Your Money: The Missing Manual went to a second printing while I was in Alaska. Not bad for a book that’s only been out for a couple of months!
The book has been doing especially well at Amazon, where it’s consistently been in the top 5,000 in sales, and has even creeped into the top 500. (I consider this very good for a personal-finance manual.) For a brief time, it was even outselling books like Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover!
My publisher seems pleased with the book’s sales and with my promotional efforts, but I get the feeling they wish I’d mention it more often here on Get Rich Slowly. But the thing is, I’m not a hard-sell type of guy. (That’s one reason I didn’t do so well as the salesman for my family’s box factory.) I’m happy to write the book, but flogging it is another matter; I’m not about to make this the Your Money blog. Still, I thought it would be fun to set aside a Saturday afternoon to share some of the reviews the book has received.
Here are excerpts from a few of the reviews I’ve found elsewhere on the web (emphasis mine):
- The Financial Philosopher: “As for the ideal audience for (and people who should consider buying) Your Money: The Missing Manual, the appeal is quite broad. In fact, I can’t think of a personal finance topic that Roth does not cover in the book. The tips and guidance might also be considered basic but I am a Certified Financial Planner (TM) and I have dog-eared many pages for later application to my own financial purposes.“
- The Digerati Life: “Being a fan of behavioral finance, there’s a lot in Your Money that I could appreciate. Lots of great guidelines, anecdotes and encouraging words here. I also found the book very comprehensive; it struck me as a very well rounded way of tackling the subject of wealth, money and personal finance — from the practical stuff all the way to the psychological. If you’re after the big picture on this subject, this would be the ideal book to get.“
- Wise Bread: “My few disagreements are all [...] minor nits. If you need a book on personal finance, Your Money: The Missing Manual is a solid choice. It gets all the important stuff right, and does a great job of distinguishing between that stuff (that you have to get right) and the peripheral stuff (that you can do any of several different ways, as long as you do it).
- The Simple Dollar: “What makes Your Money: The Missing Manual stand out? To put it simply, it’s the voice. J.D.’s voice comes through loud and clear in this book, much more than I expected it to given that it’s an O’Reilly title (which sometimes means a very technical voice). It’s that approachable, real tone that has made Get Rich Slowly a top personal finance blog, and it also works to make it seem like the advice in the book is actually real and that you can actually do it, too. This is something that’s missing in an awful lot of personal finance books, and it makes all the difference.”
- An Island Life: “All I can say is, where has this book been all my life! This book is full of down-to-earth practical tips that will help you to become, if not a money expert, at least a well-informed consumer of money related issues.“
- ChildWild (from GRS staff writer Sierra Black): “There are more in-depth books on every topic this one covers. J.D. unhesitatingly recommends them. He’s read dozens of personal finance books over the past four years. His own book distills the best from the best of what he’s read. You’ll come away with a decent handle on every major financial issue most adults face, and a reading list to help you dive deeper into the areas you need more help with.”
- Duffbert’s Random Musings: “This is the perfect book to give someone who is trying to dig out from a mountain of debt, or more ideally, to someone who hasn’t yet fallen into that trap. Either way, the value of the information here is priceless if read and followed.”
- Blogcritics: “If you have any questions and concerns about budgeting, saving, investing, spending, and getting the most out of your money you need to read this book. Your Money: The Missing Manual will get you on the road to financial security in a sane reasonable manner. It’s a great investment.”
Meanwhile, Your Money: The Missing Manual has garnered thirteen reviews over at Amazon for an average of 4.5 stars. Ten of these reviews give the book five stars, one review gives it four stars, and two give the book two stars. In the interest of balance, here are excerpts from the two negative reviews:
- “Not a bad idea as such — but way too focused on American standards, and therefore of little use if you live and work in an exotic place like, em, Europe. The same goes for the book’s tone, which is that kind of buddy-like, naïve voice that makes you feel like a five-year-old.”
- “Lacks original thoughts, i.e. on nearly every page, J.D. references another author or website. Which makes me wonder what percentage of the material is re-used from elsewhere. He touts himself as an personal-finance expert, but lacks any sort of qualifications to justify that self-appointed title. He presents a brief description of concepts (from the perspective of a “regular guy”) but relies heavily on redirecting readers to online resources to gain clarification. His 14 guidelines are solid, but they appear to be derived from someone else’s work.”
