There are those who think the goal of investing is to beat the market and amass as much wealth as possible, that street smarts and hard work ensure investment success, and that the road to happiness is paved with more of everything. And then there are those who get it.

Want a richer, calmer financial life? Jonathan Clements, longtime personal finance columnist for the Wall Street Journal, is here to help. His goal: to provide readers with a coherent way to think about their finances, so they worry less about money, make smarter financial choices and squeeze more happiness out of the cash they have.

How to Think About Money is built around five key ideas:

- Money can buy happiness, but we need to spend with great care. - Most of us will enjoy an extraordinarily long life - and that has profound financial implications. - We are hardwired for financial failure, so sensible money management takes great mental strength. - We need to bring order to our financial life - by focusing on our paycheque, or lack thereof. - If we want to add to our wealth, we should strive to minimise the subtractions.