Most money advice fails for one simple reason: people aren't spreadsheets.
We make financial decisions through emotion, habit, stress, marketing, and incomplete information. Yet most personal finance books either oversimplify the answers or bury readers in jargon and theory.
This book takes a different approach.
Drawing on research from economics, finance, and psychology-and shaped by more than a decade of university-level teaching-Zhumadilov and Choi translate complex academic insights into practical lessons you can actually use.
Inside, you'll learn:
How investing really works and the mistakes that quietly destroy long-term returnsWhy people overspend, misjudge debt, and fall for financial scamsWhat research says about retirement, risk, and building wealth over timeWhy housing, healthcare, and college costs have risen so dramaticallyHow taxes, inequality, and public debt shape everyday economic lifeWhich financial habits are driven more by psychology than mathThis isn't a collection of hot takes or recycled "money hacks." It's an evidence-based guide to understanding both your finances and the economic systems surrounding them.