The arrival of this book and its message, I suspect, could not have been better timed. We’re more than two years into this great recession, and many of us are more confused than ever about our personal finances. With the financial and employment landscapes evolving before us, it’s difficult to return to the old, prescriptive advice we’ve grown accustomed to. Emotionally, we’ve got a lot going on; we’re angry, hurt, confused, and we’ve lost confidence. Our emotions have (and continue to) run high. By now we recognize that we need to change our ways, but not in a knee-jerk, reactionary way. After all, economic volatility is cyclical and will likely return in a new form in the near future. What’s needed is advice that doesn’t just stem from the rules and regulations of the banking, credit, and financial world but is rooted in our behavior and habits. We need to understand ourselves, get honest, and make money one of the most personal issues and biggest priorities of our lives. If we can get a tighter hold on our minds, our actions, and our belief systems, we can be in control of anything, most importantly our financial lives.

When I first started developing this book, I struggled to succinctly describe its idea to my colleagues, friends, and family. Not because I hadn’t a clue, but because my mind was racing. Only until I was deep into my writing could I possibly narrow it down, and even then my summary ran wild. “It’s about how our emotions complicate our financial lives and hinder us from making the best financial decisions… It’s about the complications of money and how it’s actually never about the money…ramble ramble ramble…It’s about how we have the ability to make better financial decisions, but rarely do…It’s…well, it’s complicated,” went my usual rant (followed by awkward silence). My sympathetic listeners often responded with generous nods and smiles. They said they couldn’t wait to read it, even though they weren’t quite sure what the heck I was talking about!