by Arcenia Harmon

Jacquette Timmons, book author

If there is such a thing as fiscal feminism, "Financial Intimacy" by Jacquette Timmons is a primary text. Timmons has written a book to help women in any or no relationship get a handle on their money.

Timmons has an MBA in finance and has worked 23 years in the investment world. The book started as a workshop Timmons gives called, "Women, Money and Romance” after noticing that many of her female clients were having trouble managing their money. She says she wrote the book for women in their 30's and 40's but any adult woman can benefit from exploring and changing her relationship with money.

Even though this is a book about finances, it is not a dry tome. Timmons’ writing style manages to be engaging, practical and political. Evident throughout the book is Timmons' commitment to diversity. She includes specific financial concerns for single women living alone, cohabiting women, married women, women in same-sex relationships, divorced women and stay at home partners.

The book is divided into three sections. The first and largest is "Other People’s Stories." Here we read stories of other women's spending habits, debts, and tussles with mates over money. Everyone will find at least one story to relate to. Timmons gets political by putting every story into context. In the chapter on the issues faced by same-sex couples for example, Timmons gives a brief overview of the LGBT rights movement's past, present and future. She also shows how the feminist and civil rights movements have done much to shape women's financial choices and opportunities.

The second part of the book is called "Your Story." Timmons presents exercises to get any gal familiar with not just her current financial situation, but how she has learned about money in the past and how to get her financial choices in line with what she wants in the future. This section includes 18 financial habits from the practical (track your money) to the spiritual (schedule daily quiet time) that reflect Timmons' view of money as a tool for personal development.

The last section, "You and Your Mate," is an overview of what Timmons calls financial intimacy, basically honesty when it comes to financial matters. In addition to exercises, Timmons offers questions to help conversations on financial compatibility go smoothly.

Throughout the book, Timmons never coaxes the reader toward one particular solution such as share everything or always hide a little money your partner doesn't know about just in case. Instead she helps the reader find answers so that she and her mate (if applicable) can start to make their own decisions on what money arrangements work best for them.

This book has done more than any other book to make me want to get off my lazy financial horse and start saving for my future-which has made my boyfriend and me pretty happy. Because the book covers a wide diversity of women, I believe it will grow with me and every woman as we go through stages of partnership and singlehood. If money is a course of friction in your life, if you're partnered or single, if you want your money to work for you, pick up this book ASAP .