Don’t be fooled by the cover. Oprah’s go-to money expert may sport a scary spiky early 1990s do and overly-enthused aerobics-teacheresque smile, but she’s got the goods on the green stuff – dollars, that is. Suze Orman’s surprisingly readable “The Money Book for the Young, Fabulous & Broke” is a breezy overview of financial do’s and don’ts. Her tips range from how to pay off credit cards and student loans to building your credit and saving for your future dream car or – gasp – home.

“Listen, I know dealing with the responsibility of money, especially lack of money, may not necessarily be high on your list of priorities,” Orman quips in her introduction. Uh, got that right.

She even tosses a few career tips into the 395-pager. To those nearing graduation and feeling antsy about the not-so booming job market she simply says, “You need face time, not computer time. When you’re in a tough job market, it’s the personal touch that gets you the job,” and offers hints about how to negotiate pay raises and stay out of a cubicle dungeon.

Some of her tips are obvious and it’s a little annoying that the book assumes all young people are completely broke, clueless and in the midst of some monetary disaster. But the truth is most of us could use these reminders, even about things that seem like a no-brainers.

Like hello, do you really need a cell phone and a home line? You can save up to $50 a month by ditching one of them, Orman says. “That’s a nice chunk of change.”

And if you haven’t quite reached the worst-case financial scenario just yet, it may actually make you feel on top of your game. Even if you have no idea what a 401(k) is.

For those who loathe advice and self help books, Orman’s advice is painless, practical, and may even give you one of those Oprah “Aha!” moments.

CONTACT PURSELL AT EPURSELL@SFSU.EDU