Every so often, I read a book which gives me hope. Which might or might not sound like a strange way to open a review about the Girls that Invest book, a book promising to guide women to financial independence through shares and stocks, but bear with me. I’ve been so impressed with the book and the podcast of Girls that Invest, and particularly with the hosts Simran Kaur and Sonya Gupthan, that it’s given me so much hope for the women of the future. The kids are alright, and I look forward to seeing where this generation of young women take us.

Besides this, Girls That Invest: Your guide to financial independence through shares and stocks is a really good book. It’s accessibly and engagingly written, and totally demystifies the world of investing which from the outside can seem the preserve of finance bros and Wall Street Whizz Kids – to the extent that Sim and Sonya suggest in their podcast that the sociolect of the finance bro and the exclusionary language of the stock market might be no accident.

Building on the aims of the Girls That Invest Community – to create a place for beginner investors from all different backgrounds, allowing them to create a better, more secure future for themselves and their communities, the book addresses common misconceptions which hold us back from investing, offers a really clear and concise introduction to the stock market and different options for investing, before offering a practical guide to assessing your own comfort levels with risk, setting your financial goals and outlining seven easy steps to begin investing, including dedicated chapters on ethical investment and being a female investor.

I wish I’d had this book in my early 20s when I first read about the FIRE movement (FIRE is an acronym for Financial Independence, Retire Early) and looked at starting to invest but became completely overwhelmed with worries about how tax worked and interfaces of various platforms, so scuttled back to my cash ISA. But even now in my late (when did that happen??) 30s, the Girls that Invest book has been a real investment, and has helped me gain a really clear understanding of what the various options for my stocks and shares ISA actually mean, and how well my portfolio balance fits my financial goals for the future. It’s also lead me to join e Toro, a microinvesting platform that you can access from the UK, which as well as allowing you to begin making small investments, offers the option of a virtual portfolio with an imaginary lump sum for you to build up your confidence and financial awareness through virtual investing.

I’m planning to give this book to my sisters and friends (not my copy, that’s staying with me, bookmarked and annotated) and honestly, I can’t recommend it highly enough. I’d also recommend listening to the podcast, where I really love Sim and Sonya’s self-deprecating, teasing dynamic. I nearly laughed tea through my nose when they’d asked friends for feedback on the early episodes and one had told Sim that she sounded like a Kardashian discussing salad. The vibe is very chatty, very informal, and entirely relatable.