Recommended Books on Money & Career

[Mehdi]

I've read so much of them... these are the ones that probably made most impression.

Building The Right Mindset
* Law of Success by Napoleon Hill. Changed my life.
* Think & Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. Because success starts with you. "The only thing that really prevents success, is often yourself"


Finance
* The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas J. Stanley & William D. Danko. Debunks the myths people have on millionaires, will teach you frugality and other traits from millionaires.
* The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason. Taught me to start tracking everything and paying myself first.


Career/Business
* Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki. Well I wouldn't be doing what I do today if I didn't read this book. Opened my eyes.
* The 4 hour Work Week by Timothy Ferris. Taught me to stop postponing life. Lots about productivity here too.

[lloydkirk]

Kiyosaki and Ferris are pretty shameless self promoters, imo. Both are talented motivational speakers, but that's it. Kiyosaki offers endless anecdotes, but little concrete advice. Ferris stumbled ass backwards into his life and now considers himself an expert...

[Mehdi]

Kiyosaki and Ferris are pretty shameless self promoters, imo. Both are talented motivational speakers, but that's it. Kiyosaki offers endless anecdotes, but little concrete advice. Ferris stumbled ass backwards into his life and now considers himself an expert...

lloydkirk, it's about the message, not the messenger.

[maddog612]

Knock Em Dead by Martin Yates.

I would recommend this book to anyone right out of college or someone starting the job hunt. I have recommended this book to family members and friends. Everyone I have recommended it to has found a job position they liked, interviewed successfully, and received an offer within 1-2 months.

[RobertN]

Finance
* The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas J. Stanley & William D. Danko. Debunks the myths people have on millionaires, will teach you frugality and other traits from millionaires.
* The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason. Taught me to start tracking everything and paying myself first.

Two of my favorites as well, along with:

The Total Money Make over by Dave Ramsey. Because of this book, I am now debt free and have money in the bank to cover emergencies, and will never rely on a credit card again!

[badocter]

Knock Em Dead by Martin Yates.

I would recommend this book to anyone right out of college or someone starting the job hunt. I have recommended this book to family members and friends. Everyone I have recommended it to has found a job position they liked, interviewed successfully, and received an offer within 1-2 months.

I agree that Knock Em Dead is very good for preparing for interviews.

I would also recommend Please Understand Me II by David Keirsey http://www.keirsey.com/
(the II really indicates that it is the second edition rather than 2nd volumn...you don't need to buy the 1st edition). The book is on personality typing and interactions between the various types. Very useful to understand what traps your own personality type falls into when dealing with the other types, and understanding what aspects you consider strengthes that may be perceived as weaknesses by the other types. This title should be of high interest to all of you posting your MBTI types over on this thread.
take-this-personality-to-help-choosing-your-career-t9656-30.html
...err....at the very least it should be of interest to the NT types

[TheUniqueOne]

Your money or your life is great
Now discover your strengths is awesome
4 key questions by Dick Richards is also awesome

[rossi]

Murray Rothbard - What Has Government Done to Our Money
Henry Hazlitt - Economics in One Lesson

[markg]

The Total Money Make over by Dave Ramsey. Because of this book, I am now debt free and have money in the bank to cover emergencies, and will never rely on a credit card again!

I bought this one after reading your comments. I am starting on my makeover as we speak and hope to be in the same situation as yourself by the time I am done! Thanks for the recommendation.

[nburge]

Markg - first test - did you buy the book on your credit card?

Let me know how you go - I could do with losing some debt. Well, a lot of it actually.

[markg]

Markg - first test - did you buy the book on your credit card?

Let me know how you go - I could do with losing some debt. Well, a lot of it actually.

It's a good question mate!! Actually, no I used a debit card.

I am only a couple of months into it but it feels really good to have a plan to get out of debt. The key points for the beginning of the process are: -

1) Make a budget - a realistic one - and stick to it.

2) List all your debts and tackle one at a time, paying off as much as you can without going over your budget each month. Each time a debt is paid off, you free up more money to pay off the next debt...

My credit card will be clear this month and I will make the first payment towards the smaller of my two overdrafts

The book itself gives an overview of the method and lots of motivational stories etc. You have to read between the lines a bit to figure out the method in any detail but the idea is sound. I think the same guy wrote another book, Financial Peace, which I'm guessing details the method a bit more. This book is enough to go on though.

After the debts are cleared he goes into emergency savings, pensions, college funds (if applicable), investing and paying off the mortgage.

Once you do all that you are laughing

[mdonnelly]

"Total Money Makeover" by Dave Ramsey . It has a lot of ideas that overlap with many aforementioned books in this thread, but like he says in the book, none of the ideas are really new, they are time-tested bread and butter personal finance principles. The writing is very clear and easy to read. At least worth checking out at the library.

[Bee]

Thank you so much for this post, its exactly what I've been searching for. Should make for some good reading!

[Tmv]

About 2 years ago when I was 17 I met a friend who's grandfather is the CEO of national beverages (soda, sobe, juice, water) his father also owned the biggest civil engineering company in Florida, stepdad was in the insurance selling business ( tried hooking me up) well anyway, they all recomended for me to read rich dad poor dad. Guess I forgot about it, think it MIGHT be a good idea to read it.

[TakeFive]

How I Raised Myself from Failure to Success in Selling

by Frank Bettger

http://www.amazon.com/Raised-Myself-Fai ... 048&sr=8-1

Worth every penny, even if you're not in sales (or just believe you're not). Becaue the reality is we're all involved in sales in some way. Have a great idea or plan? You have to sell it to your boss or perhaps some review committee. You can probabaly think of similar examples.


A little more specific on selling, but contains some powerfull techniques:

Strategic Selling: The Unique Sales System Proven Successful by America's Best Companies

http://www.amazon.com/Strategic-Selling ... =1-2-spell

and you can pick up a used copy for $0.01!


The Negotiating Game

by Chester L. Karrass

Covers many of the basic techniques and traps in negoitating.

http://www.amazon.com/Negotiating-Game- ... 984&sr=1-1

None of these books are what I would call life changing, but each contains at least one or two use full ideas.