James Garside

If I wrote a review of this book it would begin with the words “Bill Perkins can go fuck himself” and end with the words “Bill Perkins probably saved my life.” My CliffsNotes description of the book is: “Rich People solutions to Poor People problems.” But when I write about things like that I usually get responses like: “Why don't you tell the world what you really think, James?” Ok, I will.

Bill Perkins can go fuck himself.

Bill Perkins is a millionaire. Bill Perkins is a hedge fund manager, a film producer, and a poker player. One thing that Bill Perkins isn't? A writer. The internet is awash with a glut of YouTube videos and podcast appearances where people tell Bill Perkins that he wrote a great book. But he didn't write the book. He paid a writer to do it for him. Why? Because that's how Rich People write books. Apparently.

I've listened to this book three times on audiobook and plan to read it through again as an ebook. On the second listen I caught this in the acknowledgments: “Having well-thought-out ideas is one thing, but converting those ideas into a convincing, easy-to-read book is another. For that I would need to work with a writer who could take my words, stories, and explanations and shape them into a flowing, easy-to-read text while retaining my voice, style, and passion. That writer was Marina Krakovsky. I was really lucky to have a writer who was familiar with the relevant ideas from economics and who had the ability to support these ideas with relevant academic research. She also knew my agent as well as Kay-Yut Chen, a brilliant economist whom I went on to hire for work on this book. I want to thank Marina not only for all this, but also for pushing me through the long, unfamiliar, and sometimes painful process of turning a complex series of ideas into a book anyone can understand.”

He didn't write the book. He didn't write the book. He didn't. Write. The book. Got that? Good.

Don't get me wrong, there's no great conspiracy here. The book is based on Bill Perkins' ideas. It's his work. Ghostwriting is a common practice. And more to the point the writer is named and credited in the acknowledgments. But it grinds my gears that in all the promotion I've seen for the book no-one ever seems to mention the elephant in the room. Bill Perkins made some offhand remark about how the experience of writing the book was a bit of a blur. I'll bet it was. You didn't write the book. You paid someone else to do it. Rich People solution to the book writing problem.

As for the book itself? Die With Zero is a well-written book with an article's worth of ideas in it. Marina Krakovsky did an excellent job of turning those ideas into a book. The book is not the problem. The ideas are the problem. Are you ready for some Rich People wisdom? Are you sitting comfortably? Here we go: Life is short. BOOM! You should spend as much of your life as possible having experiences. CYMBAL CRASH And it's better to spend all your money on facilitating those experiences than to let it go to waste when you're dead. MIC DROP

Are. You. Fucking. Joking? That's not a book. You could have written it on a post-it note.

I found this book difficult to love but I still listened to the audiobook three times and plan to read the ebook and take notes. When I have mixed emotions about a book, and say so, it gets on my tits to receive comments like: “Thanks for expressing my thoughts!” Or “Saved me from reading it!” I'm not sure these people understand how books work. You're supposed to read them. You're supposed to make your own mind up about them. You don't have to like a book to get something out of it.

I didn't like this book. But am I still glad I read this book? YES. And do I think you should read this book? YES.

You see, I agree wholeheartedly with the basic premise of the book. But as someone who is decidedly not a ‘Rich People' person I often balked at how divorced from reality its advice seems to me: Young people should spend all their money because they will earn more as they get older. How do I guarantee I won't run out of money before I'm dead? Buy an annuity. How do I cover unexpected expenses? Buy insurance. What if I want to travel but can't afford to? Take out a loan. What if I want to leave money to charity when I die? Give it to charity whilst you're alive. But what about my kids? Give them their inheritance when they're younger. And on and on. Rich People solutions. I've got Poor People problems over here thank you very much.

Die With Zero is dismissive of the FIRE movement (Financial Independence, Retire Early). In FIRE the basic idea is that you save up 25 times your annual expenses and invest it somewhere such as Index Funds. Once you've done that you can live indefinitely off your portfolio by withdrawing about 4% per year. You have a guaranteed income for life. The math checks out. And this is great if you earn enough to nail it when you're young. However, it takes on average about 15 years to achieve and is out of reach for most people unless they have a high enough income.

Bill acknowledges that the FIRE movement understands the concept of ‘enough' but suggests that they're solving for the wrong problem. His criticisms are persuasive but he lost me when he said you should spend 500k on an annuity instead. How is that better than investing the money yourself? If you buy an annuity your money is gone. You're trusting a company to give you an income but they can pull the rug from under you at any time. If you invest it yourself it generates an income for as long as you keep it invested. Then if you want you still have the option of spending down the principal at some later date.

Die With Zero says that the point of life is to have experiences. I agree. Die With Zero says that the purpose of money is to pay for those experiences. I disagree. You can use money any way you want but your most valuable resource is time. Reading this book irritated me on so many levels but it's good to wrestle with ideas that challenge your assumptions. A little poison does you good. I realised that instead of keeping my nose to the grindstone, in the hope of future retirement, I'd be better off trying to make the most of the time that I've got left.

Bill Perkins probably saved my life.

Excellent principles and advice. The book is short and worth a read. Most of the recommended services are outdated.

Writers don't need anyone else's permission or validation. They only need to write. Mahevash Shaikh is a millennial writer and mental health advocate. Her first book of poems is full of exactly the preoccupations that you might expect a young person to be preoccupied with but this is a good thing. If you want to save the world then you have to start with yourself. Mahevash Shaikh is unflinchingly honest and I think that's their greatest strength. This book of poems is startling and beautiful in its honesty and frankness. Too many people make the mistake of trying to make their work sound poetic. Instead, these poems speak from the heart about things that need to be said. Be that about the world at large or the even larger inner landscape of someone trying to figure out their place in the world. Anyone advocating for mental health and suicide prevention is a force for good. This is a subject dear to my heart. Mahevash Shaikh also fights for a better world and for social change. It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness. I hope that this writer continues to be a source of light in the world.

I made my first attempt at reading Katherine Mansfield. Sweet Jesus. After one short story, The Daughters of the Late Colonel, I've already had enough. NOTHING HAPPENS. SLOWLY. TO ANNOYING POSH PEOPLE. It's modernist but nowhere near as cool, creative, or interesting as Virginia Woolf's stuff. As annoying, pompous, and stuffy as Evelyn Waugh. I'm so bored!

Never have I read such a beautiful book. Profound beyond words. Which is funny really as I am using words to say this. As an Innie it has given meaning to my days at work. Someone scrawled on a toilet wall that it's a cynical TV tie-in and clever marketing ploy. But it's not. It's a great book. And you'd be a liar and a communist for suggesting otherwise. I hope my Outie likes it.