No matter what stage of financial independence or early retirement you are in, there’s so much to learn. These are awesome books that have helped us along our journey. It’s best that you get them for free at your local library, but if you insist on buying, they’re linked to our Amazon account and we get a small kickback in return. Happy reading!
Business
The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results
This book provides readers with a simple, powerful concept to focus on what matters most in their personal and work lives.
Debt
Negotiate and Settle Your Debts
This is an inexpensive way to do your own negotiating and settling of your credit card debt. Free yourself from debt slavery! Save yourself hundreds, even thousands of dollars, with this very informative book.
Economics
Economics Explained: Everything You Need to Know About How the Economy Works and Where It’s Going
This one is a beginner’s guide to how the economy works and where it’s heading.
The Creature from Jekyll Island: A Second Look at the Federal Reserve
Okay, let’s admit it, José is a not so undercover geek. This book is lengthy, but it’s worth a read. Ever wonder how the Fed was formed and how it works in relations to the government? How bailouts occur? This book is about the most blatant scam of all history. It’s all here: the cause of wars, boom-bust cycles, inflation, depression, prosperity. A good book to keep things in perspective and remind yourself that you need to control your destiny, instead of relying on public systems.
Financial Independence
Your Money or Your Life: 9 Steps to Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Achieving Financial Independence
This piece of jewelry will make you think about time and money. How you can waste your life energy. This transformational read introduced the concept of financial independence to us.
Rich Dad’s CASHFLOW Quadrant: Rich Dad’s Guide to Financial Freedom
In which quadrant of the cash flow do you belong? Are you an employee or self-employed? Do you want to build wealth while you sleep? Then you need to move over to the business owner or investor quadrant. Valuable lessons about making money here.
Finding Your Purpose
The Alchemist
This book is one big metaphor for finding your purpose in life. Read it slowly, digest, and think about what you want out of life. It’s under 200 pages, so make it last. This book transformed how we think about our purpose in life and our Top 5 formula for happiness.
Investing
The Intelligent Investor: The Definitive Book on Value Investing
If there is one book you need to read about investing it’s this one. The greatest investment advisor of the twentieth century, Benjamin Graham, taught and inspired people worldwide. Graham’s philosophy of “value investing” — which shields investors from substantial error and teaches them to develop long-term strategies — has made The Intelligent Investor the stock market bible ever since its original publication in 1949.
Leadership
The Servant: A Simple Story About the True Essence of Leadership
One thing I love about traveling is meeting new people, but especially interesting people that can share valuable knowledge. A fellow that I met while traveling recommended me this jewel.
In this absorbing tale, you watch the timeless principles of servant leadership unfold through the story of John Daily, a businessman whose outwardly successful life is spiraling out of control. He is failing miserably in each of his leadership roles as boss, husband, father, and coach. To get his life back on track, he reluctantly attends a weeklong leadership retreat at a remote Benedictine monastery.
To John’s surprise, the monk leading the seminar is a former business executive and Wall Street legend. Taking John under his wing, the monk guides him to a realization that is simple yet profound: The true foundation of leadership is not power, but authority, which is built upon relationships, love, service, and sacrifice.
Liberty
How I Found Freedom in an Unfree World
This is a book that teaches how to live the life that you want without worrying about all the nonsense, taboos, labels, restrictions that society imposes on us.
Becoming a Better You!
A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy
This one was a recommendation from MMM. The author plumbs the wisdom of Stoic philosophy, one of the most popular and successful schools of thought in ancient Rome, and shows how its insight and advice are still remarkably applicable to modern lives. The ancient philosophy of Stoicism can still direct us toward a better life
The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom (A Toltec Wisdom Book)
Rooted in traditional Toltec wisdom beliefs, four agreements in life are essential steps on the path to personal freedom. As beliefs are transformed through maintaining these agreements, shamanic teacher and healer don Miguel Ruiz asserts lives will “become filled with grace, peace, and unconditional love.”
The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business
This is a very powerful book that explains why habits exist and how to change them. You can replace bad habits with good habits. To succeed in changing your old ways, you need to understand how habits work.
Schooling
Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling
Students are more programmed to conform to economic and social norms rather than really taught to think. Critical thinking is not being taught. This book got us thinking about home schooling our future children.
Simple Living
Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less
Instead of trying to do everything, stay focused on what’s essential. Determine what you care about most and apply your energies in what will bring you the greatest rewards.
Wealth Building
Stop Acting Rich: …And Start Living Like A Real Millionaire
Stop buying junk and luxury when you’re not a millionaire! It’s not how the truly wealthy people live… You’ll never leave the rat race if you live just to impress others.
The Millionaire Next Door
Most of the truly wealthy in the United States don’t live in Beverly Hills or on Park Avenue. They live next door. They drive Camrys and buy $10 bottles of wine. They don’t dress to impress others. The truth about the wealthy will probably shock you.
The Richest Man In Babylon
This book is a classic that holds the secrets to personal wealth. It’s the first book about personal finances that I read and once I started implementing all the elements in the book, my relationship with money was changed forever.
XXX Sexy Reading – Vaina Caliente!
Tatiana here, your friendly neighborhood naughty librarian. While José reads all the geeky stuff you see above and gives me the Spark Notes summaries to keep me informed, I spend my time reading motivational books in another dimension. It certainly aligns well with my one of my Top 5 and inspires new experiments.
The Black Brother Brotherhood Series
Just summarizing this book series brings back fond memories. Let’s put it this way: a group of really sexy vampires try to survive in a cruel world, while meeting their soul mates one by one. Each book in the series focuses on one of the main characters. José likes to complain that these kinds of books disturb his precious beauty sleep time as a result of my demands, but who’s going to side with him? Now you know what gift to get your partner to inspire some urgency. Enjoy! [wink wink]
