Getting to financial independence can seem like an impossible journey. What path should you take? How do you get started? What about bumps in the road?

The good news is there are proven routes to freedom and wealth—and they're nearer and simpler than you think.

To help you make your own way to true and lasting financial independence, acclaimed personal finance writer Jonathan Clements has brought together the inspiring financial life stories of 30 people, all told in their own words.

Learn from the triumphs and disasters, the challenges and reflections of a wide range of real men and women just like you—and the surprising but repeatable ways they achieved financial freedom.

From a chemical plant worker to an Army lawyer, a unitarian minister to a high-school teacher, a software engineer to a retired mutual fund manager—all have timeless wisdom and inspiration you can put into action right now, bringing you one step closer to your own financial freedom.