That first negative review is valid though puzzling (of course the advice is U.S.-centric — the book is for a U.S. market!), but the second one really hurt at first. Eventually I realized that there’s nothing I can do about it, so I’ve just come to accept it. Yes, the book points to tons of other resources (that was the plan from the start!), but I know there’s no plagiarism here, and that I’ve done my damnedest to make the book stand stand apart from the blog instead of just borrowing material published here previously. But you can’t please everyone, right?
It’s edifying that the book is getting good reviews. I poured my heart and soul into this book for four months (five, if you count editing), and gained 20 pounds. (I’m finally down to the weight I was at after walking the marathon at the beginning of October.) I did my best to write the book I wish I’d read five years ago, and I’m proud of what I produced.
Have you read Your Money: The Missing Manual? What did you think? What did I get right? What could be improved? Who would you recommend the book for? (And would the book make a good gift for graduates?)
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I’m looking forward to reading it. Congrats on the second printing and I wish you all the best!
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That second one is a strange criticism. Most people would view well-sourced material as a strength rather than a weakness.
Sorry, but there’s no such thing as true originality any more.
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Congrats are certainly in order, JD. You should be quite proud of this tremendous accomplishment!
I am at the tail end of my graduate school career, and there are so many things, sometimes the list feels inexhaustible, that I am compelled to read – I have not gotten back to leisure reading just yet. When I do, your work will be the first thing on my list.
If you are anything like me if ten people give you glowing reviews and one person is disenchanted or not impressed – I have a tendency to focus on the negative. No one book appeals to everyone. Your obligation as an author and a person in a perpetual quest to improve one’s self is to see if there is anything constructive and/or well-meaning in the commentary, is it designed to facilitate your growth in any measurable way? If not, move on….
Kudos again – this post is quite balanced, you even went so far as to include the reviews that gave your book a low rating – very mature of you.
Last point – there are some ideas like how important it is to put happiness first, beware of lifestyle inflation and the dominance of Stuff in your life – I would think these concepts would appeal to anyone irrespective of locale.
Oops, one last thing – JD, what has your publisher done in terms of promotion, save encouraging you to exploit your blog? Which is appropriate, but that can only go so far, without becoming redundant and insulting. I doubt you can respond to this in this forum, but I just wanted to put this out there.
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JD you have some space to advertise the book right below the Bank Rates Center box that is on the top LH corner of your site. I suggest that you put a photo of the book cover there, with a direct link to a site where the book can be purchased. Just the photo – your regular readers will see it, your new readers will see it, it’s not hard sell, but it’s not absent either.
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COngratulations on the second printing!! That’s fantastic!!!
I enjoy hearing about the success of your book, and reading the exerpts. I must be hones thtough, I am also very grateful that you don’t spend every entry of every blog talking about it. There was a financial / frugal site I once used to read every day, the guy wrote a book and suddenly, every post was about his book, there was never any content or interest to read, just but his book. You do a great job of blending in the articles, and the mention of your book, and I appreciate it. I love how I can come here and read, and not feel like I’ve got a spolicitor banging at my computer screen!
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i’ve got to give you a “golden atta-boy”
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JD, I’ve only come to know a little bit about you via this blog. And it’s through this blog that I’ve learned a lot.
I’ve enjoyed your posts, the guest posts and the comments. Your blog is one of five blogs that I recommend on my blog.
I’m grateful to you for all the work you’ve put into the blog and I thank you very much. Michael
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Excellent news on the second printing. Most books get pulped after their first. You cracked a tough market and it’s all because of the hard, passionate work you put in here every day. It’s a lesson in what truly comprises success.
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The book is excellent in my opinion. I count it between the best purchases I made.
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You should definetely consider putting a pic and link of your book on the right hand side of this blog. Nothing wrong with that, you have earned the right.
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So how did you gain the weight when writing the book? Was it stress, bad eating or lack of exercise? I am not a writer. I would have thought that getting the head clear via exercise would help release stress and focus the mind.
Nonetheless, enjoy the moment of your first book! You only get one first.
