Why Becoming Of A Wolf by Zack Murphy Belongs in the Conversation About Financial Literacy
- 6 hours ago
- 12 min read
Zachary Greene overcame a childhood in foster care and years in prison to become a self-taught investor and author. He is the founder of All Handz On LLC and wrote "Becoming of a Wolf," a jargon-free guide to investing for beginners.
There is a question millions of people can relate to, “I work hard, earn money, but I still don't know how to make my money grow.” That question represents a much larger problem than simply not knowing how to buy a stock. It represents a gap in financial education, a gap between earning money and understanding money.
People are taught to go to school, find employment, earn an income, pay bills, and support their families. But many people reach adulthood without ever receiving a practical education in how money works, how investing works, how risk works, how financial decisions compound over time, or how to begin thinking about wealth building.
That is the problem Becoming Of A Wolf by Zack Murphy seeks to address.
Becoming Of A Wolf was created around the idea that financial education should not remain trapped in terminology, theory, or concepts that people struggle to connect to everyday life. Financial knowledge becomes powerful when people can understand it, apply it, question it, and use it to make better decisions.
The book is not simply about stocks. It is about learning to think differently about money. It is about helping readers recognize that earning an income and building financial knowledge are two different things. It is about encouraging people to become students of their financial future instead of remaining spectators while other people make financial decisions around them.
Most importantly, it is about making financial education more approachable for people who may have never had someone sit down and explain the fundamentals to them.
The external problem: “I work hard, but my money isn't growing”
One of the most frustrating financial realities is working hard without feeling financially ahead.
A person can work overtime. They can get another job. They can receive a raise. They can sacrifice. They can save when they are able. Yet they may still find themselves asking, “Why am I working this hard and still not getting ahead?”
The answer is not always that someone is lazy, irresponsible, or incapable of becoming financially successful. Sometimes the problem is that they were never taught the fundamentals.
A person can know how to earn money without knowing how to manage it. They can know how to save money without understanding investing. They can know that stocks exist without understanding what owning a stock actually means. They can hear people talk about retirement, compound growth, diversification, risk, and the market without having enough foundational knowledge to understand the conversation.
That creates a dangerous cycle. A person earns. They spend. They pay bills. They save whatever is left. They repeat the process. Years pass. Then they look around and wonder why their financial position hasn't changed significantly.
The problem isn't necessarily a lack of effort. It can be a lack of financial education. That is where practical financial literacy becomes important.
The internal problem: “Nobody taught me how money actually works”
The external problem is visible. The internal problem is emotional.
People can feel embarrassed that they don't understand investing. They may feel behind. They may believe they should have started earlier. They may be afraid to ask basic questions because they don't want someone to think they are financially inexperienced.
They may see friends, coworkers, influencers, or relatives talking about stocks and investing and think, “I should know this already.” But how can someone know something they were never taught?
That question matters. A person shouldn't have to feel ashamed for not understanding something they were never given the opportunity to learn.
Instead, the response should be education. Not judgment. Not hype. Not unrealistic promises. Education.
Becoming Of A Wolf is positioned around that principle. The goal is to help make financial concepts easier to approach and understand so that readers can begin developing the knowledge necessary to make more informed financial decisions.
“Nobody taught us how money works”
This statement captures a generational problem.
For many people, financial education has historically been learned through experience, sometimes expensive experience. People learn about credit after damaging their credit. They learn about debt after getting buried in debt. They learn about investing after missing opportunities. They learn about financial planning after experiencing a financial crisis. They learn about retirement after realizing that time matters. They learn about risk after losing money.
But education shouldn't have to begin with a financial mistake. People deserve the opportunity to learn before the consequences arrive.
That is why financial literacy matters. The purpose of financial education is not to guarantee wealth. It is to provide people with knowledge that can help them make better informed decisions.
That distinction is important. Becoming Of A Wolf does not need to promise that reading a book will make someone rich. Instead, its value is in helping people develop a foundation, knowledge, awareness, understanding, curiosity, and practical application. Those are the building blocks.
Should hard work be enough without financial knowledge?
There is a deeper philosophical question underneath all of this, "Should people be expected to work their entire lives without being taught how money works?"
America has long emphasized the importance of education. We teach mathematics, science, history, language, technology, and career preparation. But financial literacy asks a different question, "How will students use the money they eventually earn?"
That question matters because financial decisions follow people throughout their lives, the decision to borrow, to save, to invest, to take financial risks, to purchase an asset, to start a business, to prepare for retirement, and to understand financial products. These decisions can influence someone's future for years.
This is why the history of financial literacy education in the United States is so important. Utah provides a significant example. In 2003, Utah passed Senate Bill 154, legislation requiring financial literacy instruction and establishing a financial literacy graduation requirement. In 2004, the Utah Board of Education approved a one semester General Financial Literacy course, with the graduation requirement beginning with the class of 2008. Utah's Office of State Treasurer describes this as the first state financial literacy high school graduation mandate in the nation.
