It's terrific! I'm so impressed both with your concept and what you made of it. I'm making my way through slowly -- and thoughtfully -- because you've got rich food for thought combined with the wonderful exercises that help us put things into the best kind of "best practice" by grounding them in the Word of God. Fantastic!

- Phyllis Ring

Some people are self-help junkies, consuming every how-to in sight in order to achieve happiness in life or love. Many of these books deal with managing finances - a major issue in the fast-paced American culture where car commercials haunt your every move and clothes define you as a person.

Those who try to avoid the money issue, living life hand-to-mouth, find at some point, it's unavoidable. That's when, according to author Alyice Edrich, it s time to learn how to understand money from God's perspective and get a handle on it's purpose and place in your life. For some, this book comes before the damage is done, and for other's, it seems almost too late. Whatever your financial situation, Edrich offers good advice. Not only that, she knows about debt and is sympathetic.

Edrich expertise is, as she says, "a work in progress," having gotten her family out of debt more than once and finally learning some lessons. She takes a look at money from a spiritual perspective. Her biggest source of inspiration - the Bible.

She explains how God expects his followers to be wise and thrifty with money, and also generous to those in need, specifically the church. The book is broken into 14 chapters to be read over a series of weekends with daily questions to be answered during the week. For example, on the Monday after the first chapter, question 6 asks "In Matthew 6:24, God tells us that we cannot serve both God and money. How can money become our master?" Questions like this are often tough, but get to the heart of why so many people are in debt and can't get out.

'Getting out' takes a conscious effort to know where your money is coming from, where it is going, and why, Edrich explains, using concrete examples from people she knows. Then, finally, after delving into the root of the trouble, she gets down to the nitty-gritty: how to balance a check book, how to create a filing system, how to invest. These are what make or break a system. She explains mutual funds, drip plans, dollar cost averaging, compound interest and more. Not worried about retirement or health insurance? Think again, Edrich says, since a lack of these can cause havoc in the long run. What about credit cards, she asks, do you really understand how much money is wasted on interest, late fees and only paying the minimum balance?

It is this lack of knowledge that gets and keeps people in debt, Edrich attests. Yet, throughout her advice giving, she repeats the same thread - the Bible is very clear about the role money should play in a person's life. Each scripture backs her theory, from the parable of the ten talents to the Widow's mite. While this book can appeal to anyone, it works best if you put God first in your life - the main point being, "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and mammon," Matthew 6:24.

- Rebecca Stow, a Los Angeles-based freelance writer and copy editor with BA in English from the UC Santa Barbara, a teaching credential from Chapman University, and a certification of journalism from UCLA in the works.