How to Create Real Wealth
A Practical and Spiritual Guide for Women
In uncertain economic times, the focus for many individuals and families is day-to-day survival and fear of what the future holds. Author, talk show host, and motivational speaker Shamarion Whitaker understands these concerns, and she provides the fundamentals for potentially life-transforming changes that lead to “real wealth.”
Whitaker uses the investment analogy as a peg on which to hang her commonsense counsel. Most people know they should do a better job of managing their finances, and Whitaker provides tips for getting started. Her suggestions are often obvious: Don’t use your credit card if you don’t have the money to buy something; create a budget and stick to it; shop at consignment stores; wait for sales. It’s solid advice, however, packaged in a way that should help women whether they’re on their own, running a household, or married with a joint checking account.
Whitaker urges readers to do more than manage money wisely. Life is about personal investments in relationships, in oneself, and perhaps most importantly, in a spiritual life. Her principles and suggestions are underscored by Scripture liberally included in the text.
“If you want to make changes in your life, increase your spiritual net worth,” she writes, adding that important investments are those that lead to spiritual retirement.
This pep talk for women is a blend of practical and spiritual (Christian) advice. Whitaker devotes several pages to helping readers clear the clutter out of their lives, become fit, and develop better communication skills. She writes about relationships, discussing marital issues and finding a good man. In a section on “loneliness,” she writes, “Trust God to deliver your man to you when He’s finished preparing him. God knows where you live. He’ll give your man instructions on how to find you.”
Although the book’s audience is likely female, Whitaker does not dodge Pauline dictum that is often a stumbling block for today’s woman—that man is the head of the household. She says that with a team, there needs to be a leader, and while the partners are equal, the man should be the leader “because God made the woman for the man.” Even if readers don’t agree, she paves the way for more respect and unity in relationships.
Distractions in the book include multiple spaces between sentences, missing punctuation in direct address, and the occasional lack of standard modifying hyphenation. There are twenty-two blank pages for notes after the epilogue where an index would have been useful.
The book’s real value is in its message to invest wisely in all aspects of life—to know when to pull out of an investment, such as a bad relationship; to take charge of health, emotions, and a lifestyle; and, above all, to invest in spiritual life. It’s a dynamic, motivating combination.
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
