Whether you’re on the journey to financial freedom or you simply want to make extra money to ease the financial pressure that life throws at you, reading books about making money can certainly help you boost your income.
Reading books can be a highly effective way of gaining the knowledge you need to master your finances and make more money so that you can live a financially comfortable life.
Below I have not only reviewed the very best books about making money. I have reviewed books that will teach you the foundational skills to manage your money and help you grow it (rather than letting inflation eat away at it sitting in a bank account).
The Best Books About Making Money
1. Rich Dad Poor Dad
By Robert Kiyosaki
This classic financial education book was written in 1997 and has changed many people’s lives. The book gives clear examples of assets vs liabilities and also dives deep into the mindset you need to become wealthy.
Book Review:
The genius Robert Kiyosaki gives us his unique view on assets vs liabilities and how we shouldn’t get one mistaken for the other. He also believes that we will all remain poor if we can’t change our poor mindset into a rich mindset (There is a story and examples using a “Rich Dad and a Poor Dad”).
The book details the importance of real estate investing and gives insights on how to not pay such heavy taxes. Finally, he condemns the way society tells us we should go to school, educate and get a job.
Key Takeaways:
- Assets pay you and liabilities take money from you (Your home is not an asset).
- Your mindset is the key and he explains the differences between fear and greed.
- You must pay yourself first. Put investing and saving first before bills and other purchases.
- Having a financial education is key to breaking free from the normal 9-5 grind.
2. The Richest Man In Babylon
By George S. Clason
This book was written in 1926 and is still spoken as one of the great money mindset books. It gives financial education through stories from the ancient city of Babylon.
Book Review:
The richest man in Babylon tells parables on how the average person can take actionable steps to build wealth.
The Babylonians live by the key rule of saving a portion of the money they make and investing it to grow their wealth.
It is also mentioned that they should never borrow money and be the ones earning money by lending to others.
These habits are sworn by many wealthy people and have used these to their advantage.
Key Takeaways:
- Prioritize and make a routine to save a portion of your salary every payday.
- Once you have money saved you seek out opportunities to multiply it.
- Protect your investments with insurance and diversify so that you’re not overexposed.
- Look to reinvest your profits once your investments are producing dividends.
3. The Little Book Of Common Sense Investing
By John C. Bogle
John C. Bogle is the founder of the Vanguard Group as well as the author of this wonderful book.
Book Review:
“The Little Book of Common Sense Investing” provides a straightforward and practical guide to investing for the average individual, advocating for a passive, low-cost, and long-term approach to wealth accumulation.
Key Takeaways:
- Index funds that track a market index such as the S&P are great low-cost investments that are diversified.
- Minimize investment costs, including fees, commissions, and taxes, as they can significantly eat into investment returns over time.
- Any dividends you receive should be reinvested. Take advantage of compound interest to maximize returns.
- Avoid timing the market, it is virtually impossible to predict the market. Instead, adopt a buy-and-hold strategy.
4. The Magic Of Thinking Big
By David J. Schwartz
This empowering guide unlocks the secrets of success through the transformative power of positive thinking.
Book Review:
“The Magic of Thinking Big” by David J. Schwartz is an empowering guide that encourages readers to adopt a mindset of confidence and ambition to achieve success.
With practical strategies and inspiring anecdotes, Schwartz demonstrates how positive thinking can lead to significant accomplishments.
Key Takeaways:
- Cultivate a positive mindset as it directly impacts one’s ability to achieve goals and overcome obstacles.
- Set high, but achievable goals. Avoid small aspirations as this will limit your success.
- Be proactive and seek out opportunities. Do not wait for them to come your way. Take the initiative and seize opportunities when they do come your way.
- You must overcome fear and mental barriers if you are to achieve your goals. Schwartz gives strategies to overcome barriers and develop the confidence needed to succeed.
5. One Up On Wall Street
By Peter Lynch
In this insightful book, Lynch shares his wisdom and experiences as a successful investor, offering valuable lessons for beginners and seasoned investors alike.
