The Little Book of Main Street Money

21 Simple Truths That Help Real People Make Real Money

By: Jonathan Clements

Narrated by: Sean Pratt

In The Little Book of Main Street Money, Clements brings us back to basics, with common sense suggestions for intelligent money management. Chock-full of financial guidance that will stand up in any market, the book also reflects a financial philosophy that Clements has developed over a lifetime of watching Wall Street and writing about money - and that is even more important in the current volatile market. From the big picture (home, retirement, financial happiness) to the micro (taxes, inflation, investment costs), he offers clear-cut advice for taking control of your financial life, detailing the strategies needed to thrive in today's tough economic times.

The 21 truths outlined throughout this book are a guiding light for everyone, young and old, whether starting out or soon retiring. Each chapter reads like a Clements column - clear, pithy, and feisty. From the obvious to the counterintuitive, the truths will bolster your returns, cut your costs, and give you financial peace of mind.

Collectively, the 21 truths show you how to think about your entire financial life-not just stocks and bonds, but your home, your debts, your financial promises to your children, your income-earning ability, and so much more. They will help you not only survive today's treacherous financial terrain, but also prepare you for success tomorrow.

Renowned for his spirited writing and shrewd investment guidance, Clements is the sane voice investors need to stay grounded in the midst of so much financial insanity.

©2009 Jonathan Clements (P)2009 Gildan

Critic reviews

"A gem from one of the most brilliant minds in personal finance." (Ben Stein)

Good beginner investor book

What made the experience of listening to The Little Book of Main Street Money the most enjoyable?

A lot of good advise packed into a small book.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

The book was somewhat inconsistent. Claiming at points that investors were rational and irrational with no explanation.

Any additional comments?

Read more than this book. It has good advise, but I think of it as a starting point.

Basic but great common-sense advice

Love his WSJ columns? This is the distillation of those principles in a brief audiobook. Good summaries for each chapter.

Should Be Rated Higher

This book should be required reading for every young person entering the work force: Good, sound advice about how to prosper, including why you should start young. Caveat: This is really not a book about investing. It has some great tips about how to balance risk and how to look at your overall investment picture. It is not a book about how to find a hot stock or get rich quick. It is really a handbook for managing your financial life.

Good material, well-balanced

This book might be best called "Investing 102". He doesn't always explain all of the investment tools very well, but if you have been working with investments for a small bit of time, there won't be too many surprises. He's not into anything fancy, though, he just tries to give good advice on how to limit risk in your investing. Not how to make money, but how to limit risk. He's very clear on why this is important for small investors. It's a book well worth your time if you are just getting to the point where you are wanting to better understand and manipulate your investing strategy.