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Reviews tagging 'Racial slurs'
You Are a Badass at Making Money: Master the Mindset of Wealth by Jen Sincero
1 review
jrosebartoli415's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
2.75
I have heard a lot of good things about this book, so I decided to go out on a limb and try it on audiobook. Jen Sincero narrates well, and her chapters are relatively engaging for a super self-helpy self help book. I personally could always do without the little vignettes of success stories, but some people find those encouraging.
I knew that this book was going to be about mindset in relationship to money, but I expected there to be a smidge more practical advice mixed in as well, and there really wasn't. This book is primarily restating the premise in a bunch of different ways: if you don't have money, it's because your mindset is wrong. If you want to have more money, change your mindset. And changing your mindset will get you money.
It's the new-agey the universe has your back kind of vibe but with wealth, and the author refuses to acknowledge the role of systemic barriers such as racism, sexism, classism, ableism, etc. in wealth development, as well as the role of personal privilege and resources. (Actually, to be, fair, she does acknowledge some systemic judgments, but she believes it's RICH PEOPLE who are the ones maligned, judged by society, and unfairly mistreated lol. An absolutely wild opinion to have.) She tells her story of going from low wages and relative poverty to a 7-figure business, but she references only her mindset and stick-to-it-ness as the tools that got her out of it, which is violently untrue.
The underlying message woven throughout the entire text is that if you're not rich, you're making bad choices and you don't believe in yourself. While learned helplessness is certainly a thing, bullying those in poverty experiencing it (guaranteed alongside a wide range of systemic and personal barriers mentioned above) under the guise of being encouraging is not the way to go.
I did appreciate the author clarifying at the beginning that her definition of rich is "able to afford all the things and experiences required to fully experience your most authentic life" and contrasted this definition with the incredibly wealthy buying yachts and random stuff just for the hell of it. I found that definition helpful because it is how most of us normal people do frame our financial goals but don't necessarily have the words for.
The biggest (and really only) benefit of this book that I think is really worth it are the questions and prompts she has woven throughout to help you explore your perspective on money. There is certainly validity to the idea that mindset impacts your behavior and what kinds of opportunities you go for, etc., so those bits are definitely valuable. The writing a letter to money thing is mad cheesy but maybe that would help someone else, just isn't really my thing. I think this book theoretically could have been a 5 page worksheet, as that's all I'm really taking away from it, but that wouldn't have made the author nearly as much money.
Along those lines, I had trouble listening to this book in particular (and I've read Sincero's first You Are a Badass as well) because it's extremely transparent that the only reason the author has written this book or done really any of her career was to make money. And no there's nothing wrong with making money, but when your career is helping others in some fashion but your priority is making money, that's a recipe for exploitation and manipulation.
I feel as though this book would be a good fit for a suburban white woman, possibly in an MLM, who lives in a two-income household in a cute little cul-de-sac with her husband who brings home $80k+ and she's looking for a motivational boost to her already-completely-fine income. For the rest of us out there dealing with financial difficulties, I'd recommend finding the journal prompts/reflection questions Sincero has compiled somewhere online and just working through those instead. It'll be far more helpful and not at all damaging.
I knew that this book was going to be about mindset in relationship to money, but I expected there to be a smidge more practical advice mixed in as well, and there really wasn't. This book is primarily restating the premise in a bunch of different ways: if you don't have money, it's because your mindset is wrong. If you want to have more money, change your mindset. And changing your mindset will get you money.
It's the new-agey the universe has your back kind of vibe but with wealth, and the author refuses to acknowledge the role of systemic barriers such as racism, sexism, classism, ableism, etc. in wealth development, as well as the role of personal privilege and resources. (Actually, to be, fair, she does acknowledge some systemic judgments, but she believes it's RICH PEOPLE who are the ones maligned, judged by society, and unfairly mistreated lol. An absolutely wild opinion to have.) She tells her story of going from low wages and relative poverty to a 7-figure business, but she references only her mindset and stick-to-it-ness as the tools that got her out of it, which is violently untrue.
The underlying message woven throughout the entire text is that if you're not rich, you're making bad choices and you don't believe in yourself. While learned helplessness is certainly a thing, bullying those in poverty experiencing it (guaranteed alongside a wide range of systemic and personal barriers mentioned above) under the guise of being encouraging is not the way to go.
I did appreciate the author clarifying at the beginning that her definition of rich is "able to afford all the things and experiences required to fully experience your most authentic life" and contrasted this definition with the incredibly wealthy buying yachts and random stuff just for the hell of it. I found that definition helpful because it is how most of us normal people do frame our financial goals but don't necessarily have the words for.
The biggest (and really only) benefit of this book that I think is really worth it are the questions and prompts she has woven throughout to help you explore your perspective on money. There is certainly validity to the idea that mindset impacts your behavior and what kinds of opportunities you go for, etc., so those bits are definitely valuable. The writing a letter to money thing is mad cheesy but maybe that would help someone else, just isn't really my thing. I think this book theoretically could have been a 5 page worksheet, as that's all I'm really taking away from it, but that wouldn't have made the author nearly as much money.
Along those lines, I had trouble listening to this book in particular (and I've read Sincero's first You Are a Badass as well) because it's extremely transparent that the only reason the author has written this book or done really any of her career was to make money. And no there's nothing wrong with making money, but when your career is helping others in some fashion but your priority is making money, that's a recipe for exploitation and manipulation.
I feel as though this book would be a good fit for a suburban white woman, possibly in an MLM, who lives in a two-income household in a cute little cul-de-sac with her husband who brings home $80k+ and she's looking for a motivational boost to her already-completely-fine income. For the rest of us out there dealing with financial difficulties, I'd recommend finding the journal prompts/reflection questions Sincero has compiled somewhere online and just working through those instead. It'll be far more helpful and not at all damaging.
Content Warnings
Minor: Racial slurs, Fatphobia, and Racism
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