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A review by rachelemm
We Need to Talk About Money by Otegha Uwagba
4.0
I went into this book expecting a guide on how to better manage my money and, while that isn't exactly what I got, I came away with something even more valuable. This memoir from Otegha Uwagba was a wonderful read which covered issues including getting into the world of work, (the woes of) house buying, generational wealth and that time in your life (late 20s, early 30s) when your future and that of your friends start to diverge as you forge your own path.
Uwagba was really honest in this memoir, which I loved, and shared a lot of her personal struggles and experiences. It was good to read that Otegha had a largely positive experience during her time as a student at Oxford University. Most of the stories, I read of the black experience in Oxbridge highlight a series of microaggressions that are wearing for black people to endure but Uwagba found her tribe, had a good time and looks back on her time there fondly.
Conversely, the chapter on her time working at Vice was really difficult to read. While I hope the toxic culture there has since changed, Otegha highlighted some important red flags employees should look out for in the work place to avoid some of the pitfalls she fell victim to.
Something Otegha addressed in the book that I found really enlightening was the different relationships people have with money and how attitudes instilled in us as children can go on to impact and influence how we behave with money in adulthood. It helped me understand my own relationship with money and why I behaved as I have in the past.
I read this via audiobook and, at the end, there was an interview between Otegha and her editor which added even more to the experience further building on the themes Otegha had touched on in the book. I would highly recommend listening to this on audio if you get the opportunity to do so.
Uwagba was really honest in this memoir, which I loved, and shared a lot of her personal struggles and experiences. It was good to read that Otegha had a largely positive experience during her time as a student at Oxford University. Most of the stories, I read of the black experience in Oxbridge highlight a series of microaggressions that are wearing for black people to endure but Uwagba found her tribe, had a good time and looks back on her time there fondly.
Conversely, the chapter on her time working at Vice was really difficult to read. While I hope the toxic culture there has since changed, Otegha highlighted some important red flags employees should look out for in the work place to avoid some of the pitfalls she fell victim to.
Something Otegha addressed in the book that I found really enlightening was the different relationships people have with money and how attitudes instilled in us as children can go on to impact and influence how we behave with money in adulthood. It helped me understand my own relationship with money and why I behaved as I have in the past.
I read this via audiobook and, at the end, there was an interview between Otegha and her editor which added even more to the experience further building on the themes Otegha had touched on in the book. I would highly recommend listening to this on audio if you get the opportunity to do so.