The Motley Fool Personal Finance Workbook: A Foolproof Guide to Organizing Your Cash and Building Wealth

The latest volume by investment gurus and Motley Fool founders David and Tom Gardner veers away from stocks and speculation into the much more pedestrian subject of money management. Well known for their humor as well as for their financial savvy, the Gardner brothers keep the rough ground of money basics lively. (We know it's boring, the authors say; ""that's why we've hidden crisp five-dollar bills throughout the pages."") The dreariest of money matters-budgets, debt, insurance and taxes-are addressed in reassuring prose, illustrated with charts and further detailed with checklists and goal graphs. Even reluctant readers will be coaxed to face financial realities through the Gardners' encouragement and the helpful worksheets. Readers won't find dazzling new insights on how to hire a financial planner or buy big-ticket items, but they will find very friendly advisors who crack jokes as they dispense wisdom. The substance here is well-tread ground, as it should be, but the style is straight from the Fool's funny bone.