I have never been a fan of self-help or self acclaimed financially empowering books.
Not only because I find them very mundane and boring, but also because over ninety percent of them do not provide a detailed, well laid-out blueprint of how people should actually become as empowering and rich as they talk about in their books.
The last time I read a book on financial freedom, I found the entire book cringe.
Sure, it had a lot of motivationally inspiring lines that gave me a short adrenaline rush, but you only find that, that rush disappears immediately when you realize that books that do not relate to your nation's economic realities can do absolutely nothing for you.
Imagine living in a third would country, and reading a financially empowering book, that uses the dollar, a totally different currency from what you use, as a basis for financial analysis of your life and realities.
Not only is such a metric impossible, there is a lot to consider; there's inflation and deflation in those countries that either strengthen or weaken their currency, there is sufficiently adequate unemployed persons grasping at straws with very limited employment opportunities, there is employed persons, who earn way below the minimum wage, not because they are not skilled enough, but because that is what they have to make do with.
However, year in, year our, these barely -surviving-low-income-wage earner, scrape out a little bit of money from their barely sufficient salaries, and purchase these numerous self help books, and year in year out, they still remain the same.
Of course, there have been arguments that their inability to apply the principles in this books is what is keeping them where they are, but my question would always remain:
Out of all the people who buy these books, is there no one person brave and challenged enough to apply these principles? Of course they are.
Then why aren't these self help and financial books working?
Because they simply are unrealistic, and not in tandem with the financial realities of most countries! Especially the third world countries.
Which is why I felt really skeptical when I began reading this book.
Various critics have come out to say that this book is just like the others, and doesn't really give you any substantial information, but I beg to differ slightly on that conclusion.
The title drew me in.
What do you mean "I am a badass at making money"?.
I mean I barely make enough to cater for my wants, and if I was such a badass, I should be sipping margaritas in Mexico or dancing with absolute abandon in Ibiza.
But no! Here I am, desperately punching my calculator, and making sure I do not go above my weekly laid out budget.
I have to know why you think I'm a badass, and which is why, when this author introduced this book, in the same carefree way I would expect people to talk about sex, I was sold.
"You are a Badass at Making Money" might not be your typical financial book.
It doesn't tell me I have to save a thousand dollars bi annually if I want to make an investment rich enough to catapult me to riches, which is actually laughable, because I earn in naira, a currency that is fast becoming weak I might add.
This book details the first thing you should conquer in your thoughts about making money.
It's your relationship with, and mindset about money.
People see money as the devil, fearing that if they have too much, they automatically become beastly and evil, completely oblivious to the suffering of others.
I liked that Sincero, the author, emphasizes that wanting more money is definitely not a bad thing.
Infact, she further adds that having a negative view of money keeps people from realizing their full earning potential.
I mean, you can't dislike ketchup and still enjoy it in your meal right?
I also liked how specific this author admonishes us to be about our money goals.
It is not enough to want a lot of money, exactly how much do you want?
And how well-defined is that amount you want.
Asides that this author details so many other amazing points that gear you towards making money, her writing style, is motivational and witty enough to make you think about how much you can achieve that your financially impossible goal.
She talks about how we have all we need to survive within us, and how achieving anything is almost impossible.
I agree with this sentiment and if nothing else, it's a huge ego boost to hear how much power I wield I determining my financial success.
It definitely is better than hearing I have to wake up by 5 am if I want to become rich. Most rich people do not wake up before noon, and they are definitely not poor.
However, as much as I liked this book for boosting my ego, I also partially disliked some things about it.
I felt like this author has had her fair share of self help books over the years, and only fine-tuned her own writing to be witty and comical, but also deeply in tune with the younger generation.
There might have been a repetitive narrating style in this book. I read over the first parts of this book, and couldn't help but wonder why the follow up parts were re-emphasizing on the same points.
Another issue I might have had was Sincero repeating the same mistakes as her predecessors.
Absolutely no practical steps to become that badass at making money, only energy and visualization, and I can't pay for my favorite soda drink by visualizing it.
For the profanities in this book, I think I liked them. Not because I am a profane person, but because it helped me get through the pages of this book quickly.
I kept looking forward to the next swear word.
Do I recommend this book? I do honestly. Although it doesn't actually detail the practical steps I'd have loved, but I sure would be thinking about Jen Sincero swearing at me anytime I am up in my negative feelings about my earning, and who knows how much that would help me fix up.
If you've never read a self-help book before, then this book is a fantastic start.
It'll have you eradicating your self-limiting beliefs about money, and probably unlock those potential of yours you've been hiding.
And who knows? That might just be the way to earn that money to sponsor that fancy vacation.