Book Review:
“One Up on Wall Street” is a must-read for anyone interested in investing, offering practical advice and timeless principles that can help navigate the complexities of the stock market.
Lynch’s accessible writing style and relatable anecdotes make complex investment concepts easy to understand, empowering readers to take control of their financial future and make informed decisions.
Key Takeaways:
- Invest in what you know. If you already have an understanding in a certain industry then this knowledge can give you a competitive edge and help you make better investment decisions.
- Rather than rely on experts or analysts for tips, conduct your research and trust your instincts.
- Be patient and long-term oriented as successful investing requires patience and a long-term perspective.
- Stay humble and learn from mistakes: Even the most successful investors make mistakes, but the key is to learn from them and adapt.
6. The Total Money Makeover
By Dave Ramsay
The author hosts The Dave Ramsay Show where he talks to individuals about their finances and gives advice.
This book promises you to take control of your finances and transform your life.
Book Review:
In ‘The Total Money Makeover,’ Dave Ramsey presents a straightforward and actionable roadmap for achieving financial success.
Through Ramsey’s proven principles of budgeting, debt reduction, and smart money management, readers are empowered to take charge of their finances and create a secure future for themselves and their families.
Key Takeaways:
- Create a budget and stick to it, this is the foundation of financial success.
- Stay out of debt. Yet, if you are in debt you should use the snowball method to quickly get rid of it.
- Build an emergency fund that has 3-6 months of living expenses.
- Invest for the long term to build wealth and secure a comfortable retirement.
7. MONEY Master The Game
By Tony Robbins
The famous self-help guru has called upon the world’s leading financial experts to give you practical strategies for achieving financial freedom and security.
Book Review:
This book offers readers a wealth of valuable insights and actionable advice to navigate the complexities of personal finance and investing.
Robbins breaks down complex financial concepts into easy-to-understand language, empowering readers to take control of their financial future and make informed decisions that align with their goals and values.
Key Takeaways:
- Start saving as soon as possible. To get the most out of your money you need to put money aside, invest it as soon as possible and take advantage of compound interest by reinvesting your profits.
- Diversify your investments. Spread your investments across a variety of asset classes, such as stocks, bonds, property and commodities.
- Minimize fees and taxes. These can eat into your future wealth over the long term. Whilst you will have to pay fees and taxes, make sure they’re minimal where possible.
- Stay disciplined and focused. Achieving financial success takes patience, discipline and a long-term perspective. Stay resilient in the face of market volatility and economic uncertainty.
8. The 4-Hour Work Week
By Tim Ferris
In this revolutionary book, Ferriss challenges conventional notions of work and productivity, offering readers a blueprint for achieving financial freedom, and designing their ideal lifestyle.
Book Review:
‘The 4-Hour Workweek’ is a game-changing manifesto that encourages readers to rethink the traditional 9-to-5 grind and pursue a more fulfilling and flexible approach to work. Ferriss shares practical strategies for automating income, outsourcing tasks, and leveraging technology to free up time for pursuing passions and enjoying life to the fullest.
Key Takeaways:
- Focus on effectiveness over efficiency. Concentrate on the tasks that give the biggest result and outsource tasks that are low-value activities to maximize productivity and free up time.
- Embrace the concept of “Mini retirements”. Instead of deferring retirement till old age, make time for mini-retirements to pursue personal interests, travel and recharge.
- Challenge the status quo. Question the societal norms and expectations around work and lifestyle. This will empower you to create your unique norm.
- Design your lifestyle. By adopting a lifestyle design mindset you can take control of your time and priorities, intentionally crafting a life that aligns with your values.
The Best Book About Making Money And Investing
9. The Millionaire Next Door
By Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko
This eye-opening book reveals that many millionaires live modest lifestyles and accumulate wealth through frugality, hard work, and smart financial decisions.
Book Review:
The Millionaire Next Door’ offers invaluable insights into the real habits and behaviours of millionaires, challenging common stereotypes and misconceptions about wealth.
