The Virtue of Wealth: Creating Life Success the Zenvesting Way

In the July episode of "Michigan Writers on the Air," Interlochen Public Radio interviewed Paul Sutherland. Click to listen to the show!

Paul H. Sutherland, President & Chief Investment Officer FIM Group (www.fimg.net) asks:

What is happiness?

"Better writers than myself have found it nearly impossible to communicate the subtle ways to create lasting happiness. No doubt this has to do with the not so subtle differences in opinion as to what makes for lasting happiness.

"Not only are there profound variations between people, but what makes one person happy one day might not work the next: a rainy summer day is a pleasant respite, two rainy days is a waste of time. Or, while an extra five hundred bucks in your pocket one afternoon might buy you a fabulous pair of shoes, great shoes have never been the source of lasting happiness.

"Money alone will never be enough to make you happy. (You've been told that before, haven't you? Well, believe it.) Gregg Easterbrook in his book The Progress Paradox, boiled the non-starter down to simple economics: Most of what people really want in life-love, friendship, respect, family, standing, fun-is not priced and does not pass through the market. If something isn't priced you can't buy it, so possessing money may not help much.

"As Lennon/McCartney said: Can't buy me love.

"What I do know, however, is that money, while it can't make you happy, can sure make you blue. And, while I can't tell you how to create lasting happiness, I can tell you how to create lasting wealth.

"This book is written to encourage readers to recognize the wealth-related choices we make each day so that we might understand and anticipate the results.

Learn from the master: Paul Sutherland has worked in the investment and financial advisory business since 1975. As a Senior Portfolio Manager, he has been managing global total return investment portfolios (under the "investing without borders" style) for more than 23 years. Individuals and corporations from across the United States have sought his advice on estate and tax planning, retirement and investment management. He has spoken to professional groups nationally and internationally - including Singapore, Beijing, Sydney and Toronto - on topics such as international investing, investment economics and portfolio management.

Beyond his extensive investment experience, Paul is the author of numerous books on financial planning and money management, including Zenvesting: The Art of Abundance & Managing Money, 12 Steps to a Care-Free Retirement and the AMA Guide to Financial Planning. He is a regular columnist for Spirituality & Health magazine and has been interviewed by Bloomberg News, Barrons, The Wall Street Journal, Investment News, Money Magazine and others.

Paul is Co-founder of the Children of the World Foundation, past Chairman of Safe Passage and current board member, as well as Founder and Chairman of the Board of the Utopia Foundation.

The Virtue of Wealth: Creating Life Success the Zenvesting Way is a primer for all ages and economic groups. The graphs, worksheets, resources and beautiful color graphics and inspirational quotations will make Sutherland's new book a wonderful gift for college graduates, newlyweds, and future retirees.

"The bountiful river of life demands world and balance," Sutherland writes. "Right effort, creatively engaging skills and the production of something useful leads to happiness, financial success and a healthy community."

The Virtue of Wealth: Creating Life Success the Zenvesting Way
by Paul Sutherland
ISBN: 978-0-9818708-0-9

The Virtue of Wealth is now available in both print and electronic format - click the link at top right to purchase today.

READER REVIEWS

    This book is an absolute must-read. Paul Sutherland is a man of great intelligence–that much is clear. His insights on money, finances, future-planning, charitable giving, etc are based on his own vast experiences, yet are presented to the reader in such a way that you feel like you're sitting and having coffee with a good friend. I'm telling you, everyone needs a good friend like Paul Sutherland to offer them the get-to-the-point financial advice that The Virtue of Wealth offers. This book is perfect for gift-giving (think high school and college grads, newlyweds and retirees). This book is absolutely gorgeous from cover to cover and well-worth more than the cover price. If you're spending $36/month playing the lottery and hoping to get rich, I suggest you take that $36 and instead purchase three copies of this book. Keep one for yourself, and pass the other two along to friends/family. K. Hains

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    The Virtue of Wealth is published by Spirituality and Health Books and they have done an outstanding job. The book is square shaped, printed on high quality paper, heavy in the hand, and the illustrations and layout are superb. I have followed Paul Sutherland's column in Spirituality and Health magazine since he began writing for them. He couldn't have picked a better publisher for this book.
    His approach to investing is also his approach to life. He is well-versed in Buddhist philosophy and he recommends the middle path, between the left path of desire and indulgence and the right path of fear and aversion. With the chaos reigning in the world markets, the calmness of his message is very needed. The book is full of solid advice and a very good collection of quotes from both spiritual and secular sources. He covers his investment philosophy in a caring and easy to read style but also includes the practical worksheets and guides that any investor needs to develop their own plan.
    The book has recommendations from well known and very respected people. Roger Wellington, Kinder Institute of Life Planning, says in the front of the book, "Our culture has a love affair with money, but in this thought provoking volume Paul Sutherland reminds us where we should look for our true wealth." George Kinder's book, Seven Stages of Money Maturity, would make an excellent companion volume.
    It has been my experience as an investment advisor, that many investors would benefit from the wisdom included in Paul's outstanding book. I am adding this book to my recommended reading list. P. Puckett