Publishers Weekly
In this motivational title, Emmy Award-nominated actor Harper (Letters to a Young Brother) wants to help readers redefine success and reset their priorities about money. To do so, he draws on his professional experiences: his leap from Harvard Law graduate to successful actor; his recent diagnosis of thyroid cancer; and how he dealt with the unsettling news. While Harper's own narrative and stories of his friends and family prove captivating, the book loses much of its steam when the discussion shifts to monetary wealth. The advice that Harper doles out is rudimentary at best: "Credit card interest payments are the dumbest money of all." Chapters on household budgets and car purchases offer few new insights. The reader will be left with insights on Harper's personal perspective, but little inspiring or engaging information to facilitate their own financial growth. (Sept.)
From the Publisher
This is a different kind of financial book, one that not only urges us to look at how we use our money but also at how we define wealth. It's as much about personal philosophy as about advice on building a solid financial future.” — USA Today
“The Wealth Cure could fit comfortably in the self-help or personal finance aisle, melding together life strategies, wisdom from family and strangers he meets on a cross-country train ride, and nuts-and-bolts budgeting advice. It's a guide that doesn't promise to get you rich quick, but to quickly help your life get richer.” — AOL Daily Finance
“Too many of us think we don't have the ability to better identify how to spend our money, but in Hill Harper's latest book he gives advice on simple ways to save more and admits some of his own financial and personal challenges.” — Chicagotribune.com
Chicagotribune.com
“Too many of us think we don't have the ability to better identify how to spend our money, but in Hill Harper's latest book he gives advice on simple ways to save more and admits some of his own financial and personal challenges.
AOL Daily Finance
“The Wealth Cure could fit comfortably in the self-help or personal finance aisle, melding together life strategies, wisdom from family and strangers he meets on a cross-country train ride, and nuts-and-bolts budgeting advice. It's a guide that doesn't promise to get you rich quick, but to quickly help your life get richer.
USA Today
“This is a different kind of financial book, one that not only urges us to look at how we use our money but also at how we define wealth. It's as much about personal philosophy as about advice on building a solid financial future.
Library Journal
When personal health is compromised, it naturally prompts a reevaluation of life goals. This is the impetus and concept behind CSI: NY actor Harper's (Letters to a Young Brother) latest work. With happiness as a new priority, he investigates how to free oneself from the chains of materialism and the quest for wealth to focus on more important objectives such as personal satisfaction. To cure the sometimes frenetic pursuit of wealth, Harper successfully applies the regimen that was used to treat his illness: diagnose, treat, comply, maintain, thrive. He provides tangible ways for people to prioritize their own goals and refocus their lives. VERDICT While some of the author's anecdotes make one wonder whether he truly comprehends the position of privilege from which he speaks, his pragmatic advice would be generally beneficial to society. A comparable work is Laura Rowley's Money and Happiness: A Guide To Living the Good Life. This is an inspirational read for those interested in financial self-help and freedom, with a little celebrity autobiography sprinkled in. [See Prepub Alert, 3/21/11.]—Poppy Johnson-Renvall, Central New Mexico Community Coll. Lib., Albuquerque
Kirkus Reviews
Simple, inspirational pointers on how to manage money and discover the true meaning of wealth.
After being diagnosed with thyroid cancer, Harper (Letters to a Young Brother, 2007, etc.) boarded a train for a meditative, cross-country journey. Along the way, he encountered a number of fellow passengers who inspired him. Here he recounts their stories, alongside his own journey and a few resonant history lessons. All this combines to provide readers insight into what it means to be wealthy in contemporary America. Despite adding his own practical tips on how to manage finances, from prioritizing spending to the pitfalls of credit cards, the author encourages others to seek out wealth beyond money—in relationships, in health and in pursuing one's passions. He defers to his uncle on this point: "If you are making any decision solely based on money, then it's the wrong decision." It's a motto Harper has applied to his own life; the author, who earned a law degree from Harvard and stars in the TV seriesCSI:NY, writes extensively about his decision to act instead of practice law. Although much of the advice is useful and has practical applications, his writing abounds with clichés and often feels stilted—but it's not without its merits. The strongest parts are the historical biographies, including those of Pullman Porters and the "Real McCoy."In the end, the author underwent a successful surgery and remains cancer-free.
Money helps, but it's not a panacea. Harper demonstrates how redefining wealth can make readers all the richer.
