No One Ever Told Us That: Money and Life Letters to My Grandchildren Hardcover – April 3, 2012

I bought this and one other advice book as a high-school graduation gift for my nephew. He could really use good advice about life, for reasons I won't bother going into, but he is not at all receptive, no matter how diplomatically it is delivered. I searched long and hard at the bookstore (sorry Amazon) to find something down-to-earth, appropriate for his age group, and that wasn't 200-300 pages long. This book fit the bill. I figured my nephew would probably roll his eyes when he opened the gift, so in the card I wrote that it is customary to give advice to young people when they embark on the next stage of life, but I preferred to let wiser people do the talking for me (then I included a bit of cash). I don't know whether my nephew has cracked the cover open yet, BUT I decided I should get the Kindle version for myself to see what kind of advice Mr. Spooner is giving on my behalf.Mr. Spooner's conversational style is very appealing. He relates the topics to events in his own life, which makes his advice feel personal and genuine. Chapters are short, and as the title states, they are presented as letters written to his grandchildren who are college students. Each covers a different topic and ends with a brief statement that neatly sums up the essence of the letter. Mr. Spooner explains that he came from modest means and became successful through discipline and hard work, not because of any special advantages or talent. As he states in the introduction, the letters are about, "the lessons that only come from the tough stuff in life, the absurd, the bumps, the heroes and heroines." The book covers the expected topics of jobs, real estate, insurance, debt, and investing, but the following chapter headings give an idea of what else the book covers:Dare to be DifferentGood Accidents in LifeAll Life Is RelationshipsBe Out There in LifeAsking the Unusual QuestionsBeware of GeniusDon't Be a Headline ReaderThis was a quick, easy read that offers good basic advice. It was appropriate for my particular situation, and I would not hesitate to give it as a graduation gift in the future. If you are looking for detailed, in-depth guidance, though, this is probably not the book for you.

I bought this for my son who was a recent college graduate, but since he showed no interest in it, I read it myself. We Americans don't like to be reminded that yes, we have a class system based on wealth. This book surely will remind you of that, if you aren't wealthy. This isn't meant as a criticism of the author, who after all was writing for his own grandchildren, who had a privileged upbringing. So, probably 50% of the book is advice geared specifically for that class. For example, in one chapter, he advises that if you are having trouble getting insurance on your beach house, why then the solution is to switch insurance agents to an agent with some clout. That's quite true, Chubb will bend its underwriting rules for the very wealthy who send them a lot of business. In a similar vein, there are chapters repeating wisdom learned in the locker room of his squash club, and chapters about the need to assemble a team of professional advisers and how to do it, and advice about how big money is fickle money. If that sort of thing is not going to turn off the person for whom you are buying this book, there are valuable nuggets of wisdom in the book about the value of networking and how to go about building a network, advice about how to dress at the club, advice about why it is better to start your career out in a big city. He quotes his own father as advising him, nobody else is going to make you rich -- if you want to be rich, you are going to have to do it yourself.

Firstly, he is a phenomenon of the financial world. It has be said that the CEO of the company will ask him for his advice. I am proud to say that I am his client. The book is an absolute must. If you don't read it you are missing very important and prominent thought leadership. Handwritten letters to his grandchildren about life and economics. No electronic virtual nonsense. Handwritten. A dying craft but will regain popularity as it exhibits personality with truth and trust in the most personal way. I gave each of my daughters a copy (18 and 20) who are just beginning their entree into young womanhood. Mr. Spooner has influenced me so much about the hand over text or email I have followed suit. Handwriting on handmade paper. Those who choose to read this book I applause.RW Boston

John Spooner has again given us a practical and valuable guide to the basics of a good life. While he has lived his professional life with balance sheets and numbers, John's latest work gives us what matters most behind all the numbers we plow through daily; the ability to think, analyze and make wise insightful decisions.In today's world, its so easy to forget the lessons of Life 101. John aids us in helping us stay focused on the fundamentals.This book is a must read for not only parents, grandparents but the "next generation".Life is too complicated but John offers us a number of ways to keep it simple, not overthinking but rather being more thoughtful and wise.Great effort, can't wait for the sequel!!!

I had the opportunity to meet the author which piqued my interest in this book. John Spooner is an engaging individual ( in the truest sense of the word) . So after several conversations with him I felt as if the book was a logical next step. A very easy read , but one that can be applied to any of us. Read this and discover what you think you already know , it is charming, witty, and very "spot on" .

I wish that they would teach kids in school the basics of the information in this book. This is every day knowledge they should have going into the real world. I wish I knew this growing up. No one ever told me this.