THE MONEY TRAP: A Practical Program to Stop Self-Defeating Financial Habits So You Can Reclaim Your Grip on Life

Gallen, a financial consultant, believes that readers can extricate themselves from financial difficulty by first understanding their attitudes toward money. He talks about his own money issues: having grown up in a house where money was very important, he learned about envy at an early age. After he began working, he spent his salary on luxury items, though he couldn't comfortably afford them. Finally, by coming to understand why he felt compelled to spend and what the purchases were intended to substitute, Gallen was able to take charge of his finances. He identifies different personality types, including overspenders; those who accumulate lots of money but refuse to spend it; and workaholics. Gallen gives real-life examples of the money-challenged. For example, Kelly grew up in the lap of luxury and can't hold onto a job; Bob earns a decent living but lives in a cheap basement apartment and only buys gifts for his family under duress. After explaining the psychologies of these and other types, Gallen offers unoriginal but sensible and helpful suggestions on changing financial habits. People must learn to track expenses, follow a spending plan and deal with creditors. While easy to follow, some of the information is cursory. Agent, William Clark. (Jan.)

Forecast: Those with serious debt problems would be better served by books focusing exclusively on credit, rather than this mix of practical advice and pop psychology. Then again, in today's consumption-driven market, money guides that emphasize their self-help aspects have the potential for big sales.