Product Description
What would it be worth to you to find out how to make more money, be financially independent and have AGREAT LIFE?
The author calls upon the timeless wisdom of Solomon and Aesop’s fables, along with modern insights from Warren Buffett and Vanguard founder John Bogle, to help readers rediscover the simple secrets to avoiding life’s big financial and life MESSTAKES.
Readers will learn:
- Four simple secrets to achieving financial independence
- Five steps to generating a great income
- Five great secrets to living a highly successful life
I didn’t think a book by a periodontist could give me any insight on finances. But then I picked up “The 4 Simple Secrets to Avoiding Life’s Big Financial Messtakes.” The writing style immediately caught my attention. Tom McCawley writes like a good friend who happens to have “made it” in life and is giving you some excellent financial advice over a cup of coffee.
Most books about finances put me to sleep, or have ideas that seem to be impossible to replicate in my life. This book combines hilarious and hair-raising stories about Dr. McCawley’s “messtakes” woven in with timely and practical advice he gives to avoid the financial pitfalls of life. This is not another book about pinching pennies, nor aimed at those who have lots of extra cash to invest, but a book for those who have to deal with everyday issues like bills, debt, taxes and the IRS.
Who would expect a book on finances to include a story about coming face-to-face with a silverback gorilla? Or kayaking in the Antarctic? These and other captivating stories about his life serve to illustrate Dr. McCawley’s goal in writing the book, which is to save other people from making “messtakes”, that is “mistakes, not learned from and repeated”.
But there is more than just avoiding mistakes – the second part of the title, and the book, is “Rediscovering the Simple Secrets to a Great Income, Financial Independence and Most Importantly, A Great Life”. This truly sets his book apart from all the other financial advice books out there. Dr. McCawley provides shrewd wisdom about living a life that’s focused on more than just making money. In citing current and relevant examples of people who have not finished well, from news makers like Bernard Madoff, to rock stars and others, Dr. McCawleys’s point is that having lots of money doesn’t necessarily make you “finish well.”
The brevity and wit of this book belie it’s depth. You will find the wisdom of the ages in here, and be amazed at ancient principles that still apply today. A new viewpoint awaits the lucky reader who spends a few hours reading this book and re-discovers life-changing principles.
I highly recommend this book. If you don’t need it for financial advice for yourself, give it to friends who might, or to your children as a loving legacy.
Rating: 5 / 5
Dr. McCawley’s book is packed with financial advice and yet is simple and enjoyable to read. The book distills nuggets of serious economic wisdom into easy-to-digest chapters about financial choices we all make (even if we are not aware of them or really do not want to think about them). The book covers all aspects of family finances, from buying a house to sending kids to college. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is trying to create their own financial and “life” blueprint. The focus of the book is not about making more money (although that topic is addressed); it is about how to live life better with the money we earn by making conscious decisions about how we allocate our money. This book — focused on how money is merely the tool for caring for our families, not an end in itself — is particularly relevant in these financial times where the glitz and glamour of overspending has caught up with the mundane task of paying our bills and budgeting for the future. It is for the person who wants simple practical advice about making better personal economic decisions. I am ordering several more copies to give to family and friends this holiday season!
Rating: 5 / 5
Adding Dr. Tom McCawley’s book, “Messtakes,” to the dental & general educational literature, is an outstanding & most welcome addition to the rational discussions of professional, financial, & life issues that are too often emotionalized. He writes with great cogency & facility, & combines both scholarly & “down-to-earth” excellence with subject matter relevance. The book makes for essential reading on matters of prime importance for everyone interested in learning & self-improvement! Dr. Robert Helmholdt
Rating: 5 / 5
This is not just another book about how to manage your money. This is a book about how money impacts all the other aspects of your life — your relationships, your physical, mental and spiritual health — and the messes it can create if it isn’t managed well. With humor and charm, Tom opens the book of his own life to help us in the sticky task of integrating our money into our life. He shares with us his own financial mistakes and the messes those mistakes made for him, along with the financial mistakes of others and the messes those financial mistakes created for them.
The book is a treasure trove of the world’s most profound thinking about money and it’s place in our lives — Tom has collected quotes from the best minds on the subject from Solomon to Warren Buffet and sprinkles his text with them liberally. It is a phenomenal resource for those of us who do not have the time to read it all ourselves.
What makes this book so appealing is Tom’s genuine concern for his reader’s financial, relationship, physical, mental and spiritual health. It is obvious Tom really cares about us and wants us to achieve what he calls a highly successful life and to finish well.
Get this book and read it! It is enlightening, fun, profound, fascinating — and it could change your life!
Carol Topp
Denver, Colorado
Rating: 5 / 5
Many people have shared their philosophies of life, Tom McCawley explains how he lives his, and rediscovers it when he veers off his path. Tom has written a book that anyone can read and get something out of. In fact, this is the type of book that can be picked up many times over and re-read to receive the message(s) you need.
His style is easy to follow, as if you are talking to a friend. In fact, he is not afraid to open up and tell us many personal setbacks-which adds a certain honestly that is attractive. He is an avid reader, and thus the bibliography is current and valuable, especially since he explains the key messages he received from the referenced books. I found myself E-mailing some friends certain ideas that I found particularly salient.
His interest in writing this book is explained, (I don’t want to give it away), and his intent is pure. “We’re all in this together, so by sharing my struggles with life and money, I learn and grow myself. By helping others, I help myself, an important life lesson for all of us.”
I particularly liked his analysis of how much is enough, how to plan for retirement, how to prioritize life’s challenges, and his many quotes from a variety of sources. I enjoyed the last chapter of the book the best. It is S-U-P-E-R- an acronym, if practiced, will lead to a more productive and content life.
Rating: 5 / 5