Comments on: Some Thoughts on the Inaugural Simple Dollar Book Club

By: Tyler

Tyler — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 19:30:39 +0000

I liked the readings (I’m quite a bit behind on my rss reader though). While in school I’m too busy to participate right now, but I’ve bookmarked your wrap-up page and I plan on reading this book together with my wife and then reading your analyses again when we finally do go through it. I think it’s a great idea and one that you should continue.

By: Andre Kibbe

Andre Kibbe — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 22:20:50 +0000

I'd recommend limiting posts on a single book to one per chapter, paced over a 30-day period; so if YMOYL has (IIRC) 10 chapters, you'd do an installment every 3 days. My favorite chapters: Seeing Progress, The Crossover Point. My book club suggestion after WCIYP: Robert Frank's Luxury Fever

By: Talitha

Talitha — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 20:39:29 +0000

I didn’t participate in the book club this time around, but would love to see it continue. It seemed like you went through the book very quickly, and I believe I would have had a hard time keeping up. I’d like to see the posts 1-3 times per week.

I also think that starting the next book in January and giving a week’s notice of which book would be reviewed are great ideas. My vote for the next book:

1. America’s Cheapest Family
2. Getting Things Done
3. Born to Buy

Thanks for the blog, Trent!

By: Linnea H

Linnea H — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 11:21:07 +0000

Loved the book club! Don’t have the book but I got a lot from reading the posts + the comments.
This pace was ok for me but slower may be even better. (Easy to say when I didn’t do the reading.)

GTD would be nice but I agree with most suggestions above.

By: Matt

Matt — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 22:53:14 +0000

My vote goes to Never Eat Alone. That’s actually the next book I was planning on picking up. I didn’t really follow along with the last one but I don’t own the book and realized about half way through it what was going on. It’s a great idea though.

Never Eat Alone

By: Beth

Beth — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 22:05:58 +0000

I love the book reviews with any hotlinks that are available to get even more info. I share many of the articles with friends and family.
Thank you and I appreciate the details and insight you provide.

By: Schizohedron

Schizohedron — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 20:41:25 +0000

I enjoyed the book club and the ensuing discussions. My choices for the next book discussion are Never Eat Alone, Random Walk, and Bogleheads’ Guide, in descending order. The most recent edition of the excellent Intelligent Investor has extensive annotations after each chapter that more or less act as a reader’s guide, so you’d be replicating the editor’s work in that case.

Post every other day so folks can catch up. This way folks not interested still have full-day posts they can enjoy in total. Don’t change depth of analysis of your book-club posts.

Thanks very much for the first one!

By: Dan

Dan — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 18:09:37 +0000

The book is great and the idea is good as well. My suggested improvements would as follows:
1.) Your posts should not be a regurgitation of the chapter content. I’ve already read it and I’m not interested in reading it again on your blog. I felt your reviews were to long and could have easily been shorter if you left out all the book content. I would ask this question, where can I add value? I’d suggest you can add value in places the book doesn’t , i.e. the investing chapter is weak and a lot of people agree on that. Okay, so what’s a better option? What should other people be considering, etc. In other words, if you can’t offer some value add or insight not offered by the book, why read the blog?
2.) shorten the post length. Again, this can easily be done just by removing the regurgitation of the book’s content.

As far an the pace goes, I’m fine either way but I can certainly see how many feel things went to fast. This is still a good idea though, just needs a bit of refinement.

By: r

Thu, 01 Nov 2007 17:32:52 +0000

I skimmed some of the posts, just as, a number of years ago, I skimmed the book itself.

The number one reason I didn’t participate any more than this was that most things felt like they held surprisingly little relevance for someone who generally loves her job, and who does her job primarily because she thinks it’s fundamentally important even though she knows she could make more money elsewhere if that were her goal. Which is fine – not every post/book has to apply to everyone – but, I felt like the book club discussions trended more towards this directly than I even remember the book itself doing.

For a next book, then, I would definitely enjoy something that was less focused on “what if you don’t like your job?” and more focused on, say, how money flows in a community or what consequences there are to different ways of saving or investing – A Random Walk Down Wall Street would be a great choice.

