10 Books About Business And Finances That Will Change Your Life

I've been an avid reader since I was a teenager. I mostly enjoyed how-to books and books on self-development. While my friends were reading Goosebumps, I was devouring the Dummies series for business and finance. I believe this early fascination in understanding how and why things are the way they are helped guide my decisions later in life.

So here are my top 10 books on Business and Finances that changed my life, and I believe they could change yours (I have gotten past the for Dummies series):

MONEY Master the Game: 7 Simple Steps to Financial Freedom

I binge read this book as soon as it was published. I was not really a Tony Robbins fan before reading this book. The only reason I read this book was because Tim Ferriss raved about how great it was on his Podcast, and since I love Tim Ferriss I figured I'd give it a read.

This book demystified a lot of questions I had regarding the stock market and investing in general. This was not a topic that I had ever had any exposure to, except that I knew in the early 2000's my father had done some day trading. Other than that I was oblivious.

While I wish that Tony had gone into more detail regarding real estate, I was intrigued by the All Weather portfolio as described by Ray Dalio, billionaire hedge fund manager of Bridgewater Capital. I had maybe heard of annuities once before reading this book, and I felt like the book provided a very in depth description of how to use them.

To forewarn you, it's a very long book. However, it's written in a way that you could easily pick and choose what you would want to read about. Tony Robbins also has a new book out (that I have not yet read) called Unshakeable: Your Financial Freedom Playbook. It's on my next to read book list.

The 4-Hour Work Week: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich

I was late to the game on this book, and read it the first time in 2012. I'm not even sure how I found out about it, maybe I stumbled upon it on Amazon, saw the reviews and ordered it. I also binge read this book in a week.

My favorite part of this book is how Tim breaks down the Dream line, and focuses on maximizing the target monthly income and the total daily income needed to achieve your goals.

This book also inspired us to book a trip to Italy on a whim, exploring the idea of mini retirements that Tim teaches. If you only had to choose one book on this list to read, I would suggest that to be The 4-Hour Work Week: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich.

Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win

I had the privilege of hearing co-author Leif Babin speak at a Keller Williams Mastery Coaching Event in Austin, TX in 2016. His stories on leading in a war zone left me inspired and committed to reading his book.

I loved it so much that my whole company read it together as a team and started applying the principals in our business. This is not just a war stories book, while it does reference specific situations that allowed the SEAL Teams to have the upper hand against the insurgents, the techniques on leading apply in all team situations. I've probably given this book out more than any other book.

The Entrepreneur Roller Coaster: Why Now Is the Time to #JoinTheRide

I LOVE Darren Hardy. Pretty much anything with Darren Hardy's name on it is a good read to me.

I first heard about Darren from Success Magazine. Whenever I got the latest copy in the mail I would sink into my favorite chair and read it from cover to cover. I coveted the audio CD's that came with each issue and enjoyed my morning commute listening to Darren Hardy and the people he interviewed every month. I would go the entire month listening to the same CD until the new one came.

When Darren published The Entrepreneur Roller Coaster: Why Now Is the Time to #JoinTheRideI purchased it right away. This book accurately describes the emotional roller coaster that goes with starting and running a business.

I also loved the online worksheets and resources that came with the book. It helps the reader to take action on what is learned.

So Good They Can't Ignore You: Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love

This book helped me understand what has made me successful. From an early age my goal was always to be more skilled and add more value to my job than anyone else. It wasn't exactly me competing with others, though it was me competing with myself. I Pushed myself to be so valuable to any employer, which came with promotions and opportunity. When I decided to start my own business, I used this same tactic to get clients. I wanted to provide them with so much value that there would be no reason for them to work with anyone else, and they would refer their friends and family, which is exactly how I built my company.

This book is an excellent read for anyone struggling with what to do in their career. We all have unique skills and when you can apply those unique skills to your career, you will be more fulfilled and ultimately, more successful.

Tools of Titans: The Tactics, Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers

Yet another Tim Ferriss book. His writing really resonates with me, and this book is a collection of articles and interviews with world class performers, athletes, brilliant business minds, and celebrities.

All of Tim's books are written in a way that you can skip ahead to certain topics and are like encyclopedias. These two principals set the tone of the book:

Success, however you define it, is achievable if you collect the right field tested beliefs and habits

The superheroes you have in your mind (idols, icons, titans, billionaires) are nearly all walking flaws who have maximized 1 or 2 strengths.

Crush It!: Why NOW Is the Time to Cash In on Your Passion

If you decided to read So Good They Can't Ignore You: Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love then started reading Crush It!: Why NOW Is the Time to Cash In on Your Passionyou may be conflicted. The premise of Crush it! is to build a business around your passion and, market it and monetize it. This is the opposite of what is taught in So Good They Can't Ignore You...

I believe there is a place for both. For example, this blog is a passion of mine. I'm not doing it to make money, I'm not even sure who I'm writing to. I just share ideas and hope that someone finds value and takes action. Though I don't think I would feel fulfilled if this was the only thing I did.

I get the most fulfillment by stretching my skills and knowledge in investing in real estate, and that gives me topics to share on this blog. So while I believe both authors are right, and in some ways incorrect, I think there is a place for both.

The E-Myth Real Estate Investor

I have a habit that whenever I plan a trip, I also purchase a new book to read on the plane and in my downtime. I happened to purchase this book before a trip to Austin, TX and ended up spending most of my days poolside reading it.

I love the systems and processes that were created by Than Merrill and his company Fortune Builders. For them to be able to scale the way that they did, they recognized early on that they needed to be able to duplicate what they do, and that came in the form of systems and processes. This got me thinking about my lack of systems, and now we implement a white pages type of documentation in my company so that anyone can read a page on how I do a particular task and duplicate it.

The Dream Manager

This is a must read for anyone who has employees or manages people. The story is about a janitorial company who had been experiencing massive turn over. In order to find a solution, some creative ideas are thrown out, and the one that stuck was hiring a dream manager who would coach each employee and help them achieve their goals.

I won't ruin the plot line, though this book taught me that if you help others achieve what they want, as a bi-product you will achieve your goals.

Do you have a book that you would add to the list that has changed your life? If so, please share in the comments below!