Guru Ratings
Rick Karlgaard
Bad.
Remember my ratings criteria. I’m not judging these gurus on “global” or moral values, but very specific criteria. Many of my favorite books would be rated “bad” by my criteria for self-help (probably, because they are not self-help books). My ratings don’t reflect how well an author met his own goals, but how well they met my criteria for useful, accurate self-help.
Life 2.0: How People Across America are Transforming Their Lives by Finding the Where of Their Happiness (2005)
It’s not a self-help book, but many people are selling it as such.
It’s Karlgaard’s memoir of flying around the US. He talked to people who left big cities to find “larger lives in smaller places.”
The only part of the book that pretends to be useful is his list of 150 Cheap Places to Live. You can see most of the selections for free here.
Moving to live more cheaply is more effective in other countries. International Living has lots of good info. If you’re interested, here’s how to do it.
Karlgaard’s book won’t be of any use to you, though.