Get real and get rich: a critic's take on books for African Americans on how to foster success, make money and hold on to it.

In the mid-'80s, when my husband and I were saving for a house, I read about a man who became an avid saver while in high school. He saved everyday, and by 35 had amassed $50,000. With that money he made a down payment on a house in suburban New York City. (He could have bought a whole house in some parts of the country.) Without the wrenching pain most of us associate with accumulating money for our biggest purchases, he bought property.

A solid savings plan is a powerful tool. Yet as beneficial as good money habits are, too many of our folks find themselves on the wrong side of the savings equation. Our kids rooms may look like branches of Toys "R" Us or Niketown, but our savings accounts are strictly thrift shop.

A large part of the problem is that financial planning isn't a sexy subject. Another reason for poor savings is know-how. The following crop of books by African Americans on finances and career planning can change that. And as the books listed below attest, there's no lack of advice. The key is to find some that work for you. These books, some new and some older titles, are a good starting point.

Carrie Mason-Draffen is a reporter a workplace columnist for Newsday, a Long Island-based newspaper.

What's Money Got to Do With It? The Ultimate Guide on How to Make Love and Money Work in Your Relationship by Cheryl D. Broussard and Michael A. Burns MetaMedia Publishing, October 2002 $23.95, ISBN 0-972-00941-8

Financial squabbles can undo the best of relationships. That's the underlying premise of this book coauthored by Broussard, who also wrote Sister CEO: The Black Woman's Guide to Starting Your Own Business. Much of that discord stems from money myths men and women have about each other, the authors contend. So, in an approach that is part financial adviser, part pop psychologist, the authors expose the falsehoods. For example, "Many men ... consider women to be incompetent money managers," the authors write. "Unfortunately, some women buy into this stereotype, as well."

Written in a straightforward style, is comprehensive and offers an array of ideas on how to emulsify money and love, including a section on Dating Commandments ("Thou shall not discuss money or income on the first date"), prenuptial agreements and win-win money fights. It even has a chapter aimed squarely at those disillusioned sisters still waiting for Prince Charming to ride to their financial rescue (I thought women's lib had finished them off). If the distressing statistics in the chapter don't scare sense into them, nothing will.

Broussard and Burns show that love, with a clear mind, can do a whole lot with money.

Let's Get Financial Savvy! From Debt-Free to Investing With Ease by Dr. Lois Center-Shabazz, CenNet Systems Publishing, October 2002, $16.95, ISBN 0-971-97950-2

"Break it down!" I just can imagine Center-Shabazz uttering those words to someone struggling with difficult financial concepts. Break it down is exactly what she does. Her breakdowns include the stock market, the bond market, investment clubs and real estate, all arenas where she feels African Americans should operate to create their own wealth.

This book nullifies the excuse that financial markets are rocket science. The weighty becomes light in Center-Shabazz's hands. She includes tips on how to save money to invest and reminds you that your emergency fund is for you, not your mooching relatives. Summary lists at the end of each chapter are helpful.

Though informative, the book is a primer that requires supplements. For instance, she says you should research a company whose stock you are considering buying to see if the management has developed successful products. An example would have helped. Without a walk-through the task seems daunting.

Turn Your Passion Into Profit: Information, Inspiration and Ideas to Help You Make Money Doing What You Love by Walt F. Goodridge, January 2000, Company Called W, $39.50, ISBN 0-962-92029-0

This is honest, homey advice from a civil engineer turned financial guru with information and inspiration from a diverse array of leaders from Elijah Muhammad to Buddah. Goodrich doesn't believe in angst-ridden debates about complex issues. "Therefore, if you are not exactly where you want to be, doesn't it seem obvious that the thoughts you're thinking aren't working?" You may think you have to struggle to find where your passion and profession intersect, but for him the search boils down to a few key questions such as "Is it hiding in the compliments you give to the people you admire?"

Despite its good points, the book is too cheery. Finding your passion doesn't cancel out the long hours you often work as your own boss. And it has an oversupply of the author's poetry. But overall, it's a good guide for anybody dying to jump the Corporate Ship.

The Black Enterprise Guide to Building Your Career by Cassandra Hayes John Wiley & Sons Inc., February 2002 $16.95. ISBN 0-471-41710-6

Hayes, a former Black Enterprise careers writer, has put together a stick-to-your-ribs guide mostly for college students just starting out in the job market. Yet the book also offers something for the seasoned job hunters who want to freshen up their skills. Thus she tackles the topics, including what to wear to an interview, how to handle sticky questions and what questions are illegal for an interviewer to ask.

The list of thoughtful sample interview questions and answers could help just about any applicant of out a tough spot. The author's realistic approach also includes a sobering section on the discrimination African Americans face in the job market, but she also balances it with brief success stories of people who triumphed despite the odds.

Wealth Building Journal: a Day-By Day Journey to a Brighter Future, A Better You by the editors of Black Enterprise magazine John Wiley & Sons Inc., September 2001 $19.95, ISBN 0-471-07909-X

This book, with a built-in 52-week journal, takes the parable approach. The authors open almost every chapter with the biography of an African American financial superachiever like Johnnie Cochran Jr. and Kenneth Chenault, who the authors use as the jumping-off point for the chapter's lessons. Sometimes the information seems rushed and too general to be of much use to people with little financial knowledge. One homework assignment launches the reader, with little guidance, on a journey to find out what's available in the mutual fund market. The poor soul could disappear on the Internet and never be heard from again. And the book has no index, another indication that it was rushed and not as helpful as it could have been.

101 Real Money Questions: the African American Financial Question and Answer Book by Jesse B. Brown, John Wiley & Sons Inc. January 2003, $14.95, ISBN 0-471-20674-1

Web talk host Brown of liars up questions and answers on a wide swath of topics, including insurance coverage, investment strategies and bankruptcies, should it come to that.

Though the Q & A format can be limiting, he provides good, basic information and simplifies difficult concepts. While a discussion on "bond laddering" (to lake advantage of changing interest rates) might make people head for the hills, Brown just might persuade them to hold on. "A bond ladder is a portfolio of bonds of similar amounts and types, maturing at different dates." It's as simple as that.

8 Steps to Help Black Families Pay for College: a Crash Course in Financial Aid by Thomas LaVeist and Will LaVeist Princeton Reviews, February 2003 $13.00, ISBN 0-375-76306-6

Saving for college is a color-blind activity, right? So why a book especially for African American families? Because we're always playing catch-up financially, no matter the enterprise. We earn less than whites and save tar less. With the days of free-flowing grants long behind us, we need sound saving plans to ensure that our children don't financially flunk out of college.

Beyond savings there's financial aid, and this book provides gold nuggets. For example, financial aid officers, when determining how much aid your son or daughter needs, will look at your income without taking into account the debts you owe. You may have $30,000 worth of credit card debt that the officers consider assets. So the author's message: Pay down your debts before your children apply for aid.

Though helpful, the book's over the top with abbreviations. Thus HBCU stands in for "historically black college or university" and FAO, isn't affiliated with the fungous toy store, but stands for financial aid officer.

Carrie Mason-Draffen is a reporter a workplace columnist for Newsday, a Long Island-based newspaper.