In this chapter Ramsey tells his own story of financial disaster and gives readers a challenge, a motto, and a promise. He recounts in vivid emotional detail how he plunged into bankruptcy from the height of owning $4 million in real estate, bringing his wife and two children with him, all because he borrowed too much money. Ramsey assures readers he knows the feelings of hopelessness, helplessness, and fear felt by countless people in financial distress—he was one of them. These emotions compelled him to go “on a quest to find out how money really works” (3). That quest forced him to confront the man in the mirror, to acknowledge that he was the source of his money problems.

Ramsey challenges readers to make the same discovery. He insists that financial success is about adjusting behavior to comply with simple financial principles and introduces the personal testimonies placed throughout the book that support his claim. The common thread is that, “These people have sacrificed for a short period of time so they will never have to sacrifice again” (4). Ramsey provides a catchy motto to encourage readers as they strive for change: “If you will live like no one else, later you can live like no one else” (5).