riting a book is an act of desperation. Just<br > making the commitment to try puts the burden<br >of proof on the writer to answer some familiar quesnons:<br >"Is this book really necessary? Is it just an ego trip? Is it a<br >business trip aimed at publishing a money-maker? Will it<br >help fill a genuine gap in the knowledge of representauvc<br >groups of readers?"<br > Too inany books are published for a small group of<br >habitual book buyers， and hardly any of them reach the<br >great majorny of people who haven t yet figured out how<br >hooks can help them.<br > Through my own experience lecturing to different<br >kinds of audiences in every part of the country， I have<br >identified a common denominator between people al<br >ready in the book market and those still outside this select<br >circle. I have fimnd that people at all levels of sophistica-<br >tion and affluence want a philosophy of personal finance<br >to fit into their lifestyle. While they know how m make<br >dollars by working， they usually don t know how to<br >make sensible decisions when managing those dollars.<br > Everybody has opinions about what m do with<br >money-but a little knowledgc is a dangerous thing. The<br > "financial advisers" advertising their wares in all the<br > media are selling invesnnent technology in the form of<br > specific recommendations for the use of money. Their<br >