The Grumpus Book Review: Is This The Perfect Golden Albatross Book?

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Stock Take

OK, I’ve written two monster posts over the past two weeks, one of which I felt was a personal best.  The other covered an extremely complicated topic which required a lot of research and rewrites.  Even with all the scrutiny, Grumpus Brotherus The Younger still had to catch a few mistakes in the first published version of my last article.

(Quick segue: For all you fresh faced bloggers out there, it turns out this blogging thing is a lot harder than it looks.  Not only do you have to create awesome content, but you need to make it look appealing with stock photography; think up terribly witty [or plainly terrible] captions; hotlink references to your previous posts; and promote your persona and site on social media.  Admittedly I cannot keep that pace of work up alone, so I am taking on some easier subjects and topics until I find a blogging assistant.  I am interviewing for the job in case you are interested.  You can submit your resume in the form of a 1000 word essay at grumpusmaximus@grumpusmaximus.com.)

All two avid readers of this blog may remember that I already wrote a post in which I reviewed three books, two booklets, and one chapter of a book.  I billed them as the perfect combination of reading material to build one leg in that three-legged stool of Financial Independence (FI) knowledge.  However, some of you may have been hoping that I would review a book written specifically for a Golden Albatross situation.  But unless I wrote a book about the Golden Albatross, no book out there is going to address the situation by name since I made up the metaphor.  Yet, during my FI educational journey, I’ve read a book that described the situation, just not in so many words.  The book is  Messages From Your Future: The Seven Rules for Financial, Personal and Professional Success by Larry Faulkner.  My review is below.  Enjoy …

Is there more ink on this page or my arm?

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3 Books + 2 Booklets + 1 Chapter = Financial Independence (FI)

The Three-Legged Stool of FI Knowledge

The two avid readers of this blog site (my parents —  Grumpus Maternus and Grumpus Paternus) might recall a mention in a previous post of my three-legged stool of financial independence (FI) knowledge.  They might also recall that I built that stable platform of knowledge through blogs, books, and podcasts. In the first leg, I discussed financial independence blogs.  In this post, I review financial independence books.

Form, function, and finances

I specifically review three books, two booklets, and one chapter that when taken together would allow a person to plot a course to FI.  The beauty with this list is that it includes a book for each stage in that journey.  From those simply needing the motivation to start, to those ready to write retirement plans, create spreadsheets, and make investment moves; there is a little bit of something in here for everyone. Continue reading