Scan barcode
lilgraveling's review against another edition
5.0
Anything that references Always Sunny is pretty much an automatic 5 star, but the fact that a still from the very scene in reference has been my phone lock screen for almost two years truly speak volumes (and in a register that only Charlie Day and dolphins can communicate in).
elderwoodreads's review against another edition
funny
informative
medium-paced
3.25
A solid intro personal finance book. Dunn is very funny and tells a very engaging story, I will say that this is definitely more aimed at college/pre-college people especially in early chapters. If you have a good foundation with personal finance this is mostly just a funny non fiction read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Alcohol
flaneussy's review against another edition
4.0
I've gotten out of the habit of writing reviews in recent months, so this is my attempt to remedy that. #NewYearNewMe.
I've been a fan of Gaby Dunn's work for a while, though I've only sporadically listened to the Bad With Money podcast. I put the book on my TBR shelf almost a year ago and I don't remember what compelled me to put it on hold at the library (this was only two weeks ago; in my defense, I was writing a paper). At 265 breezy pages, BMW is a quick read chock-full of useful information.
As a young adult striving to improve my financial literacy in a crumbling capitalist society, this book was perfect for me. Even if you know the difference between a 401(k) and a Roth IRA (I didn't before reading this book and to be honest I'd still have to consult the book in order to explain the difference), Dunn provides invaluable evidence for the intersection between finance and race-/sexuality-/gender-/ability-based discrimination. She also critiques the moralistic tone of other financial "gurus" and utterly decimates the condescending idea that poor people can avoid the burdens of intergenerational poverty and crushing debt by skipping their morning coffee.
As other reviewers have noted, this is not an advice book; however, this is a great place to start. The Financial Diet--comprised of a website, a book, and a YouTube channel--focus more on personal finance and specific budgeting strategies. Just as a side note: I would love to see Chelsea Fagan and Gaby Dunn work together in some capacity (and hey, they both wrote for ThoughtCatalog at some point! Maybe there's a story there...)
The conversational tone bugged me at times and I felt like the book could have used more careful line editing, but the good information and accessible presentation cancel out my personal thoughts about the language.
I've been a fan of Gaby Dunn's work for a while, though I've only sporadically listened to the Bad With Money podcast. I put the book on my TBR shelf almost a year ago and I don't remember what compelled me to put it on hold at the library (this was only two weeks ago; in my defense, I was writing a paper). At 265 breezy pages, BMW is a quick read chock-full of useful information.
As a young adult striving to improve my financial literacy in a crumbling capitalist society, this book was perfect for me. Even if you know the difference between a 401(k) and a Roth IRA (I didn't before reading this book and to be honest I'd still have to consult the book in order to explain the difference), Dunn provides invaluable evidence for the intersection between finance and race-/sexuality-/gender-/ability-based discrimination. She also critiques the moralistic tone of other financial "gurus" and utterly decimates the condescending idea that poor people can avoid the burdens of intergenerational poverty and crushing debt by skipping their morning coffee.
As other reviewers have noted, this is not an advice book; however, this is a great place to start. The Financial Diet--comprised of a website, a book, and a YouTube channel--focus more on personal finance and specific budgeting strategies. Just as a side note: I would love to see Chelsea Fagan and Gaby Dunn work together in some capacity (and hey, they both wrote for ThoughtCatalog at some point! Maybe there's a story there...)
The conversational tone bugged me at times and I felt like the book could have used more careful line editing, but the good information and accessible presentation cancel out my personal thoughts about the language.
sarahducker's review against another edition
not helpful, not what I thought it would be, and had a suggestion involving going on Birthright?
lambofdawn's review against another edition
I was hoping for a book on how to deal with finances written by someone with similar cultural intersections as me. The book is a fun memoir, but the advice in it is very minimal and not what I was looking for. A worthwhile read, just not the right fit for me.
maggie_the_ferocious_reader's review against another edition
informative
3.0
This was more for a college aged audience than I realized. Still very informative I'm just past that, and so is the similarly titled podcast.
kristinecanwrite's review against another edition
4.0
Love this podcast and enjoyed the audiobook as well, though comparatively Gaby is a little farther behind in their journey. I obviously found it less timely, given everything that we have lived through since. But it is a good read and I great way to gain more insight into Gaby's relationship with money as a jumping off point to examine my own.
lattelibrarian's review against another edition
5.0
Now THIS is a financial self help book I can get behind! Written by a millennial like moi, this book is not only informative, but also a great read! It's funny, and is jam-packed with information such as what the heck is a FICO score? Should you invest? What even IS investing? 401K? Roth accounts?
Not to mention that she got me thinking about my own financial history and how my mom talked--and didn't talk--about money. Knowledge is definitely power, and Dunn proves it! If her goal is to make readers feel more empowered by learning about money and how we should get the most out of it, she succeeded.
And for any of you cynical millennials like me who are angry at the financial, capitalist world, and why do we even have money anyways when it causes so many problems--still read this book. It's not gonna solve the world's problems, but the state of the world is the state of the world. We may as well learn how to navigate it.
Review cross-listed here!
Not to mention that she got me thinking about my own financial history and how my mom talked--and didn't talk--about money. Knowledge is definitely power, and Dunn proves it! If her goal is to make readers feel more empowered by learning about money and how we should get the most out of it, she succeeded.
And for any of you cynical millennials like me who are angry at the financial, capitalist world, and why do we even have money anyways when it causes so many problems--still read this book. It's not gonna solve the world's problems, but the state of the world is the state of the world. We may as well learn how to navigate it.
Review cross-listed here!