The most recommended wealth books

You describe a book as “Ocean’s Eleven for teens,” and I am a hundred percent in.

Like most heists, this one has the cat burglar and the genius hacker and the femme fatale and the getaway driver—except this time, they’re all teenagers. What a dream!

I just love a good heist story. They have to be so carefully crafted, so tightly plotted, and as a writer I really admire any storyteller who can do that. All three books in the Heist Society series are remarkable feats of plotting and pacing. I got to see Ally Carter give an author talk once, and she spoke about just how hard it is to write something that looks this easy. That’s so true; it really stuck with me.

It might seem strange for a long-distance hiker to recommend a book on personal finance, but let’s not pretend that much of living an adventurous life (however you’d like to define that for yourself) comes down to the logistics of money, time, and other resources.

I learned so much from Kristy in this book, and I loved her non-preachy writing style and the honesty with which she told her story. Yes, this is a step-by-step guide, but for me, it felt like so much more than that: a truly inspiring and uplifting reminder that we don’t need to settle for the status quo.

Let us be realistic, we all know that our economic system is broken. We cannot go on making stuff and throwing it away on a finite planet.

There are now 8 billion people on Earth all wanting to have a good life. So what is the alternative to economic growth? Well, Tim wonderfully shows us how the economy of tomorrow could protect employment, facilitate social investment, reduce inequality, and deliver both ecological and financial stability.

When this book was first published it was seen as a radical and dangerous text. Now with the rise of environmental and ecological economics it is the fundamental book that kicked off the revolution in the way we see the future.

This was one of the first money books I read because it was recommended by a friend. I liked how easy it was to read, and I learned a great deal.

Although, at first, it read a bit “bro-ey,” his humor grew on me. I like its direct approach to money without the jargon and confusion. I also learned that the updated version has changed a bit to reflect less in-your-face and more about giving us space.

The title is a trick, probably the publisher's idea. Dennis (who passed away in 2014) expresses qualms about the whole getting rich idea. Before becoming a magazine multimillionaire (The Week, Maxim, Stuff) he was a poet, jailed in 1971 for editing an obscene humor magazine. He borrowed to start his publishing empire with Cozmic Comics and Kung Fu Monthly. He writes that anyone can raise capital -- you just need enough confidence in your plan to grovel and risk your friends' money. I forever carry his advice on negotiation: whoever cares less wins. Negotiate hard, be sure about what you'd like, but be ready to walk away, because no deal is a must-do.

This is technically an audiobook only (sorry!) but another unexpected gem full of insights that have changed the way I view life and live life.

His delivery takes some (a lot of!) getting used to, but the substance is powerful in its simplicity. As the title suggests, it’s about “the art of exceptional living” and offers lots of tips about how to live a more thoughtful, fulfilling life and is timeless in the topics it explores (happiness, relationships, fulfillment, discipline, success).

Another audio that I go back to again and again and that delivers something important and new each time.

This is an obvious choice, but it’s obvious for a reason–it sets out clearly and rigorously the extent to which the super-rich across multiple different countries suck up an ever-increasing share of aggregate income and wealth.

There’s doubtless some satisfaction from being one of the small proportion of purchasers to get through all 700+ pages, but it’s actually quite readable and peppered with literary references to writers like Jane Austen and Honore Balzac.

My favorite part about Casey’s book is that it is a straightforward, easy to read, playbook that goes in order through 15 steps that are easy to understand and implement after you purchase your property.

Many books focus on how to purchase real estate, but fewer give you guidance on how to manage after you own the asset. From establishing your mindset and motivation to how to manage your repairs and create advantageous tax strategies, Casey gives you manageable doses of powerful information.

Of his 15 steps, many provide truly valuable information, but one of my favorites is titled “Be the Landlord you would love to rent from” because I feel that is a topic that is often overlooked by investors and yet can help increase your bottom line the most.

Over and over I urge my clients to read this book before they think they need to…even if they’re not “privileged.” In it we learn the real-life effects of over-privilege, of giving our kids too much, and more, of not expecting enough from them. Learning the critical connections between the choices we make for our kids and their emotional development certainly helps any parent to be the parent she hoped to be.

This is one of my all-time favorite books! It was given to me by my nephew Kareem, in 2018. I have read it cover to cover, twice. My handwritten notes are on over 50% of the pages. 

The research that Baradarian put into this book is unparalleled. The book is chockful of facts and data that I never knew about Black history. For example, her research uncovered the fact that the forty acres of land that were to go to the 4 million formerly enslaved Black people after the Civil War was to be sold, not given to Blacks at $1.25 per acre. 

This book is filled with an abundance of typically unknown data, as she admirably tells the history of Blacks in America, through the Black banking industry’s chronicles. 

In the spirit of full transparency, my love for this book preceded the 2019 interview that I did of Baradarian… show more.