The Barefoot Investor: Five Steps to Financial Freedom in Your 20s and 30s

A commonsence approach to building you wealth. Scott explains wealth building in a sensible frank manner that is easy to read and understand.

If you've read any investment books, this one fits in with all of them and doesn't really offer anything new. Not a bad book if you are new to the idea of investing and building wealth long-term. It also has sections on other life issues, such as renting vs. owning. Be warned that the author hails from Australia, so a lot of the content is useful but different from how things are in the US.I give it four stars because it's a decent book and the author writes in a very comfortable style, even though much of the material is pretty basic.

I brought this book at Christmas time in 2008, read it, and saw it had good ideas. I didn't do anything, untill I was wondering where my money was going in March 2009. I reread the book, and thought, what do I have to lose by giving it a go? I did what the book said(as other reviews have said, simple things, but important things),opened a few different accounts, Savings, bills, holiday,spending etc. In March this year I worked out that I had gone on 2 overseas holidays, put 5k into my mortgage(That I had saved), now have enough money to pay my bills when they come in.By doing what it said in the book, The Simple things, Financially I have turned my life around, from living from paycheck to paycheck, to having the money to spend on myself and enjoy life, whilst knowing that financially I am free.I would recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in being Financially Free.After all, what do you have to lose?

This book is good, very good. I like his approach. He didn't teach my much new though. Nothing you can't find in 3 or 4 other books. So it IS really good value as it is all condensed in the one book. I like this guy, he's good.

Firstly my grandson has not read your book yet as mid year exams are on the agenda. I am hoping it will 'kick him into gear'. He is studying law and accounting at La Trobe University and money is no object, particularly when Mum is paying the bills. Mum has been sole parent since he was 4 years old and now at 21 I hoped he would have gained some appreciation. Although his Dad contributes nothing, my grandson cannot see how hard his mother has worked to get him to this stage. Hopefully your book will give him the right incentive.

At 36 I'm completely incompetent when it comes to money management--so much so that someone else handles my bill paying, checkbook and other finances. No one ever taught me how to do these things effectively, and my father is just as clueless because my mother always handled those things. But since her brain injury it's been left to him to handle all this, and Pape's book does exactly what it says it will do: give you a good overview and steps in the right direction, even if you're a complete idiot when it comes to money. I read the book first and then my father read it, and now we're putting Scott's suggestions into place. It's a bit of an adventure, but more than anything it's empowering to know that I'm thinking about and planning for my present and future financially. The best part is that while the author "dumbs it down" so that even a novice could understand it, he's pretty wry, very witty and occasionally a bit caustic in a humorous way. That alone makes this much less intimidating and much more enjoyable to read than your typical finance book.

This guy is the Jamie Oliver of finance, young, cool, funny, good style of writing and not much solid to follow.Here is the book in a nutshell: Save your money as much as you can and then give it to a finance manager, hedge fund, mutual fund or this type of investment. If you are English, you will be able to find a list of all of these funds in which you can investigate. If you are not, well just look on Google and see the thousands of companies and funds, or ask your bank manager what to do with your 100k in the bank and you will feel even more confused than when you read the book!! If you are 15 years old, or have never read a finance book, or have no finacial control or idea this book is for you. It does explain the power of interest which is very important. But if you are looking for solid financial advice and direction and if you have money to invest and want to know how to learn to invest for yourself, then this book is a waste of time, except for a few cheap laughs.

This book changed my financial life. I have read many financial reviews, books and recommendations and The Barefoot Investor is the only book that I have enjoyed from start to end and then applied to my own life. The language is fun and the strategies are simple but powerful. This is not a book about money scrimping or getting rich quick - it's a philosophical, holistic approach to finances and life. If you're about to dive into a big financial commitment, this book will help you to step back and look objectively at the big picture.In response to Soragham's review, I fear he missed the point. This is not an economic textbook intended to delve into the finer points of the subject. It sets out to be "a straight-talking, sexy guide to money that empowers you to get to your goals as quickly as possible" and that's exactly what it is. The cover photograph of a simpering Mr Pape is just the beginning of this book's many charms.

Fantastic book. I’ve always been ignorant to my cash flow but this has put me on the right path. It’s written in a way that keeps you interested and has gotten me excited about looking after my money

This was a recommendation so will give a better review once read.

Very good read for some financial basics in life