Something a bit different than the usual topics of this blog, but I feel it’s an important read for everyday people.

Kohler is a well-respected Aussie journo (=journalist here in Australia), usually covering economics. This books is about the myriad ways businesses rig life so yopu end up paying more than you should – often for stuff you don’t need. Though based in Australia, I do feel this will make sense – and provide valuable insights – to people world-wide.

Kohler has a flowing style, making financial concepts easy to grasp. The book focuses on all the myriad ways modern business (and others) ‘get you’ in terms of extracting more money out of you, more than the value they provide.

Each chapter deals with a different problem area: from insurance to supermarkets, from gaming to crypto. He provides a bit of a backstory of things got that way, what those business are doing that’s wrong, and what you might be able to do about it. All in a funny, conversational tone that helps grasp the concept and leave you feeling empowered (at least a little bit more – you can’t fight everything).

Some things are obvious (pokies are bad for you and crypto is a scam), some are good advice that’s been around for ages (shop around and loyalty programs are anything but), and some are illuminating in the level of details he goes into (like how supermarkets and petrol stations make it hard for you, and the reasons behind it). But all topics are great, and an important read to help you take just a little bit more control of your finances.

Highly recommended, even if you’re out of Australia (a lot would apply world-wide, even if specific examples don’t).

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This won’t really make it into my writing, except maybe have Jack go off on a rant. Still, if you’d like to live in slightly better worlds (psychotics ghosts aside), check out the free short stories and novels. Guaranteed to provide entertainment without any gotchas.