Through extensive research and interviews with millionaires, Stanley and Danko highlight the importance of living below your means, investing wisely, and prioritizing financial independence over conspicuous consumption.
Key Takeaways:
- Live below your means. Spend less than you earn and avoid excess consumption.
- Prioritize owning income-generating assets for passive income.
- Invest for the long term. Millionaires understand the power of compound interest and the importance of long-term investing in building wealth steadily over time.
- Focus on hard work and perseverance. The majority of millionaires have achieved their wealth through hard work, discipline, and perseverance, rather than relying on luck or inheritance.
10. You Are A Badass At Making Money
By Jen Sincero
Jen Sincero is a bestselling author and motivational speaker. She wrote “You Are a Badass at Making Money” to share her journey of transforming her relationship with money from struggle to success.
Book Review:
‘You Are a Badass at Making Money’ is a refreshing and inspiring take on personal finance, blending humour, practical advice, and motivational insights to help readers transform their relationship with money.
Sincero shares her journey from financial struggle to success, offering relatable anecdotes and actionable strategies to help readers break free from financial constraints and achieve their money goals.
Key Takeaways:
- Adopting a positive mindset and having self-belief is crucial for creating financial freedom.
- You must take bold action, get out of your comfort zone, take risks, and pursue opportunities with confidence and determination.
- Embrace abundance and recognise the limitless opportunities available to create wealth and abundance.
- Practice gratitude. Be grateful for what you already have and also strive for more. Having gratitude will attract greater prosperity into your life.
11. The $100 Start-Up
By Chris Guillebeau
Chris is known for his unconventional approach to life and work, advocating for pursuing one’s passions and creating a life of freedom and purpose. He has also travelled to every country in the world, a feat he accomplished by the age of 35.
Book Review:
In “The $100 Startup,” Chris Guillebeau presents a refreshing perspective on entrepreneurship, showing readers that they don’t need a large amount of capital or extensive experience to launch a profitable business.
Through engaging anecdotes and actionable strategies, Guillebeau inspires readers to pursue their business ideas and provides valuable insights into building a business from the ground up, even on a shoestring budget.
Key Takeaways:
- Start with what you have. leverage your existing skills, resources, and passions to create a business that aligns with your interests and goals.
- Focus on value to customers, solving problems, and meeting needs in innovative ways, rather than focusing solely on making money.
- Test ideas quickly, learn from failures, and adapt strategies based on feedback to iterate and improve the business over time.
- The most important step in starting a business is to take action. You must overcome fear and doubt to take decisive steps towards launching and growing a successful venture.
12. How To Get Rich
By Felix Dennis
Felix Dennis, a British entrepreneur and publisher, wrote “How to Get Rich” to share his insights and experiences on building wealth and achieving success.
Book Review:
In “How to Get Rich,” Felix Dennis offers a candid and unconventional guide to achieving wealth and success.
Through engaging storytelling and no-nonsense advice, Dennis challenges conventional wisdom and shares practical strategies for building wealth, emphasizing the importance of taking risks, seizing opportunities, and embracing failure as part of the journey to riches.
Key Takeaways:
- Think big and act boldly, even in the face of uncertainty or adversity.
- Embrace entrepreneurship and don’t follow the traditional career path.
- Embrace your failures as valuable learning lessons.
- Use your time wisely and focus on high-impact activities.
13. The Millionaire Fast Lane
By MJ DeMarco
MJ DeMarco is an entrepreneur and self-made millionaire, who wrote “The Millionaire Fastlane” to share his unconventional approach to achieving financial success.
Book Review:
In “The Millionaire Fastlane,” MJ DeMarco presents a refreshing and contrarian perspective on wealth-building, challenging conventional wisdom and offering practical strategies for achieving financial independence quickly.
DeMarco advocates for building wealth through entrepreneurship, focusing on creating scalable businesses that leverage systems and processes to generate passive income.
