50 pages • 1 hour read
The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness
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Introduction-Preface 2Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Introduction Summary
Dave Ramsey begins The Total Money Makeover with an introduction in which he briefly lists his achievements and publications to demonstrate how giving people financial advice has become his life’s mission. He then introduces several ideas that define his approach to writing The Total Money Makeover: Financial success is more about personal change than head-knowledge and math, that hope drives such change, and that though financial success is hard, it’s not complicated. He confidently asserts that his plan works for everyone, and that his book is for anyone.
Preface 1 Summary: “What This Book Is Not”
Ramsey’s first preface chapter, “What This Book Is Not,” includes a series of negative assertions that adjust readers’ expectations concerning The Total Money Makeover, ostensibly so that they can make an informed decision when purchasing it.
“This Book Is NOT Sophisticated or Complicated” (xiii) reemphasizes that Ramsey’s principles for financial success are simple, that his book is not academic, theoretical, or detailed.
“This Book Is NOT Something That Has Never Been Said” (xiv) reinforces that Ramsey does not set out to propose a revolutionary method.
“This Book Is NOT Going to Mislead You on Investment Returns” (xv) briefly supports Ramsey’s claim that a 12% return on investment is possible, plainly responding to critics who implied or asserted that he misled readers with an unrealistic estimate.
“This Book Is NOT Written by Someone with No Academic Credentials” (xvi) prompts Ramsey to mention his degree in finance but states that what qualifies him most to give financial advice are the numerous success stories of individuals and families—including his own—who apply it.
“This Book Is NOT Politically Correct” (xvi) warns readers that because Ramsey believes financial success is about personal change and because what is personal involves everything, his discussion will touch issues concerning “the emotional, the relational, the family history, the socio-economic impacts, and the spiritual” (xvii). He clarifies that though his Christian beliefs inform his approach to the spiritual aspect of financial behavior, The Total Money Makeover is not “a ‘Christian’ book” or “a Bible study on the subject of money” (xvii).
“This Book Is NOT Wrong” (xvii) defends Ramsey’s confidence and distinguishes it from arrogance. He is confident that he is teaching the truth, but humbled by the realization that the truth, and not his own work, is what helps people.
“This Book Is NOT the Same As My Other Books” (xvii) differentiates The Total Money Makeover from his earlier book Financial Peace. He states that The Total Money Makeover is a “process-driven work” dedicated to providing a practical plan for those eager “to engage this money thing head on” (xviii).
“This Book Is NOT Getting Any Complaints or Criticism” (xviii) from people who really try, Ramsey adds. Ramsey reminds readers that others have gone before them and found financial peace by using his methods.
Preface 2 Summary: “Flying Turkeys and Skinny Dipping”
In his second preface chapter, “Flying Turkeys and Skinny Dipping,” Ramsey comments on the Great Recession of 2008 (this chapter may be different or absent in earlier editions). He begins by reciting the familiar fairy tale of the three little pigs, calling attention to its moral: It pays to be prepared for trouble. He then briefly explains how the Great Recession occurred, emphasizing the role of high-interest loans distributed by greedy bankers to people overconfident in their ability to pay them back. Ramsey expresses his hope that the Great Recession changed people’s perspectives on finance, teaching them the valuable lesson that “your financial process and principles must work in good times and in bad times—otherwise, they don’t work” (xxii). He explains that many bad financial decisions seemed okay before the recession because times were good, citing the aphorism, “even a turkey can fly in a tornado” (xxii). But when the recession brought hard times, when the storm hit, any financial “house” built on bad decisions collapsed, and its builders suffered. Ramsey supplies a complementary aphorism attributed to Warren Buffett: “When the tide goes out, you can tell who was skinny-dipping” (xxiii). Ramsey concludes with an exhortation to readers to remember the lesson of the recession and claims that bad times need not be painful for those who make wise financial decisions.
Introduction-Preface 2 Analysis
The introductory material of A Total Money Makeover accomplishes several purposes in a concise and entertaining manner. The Introduction introduces the author, but it also summarizes the entire book—more specifically, the themes and main ideas of the book rather than the Total Money Makeover plan itself. Ramsey doesn’t begin with a description of the plan and its steps, but with positive assertions about what he believes matters most. His desire that his book be transformative rather than merely informative manifests from the beginning. His very first words advise readers to begin by reading the personal testimonies scattered throughout the work for inspiration, emphasizing Ramsey’s elevation of hope above all else.
Preface 1 is a systematic adjustment of readers’ expectations. It is systematic because it is an organized sequence of assertions, each defining by negation some specific aspect of the book. This preface engages with the genre of personal finance because Ramsey emphasizes his nonconformity to typical conventions of the genre. Ramsey hopes to earn his readership, not with his smarts or with the allure of new secrets for getting rich, but with the promise of hope grounded in certainty. In this preface, Ramsey also mimics the sequential myth-busting organizational structure which he uses in later chapters. Ramsey is not merely telling readers what to expect from his book but showing them what to expect of his writing style. Ramsey’s tone, with its confidence, bluntness, and humor, is boldly displayed. “I know it may be hard for you to believe, but I get a lot of hate mail and criticism” (xiii), he says sarcastically. But by describing this preface, not as his rightful chance to rant angrily against these critics but as a thoughtful gesture toward readers to help them decide whether to purchase the book, Ramsey intentionally balances his representation of himself—by persuading readers that he has their interests at heart and isn’t just angry at everyone who disagrees with him, he earns their trust.
Preface 2 is significant for two reasons. First, it frames the book as a response to the specific social and historical context of post-Recession America. Although the first edition of The Total Money Makeover was published in 2003, before the 2008 Great Recession, in later editions, Ramsey eagerly explains how the recession revealed the timeliness and importance of his book for Americans. His anecdote about how one man passed through the recession without worry because he underwent a Total Money Makeover highlights Ramsey’s interest in representing his book as a solution to current, socially pervasive problems. Preface 2 also demonstrates a variety of Ramsey’s preferred literary devices, most notably anecdote, aphorism, metaphor, and humor, specifically sarcasm (See: Literary Devices).
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