That history demonstrates something important, financial literacy is not merely a personal preference. It has been recognized as an educational priority at the state level.
Utah's financial literacy framework has also evolved. State materials describe topics ranging from financial planning and money management to saving, investing, and retirement.
That creates an important philosophical question for educators, communities, parents, and organizations across the country, if financial knowledge can influence the quality of decisions people make throughout their lives, shouldn't practical financial education be accessible to everyone?
Becoming Of A Wolf enters that conversation.
The financial literacy gap
Imagine graduating from high school knowing how to solve complex mathematical problems but not understanding the difference between saving and investing. Imagine entering the workforce knowing how to earn a paycheck but not understanding how inflation affects purchasing power.
Imagine hearing about the stock market for years but never learning the basic principles behind owning investments. Imagine being interested in building wealth but being too afraid to begin learning because the terminology seems complicated.
This is where the financial literacy gap becomes real. Financial literacy isn't simply knowing definitions. It is developing the ability to understand financial concepts and apply them to real life situations.
That's the philosophy behind practical education. Knowledge should lead to understanding. Understanding should lead to informed action.
The stock market knowledge problem
For many beginners, the stock market can seem intimidating. They hear terms like stocks, shares, dividends, indexes, markets, risk, diversification, volatility, portfolio, returns, long term investing, and short term trading.
The terminology alone can create a barrier. Someone may think, “I need to know everything before I can even begin learning.” That mindset can keep people from learning at all.
Becoming Of A Wolf seeks to make the subject more approachable by introducing financial concepts in a way intended to connect knowledge with practical thinking.
The goal isn't to overwhelm the reader. The goal is to encourage the reader to become curious, to ask questions, to understand fundamentals, to recognize risk, to think long term, to understand that investing isn't a magic formula, and to recognize that financial education should come before financial decisions.
“I need stock market knowledge”
That is the external problem many readers may recognize. But beneath it is something deeper, “I don't want to be financially ignorant anymore.”
That is a completely different motivation. Someone may not be looking for a get rich quick scheme. They may simply want to understand what everyone else seems to know. They may want to open a conversation about investing, understand what they're hearing on television or reading online, know what questions to ask before making an investment decision, or simply want to stop feeling lost.
That is where education creates value.
“I should know more about money by now”
This is one of the most powerful internal thoughts behind the financial literacy problem.
A 25-year-old may think it. A 35-year-old may think it. A 45-year-old may think it. A 55-year-old may think it. The feeling of being financially behind doesn't belong to one age group, and neither does the opportunity to learn.
It is never too late to improve financial knowledge. Someone who has made poor financial decisions can learn. Someone who has never invested can learn. Someone who has lost money can learn. Someone who has always been afraid of the stock market can learn. Someone who has spent years living paycheck to paycheck can begin learning about financial planning.
The first step is education.
“Tired of feeling behind financially?”
This is not simply a marketing question. It is a question about awareness.
If someone is tired of feeling financially behind, the answer shouldn't be another empty promise. It should be, learn. Learn how money works. Learn the fundamentals. Learn about risk. Learn about investing. Learn about financial decision making. Learn before acting.
Becoming Of A Wolf is designed to be part of that learning process.
“Afraid to start investing because you don't want to lose money?”
Fear can be rational. Investing involves risk. There is no responsible financial education message that should suggest otherwise.
That is exactly why education matters. A person shouldn't be encouraged to invest simply because someone tells them they will become rich. They should be encouraged to learn enough to understand what they are considering.
Financial literacy doesn't eliminate risk. It helps people understand risk. That distinction is critical.
Becoming Of A Wolf is not about promising guaranteed returns. It is about practical financial knowledge, about encouraging readers to understand the environment they are entering instead of blindly following someone else's financial decisions.
“Still living paycheck to paycheck?”
Living paycheck to paycheck can create an exhausting cycle. There may be little room for unexpected expenses, mistakes, opportunities, or long-term planning.
Financial education alone cannot solve every economic challenge. Income matters. Housing costs matter. Debt matters. Employment matters. Economic conditions matter. Family circumstances matter.
But financial knowledge can still play an important role. Understanding how money works can help people begin asking better questions, "Where is my money going? What financial decisions are costing me? What can I control? What should I learn? What financial goals do I have? How can I prepare for the future? What does investing actually mean? What risks am I taking? What don't I understand yet?"
Those questions can be the beginning of financial growth.
“It's not too late to learn”
This may be the most important message of all.
You don't have to know everything. You don't have to become an expert overnight. You don't have to pretend you understand something you don't. You simply have to be willing to learn.
Financial education is a process. Becoming Of A Wolf is intended to help readers enter that process with a practical mindset.
Why the wolf?
The concept behind Becoming Of A Wolf is symbolic. A wolf represents awareness, adaptability, discipline, strategy, observation, and survival.
The wolf doesn't simply move because everyone else is moving. It observes its environment. It evaluates. It adapts. It understands that survival requires awareness.