By: Moni

Moni — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 17:08:43 +0000

I like the book club. I wasn’t able to have the book in hand because I’m on a budget and the library doesn’t have a copy, so I feel i benefitted from the discussion by having the book “read” to me with each posting. Plus, I felt the postings were written thoroughly enough that if I really want the book I could splurge, (which I have decided that if I cant find a used copy I probably will buy it anyway). Yes, some chapters seemed boring or irrelevant to what I am trying to accomplish or learn, but that is not your fault, that is just a few pages in the book and could happen with any book you choose. I think you should keep the book club. Even if I don’t read every email I still benefit from the ones I do read. And I would like to suggest you choose “America’s Cheapest Family” next. I have wanted to read this one as well, but again my library doesn’t have it. Thanks for your effort, I think you are a great resource to have in my inbox everyday.

By: Kelly

Kelly — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 14:45:34 +0000

I get a lot out of the book reviews. Honestly, I like you doing all of the work and getting to the meat of something I’d like to read. Quite frankly I just can’t make it a priority in my life at the moment. I’ve heard some great things about Never Eat Alone so that’s my vote! What Color is My Parachute sounds interesting as well.

By: julie

julie — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 14:33:02 +0000

I had planned to participate but was unable to get the book at the local bookstores or the library so by the time I got it was already behind. So longer notice to get the book would help and longer time to do it since, time seems to be a huge issue as a working mom with a handicapped kid. I have saved the all the e-mails and plan on going through them.

By: Matt M

Matt M — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 14:05:13 +0000

Thanks for doing the book club, Trent. My wife and I read the book out loud in the car as we carpooled to work, driving around elsewhere, or just at home some nights. The sections were short enough that we could fit them in at various times. It was a great incentive for us to read the book at a manageable pace and we probably wouldn’t have read it without the book club. It made for great conversations.

As for suggestions, I liked the poster who suggested asking questions to get things going. Posts like this one get a lot of comments because they are responding to specific questions. Starting off each section with some starter questions would get more people talking.

I like your plan for your next book in the book club. Reading longer sections every 2-3 days sounds like a good improvement. I would hate to lengthen the time to read the book too much more. It seems like people should be able to read a book in a month. If we had more time on certain days then we would just read ahead so we weren’t forced to play catch up if we were busy other days.

Total Money Makeover and Never Eat Alone would be my votes for books because we can easily read them out loud, aren’t technical, and would spur good conversations. I would enjoy any of the books on investing though. Like another poster said, I would pick whatever whichever book you feel like doing because that will make for the best posts.

By: Mary Jane

Mary Jane — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 13:42:56 +0000

I really enjoyed the book club. I think that is was a big help in getting things under control. I have a long way to go. I too would like to do America’s Cheapest Family or Getting Things Done. I will go with any book that you pick (would rather not do the investment books right now). Thanks for all the time and hard worl you put into this site. It is much appreciated.

By: Nancy

Nancy — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 13:39:28 +0000

I appreciated your book club postings. I would like to see either Getting Things Done or Total Money Makeover next.

By: Rob in Madrid

Rob in Madrid — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 13:36:10 +0000

For those that don’t want to follow the book club and find the website to be a hassle as you have to scroll through, google reader would solve the problem as it shows only the titles. I follow about 12 blogs this way.

Still working my way through the book postings. Over all I give it a very high rating, very thought provoking.

By: Renee McCrory

Renee McCrory — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 13:34:36 +0000

I enjoyed it. I actually got the book. I would like to do the Cheapest Family or The Total Money akeover. Thanks Trent-You Rock!

By: Suzy

Suzy — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 13:30:32 +0000

Keep the book club. Even if some people find it a waste of time, they can just scroll down to the next topic. It’s not that intrusive.
I bought the “Your Money or Your Life” and am awaiting its arrival (I bought it used on Amazon, and resisted the temptation to pay extra for expedited shipping. See, I’m learning!) I don’t think it’s really necessary to read it concurrently with Trent’s daily review.
I vote for “America’s Cheapest Family,” and would avoid the investment books. I’m still trying to dig myself out of the giant hole my divorce caused, so my recent investing accomplishment was merely opening a savings account. It doesn’t take a book to figure that one out.

By: Viv

Viv — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 13:02:18 +0000

My vote: Born to Buy!

Thanks!

By: Dr. Mark

Dr. Mark — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 12:33:23 +0000

I really enjoyed the bookclub. It made me accountable to actually finish the book. I have started many books in the past, only to get distracted, and then put off reading until I can’t remember the subject matter very well, and then just stop altogether before it is finished.

I did not have the time to actually do the steps though from “Your Money or Your Life,” because a couple of them would really take some time to do correctly. So, I am planning on going back over the steps in detail with my wife and do them very meticulously.

I would love to read through “The Total money Makeover,” and “Getting Things Done” next.