'Purse' book looks at finances, more

“A Purse of Your Own” by Deborah Owens, 2010, Fireside Books, $15/$19.99 Canada, 290 pages, includes index: Nobody has to tell you that the economy is uncertain. You live it.
The job (if you have one) is shaky. The savings account (if you have one) is emptying. Debt (you’ve got that!) is growing, and your way of life has changed, perhaps forever.
You’d like to make your money go in a different direction but as far as you’re concerned, financial information might as well be written in Greek. But there’s help: if you just don’t get it, get “A Purse of Your Own” by Deborah Owens.
You’ve never invested in stocks because it’s scary, right? It’s hard to understand, and besides – you don’t have the money in the first place. Wrong, says Owens. Take baby steps. Begin by looking at your assets, liabilities and overall budget.
When everything’s written down, you might be surprised to see that you can shave a little money here or there to invest. Even $5 a week can turn into thousands of dollars in profits if you have the patience. Once you have a nest egg and are comfortable enough to invest, remember to do four things: diversify, diversify, diversify and don’t let fear keep you from acting.
Because of the internet, it’s easy to research the businesses in which you want to invest. Owens says to look for the companies whose business models reflect your values. Buy stock in those that make the products you like. So how to get started? You can buy stocks online or you can use a broker; there are advantages and disadvantages to both. In either case, Owens says, a financial advisor may be your portfolio’s best friend.
Embrace the seven wealthy habits, one of which is to keep an eye on “the big picture.” Reach for more than what you can immediately see. Ignore naysayers but accept real help when it’s offered. Do your homework and pay attention. Never put your eggs in one basket. Educate yourself about investments, bonds, mutual funds and tax-deferred retirement plans by reading up on them. Treat your portfolio as you would a family member. Be sure to “pay it forward.”
Tired of seeing your money disappear? Then dig in your purse, sharpen your pencil and get ready to learn how to stop the drain by reading this book.
Using analogies that are easy-to-understand, author Owens starts from the beginning with a family that was shocked to see the small size of their net worth. From there, she moves through the various ways to invest and save, how to start and utilize an investing club for support, and how to think like a wealthy woman. Owens’ advice is solid, real and a little outside-the-box and the quizzes she includes (what is your purseonality?) are eye-opening, all of which makes the entire finance industry seem seriously fun.
Even if you’ve only got a few dollars to spare but you want to see it grow, “A Purse of Your Own” is a book to bag. Invest a few dollars in it, and you’ll soon be investing like a pro.

‘WHY’ REVIEW
“Why Men Want Sex and Women Need Love” by Allan and Barbara Pease, 2009, Broadway Books, $14.99/$18.99 Canada, 265 pages: When it comes to members of the opposite sex, it’s all about numbers. You want him to have a nice six-pack and bench-press 200 pounds. She should measure 36-24-36. He should be 6 feet 2 inches. She should be 5 feet 8 inches. In either case, you want nothing less than a 10 with an IQ more than 130. And if you can’t find your number one? You end up feeling like a zero.
But why are we attracted to a certain eye color, a lopsided smile or silky hair? Why do we lose our heads over a gorgeous body? Get some insight by reading “Why Men Want Sex and Women Need Love” by Allan and Barbara Pease.
Cinderella had a prince. So did Snow White, and Beauty had her Beast. From earliest childhood, we’re subtly taught that a special someone is out there for each of us. Your mission was always to find him (or her).
When you’ve found that person, life feels perfect. You float, rather than walk. Your energy level zooms. You’re incapable of thinking about anything or anybody else.
Have you lost your mind? In a way, say the authors. Hormones flood wildly when you fall in love and scans show that your brain becomes addicted to the rush. Dopamine (the so-called “happiness hormone”) surges. To say that you’re crazy in love is quite correct.
But then, in about two years, reality sets in. He always wants sex. She’s unappreciated. She talks about feelings, but he never talks to her. Either might be having an affair. In 50 percent of all marriages, the topic of divorce comes up.
Again, you can blame it all on nature. Humans are hard-wired to stay together just long enough to produce offspring. Furthermore, even though we’re evolutionarily advanced, we still choose potential mates on the possibility of available resources.
So how can you make attraction – and love – last? Know the seven basic kinds of love. Learn the six myths about cheating and the nine kinds of affairs. Understand that the opposite sex really does think differently than you. Cut one another some slack because you can’t force change.
I had such high hopes for “Why Men Want Sex and Women Need Love.” True, the information in this book isn’t very new but, when coupled with scientific data and solid advice, it felt fresh. Authors Allan and Barbara Pease have written several (delightful) books in the past and this one is as highly researched as the others.
The problem is that the good is cancelled out by the bad: specifically, an overabundance of old, sometimes insulting and even horrifying out-of-place jokes and an awful lot of overgeneralization. I could have done without the former. I was often dismayed at the latter.
If you’re looking for your one and only, and can separate the useful from the chaff, you’ll like this book. But if you’re seriously tired of being a party of one, there are better relationship books out there. Either way, “Why Men Want Sex and Women Need Love” is a mere “five.”

TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER has been reading since she was 3 years old and never goes anywhere without a book. She lives on a hill in Wisconsin with two dogs and 11,000 books.