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I liked the book and even gave one as a gift to a cousin who will be graduating college this month. However, I already know most of the stuff there since I have been a long-time GRS reader. I know the content is not the same but I guess I already know all the basics. What I benefited from was the resources that were added such as links and other books recommended. I bought it mostly to support GRS and the local bookstore I got it from. I expected it to be inspiring rather than instructional but there was so much “informational content” that I thought I should be in front of the internet while reading it.
Good book overall! Excellent material for anyone. Congratulations! GRS helped us turn our finances around.
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I think the book is great and even gave one as a gift to my son who has graduated from University this year.
I am sure it will guide him well.
Thanks
Mike
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Congratulations on your book’s success!
Don’t feel bad about mentioning your book on the blog. If you’ve got a good product, you’re doing your readers a favor by letting them know about.
I’m going to buy a copy and review it on my blog. (Unfortunately, my blog is very new and not well known yet, so you probably won’t get much additional exposure, but feel free to use my quotes wherever you like. I can tell from reading your blog that I’m going to like the book.)
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It would be nice to see a Kindle edition. The O’Reilly ebook costs 3$ more than the hardcopy sells for on Amazon, what’s with that?
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I agree with the above post…a Kindle edition would be nice. I’ve only been following your blog for a short time now, but I like what I’ve seen so far. Thanks for all your hard work!
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I’ve been reading your blog for a long time. Just bought the book tonight and look forward to reading it! Self promotion is not always a bad thing either. Keep up the great work.
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[Edit: This turned out to be very long... sorry!]
Okay, I’ve had the book sitting by my computer for a few months. I started it, but have been juggling a few books and responsibilities, so I’m not far in. Still, I can share the impression I’ve got so far, from what I HAVE read and from my time reading your blog. Most of my points are counter-arguments to the naysayers…
Overall, I’m a Canadian who bought your book in support of the amazing work you’ve done on this blog, and who has found your approach to personal finance refreshing and informative. While I’ve never had any consumer debt, I haven’t always spent or saved responsibly. You’ve helped me develop a roadmap for the future, rather than simply wander in circles through the wilderness. The book, so far, does a great job of transforming your approach into a handy offline reference and refresher manual.
As a Canadian, I have to say that any criticism of the book as “too focused on American standards” misses the point. While you do often refer to US-specific things like Roth IRAs and CDs, equivalent tools exist in other countries. Quickly dropping a US-specific term into Google gives you an overview of what the tool is, and it’s then pretty easy to translate the advice loosely to the another country’s equivalent (TSFAs and GICs in Canada). Tools like Roth IRAs exist in Europe as well, so this isn’t just a North American thing. Ditto information on mortgage laws and choosing bank accounts and any other factor that might have local variations. The details vary, but the principle is the same and your writing is focused on teaching people the questions to ask and the thought processes involved in making these decisions.
I’m also totally confused about where the other dude came up with “he touts himself as an personal-finance expert”. You’re always diligent in emphasizing that you’re NOT an expert, but instead point out that you’re an average guy who has dug himself out of debt and wants to share what he’s learned with others. Your frequent references to other sources are actually valuable in this case. I would be suspicious of a layperson with such a brilliant catalogue of solid advice WITHOUT independent sources of information.
Also, any reference you cite is likely going to be accessible to the average person. If it isn’t, you’re careful to note any potential pitfalls so people don’t get in over their heads. It can be overwhelming to look at the amount of financial information available on the web or in the library. Which ones are aimed at experienced investors (like Forex trading, which is usually a get-rich scam or highly technical), and which ones are just stupid (all the “buy this hot stock today to retire rich tomorrow” hype), and which ones will stand the test of time? Sometimes the answers are obvious, but it’s easy to waste a lot of time and get mired down in the search for a “perfect” solution. You help us separate the hype from the tried-and-true solutions, and point us to a wide array of resources in the latter category, so we can find what works for us.
I feel confident, even at this early point in my read, that Your Money: The Missing Manual is appropriate for anyone who can read English (regardless of nationality) who has an income or financial responsibilities.
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If you hadn’t listed a ton of resources, the negative reviewer would be complaining about the lack of resources. Some people just can’t be pleased.
Off topic: I recently heard Dave Ramsey say that we should stop paying into our 401K and focus on paying off our house sooner. What do you think of that advice??
