When I picked up the 656-page tome, I was curious. During the bustle of Noel Night at Maria’s Bookshop, Tony Robbins’ new book grabbed my attention.

I was familiar with Robbins from his infomercials, self-help programs and TED Talks, but I wasn’t familiar with his financial advice. Could this weighty book deliver?

With Money – Master the Game: 7 Simple Steps to Achieve Financial Freedom, Robbins, who has advised U.S. presidents, CEOs and top athletes, aims to help “regular” people successfully travel the path to economic independence.

In his first major book in 20 years, Robbins condenses wisdom gleaned from interviews with financial gurus, billionaires and Nobel Prize winners. He was inspired to write this extensive guide after watching the documentary film “Inside Job,” which examines Wall Street’s role in the 2008 economic meltdown. (For more about the film, visit http://bit.ly/MoneySavvy1-15.)

Does Robbins’ big book work? The short answer: Yes, he delivers.

Don’t be intimidated by this book’s size. Robbins uses the unusual, but effective, style of bolding the most important text for readers who want to speed-read. His engaging, conversational voice makes dense topics come to life.

For me, Money really takes off in Section 3, about 200 pages in when he begins examining the price of our dreams. Robbins asserts our dreams are really the sum of five different aspirations:

Financial security: You do not have to work to pay for the basics, including housing, utilities, food, transportation or basic insurance.

Financial vitality: The ability to meet your financial security and half of the cost of your small indulgences and luxuries without working.

Financial independence: The interest from savings and return from your investments allow you to maintain your lifestyle without working.

Financial freedom: You have financial independence and two to three significant luxuries.

Absolute financial freedom: The freedom to live and give freely without worrying about money or working.

I believe this is a valuable approach to understanding our financial dreams. Reading these, I realized most people go directly to absolute financial freedom when considering their dreams. But dreaming of unlimited wealth leaves many people overwhelmed and unwilling to take action.

By breaking down our dreams into a series of steps, we can better assess how much money will be required to achieve each milestone, and we can accurately measure where we are on the path toward our ultimate goal.

I highly recommend reading Money. By using Robbins’ strategies, I believe you will find that you are capable of achieving your financial dreams.

And remember what Mark Twain said: “The secret of getting ahead is getting started.”

matt.kelly.durango@gmail.com. Durango resident and personal finance coach Matt Kelly owns Momentum: Personal Finance. www.personalfinancecoaching.com