What Money Can't Buy, a book review

I would assume many people my age would not sprint to their local library in hopes that a book entitled 'What Money Can't Buy: the Moral Limits of Markets' will be on the shelf. I am quite the opposite, however. In fact, I actually have a photograph of my library card on my phone, and I reserved this book before finals to be sure I would have it in my hands as soon as I returned home from college.

Why would I do such a thing? There are two huge reasons. First and foremost, I love learning. Through personality test after personality test (fun fact, i also love personality tests), I am consistently told that I love intellectual challenge and have a desire to gain new knowledge. Truthfully, I really relate to these statements. I have always been a person who enjoys the first day of school, and all days of school, as I typically end each day with more knowledge than I had before. Also, I have been deemed a 'museum-person' by my friends, if that adds to my argument.

My second reasons stems from my major, Accounting, which I am extremely passionate about. As a result, I do enjoy reading things about the financial-world, since it plays a role in what I hope to do in the future. Thus, when a friend recommended this read to me, I knew it would be something that I enjoyed.

Now that you understand why I would pick this selection, let's get started with the review!

What Money Can't Buy: The Moral Limits of Markets, by Michael J Sandel (pictured above)

My Rating: 7/10

Favorite Quote: "Friendship is about more than bring useful to one another. It is about growing in character and self-knowledge in the company of others."

Synopsis: Michael J. Sandel looks to discuss one big concept in this novel: what truly are the moral limits of markets? By doing so, he brings attention to the potential concern that comes from living in a society when essentially everything can be purchased. Through looking at the ethical considerations of buying non-traditional goods, from the naming rights of sports stadiums to the ability to pollute to doctor appointment slots, we must begin to decide where we want to draw the line of defining commodities at in the future.

Review: I want to make a very obvious, yet necessary comment to start my review. This book is NOT for everyone. If you are someone who strictly enjoys fictional writing, please don't even bother to pick this up. However, if you enjoy non-fiction, especially for fans of Malcolm Gladwell (this book read in the same style as Outliers in my opinion), you should definitely check it out.

In terms of the actual content of the book, there were some parts that were very dry to me, but they were few in comparison to the pages I enjoyed. I can strongly say that I am walking away with new knowledge, especially in regards to what people or companies are actually able to purchase. I also really appreciated the ties it had to different ethical frameworks, as they brought me back to the Business Ethics class I took freshman year of college. It was cool for me to relate my in-class learning to my for-fun learning.

Overall, the purpose of this book is not to sway the reader in one way or another, but provide a lot of food for thought. In that regard, I sincerely believe that it succeeded. So, if you are interested in learning about and contemplating a subject you'd never given much thought to, I would say this is a great option!

Final Thoughts: Would I re-read this book? Probably not. Do I regret reading it? Definitely not! Ultimately, I am walking away from this novel a much more informed individual, which is not something that can be said about every book that I read. Additionally, I think this could potentially be a topic that becomes more frequently talked about in the future, so I will be ready for professional conversation if that time ever arises. Plus, I think this could be a great gift for a father, uncle, or grandfather who is passionate about financial topics. (bonus points if you read the book first and discuss your thoughts with them after!)

well, friends, i hope you're not bored of seeing book posts yet. i am on a reading rampage at the moment, + i don't see any signs of stopping. be sure to follow me on instagram (@amadisonclassic) if you want to be up-to-date on what i'm reading daily!

happy reading this week.

xoxo madison