As a lay person, outside of the financial profession, you will be moved by George Kinder's very literate style that pulls wisdom from disparate sources such as the major religions, classic works of literature, as well as popular culture. Above all, you will see how the Hero's Journey, as chronicled by Joseph Campbell, is the framework of our own journey through our dark places (our painful dilemmas around money) to our eventual emergence into the light (and a sense of freedom with financial issues).
Read this book carefully and do the exercises included inside, and watch your emotions surface. That's when you'll recognize how powerful a work The Seven Stages of Money Maturity is.
I bought the book after client observation made it clear to me that wealth and happiness are not DIRECTLY correlated. I knew that my clients, though indicating a desire for greater wealth, were really seeking happiness and contentment. Sometimes, to achieve their version of contentment, more wealth was necessary. Often, it was not. I hoped that the book would help me to understand how money, happiness and contentment are interrelated so that I could share that knowledge with my clients and help guide them through troubled waters.
The book delivered. I am now able to advise my clients much more effectively and accurately. But, the REAL gift of the book was that it revealed to me my own angst with regard to money. It unlocked doors that had not just been closed to me but had been invisible. I now have an understanding of the role that money plays in my life and can make financial decisions with clarity and ease...even when there are no "easy" choices.
Though the word 'maturity' in the title didn't connect with me when I bought the book, it most certainly does now. I feel like an adult for the first time in my nearly 40 years. It is a welcome relief for me to know that whatever challenges life holds, with regard to money or otherwise, I now have the tools to meet them with grace.
I highly recommend this book for those feeling ANY sort of pain around issues relating to money. If you read the book and bring attention and awareness to the exercises, your relationship to money will be transformed, regardless of who you are or how much/little you have in the way of financial assets!