Book excerpt: Don't just invest in stocks and bonds. Invest in your life. "This book is guaranteed to make a difference in the way you approach money, work-and life in general-whether you're just starting out, struggling to succeed, or already on track." -Terry Savage, Chicago Sun-Times, personal finance columnist. "We Americans have a choice-spend life enslaved to the gods of consumerism, or live simply but free to fulfill our dreams. If you are yearning to give freedom a try, you'll find this inspiring book provides the road map you'll need to get started." -Ralph Warner, author of Get a Life: You Don't Need a Million to Retire Well. "The most important trend of the new millennium is the focus on freedom. Invest in Yourself will put you on the path to freedom, so you can live the life you freely choose. It will help you on the job, at home, and with your finances." -Gerald Celente, Director, Trends Research Institute and author of Trends 2000. A Money Book Club selection Put together the portfolio of your life-finances, family, and you Success in life consists of more than just a hefty bank account. Your happiness portfolio also includes family, friends, home, career, and the time to appreciate life's simple pleasures. Invest in Yourself offers six easy steps to simplify your life and enjoy it to the fullest. It all comes down to making decisions about what you really want and then mapping out a realistic game plan to get there. Where do you want to live? Do you want to put your career on hold to spend more time with your toddler? Are there a few small business ideas rattling around in your head that you'd like to turn into reality? Would you like some easy, proven ways to reduce the cost of college? When do you want to retire, and what hopes do you have for your golden years? Changing your direction doesn't have to send your life into a tailspin. Once you nail down your goals, Invest in Yourself provides savvy advice as well as painlessly practical and risk-free strategies you can use immediately to test drive your fantasies and discover for yourself if they are right for you. Invest in Yourself isn't afraid to challenge conventional wisdom. Do you really need to sock away a king's ransom for retirement? Is the purchase of a home the most important investment of your life? Do you need a lot of capital to start a small business, and is it worth the risk? How can you make sure your children will be accepted at the best college for them? Invest in Yourself offers the perfect mix of down-to-earth philosophy, financial strategies, and money-saving tips. You'll also learn how to start your own business with little risk, negotiate flex-time at work, plant a healthful garden, and help your children become smart consumers. Packed with sidebars, anecdotes, examples, homespun wisdom, and references to Web sites, newsletters, books, and other resources, Invest in Yourself is a comprehensive guide to creating the life of your dreams. It will have a major impact on your life's bottom line. Marc Eisenson is the author of the bestseller, The Banker's Secret, and a nationally recognized expert on how to painlessly exit from debt. Nancy Castleman, along with Marc, publishes the highly respected Pocket Change Investor newsletter. Through books, software, audiotapes, and an assortment of other publications, Marc and Nancy's Good Advice Press has saved hundreds of thousands of families billions of dollars. They live the ideas of this book on a farm in upstate New York where their nearest neighbors are cows. Gerri Detweiler is the author of The Ultimate Credit Handbook and an authority on the credit and financial services industry. The former executive director of the Bankcard Holders of America, Gerri lives and works from her home office in the Washington, D.C. suburbs. The authors have been featured on The Today Show, Dateline NBC, CBS Evening News, CBS This Morning, and Good Morning America, and in the New York Times, the Washington Post, and hundreds of other media outlets worldwide.