With a no-nonsense approach and engaging storytelling, DeMarco empowers readers to break free from the traditional mindset of trading time for money and pursue a fast lane to financial freedom.
Key Takeaways:
- Build scalable businesses that create passive income and accelerate wealth accumulation.
- Provide value to others through innovative products or services that solve real problems.
- Reject the “Get rich slow” mindset. Instead, take bold action to create wealth quickly.
- Scale your business by using systems, technology, and other people’s time and resources to maximize efficiency and accelerate wealth-building efforts.
14. Die With Zero
By Bill Perkins
Bill Perkins, a hedge fund manager, entrepreneur, and high-stakes poker player, wrote “Die with Zero” to challenge conventional wisdom about retirement and wealth management.
Book Review:
In “Die with Zero,” Bill Perkins presents a provocative and thought-provoking argument for maximizing life experiences and enjoyment while still alive.
Perkins challenges the traditional mindset of saving for retirement and advocates for a more balanced approach to spending and investing, encouraging readers to prioritize experiences and enjoyment over accumulating wealth for the future.
Through engaging anecdotes and practical advice, Perkins empowers readers to design a life that aligns with their values and aspirations, while still ensuring financial security for themselves and their loved ones.
Key Takeaways:
- Shift your mindset and maximize life experiences now instead of waiting for the traditional time in retirement.
- Rather than saving money for a distant future, create a plan to spend money on experiences and enjoyment throughout life, ensuring that no money is left on the table.
- Prioritize experiences and relationships over material possessions as they provide lasting fulfilment and happiness.
- Balance enjoyment and financial security by living for today and preparing for the future.
What Is The Best Book For Making Money?
The best book for making money in my opinion would have to be “The $100 start up”.
The reason behind this choice is that the author gives the average person the belief that they don’t need a lot of money to start their business.
The key steps to act upon are as follows:
- Use your existing skills to create a product or offer your services.
- Offer true value and solve a problem.
- Test your ideas, learn from your failures and adapt.
- You must overcome fear and act. Take forward steps each day.
Do Most Millionaires Read?
Yes, many millionaires do read regularly.
Reading is often cited as a habit of successful individuals, as it allows them to gain knowledge, insights, and inspiration that can contribute to their success.
However, it’s not a universal trait among all millionaires, as people’s habits and preferences vary.
FAQ’s
Books About Making Money For Beginners
The top 3 books for making money for beginners would have to be.
- The richest man in Babylon
- The little book of common sense investing
- Rich dad poor dad
All 3 of these books are great books for beginners wanting to know about making money.
They give proactively tips and a great foundational overview of personal finance, investing and reducing taxes.
Best Books On Making Money Online
The best books for making money online are:
- 24 assets
- The magic of thinking big
- How to win friends and influence people
These 3 books give you insights into the best online businesses to start, how to get the motivation you need to take action and how to build an online brand that makes you money.
Best Books On Making Money And Investing
The best books on making money and investing are:
- The little book of common sense investing
- The richest man in Babylon
- The millionaire next door
Each of these books explains the ins and outs of investing and the key ways to make money.
They also give you the foundational personal finance knowledge so that you have the grounding you need to not lose it all.
Can I Earn Money Just By Reading Books?
No, you can not earn money just by reading books.
Books can give you knowledge and insights into how you can make money, but you can not make money just by reading books.
How Can I Make Good Money From A Book?
You can make a lot of money from writing a book.
The two options you have are to self-publish your book or approach a publisher with your book idea.
If you sign a book deal with a publisher then you will make more money. Publishers have a huge team behind them to help with marketing, and printing and give you help with key elements of your book.
Using a publisher is a hands-off approach to making money from a book.
You must be aware though that your book will have to be pretty special to get a book deal.
Conclusion
There we have it. My top 14 best books for making money.
Each book has something to teach. Learning different ways to make money can open doors to a life you never knew existed.
I hope you have taken away something from these book reviews and maybe even decided to read one in full.
Good luck with your money-making journey!
