Get Financially Naked

As Manisha and Sharon traveled the country marketing their first book, ON MY OWN TWO FEET, over and over they found that the chapter women were most drawn to was a chapter they almost didn’t include – a short discourse on love and money. After hearing hundreds of first hand accounts of women who found this aspect of their relationships wholly unsatisfying, Manisha and Sharon realized there is a huge, gaping need in the current financial literature. People are starved for a fun, basic guidebook that shows them how to talk about money with their mate. Enter… GET FINANCIALLY NAKED.

Study after study shows that money is one of the top causes of fights in marriages, divorce, and general life stress. It’s no wonder. When you meet that someone special, what do your friends ask you? They ask if you are emotionally, physically, and spiritually compatible. However, when was the last time you heard someone ask if you were financially compatible? Probably never. Yet financial compatibility is one of the greatest predictors of whether or not your relationship will survive over the long-term.

The goal of GET FINANCIALLY NAKED is to highlight this proverbial pink elephant in the room. Manisha and Sharon will teach readers to become more confident living the (financial) lives of their dreams AND how to be in (financially) happy, respectful, sustainable relationships. In these tough economic times, this is the ultimate gift that a woman can give herself. GET FINANCIALLY NAKED will arrive in bookstores in January 2010.

"What could be more important than conquering the holy grail of financial compatibility? Reading GET FINANCIALLY NAKED provides a surprisingly clear roadway to building a financial foundation between you and your partner that takes the anger out of money. Manisha and Sharon have done it again. ON MY OWN TWO FEET was the perfect segway for what everyone wants next; to work together with your life partner to build financial security and worth."
- Christine Merser: President, Blue Shoe Strategy

"To have a successful marriage you need to talk about money. That was not something I fully grasped until reading GET FINANIALLY NAKED. What I learned dramatically improved the quality of my marriage. I highly recommend that all men read this book."
– Randy J. McClanahan: Senior Partner, McClanahan, Myers, Espey LLP

On My Own Two Feet

Did you know that a $100 pair of jeans could end up costing you almost twice that much if you pay only the minimum balance on your credit card each month? Or that 90% of American women will be the sole keeper of their personal finances at some point during their lives? Whether you’ve been living paycheck-to-paycheck, are trying to save for a down payment on your first home, or are hoping to one day retire in comfort, On My Own Two Feet can help. This succinct guide will teach you how to balance your desire to live well today with the need to save and invest for tomorrow. More important, it provides the tools to create the financial life you’ve always dreamed of. This lively, no-nonsense financial primer explains:

How much of your income to save
How to avoid the perils of credit card debt
How to create a budget you can live with (and still have fun!)
How to invest wisely using a powerful, keep-it-simple plan
How to deal with real life situations – such as figuring out how much home or car you can afford & how to handle money when you couple up with that someone special

On My Own Two Feet redefines Personal Finance 101. The sooner you apply the basic financial concepts highlighted by Manisha Thakor and Sharon Kedar, the more likely it is that you’ll achieve common life goals such as owning a home, providing for yourself or your family, taking fun vacations, and retiring in comfort—all free from financial stress.

"This is the path to true liberation: how to handle all those hard-earned dollars. Or make do with what you’ve got. And if I were a modern boy, I’d put on a wig and buy one as well. We all need this guidebook."
- Lynn Sherr: ABC News Correspondent & Author of Outside The Box: A Memoir

"ON MY OWN TWO FEET is a must-read for all women who want to own their own destiny. In clear, penetrating prose, Thakor and Kedar guide their readers along the journey to financial security and personal freedom. Whether you are going to run a corporation, a household, or your own extraordinary life, this book is indispensable."
- Nancy F. Koehn: James E. Robison Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School

The Other Side of Thirty

The Other Side of Thirty is the story of Ani Spencer, a feisty, passionate, single, 30-something architect. Ani is on a quest. While professionally successful, Ani feels like the “traditional” route to female happiness (marriage, children, etc.) is rapidly passing her by. As a self-proclaimed modern-day feminist and independent woman, Ani is mortified that she even cares about this issue. But to her chagrin, try as she might (and she tries!), Ani just can’t seem to push the subject out of her mind. Despite having devoured the current plethora of books and TV shows depicting the ups and downs of the modern single female in witty, lighthearted tones, Ani still has unresolved angst. So she decides to take matters into her own hands.

The Other Side of Thirty chronicles Ani’s efforts to ride the rapids of single life in the 21st century and figure out how to move forward and address head on the issues that tug at her on a daily basis: dating, marriage, body image, self-confidence, careers, and personal finance. While Ani starts off thinking her problem is being single in her 30’s, she eventually comes to recognize that the root issue with which she is grappling is something much broader than that. As a result readers of all types—singles, women, and none of the above—will find wisdom and humor in Ani’s tale about trying to move forward in life.

"Smart, honest, from the heart. A unique blend of page-turning fiction and plain spoken wisdom. The kind of book you want to read and re-read for inspiration, particularly during life’s inevitable rough patches."
- Glenna Bell: award wining Americana singer/songwriter