This title contains a treasure trove of advice from financial expert and star of BBC's "Your Money or Your Life", Alvin Hall. Money might make the world go around, but only if you know how to use it, and who better to teach your child all about finance than BBC's "Your Money or Your Life" presenter, Alvin Hall. They'll enter the world of business and economics learning about how money works, from its history to how it grows. An indispensable investment to get your child to understand money and finances - read it together and watch their money grow.

In a world of easy credit where many of adults have become used to buying now to pay later, it is unsurprising that many children do not fully appreciate the value of money and are oblivious to the consequences of making purchases apparently affordable by spreading payments over long terms. When I grew up in post-war London, my mother's prudent housekeeping was made transparent to us and from the age of 14 I had Saturday and vacation jobs which financed my entertainment,  I am all too aware that I have not been particularly thorough in passing on my mother's wisdom to my own son, so I was delighted to use Alvin Hall's new book as a basis for family discussion.

This inavulable guide is the perfect introduction to personal finances for children from around 9 upwards but there is also enough good sense here for the book to be of interest to adults as well.  It is divided into four sections: 'The Story of Money'; 'What's in Your Pocket?'; 'What is Economics:' and 'Getting Down to Business' and deals with the historical context for our current monetary system as well as more personal aspects of managing finances.

The presentation is lively - no dry list of does and don'ts. Instead the question that children always ask  when faced with questions of affordability' Why can't they just print more money?'  is answered;  the pros and cons of credit cards explained; alternative forms of trading are introduced as well as key economic theories such as free trade, and future projections for the world economy.

This book is highly recommended for all who want a basic grasp of economic principles and to better understand how to make the most of their money.

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2008-08-15