Those concepts can also apply metaphorically to financial education. The financial world rewards knowledge, preparation, discipline, and patience. That does not mean financial markets are predictable. They aren't. It means that people who educate themselves may be better positioned to understand the decisions they face.
The objective is not to turn readers into reckless risk takers. It is to encourage them to become more informed participants. Don't blindly chase the market. Learn to understand it.
That is the spirit behind becoming a wolf.
Why practical education matters
There is a difference between knowing a definition and understanding an application. A student can memorize the definition of compound growth. But can they explain why time matters?
A person can memorize the definition of diversification. But can they explain why putting everything into one investment can increase risk? Someone can recognize the word “stock.” But do they understand what owning a share represents?
Practical education tries to bridge that gap. It asks, “How does this work in real life?” That is the approach that makes financial literacy meaningful.
A resource for more than investors
Someone doesn't need to be an experienced investor to benefit from financial education. In fact, beginners may be among the people who need it most.
Becoming Of A Wolf can serve as an entry point for readers who are curious about financial literacy, stock market fundamentals, investing concepts, risk awareness, long-term financial thinking, wealth-building principles, personal responsibility, financial decision-making, and practical education.
The objective is to help people become more informed, not to tell them what individual investments they should buy.
That makes the educational message broader than simply “buy stocks.” It becomes, learn how money works before you make decisions about money.
Why schools should pay attention
Schools prepare students for adulthood. That preparation increasingly includes financial literacy.
Utah's example demonstrates how seriously financial education can be incorporated into public education. Its current framework includes financial and economic literacy concepts and calls for curriculum resources, assessments, and educator professional development.
That creates an opportunity for resources that can supplement classroom instruction. Becoming Of A Wolf can be presented as a potential supplemental resource, not as a replacement for a school's required curriculum, standards, or qualified educators.
Its practical approach can support conversations around financial literacy, investing fundamentals, decision-making, and real-world financial awareness.
The goal is simple, help students understand that financial education isn't just something they learn for a test. It is knowledge they may use throughout their lives.
Why parents should care
Parents often want their children to become financially independent. But many parents are also learning financial concepts themselves.
That is why financial literacy can become a family conversation. A book can open a discussion, “What did you learn?” “What does investing mean?” “What risks did you learn about?” “What financial goals do you have?” “What would you do differently?”
Those conversations can extend learning beyond the classroom. Financial literacy shouldn't end when the school bell rings.
Why nonprofits should care
Nonprofits serving youth, adults, underserved communities, entrepreneurs, and reentry populations often focus on helping people build stronger futures. Financial literacy can complement those goals.
For a nonprofit, Becoming Of A Wolf can potentially serve as a workshop discussion resource, a participant reading assignment, a financial literacy supplement, a conversation starter, a personal development resource, or a component of an entrepreneurship program.
The opportunity isn't simply to distribute books. The opportunity is to create educational experiences around the book. That is where All Handz On LLC can create additional value.
From book to educational experience
The long-term vision should not be limited to “Buy my book.”
The bigger vision is, “Use this resource to start a conversation about financial education.”
That could involve reading, discussion, questions, activities, financial scenarios, workshops, virtual presentations, entrepreneurship conversations, mentorship, and community partnerships.
The book becomes the doorway. Education becomes the destination.
Why All Handz On LLC?
All Handz On LLC was built around the idea of practical education and real-world application. That philosophy matters because people don't live inside textbooks. They live in the real world, with bills, jobs, families, goals, debt, and opportunities. They make mistakes. They start businesses. They try to invest. They experience setbacks.
Education should help people navigate that reality. The mission is not simply to distribute information. It is to help turn knowledge into action.
A different conversation about wealth
The word “wealth” can sometimes create unrealistic expectations. People see luxury cars, large houses, designer clothing, private jets, and social media lifestyles.
But wealth-building education should go deeper than appearances. The real questions are, Do you understand your financial position? Do you understand risk? Do you understand the difference between saving and investing? Do you understand the decisions you're making? Do you understand what you're putting your money into? Do you understand the importance of time? Do you understand that financial markets can go down as well as up? Do you understand that there are no guaranteed shortcuts?
Those questions are far more important than pretending everyone can become rich overnight. Becoming Of A Wolf is about learning, not pretending.
Read more from Zachary Greene
Zachary Greene, Owner of a Pennsylvania-Based Publishing Company
Zachary Greene grew up in Philadelphia's foster care system before being incarcerated as an adult, where he lost close family members and watched life continue without him. Determined to rebuild his life, he turned to the prison library and taught himself the fundamentals of the stock market, despite the dense, technical material. That journey inspired him to write "Becoming of a Wolf," a beginner-friendly guide that breaks down investing concepts like common stocks and economic trends using plain language and relatable examples. Today, Zack is the founder of All Handz On LLC, a publishing company focused on financial literacy, with several titles now available on Amazon. His story is one of turning hardship into a mission to help others gain confidence and control over their financial futures.
