Book Review on the Wealthy Barber Returns

The author David Chilton published his first book The Wealthy Barber in 1989, which has sold more than two million copies. He never thought he will be writing a second personal finance book, until he was watching Canadians' steep rise of debt levels, steep descent in savings rates, and disappointments of investment returns during past decades. David Chilton was born in Sarnia, Ontario, graduated from Wilfrid Laurier University, and he got the highest mark on Canadian Securities Course (CSC). David had also published Looneyspoons, Crazy Plates and Eat, Shrink and Be Merry! with Janet and Greta Poleski. He left the sisters' business in 2007 because he felt he has no contribution in the cookbooks. After twenty-one years from his last personal finance book, David published The Wealthy Barber Returns in 2011 to help people handle their money more wisely. There are fifty-four short chapters in the book The Wealthy Barber Returns. Most of the Chapters are three to five pages, which is easy to read.

What caught my interest is how David mixed humor and common sense to teach people about financial planning which I think is the most boring subject. I love how he uses simplicity examples to send out the valuable money message which can impact my financial future. He also had simply helped me find a way out of my spending problems and debt on my MasterCard.

"Few things in life are more valuable than our self-esteem, yet we often willingly surrender it to the opinions of others. Then we spend a king's ransom trying to get it back." (David Chilton, 2011, p. 12) We put ourselves on the scales which balance with other people of what they have instead of the meaning why we having it. In result, most Canadians' were in debts because they weighted too heavily on how others look at them and what others has that they don't have. Therefore, "We compare. We covet. We consume." (David Chilton, 2011, p. 25). What we had compared, coveted, and consumed adding the weight to our shoulders.

Desire is another bad habit and part of our human nature. People cannot be satisfied, they like good things, better than what they have already. Plus the current marketing strategies, people can't resist the temptation. David suggests us to expand our reference group as much as possible. The most emotional quotes that I personally like about this book, "Annoyed that you don't have stainless-steel appliances? Keep in mind that one in six people in the world goes to bed hungry every night. Our pets live more comfortably than half the Earth's population, for heaven's sake." (David Chilton, 2011, p. 30). David's favorite financial quote "Gratitude is riches. Complaint is poverty." (The Wealthy Barber Returns, 2011, p. 33) That is true! I question myself why I am still not satisfied with my current life when my parents pays everything for me such as tuitions, foods, and rents;