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JD,
For the record I have never heard you tout yourself as being a personal finance expert. While you are right in accepting that not every review is going to be positive and there is not much you can do about it, I thought you would at least set the record straight on this one.
Unless I am missing something, you have never presented yourself as an expert, just a regular guy interested in exploring what makes good financial sense and that is why your blog and your book is so appealing.
Keep up the good work.
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I really liked the book. I read it in a weekend! I can see the point though about having too many sources emphasized in the text and not just listed in an appendix. It was a bit distracting to read each suggested source in text or in an info box. I prefer to get the info and then check “further reading”, etc. to find more info later.
Because I read this site every day as well as numerous other personal finance sources, the book didn’t have a whole lot of new information for me, but I think it would make a perfect gift for a graduate and is a great starting point for someone who doesn’t know where to begin.
My favorite part was actually the graph and explanation of “Enough”. I was so bored reading YMORL that I think this point was lost on me before. The graph is great and I think of it every time I go to buy something frivolous now.
Overall, great book!You should be proud. Also, you have mentioned the book in several posts, so your regular readers are already aware that it’s out there.
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I have little respect for books that are full of advice without any references. This book is a useful tool, a distillation of all the best economic advice and methods applicable now in the US. It’s not an original work of literature. The reviewer who resented all the references is clearly an idiot.
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RE: the second Amazon reviewer–Don’t sweat it. You know what they say about opinions! I know you weren’t looking for us to defend you by posting the negative reviews, but I found that second one to be pretty idiotic, so:
First, there aren’t truly original thoughts in PF or most other areas. I’ve read lots of PF books and was never blown over by some totally new concept I’d never heard before. Spend less than you earn. There ya go. What *can* be original is how it is presented, and maybe it didn’t work for the reviewer, but GRS is testimony that your style appeals to a lot of people. “Appearing to be derived” doesn’t mean squat. Who does he think you copied? He can’t say. He just likes espousing his off-the-cuff opinion and trying to sound knowledgeable.
Second, you’ve never claimed to be a personal-finance expert like he says you “tout” yourself to be, and the reviewer even later says that you are presenting from the perspective of a “regular guy”…so which is it? The reviewer seems to be confused. Maybe he should read your book again.
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I just received your book from Amazon a couple of weeks ago. I purchased it for our son who has his first “real job” and for the first time has a good amount of money to blow or save. Since I’ve been teaching him how to manage money ever since he first started receiving an allowance, he tends to be a saver which is great! BUT I want to make sure he has a good reference book to give him a comprehensive overview of personal finance, and your book is great!
I told him I get to read it before he gets to have it.
So I’m about 5 chapters in, and I already marked several points while reading and then used them right away. At this point in our life, we have a goal to save money for a cross-country move, so I found the parts about goal setting and tracking to be very useful. That’s the nice thing about reading a new book even if you’ve already read many PF books before – life is constantly changing, and you get something different from each book you read (and also from rereading the same book a few years later.)
I like all the extra references in the book to other sources. The only minor issue I have is regarding all the “see the box on page X” and “see chapter X for more info on Y” parenthetical comments in the text. There seem to be a lot of them in some places and combined with the resource references can make for a lot of interruptions on some pages. Since I haven’t really seen that in the way you write at GRS, I was thinking maybe this is the “style” that all books in the Missing Manuals series are written in (haven’t read any others – just speculating!) Or maybe it’s because on a blog, the references are all just links in the text so there are no interruptions! Whatever it is, the book is great, and this is a minor issue so it would never factor into whether I would recommend it to someone or not.
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Interesting that one of the negative reviews on Amazon considered that the references were a negative. I spotted them already listed as one of the strengths of the book in the positive reviews you listed first. I guess it depends what you’re looking for.
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I think the book is great and anyone saying you dont qualify for having an opinion because you’re not “licensed” or “qualified” then they need to ask yourself why they’re reading your book in the first place. Clearly if the rest of these licensed and qualified finance gurus were writing things that worked they wouldn’t be seeking outside options.
Keep up the good fight JD.
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I’m curious if you consulted with Ramit at all before your book was open for sale. He got his book to number one on Amazon and on the NY-Times bestseller list with a ton of interesting promotional stuff.
