Review: 'The Number' turns money talk from crass to critical

I wrote Blau a letter. He read it. And he called me.

He told me where my head was (a very dark place) and started me on the path to financial freedom. He taught me how to keep track of the money. He taught me how to charge more than it costs. Simple, essential business basics.

Mind you, this is after I spent a small fortune, my generous parents’ money, getting a hoity-toity business degree from an exclusive private university. After I graduated, I still couldn’t tell my assets from my elbow. Sheesh.

Blau taught me the basics and I learned that the basics work … from Main Street to Wall Street.

I am passionate about my mission of worldwide business literacy. I know the impact that business understanding can have on an individual, a family and a community.

What is your number?

I caught up with another business-savvy friend a few weeks ago. We talked business and life. He mentioned this book, “The Number,” and was kind enough to send me a copy.

I devoured it! Here is a preview.

How much money do you need to secure the rest of your life? What’s that number? Author Lee Eisenberg opens up the dialogue in this engaging book.

In a nonfiction book, I am not a stickler for great writing; I am just looking for solid content. This book has both. Eisenberg can craft a sentence.

He presents traditionally desert-dry financial planning information in a humorous, thought-prompting way. And, he ties in the bigger life questions. If you live to be really old (and you well might!) what are you going to do? How will you spend your time AND your money?

Eisenberg opens by exposing the great taboo: Why does this conversation make people so uncomfortable? For starters, talking about money has always been considered crass and déclassé.

Also, most folks just don’t understand basic finance: Assets = Liabilities + Equity. Eisenberg is a man after my own heart! I agree with him, and I have devoted my professional career to helping people figure out their assets from their elbows. Eisenberg maintains that knowing where you stand financially right now is a good place to start.

Hear! Hear!

Create relevance

Through a series of conversations with diverse and interesting people (James Cavill is fascinating), Lee offers lots of suggestions for computing The Number. The Number leads to discourse about quality of life and what you will do with yours.

Do you really want to retire to Sun City and play shuffleboard or bocce ball all day? How will you feel when your too-busy days turn into endless hours without anything to do, or anyone to meet?

Creating relevance is intrinsically tied to The Number.

Read this book. Think thoughtfully about your answers to the questions posed by interviewee George Kinder:

If you have got all the money you need (The Number), what would you do with it?

Now, if you discover you have a rare illness and only five years to live, how will you spend those five years?

And, if you learn that you have only 24 hours to live … what did you miss? What did you not get to do? What did you not get to be?

Business school is fine. Get all the formal education you like. More importantly, listen to successful people. Through conversation, in magazines and in books, they will tell you how they became successful. Life is a game. May you keep score, play to win and discover yourself along the way.

Love, peace and money to you!

Ellen Rohr is an author and business consultant who offers systems for getting focused and organized, making money and having fun in business. Her latest book is “The Bare Bones Biz Plan.” She can be reached at ellen@barebonesbiz.com.