The Wealth Cure: Putting Money in Its Place

by Hill Harper

Overview

In his second book for adults, the perennial New York Times bestselling author helps readers discover how to put money in its place and use wealth-building as a tool for joy and fulfillment.

Hill Harper is uniquely poised to guide readers through tough times and offers bestselling advice for reaping the rewards of a truly happy life. With The Wealth Cure, he does more than that: He presents a revolutionary new definition of wealth; motivating readers to not only build financial security but to achieve wealth in every aspect of their lives. 

Applying a parable approach, Harper instills practical nuts-and-bolts explanations for laying a sound financial foundation and also focuses on how to recognize the worth of your relationships and increase the value of your interactions with the people in your life.

Drawing on personal recollections and true stories from family and friends, Harper has created an inspiring guide. Readers will begin to see money as energy and a freedom for following their passions. Far from a get-rich-quick primer, The Wealth Cure brims with inspired wisdom for building a lasting bounty from the experiences, loved ones, and achievements that really matter.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781101543542
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	08/23/2011
Sold by:	Penguin Group
Format:	eBook
Pages:	288
File size:	3 MB
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Hill Harper has appeared in numerous prime- time television shows and feature films, including Dr. Sheldon Hawkes in CSI: NY, Agent Spelman Boyle in Limitless, and Dr. Marcus Andrews in The Good Doctor. He graduated magna cum laude from Brown University with a B.A. and cum laude from Harvard Law School. He also holds a master’s degree in public administration from the Kennedy School of Government. He was recently named one of People magazine’s Sexiest Men Alive. A member of the Democratic Party, Harper is running for the U.S. Senate in the 2024 election in Michigan.

Table of Contents

Prologue: Putting Money in Its Place xiii

Part 1 The Diagnosis 1

Am I Using Money or Is Money Using Me? 3

Enough Is Enough 7

Shelter from the Storm 10

The Pot of Gold at Rainbow's End 14

Things Fell Apart 17

My Storm Clouds 20

Part 2 Treatment Options 25

My North Star 27

Beginning the Journey 35

Create a Blueprint for a Wealth Cure 39

How High Is the Cost of Being You? 44

Achieving Unreasonable Happiness 47

Money Is Energy 50

Building a Valuable Financial Framework 56

Part 3 Compliance: Sticking with a Treatment Plan 63

Courage Is a Muscle 65

Smart Money Versus Dumb Money 70

Purchased in a Blur of Endorphins 77

Servant to the Credit Card 79

Credit Fix-up 86

The Biggest Purchases You Are Likely to Make 89

Deals on Wheels 92

Learning to Surf 95

You're in This Together-Resolving Oppositional Money Styles 101

Part 4 Maintaining Your Health and Wealth 105

Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is 107

I Am George 116

Follow Your Heart 120

A Leap of Faith 125

The Path to Being Unreasonably Happy 132

Who Teaches Us About Money? 136

Hailing Happiness 140

Standing on the Shoulders of Dred Scott 144

Which Wolf Are You Feeding? 149

You Are Your Own Lottery Ticket 158

Your Personal Board of Directors 171

You Decide Where to Go 180

Part 5 Masterminding: Thrive and Survive 183

"Satisfactory" Is Not Enough 185

Investing in You 194

Investing in Life Insurance, a Will, and an Emergency Fund 201

Filling the Bucket 206

Investing by Giving Back 209

Chi-Town Bound 212

A Fast Nickel 219

... Versus the Slow Dime 223

Our Debt to Our Past 227

Taking Stock 236

Forming Your Mastermind Circle 243

Conclusion: Life Account Versus Bank Account 247

Epilogue: Successful Surgery 256

Resource Bibliography 259

Acknowledgments 263

Editorial Reviews

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.)

Publishers Weekly

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

From the Publisher

“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

“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

“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

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

Library Journal

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.

Kirkus Reviews