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I agree, you should bookmark your book on your webpage with a direct link to buy. What’s the point of having your own blog if you don’t advertise your own book?
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JD – that second negative review was off the mark. To me it sounds like the reader was looking for something revolutionary (maybe get rich quick?). That’s not the point of your writing on GRS or in YM.
This is personal finance that makes sense – that means tried tested and true. Not new, fancy, and flashy. What YOU do is seek out the right information and then organize that information into a format that is aproachable and easy for the everyday guy to understand. You do that exceptionally well and that is a real skill.
It’s normal that not everyone is going to “get it.” Don’t let it bring you down. The information you dispense is fantastic.
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Congrats JD on the second printing! Great to see the book doing well.
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hurrah for a second printing! I’m curious, were any changes made to the book for round 2?
I bought the book, mostly for support. Considering the fact that most of it felt like a refresher to me, it’s high praise indeed that I finished it, and I credit that to your readable tone. I felt like the ten billion “see also” reference (either referencing a web page or another page in the book) were a bit distracting, but I chalked it up to the O’Reilly style. I certainly did not take it to mean you were re-using other people’s work though! To me it demonstrated exhaustive research. You just can’t please ‘em all.
I have a friend who’s just getting her finances sorted out and am going to lend this to her for sure – but I wanted to read it first! Well done.
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I can emphasize with the 2nd negative commenter on Amazon about the references to other works on (seemingly) every page. I’ve only read about 1/3 of the book so far, but that is one thing that has stuck out to me about your book. Granted I haven’t read many personal finance books; I think the only other one is Suze Orman’s “The Money Book for the Young Fabulous & Broke” which hits on many of the same topics, only with a slant towards the young professional. Looking at her book, there are references to the occasional website mid-sentence, but it is not filled with tinyurl.com links to a website for every topic.
I think you can probably blame this style of writing on your history of writing for the internet with your blogs, which allow you to hyperlink to other pages for reference. The only differences is that a hyperlink is easier to gloss over and ignore if you’re not interested than is http://tinyurl.com/Blah in a sentence.
I think if you do a 2nd book you should consider this constructive feedback and maybe set hyperlinks off to an “on the web” side-bar or maybe as footnotes, referenced by a superscript within the text. This would help make it more readable and still allow you to provide outside references to those who care.
Being an avid reader, most of your references are old news to me, I might check out a handful throughout your entire book, and the rest of the references just get in the way.
Anyway, this is one minor issue, otherwise keep up the good work both online and in print!
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I haven’t read it yet. Heck, I it’s still on my wish list… but as soon as I finish reading “You can negociate anything” by H. Cohen (selected based on JD’s review), and a couple other books which I need to get through, it will mostly definitely be my bedside book.
Regarding the comment on Europe: I live in France, and greatly enjoy all (ok most) of the information on GRS. I can’t imagine not taking something out of the book.
I know somethings will be US specific, and will simply have to skim over that. Other solution is to move…
Cheers.
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Thanks for reminding me to post my review of your 5-star book!!!
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I was waiting to get it from the library, but got given a B&N gift card so I splurged. I’m glad I did, the book is excellent, and I was surprised at how useful it is. After reading it from the library, I would have bought it anyway, as my wife and I use it as a reference. One odd effect, I found the book so useful and complete that I stopped reading the site for a while. It wasn’t until the book arrived that I realized it was OReilly, and that got me thinking that if you wanted to do a follow up work, one of their cookbooks would be ideal. Well done!
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I really want to reiterate how much I enjoyed this book. Thanks for sending it over to me to check out and am glad I had the chance to write a review on it!
It’s a favorite on my pf shelf and one that I would wholeheartedly recommend to anyone who cares about money 
.
On the topic of book promotion (as some of the comments here reflect): It’s unfortunate that you’d need extra promotions to have to “get a book to #1 and on a bestseller’s list”. IMO, a great book should sell itself, but alas, the need for marketing seems to be necessary to get even the best products noticed.
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For the love of (insert your inspirational reference) J.D. put a photo of the book on the blog with a link.
Dude it is your blog. Your book.
Ok, don’t think of it as sales or marketing.
Think of it as helping a person find some answers to the questions that caused them to come to the blog in the first place.
You have come this far, just one step more.
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