches on a Budget. There are useful tips to be found in the book if, for example, you want to increase your appreciation of paintings and the visual arts. But if grabbing up free wine and cheese at art exhibits doesn't sound of interest to you, you're going to need to pick up another book. This is really geared to a certain group of women and, reading it, we couldn't help but feel that, if the economy were a little better, the title might have been, Bitches, Here's How To Sniff Out Men.
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All books reviewed were suggested by readers. Rosalyn Hoffman's Bitches on a Budget is available in softcover for $15.00 (New American Library); Jill Keto and Daniel Keto's Don't Get Caught With Your Skirt Down is also in softcover for $15.00 (Simon & Schuster); Robert T. Kiyosaki and Sharon L. Lechter's Rich Dad Poor Dad is available in softcover for $16.95 (Business Plus); and Lynette Khalfani's Zero Debt for College Grads is $14.95 in softcover (Kaplan Publishing). As always, remember public libraries are a wonderful resource and a public space.