Recommended Reading:

Below is a list of books I have enjoyed in my exploration through the money maze. Unlike most recommended reading lists I’ll comment here not only on the content these authors provide, but also the quality of writing. While there are a countless number of informative books on money management, there is only a handful written by great wordsmiths. Below are some that I have enjoyed. And of course be sure to return to this section now and then as I will update this list as I plow through the financial library.

(Ahem. You will also notice that I do not sell any of these books through my site-thereby making the recommendation an unbiased one. I tip my hat to these books simply because I think they are phenomenal.)

Books On Investing:

The Only Investment Guide You’ll Ever Need By Andrew Tobias. Tobias, in my opinion, is the best financial writer in the country. His content is always solid and honest, and his gift with words is unbeatable among the living financial authors. If you have read Getting Loaded or any other general “here’s-what-you-need-to-get-your-money-in-order-book” then you won’t necessarily find anything fresh in this one, save for Tobias’s sharp wit and unique perspective. In my opinion the writing alone on this one is worth it.

The Money Masters by John Train. If Tobias has competition in the world of financial writing, it would be from these next four authors, John Train, Burton Malkiel and John Rothchild (a man I can only guess is the explanation for the pleasurable arrangement of Peter Lynch’s ideas) and John Steele Gordon.

The Money Masters examines the investing greats of Buffet, T. Rowe Price and more, offering you candid insight into that question we all want to know, “How did they do it?” If you are to try your hand at individual stock picking, read this along with the next three books.

A Random Walk Down Wall Street by Burton Malkiel is arguably the most feared book on Wall Street. Malkiel guides us on a delightful history of the market to answer the one question no one in the financial world wants you to ask, “Is the market beatable?” This one is a long read but an enjoyable one because it examines investment strategies in a historical context. You’ll see how new investment strategies always seem to work-for a while. Another must for the individual stock picker.

Beating The Street and One Up On Wall Street By Peter Lynch (with John Rothchild.) There is no better counter to Malkiel’s book than the simple and inspiring investment advice preached by the legendary Peter Lynch. Lynch who ran Fidelity’s market-beating Magellan Fund for eleven years broke the legs of the random walk theory. The most motivating aspect of Lynch’s techniques are that his fortune was made not from picking those little known companies we can’t understand, but in those well known stocks we all know and love, like La Quinta Hotels and Dunkin Donuts. No stock picker should be without these two books.

The Great Game by John Steele Gordon. This isn’t really an investment book but a fascinating history of Wall Street. Gordon is another gifted wordsmith and his recount of the financial world’s most famous street is riddled with tales, some so outrageous you can’t help but dismiss them as untrue. But the fact that this book is all "fact" makes it that much more exciting. This book also puts today’s troubles of Enron and WorldCom into perspective. Gordon’s book reminds us that we have been here before and it won’t be long before scandal returns.

The Warren Buffet Way by Robert Hagstrom. Probably the best book I’ve read that examines the thought process of the master himself, billionaire stock investor Warren Buffet. Buffet, much like Peter Lynch, has made a reputation not just on his ability to pick stocks, but on his ability to pick stocks we all know. Some of Buffet’s largest holdings have been in Coca-Cola and Gillette. Buffet is also known for his stubbornness of avoiding hot, seemingly lucrative stocks that he doesn’t understand.

Books For Entrepreneurs:

Purple Cow by Seth Godin. A purple cow is that thing, be it product, packaging, guarantee, brand or even person that makes your business remarkable. Godin argues that in order for your business to be successful in this ultra competitive age your only true advantage is "remark ability" − that which makes your business unlike any other. What I got out of this book was the reassurance that it was okay for me to be outrageous, dangerous even a bit crazy in my business. If I was like everyone else, why would the world need me?

Growing Your Business By Mark Leblanc. A short and sweet guide to getting more customers, staying focused and defining your niche. What’s great about this book is that it tells you not only what you should focus on, but equally as important what you should not focus on. Buy it. You can read it on an airplane.

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. Absolutely sensational. If you are, as I once was, a would be entrepreneur, then this is the book for you. It’s a story filled with inspiration and literally it will change the way you view risk in this world. You can read it over a rainy weekend and while you won’t turn pages as fast as you did for The DaVinci Code it will still move you swiftly from beginning to end.

Books About Time Management:

Getting Things Done By David Allen. An excellent book for the disorganized, overworked procrastinator. (Yep that’s me.) This book is so effective that it is actually very hard to finish. Literally I stopped reading it many times and started doing the things it recommends. This book taught me to always ask the question, “What’s the next action?” after every meeting, sales call, and conference. Very simple, but very effective.

Books About Negotiation:

Anything by Herb Cohen is good. But don’t buy the books. Try to get it on audio. Even if you are not much of a listener, Cohen, in addition to being a great negotiator, is hilarious on tape. Trust me on this one. I especially enjoyed Negotiating The Game.

Also if you can swing it (and I admit it is a lot of money) try the Karass Institute’s seminar on effective negotiating. This is the dude whose ads are always in airline magazines. If you can’t swing it, see if your company will pick up the tab. It's well worth it because it forces you to do live negotiations.

Investing In Real Estate:

No Down Payment by Carleton Sheets. Okay this one isn’t a book. It’s an audio course. And a long and expensive one at that. But it is truly the most thorough real estate investment course I have ever taken. Priced around $300 the last time I checked, it has over 20 hours of audio guiding you through buying and managing properties. Complete with sample lease agreements, purchases and sales it has it all. If you are serious about investing in real estate, this is the place to start.