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This review of Suze Orman’s “The Courage to Be Rich” was written by 4Jacks. He is a moderator in the ChristianPF Forums, so you can chat further with him about the book there if you would like.

I must admit I didn’t fully know what I was getting into by starting this book. Perhaps this was the wrong Orman book for me, because I had to stop reading it. For me it was the lack of practical step by step advice and the spiritual references that conflict with the Christian faith.

The overall theme of this book is the power of positive thinking. Suze calls it courage. There are parts of this book that are refreshing and portions that I took to heart, but overall the book rehashes a lot of stuff read in other books on positive thinking. The book stresses ideas that properly valuing money and making room for more money will lead to more money. And while the logic suggests that what begins in your mind gets played out in your actions, this book is very light on the actions, and more focuses on the thoughts and mindsets about money. The chapter about making room for more money and being a neater, cleaner person did strike home for me, as something I could work on. And did provide a different perspective about decluttering a lot of things in my life. And there certainly were other portions that I learned from, but nothing revolutionary.

Why I didn’t finish “The Courage to be Rich”

The stopping point in the book for me were the views presented about God. As a christian I just don’t agree with Suze’s Spirituality. Which I would describe roughly as a new age spirituality that is common today. There are some dead giveaways for this such as “May everything you do be done as if God Himself is doing it, for in fact He is.” It was the little lines about God and Spirituality thrown in every now and then, that just made me realize, there are authorities on money who share the same beliefs I share and my time would be better spent learning under them.

The Courage to Be Rich | Book Review

by Guest on September 12, 2009

{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }

Ron September 12, 2009 at 12:11 pm: My “smell test” is very simple: Would the ideas play out well to Christians who are currently being persecuted for their faith and are facing extreme poverty on a daily basis? Should they “make more room for money” in their lives? Your personal attitude is vitally important to be sure, but somehow I think that Jesus wasn’t really concerned about His children “making room for more money” but about them making more room for HIM.
Terry September 13, 2009 at 4:20 pm: All the courage in the world won’t make a hamburger flipper rich.

So what on earth is Suze talking about?
Joe September 13, 2009 at 8:14 pm: Closing your mind to new ideas because you suspect they may conflict with yours is no way to improve your mind, life or spirituality.