Book ~ "The Wealthy Barber Returns" (2011) - David Chilton

From the Globe and Mail ~ A lot of David Chilton's new book, The Wealthy Barber Returns, is devoted to a basic message that could help a lot of people and fix some of the country's most pressing financial problems.

Mr. Chilton thinks people are spending too much money and he wants them to cool it so they incur less debt and have more money to save for retirement. It sounds like a simple solution to a complex problem, but Mr. Chilton has a way of making the simple approach work.

Mr. Chilton speaks in his own voice in the new book, not through the fictional cast of characters he used last time. He strikes just the right tone as a witty regular guy who happens to know a lot about money and is glad to share.

The book is built on a series of short, very readable chapters on topics that range from lines of credit and credit cards to a look at whether it's better to save in a registered retirement savings plan or tax-free savings account. The best material is on spending, though.

This is a follow-up to his 1989 book, The Wealthy Barber.

The chapters are short and snappy so it's a quick easy read. It's written in a very relaxed way ... sometimes funny, sometimes cheesy.

It's very high level. If you are looking for a lot of details, this isn't it. But it does give you things to think about ... if you want more info, you'll have to go looking for it. As someone who is in the industry, it's a good "starter" book.