Book review: Straight Forward Financial Growth

It’s been a minute since I read a book written by a Ugandan that I’d recommend in a heartbeat. As a nation, we have been beleaguered, especially in the last decade, by a pandemic of half-cooked, sad excuses of books which to be honest are not worth a dime.

In a world full of financial literature, Moses Mukisa’s Straight Forward Financial Growth holds its own. It’s written in an easy way that benefits both the child and the sage equally. First, he posits that wealth is not a figure in the bank, it’s a state of mind. “You are not rich because you have money. You have money because you are rich,” he asserts in the Essentials of Financial Growth chapter. I like when he castigates Christians who believe money is evil and that the less of it you possess, the closer you are to God. This is scripturally wrong and nonsensical (I couldn’t find a more kind word). The Bible is replete with examples of extremely wealthy men of God. It’s the love of money which is evil. That you’d say, get involved in underhand dealings, to line your pocket, now that would be evil. God has a formula for wealth creation. I’m no finance expert, but I believe from Straight Forward Financial Growth and other scholars that wealth creation should be ethical. Mukisa writes extensively about tithing which he analogizes as a partnership with God. Imagine if your business partner, who by the way provides the bigger chunk of investment — health, wisdom, opportunities, etc. — asks for a paltry 10% in your dealings, isn’t that a juicy deal? But the message on tithing is frankly a personal revelation. No amount of sermons will make you see it until God Himself reveals it to you. The value of time as a resource isn’t lost on him either, as he implores you to convert your time into tangible products. Productize yourself. It thus behooves anyone who is intentional about creating wealth to grow their passive income by investing for growth. Otherwise, you will still be rowing at eighty (you will have to read the book to get this one). Mukisa spares a word or two for the power of group investment when he uses a memorable similitude. Geese flying together in a V formation can go 70% further than they would fly alone. Perhaps my biggest takeaway was this: God doesn’t want to only meet your needs. He wants to solve the problems of your neighbors through you. Once you grasp the concept of stewardship, giving becomes automatic and generosity a lifestyle. Ultimately wealth creation goes beyond just earning money but also (and I dare say most importantly) keeping it. “You must have a money management plan. Noah did not wait for it to rain to build an Ark.”