Review: How to Help Your Husband Make More Money So You Can Be a Stay-At-Home Mom

First, let me state the obvious. I don't want to be a stay-at-home mom. Neither does Shira. I just saw the self help book, How to Help Your Husband Make More Money So You Can Be a Stay-At-Home Mom by Joanne Watson, at the library and couldn't resist the title.

The book's premise isn't a bad one: husbands and wives should work as a team to be a success. This means that it's smart to have one partner at work, another at home. This is just good sense.

Unfortunately, the premise is about all I can say I enjoyed about the book.

The book is a sort of an advice guide for making more money. It includes tips like: get more training, ask for a raise and find a new job. It has, as its slant, suggestions for a wife on how she can get her husband to do this all. The reality is, while the advice in the book is mostly good - it's not the most complete source of information on any one topic.

The book was obviously written during the hay day of the Internet bubble. Programming, HTML and Oracle databases are all mentioned as easy skills to learn, master and make boatloads of money from. And, I kid you not, if you want to make the really big bucks, get involved in Internet Marketing. Why? I have no idea. Just take Joanne's word for it.

This message from the book has the same feel as a prospector bragging about his job during a gold rush. She just can't imagine why everyone isn't cashing on the same easy money she is. And, of course they assume the gold rush will last forever.

The reality is, there was a time when knowing a bit of HTML could be an in to a much better job. However, that time has since long gone.

And then there's this whole unsettling tone of the book. Not once in the whole book is it ever suggested that the man stay home and the wife work. It's simply not an option. And the book consistently talks about "your goal of being a stay at home Mom" as if the husband has no say in the matter. It's like a training manual to manipulate your husband into getting what you want. I'm pretty sure my wife doesn't need any more advice on this topic.

Look, If you want to be a stay at home mom, give it a listen. You might enjoy it, and find it inspirational. On the other hand, if you want to make more money, interview better, or do a host of other things, you can do way better than this book.

I give it a 1.4/10.

--Ben