The Tao of Money : Six Simple Principles for Achieving Financial Harmony / Ivan Hoffman

Explains the connections between people and money, the relationship of money and political and economic events, and how to obtain personal financial harmony

Eastern philosophy meets Western methodology in Hoffman's latest effort, which outlines "six simple principles" meant to, ultimately, lead the way toward global peace, personal well-being for all, and a new way of looking at financial security. If it is a grand goal, it is also a desperate lament for the momentous problems facing the world today. And once again a Taoist vision underlies his observations, as Hoffman draws connections between our thinking about personal finance and issues of international economics. There is room for neither competing nations nor warring factions in this essential view of the world and its peoples as a unified whole. Admirers of The Tao of Love will surely be curious to see how Hoffman goes about transforming a common equation: that of monetary concerns and fear-based actions. Alice Joyce

Hoffman has written the "natural sequel" to his previous title, The Tao of Love (Prima, 1992). The result is far deeper than a guide to financial planning; it concerns "the social impact that money has upon each of our individual lives and on the world as a whole." Defining money in terms of its use for good or ill, he maintains that "money is, to a very large degree, a key element in how most of us define ourselves." Hoffman presents six simple principles for achieving financial harmony based on Taoism, a philosophy that sees the world as a "connected unified whole, allowing natural forces to prevail." In terms of this philosophy, he discusses current world events and social and political issues and offers possible solutions to war, homelessness, job elimination, and hunger. An intriguing book; recommended for public and academic collections.
- Lucy Heckman, St. John's Univ. Lib., New York
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.