Laura Vanderkam - All The Money In the World

Laura Vanderkam is the author of 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think (Portfolio, 2010) and Grindhopping: Build a Rewarding Career Without Paying Your Dues (McGraw-Hill, 2007). She is here today to share the news about her newest book, All The Money In The World: What The Happiest People Know About Getting and Spending, which will be released on March 1, 2012.
She is a member of USA Today’s Board of Contributors, writes the “168 Hours” blog for CBS MoneyWatch, and her work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, City Journal, Scientific American, Reader’s Digest, Prevention, Fortune.com, and other publications. She has appeared on numerous television programs, including The Today Show and Fox & Friends, hundreds of radio segments, and has spoken about time, money and productivity to audiences ranging from the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association to MTV’s employees to graduating seniors at her high school, the Indiana Academy, who brought her back as their commencement speaker in 2006.

A 2001 graduate of Princeton, Laura enjoys running, writing fiction, and serving as president of the Board of Trustees for The Young New Yorkers’ Chorus, an organization which specializes in commissioning new music from composers under age 35.She lives outside Philadelphia with her husband, two young sons and baby daughter.

Laura, welcome to Writers in Business! Please tell us about your new book.

All The Money In The World: What the Happiest People Know About Getting and Spending demonstrates that we have more money than we think—enough, in fact, to create the lives we’ve always wanted but never thought we could have. It is a practical and inspiring guide that shows how money can buy happiness, if we spend it wisely.

There’s no question that having more money may make our lives easier. But All The Money In The World shows how each of us can figure out better ways to use what we have to build the lives we want. Drawing on the latest happiness research as well as stories from real people who have reached fiscal fulfillment, this new book offers a contrarian approach that forces us to examine our own beliefs, goals, and values.

I found the following quote about your book from Kirkus Reviews insightful. "A key tenet is that our happiness is not based on the accumulation of big-ticket items—diamond engagement rings, super-sized homes and cars—but on the accumulation of everyday pleasures, especially those activities we share with friends and family." This is something many of us struggle with. I understand you are offering a free companion publication.

Yes, The Happiness Handbook is a useful companion guide to All The Money In The World. You can get a free copy on my web site.

Laura, thank you for joining us!

Readers will find a sneak peak from Laura's new book and can sign up for her newsletter by visiting her online.