Have you ever gone to a conference, meeting, or seminar and not had a clue about who the speaker was? Maybe this is just a church thing, but I’ve attended a seminar or two and noticed that they aren’t as effective because I don’t trust the speaker. What do they teach about? What are their values? Why should I listen to anything that they’re saying? It takes a few talks to trust the speaker, but by that time the seminar is almost over!
I am attending Dave Ramsey’s Smart Conference in LA this Saturday, November 1st, but I was only familiar with two of the eight speakers when I purchased my ticket. I decided back in March that if I’m going to really extract some good stuff from their speaking, I should read one book from each speaker – particularly their most famous book. This way, I already have a solid idea of their overall teaching and can listen to their talk with a well-rounded perspective. I chose one book from each speaker and reviewed them here. Enjoy!
Dave Ramsey: The Total Money Makeover![]()
This book was my first real encounter with Dave Ramsey’s principles. I read it earlier this year to get an idea of what this guy is all about and decide whether or not I agreed with any of it. It’s classic Dave Ramsey material – Baby Steps, Gazelles, and cutting up credit cards. My favorite chapter was the chapter where he covered debt myths. It’s an easy format where he debunks myths about debt like “I can’t have a mortgage without a credit card”. Whether you decide to cut up all of your credit cards or not, there is some insightful stuff to be learned (yes, you can get a mortgage without a credit card) and great lessons about giving from the heart.
Rachel Cruze: Smart Money Smart Kids: Raising the Next Generation to Win with Money![]()
Rachel Cruze, Dave Ramsey’s daughter, refers to her Dad as the “emergency surgeon” for folks with major debt and she is marketed as the “preventative medicine” – reaching college age students and younger with the message of becoming debt free. You might recall that I met both Dave & his daughter on their tour promoting this book.
This book has a lot of great ideas on how to raise kids with solid money principles. High school doesn’t teach you about responsible spending, credit card debts, or getting through college without loans. This book is a great reminder of how important the parental role is in teaching all of that. Now that Rachel is becoming a mother herself, I’m interested to see how she will apply them to her own children with today’s parenting obstacles. Overall, I like the way that the Ramsey family incorporated money into the daily activities of the kids’ lives through small lessons over time.
Dr. Henry Cloud: Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life![]()
If you’ve ever felt guilted into saying yes to something – even something positive like helping a friend in need or volunteering at church – this book provides great Biblical perspective about establishing appropriate boundaries. It covers multiple relationships in our lives and encourages small steps in practicing healthy boundaries. My favorite chapter in this book was about creating boundaries with yourself. It’s about setting healthy time management, diet/exercise, money, and more. I like that this book reminds the reader that healthy boundaries are a way of being a good steward of yourself, which God has asked you to do. I’ll keep re-reading this book as a reminder of how and when to say yes or no in my life. Warning: this book is dense! Each paragraph could take a week to digest or apply to your life. It’s good, but it’s a heavy hitter (in a good way)!
Andy Andrews: The Traveler’s Gift: Seven Decisions that Determine Personal Success![]()
The complete opposite of Boundaries, this time-traveling tale of a man who just lost his job is easy to digest and simply enjoyable (less thinking involved!). In this book, you’ll learn the 7 Decisions for Success, as told and learned from the characters of our history. From Harry S. Truman to King Solomon, take a day to travel on this divine journey and learn the 7 decisions. They’re simple and widely applicable to readers of all types. While it’s not the most riveting narrative, you get the meaty lessons nicely packaged in a few short stories. Thumbs up for an easy & satisfying read.
Emerson Eggerichs: Love & Respect: The Love She Most Desires; The Respect He Desperately Needs![]()
This book is without a doubt my FAVORITE book on this list. Why? It was super applicable to my life. Dr. Eggerich’s approach to marriage is refreshingly unique and completely spot on. It gave me a totally different view about marriage (i.e. It’s not about my spouse, it’s about my relationship with Christ). I was overwhelmingly energized by this book, which gives relatable scenarios/arguments, a practical approach to applying this theory, and an interesting view of the purpose of marriage. Plus, his voice/point-of-view reminds me of my hometown Big Church pastor, PK. Eggerichs balances wisdom, godliness, and real life marital issues.
Any cons with this book is that he shares a lot of letters/testimonies for the book, which can get a bit old after the 20th letter. The big plus is that he addresses feminist issues and general worries of women that they become a doormat when they respect their husband. If you couldn’t apply lessons from Men are From Mars, Women are From Venus or The 5 Love Languages, then rejoice because Love & Respect exists to help you communicate with your spouse in their God-given language: either Love or Respect.
Ken Coleman: One Question: Life-Changing Answers from Today’s Leading Voices![]()
Need a little mid-day inspiration? Look no further. This book is a series of very short, yet very powerful chapters. Ken Coleman, who is hosting the Smart Conference, asks each of these leaders one question in their particular expertise on subjects like Courage, Forgiveness, Relationships, Motivation, etc. I read this everyday on my lunch break – getting through 2-3 chapters as I munched on my brown bag lunch. They’re just the sort of inspiration that you might need throughout the work week. I like this book for its interesting insight on multiple subjects.
An added plus to this book is that the insight comes through truly remarkable people: former POW John McCain (Courage chapter), convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff (Redemption chapter), former President Jimmy Carter (Reinvention chapter), and more. It gets me thinking, if I could ask certain leaders in my life one question, what would I ask them?
Dr. Meg Meeker:The 10 Habits of Happy Mothers: Reclaiming Our Passion, Purpose, and Sanity![]()
I don’t have any kids of my own, so I chose Meeker’s less famous book “10 Habits” because it focuses less on relationships and more on self improvement. The 10 habits are designed to improve most areas of your life. I implemented the habit of carving out more solitude for myself. That sounds weird being that my husband is deployed (I’m alone a lot!), but making alone time that has no cell phones, no music, or house chores to attend to sure has positively influenced my life. Ten minutes every morning to watch the sunrise at the beach has improved my productivity and my attitude! Even if you’re not a parent, I recommend this book as a way to take the pressure off of living the most perfect life and instead focusing on what’s important; these 10 habits will help make it happen.
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What great books have you read lately? Have you done something like this to prepare for a conference? Comment below!
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. I receive a teeny commission if you purchase a book using one of the above links. That said, these are my honest opinions about each book. Featured Image via DaveRamsey.com
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