Women & Money

March 5, 2007
Bestselling author (2005's The Money Book for the Young, Fabulous & Broke
, etc.) and host of her own CNBC show, Orman encourages women to "give to
yourself as much as you give of
yourself" in her ninth financial advice book, sure to resonate with legions of readers who will appreciate her straightforward advice and supportive tone. Aiming squarely for a female audience, Orman guides readers through the very basics of finances. She explores why women have dysfunctional relationships with money and notes the ways they undervalue themselves or "treat themselves as a commodity whose price is set by others," while also sharing the story of her own evolving relationship with her finances. Though her explanation of the "8 qualities of a wealthy woman" (harmony, balance, courage, etc.) is more inspirational than practical, she also presents a concrete five-month "save yourself plan" for financial repair, starting with setting aside checking and savings accounts, fixing one's credit rating, saving for retirement, setting up a will and purchasing home insurance. This encouraging guide will not intimidate women who are foundering financially. (Feb.)

Correction:
Due to the publisher's error, we misidentified Sidney Wanzer in our review of his book, To Die Well
(Reviews, Feb. 18). He the former head of the Harvard Law School Health Services.

April 30, 2007
Orman, whose sunny demeanor and sage personal finance advice have won the hearts of millions of readers and viewers of her eponymous CNBC show, dishes out money basics especially for women. Why is it, she asks, that in an age where women are earning larger paychecks than ever before and attaining ever-higher positions in the corporate world, that so many feel like they are drowning in debt and financial ignorance? Orman begins with some classic schadenfreude by telling her own inspiring story: the college dropout and waitress, primarily on the basis of her gangbusters personality, got some customers to loan her money to start her own restaurant—but the clueless neophyte promptly lost every penny to a shady broker. Undeterred, she decided to educate herself about money by becoming a broker herself. She shares her hard-won wisdom with trademark enthusiasm. This is a book for total beginners—those who need to learn the difference between a savings and a checking account, or between a traditional IRA and a Roth. But even financially savvy listeners will enjoy Orman’s chatty style, accentuated by the conversational and intimate approach she takes with the narration. Simultaneous release with the Spiegel & Grau hardcover (Reviews, Mar. 5).

September 10, 2007
A partner in an Albany, N.Y., law firm that specializes in personal injury and medical malpractice cases, debut novelist Mednick crafts a quippy, discursive tale of a goodhearted lawyer’s wakeup call. The divorced father of two teens, Mike Samuels has been a personal injury lawyer in Sloan County, N.Y., for more than 20 years, but a midlife feeling of alienation from work has set in. He has two strong-willed women in his life: secretary Alice and girlfriend Ann-Marie, who wants him to commit. Getting by on his self-deprecating wit and sardonic facade, Mike rolls along, but when he accepts the case of Evelyn Walker, who is suing her former employer over a debilitating job-related injury, Mike is forced to shake off his ennui and get focused to defend his client. His neurotic wisecracking can be wearing, but once the story gets to the courtroom, Mike makes an appealing smalltown hero.