The Keys to Putting Change in Your Pocket: Tips for Making Change Work for You

Joanne G. Sujansky
KEYGroup (2001)
ISBN 1234567890
Reviewed by ISBN 0965446506 for Reader Views (10/06)

If the expression “a picture is worth a thousand words” is correct, Joanne G. Sujansky’s pocket book “The Keys to Putting Change in Your Pocket” has the equivalent of 49,000 words, give or take a couple hundred.  And this book definitely packs an impact.  There is nothing like good humor to educate.  After all, it is very difficult to be defensive when you are laughing and smiling.  This book is set up with one side of every page an illustration of the words on the next page.  The illustrations were done by Stevie Ann Rinehart.  I don’t know who thought of the illustrations, but many of them have multiple layers of humor; multiple layers in the pictures and multiple layers in words.  In fact, one page is directly about how your perspective is only one perspective, and other people will have other perspectives.

The assumptions we bring with us are delicately noted starting on the cover.  The cover has a picture of a man holding an oversized coin over his head.  And yet this book is directly about change defined as something new instead of what I assumed-- the silver jingly type of change.  Change of action can result in monetary gain but that gain can be subtle or in the unknown future.  The misdirection disarmed my thought about other types of change, since I, like many people, am defensive and stressed about personal change.  The author is well aware of that and also that humor can relieve that stress and relax people.  And as this book points out, people who are relaxed and enthusiastic about change accept that change quicker.  However, this book does not preach about how you must accept changes, simply how change is inevitable in life and how people react to it in different ways. 

I really liked this little book.  I have gone through it three times now, and each time I think “ah, this one I should show this person” or “ooh, this would be funny for that person.”  And each time, I smile at the illustrations.  I highly recommend this book to those facing change, i.e. everyone.  My only problem is that the first thing I want to do is photocopy a page and share it, but the copyright specifically forbids that without written permission from the publisher.  On the other hand, the same page has the contact information for the publisher.  So that barrier is theoretically crossable.  Buy it, read it, and see if the publisher will let you share it. 

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