Money Sucks

A Memoir on Why Too Much or Too Little Can Ruin You

By: Michael Baughman

Narrated by: Allan Robertson

A funny and touching story about how to deal with the struggles of adulthood, how to live a good life, and how money can complicate it all. Michael Baughman’s hope was to send his oldest grandson off to his first year of college in the fall of 2012 with an informed and thoughtful attitude toward what has long been a powerful American fixation: the frantic quest for money. Complicating the issue was the fact that income disparity in America was increasing alarmingly, and a political campaign featuring a wealthy Republican presidential candidate who told transparent lies on a daily basis was well underway. Baughman, now an emeritus professor of English, has visited 49 states. As a youth he attended Punahou, the private Honolulu prep school that graduated Barack Obama. During subsequent travels he washed dishes, pumped gas, butchered meat, sold women’s lingerie at Saks Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, and served as an enlisted man in the Army. Because of these diverse experiences, Baughman’s friends and acquaintances have included the very poor as well as the very rich. Throughout most of his adult life his own income has been close to the national average. He brought all of this, and more, into his parting conversations with his grandson Billy. Money Sucks is the culmination of those discussions, rumination on the haves and the have-nots and a frank, thought-provoking look at some of the toughest questions life throws our way: What makes us happy? How much is enough? Funny and inspiring in equal measures, it’s a must-listen for anyone who cares about the future of their children, grandchildren, and the friends and family they love.

©2014 Michael Baughman (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

This book was worth what I paid.. $0.

I thought I would give this book a shot, to try to expose any blind spots I have surrounding money. Rather than illuminating any new insights, the book was just an excuse to push the author’s political agenda. It is pretty short sighted to think greed does not persist on both sides of the political aisle. The thrust is there is no reason to have more money than you can reasonably spend. Hilariously, his hero Barack Obama now falls into this category, Obama is notoriously uncharitable even as it pertains to his own brother, George (look it up).

A delusional author’s take on things he failed to attain

This book, which I really wanted to enjoy, comes across as a bitter old man chastising those who have things he wants. The entire narrative is him looking down his nose at money and wealth, in the same way that a keyboard warrior living in their mother’s basement proclaims that super models are even attractive. Save yourself the time and skip this one.

Not worth it

Author adds unnecessary details and complains about people being assholes. He sounds like one himself.

Dated book thanks to politics...

This book is an ok read, but the author loses credibility quickly when going from well thought out perspective to jabs at the rich and Republicans. This book isn’t very old, but it should already be pulled off the selves and revised.

Brutally painful

Expectation: personal/philosophical exploration, introspection, and balanced internal debate focused on wealth, poverty, lifestyle/work choices, and the relative financial, mental, emotional, and physical costs, benefits, and trade offs for pursuing/achieving and not pursuing/achieving.

Reality: simplistic, dogmatic, sophomoric, and bitter political ranting and raving. Like a high school kid ranting at his/her first political protest.

Also very annoying: unnecessary, elaborate, and extended focus on trivialities and inanities — such as who ate what, who sat where, who wore what, how many shots the grandson made or missed, etc.

Unless you’re some kind of hopeless political junkie, avoid this one. If you are a political junkie, then you have my sympathies — especially if you’re this author’s age and you still haven’t gotten over it.