Walden on Wheels

I count myself as one of those who is frugal.  Some of my co-workers will tell you that I can't go a few days without mentioning how getting out of debt is my top priority in life.  I hate how owing someone money makes me feel.  So when I came across this book and read the brief description I put it on hold at the library immediately. While I was waiting for it to arrive at the library I downloaded the free sample to my Kindle.  Initially, based on the sample, I thought it would be a decent read, but I wasn't running to the library to pick it up once notified about its arrival.  So much for me judging a book based on a free sample, because I should have gone and picked this book up the minute it arrived.  I realized I was hooked this past Wednesday when I spent the majority of my day off voraciously reading the first 200 pages of the approximately 300-page book.

The book is a true account of the author, Ken, who initially has $32,000 of student debt after earning his undergraduate degree. This staggering amount makes him very uncomfortable and he proceeds to aggressively pay it off over the next few years.  In the process of paying everything off, he goes to Alaska and works a variety of grunt jobs that teach him a lot about life, nature, consumerism and capitalism (all of which he discusses very well). He vows to never go into debt again. The story takes an interesting turn when he decides to return to graduate school.  Keeping to his vow about zero debt, he buys a van and lives in the van during his entire graduate school experience. The book covers it all perfectly. A parallel story also develops about his best friend who owes $62,000 in student loans but follows a different, more arduous path in order to pay it off. His friend's story is, in some ways, the typical story that most of us are living but afraid to admit.

I loved this book, because of the inspirational tone.  At this point in my life, it was a message I was ready to hear and open to receiving.  I am motivated to continue to aggressively pay my own debt down as well.  I'm not quite at the point where I would live in a van, but I respect the author for sticking to his newfound values. The book was also pretty funny!  I wasn't expecting that and found myself laughing unexpectedly on several occasions.  I enjoyed the book so much more than I expected. Actually, this is one of the best books I've read this year. Also, if you want to read a book about finances, but don't want a book that feels too much like economics, this is it.