November 2008
Money and Business
The economic crisis in late September has affected everyone. Kids may not understand everything that is going on, but they are aware that there is a problem. This month’s selection of books focuses on Money and Business. I hope, with the books below, that students can learn more about economics and understand some of the factors that led to the economic crisis in late September
“Cool Stuff” They Should Teach In School
Written by Kent Healy and Kyle Healy
This book is part motivational and part business plan. “Cool Stuff” was written by 2 teenagers who started their own skim/skate/surf board business. The book starts out with the question “What would you do if you knew you could not fail?” From there the book moves into money management and ends with communication skills.
A weakness of the book is that it’s more of a glance at the many options out there for money management. But perhaps that is not such a bad thing since the authors were teenagers when they wrote the book, and the many options go in and out of popularity.
The lack of depth also allows the authors to focus on the breadth of topics. For example, in the money management chapters, there is a section on the different types of bank account, the parts of a check, the need to balance your checkbook, and how to select the best credit card for your needs. There are also lots of common sense tips interspersed in the book. For example, don’t give out your PIN number, if you can’t pay the entire balance of your credit card, then you are overspending. The strength of the book lies in its easy access. I really got the feeling that this was written by people who had been there and done that. The book’s tone of voice is very conversational, and I can see a teacher using a chapter from the book to reach students who may have difficulties with a textbook. I can see the book being used on a lesson about credit cards, or about investing in retirement early, rather than later. This is a great book for students who have dreams of a bigger and brighter future, but might not have the tools to obtain their dreams.
Order “Cool Stuff” They Should Teach In School from Bookshop Santa Cruz