Recommended Reads
I love to read. It takes a really long time to write a book and only a fraction of that time to read it. Authors who are able to write hundreds of pages on a certain topic usually have subject matter expertise on that topic. Just think, it could take someone years to research a topic and in a few hours, you can learn and immediately apply it to your life.
The following are recommended books on personal finance and other related topics:
This is a must read for anyone who wants to learn about personal finance. It’s a light read where Robert tells the story of his father and the father of his best friend, his rich dad, and they ways that both men influenced Robert’s approach to money, investing, and life. Some key concepts in the book are
- Assets put money in your pocket, even while you sleep, while liabilities take money out of your pocket. A house is not an asset.
- Working for money and having money work for you.
- Cashflow is more important than net worth.
This book provides a great personal finance foundation.
This book provides the blueprint for living more and working less. Throughout the book you’ll find creative ways to stop working harder and start working smarter. The techniques are not for everyone but you’ll be introduced to different aspects of lifestyle design such as outsourcing work to overseas virtual assistants, traveling more, and changing from a long term career to frequent “mini-retirements.”
The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It
by Michael E. Gerber
This bestseller dispels common myths about starting your own business. One key takeaway – it’s easy to spend time working IN your business but if you want to grow, you need to block out time to work ON your business. This includes how to take your business to the next level by understanding your competition and creating a unique selling proposition. Before you even start a business, you should read this book.
The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth About Extraordinary Results
by Gary Keller
Gary Keller, the founder of Keller Williams, one of the largest real estate companies in the world shares his thoughts on a relatively simple concept – focus energy on one thing at a time. By doing so, you can have less distractions and more rewarding results. The ONE Thing teaches readers how to build momentum, reduce stress, increase energy and focus on what matters.
Since it was first published in 1937, Think and Grow Rich continues to be a bestseller. Hill uses stories from Andrew Carnegie, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, and others to share his principles on making money. This wisdom is still applicable to today where you can follow his steps to build personal wealth.
This is a timeless bestseller that focuses on personal improvement and how to make people like you and win people to your way of thinking. The advice is applicable to both your professional and personal life.
The Millionaire Next Door identifies seven common traits that appear time and again among those who have accumulated wealth. It’s a well thought out book that presents practical advice on following what wealthy people do. You will learn, for example, that millionaires bargain shop for used cars, find ways to reduce their tax burden, and reject the big-spending lifestyles most of us associate with rich people.
This was a must-read for MBA students in business school with practical advice that can be applied in both business and personal life. Chris Voss, a former international hostage negotiator for the FBI, shares his field-tested approach to negotiations which can cover a range of topics including buying a car, negotiating a salary, buying a house, renegotiating rent, or simply deliberating with your partner. It helps to be prepared to negotiate and gain a competitive edge in any discussion.
Total Money Makeover is a good personal finance book for those who have accumulated debt and looking to get out of debt in order to grow their wealth. The book provides a no-nonsense game plan to help people manage their money better and includes success stories and case studies.
Recommended Podcasts
The following are the best podcasts on personal finance:
Dave Ramsey provides advice on money and personal finance and answers callers questions about getting out of debt and growing wealth.
Inspirational podcast on growing wealth by investing in real estate. This show covers range of topics and includes guests from various backgrounds and experience levels who share their stories.
NPR podcast on economic and personal finance topics
Podcast focused on topics related to achieving financial independence (FI)
Personal Finance podcast focused on financial headlines, personal finance experts, and inspirational stories
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