I have learned a lot in the last five years by doing a lot of reading. Here is a list of books I have read and what I got out them.
Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki (What The Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not!) – the basic thing I learned from this book is that conventional thinking about getting an education so that you can get a good job is not the only way to be successful in life. Knowing that, I am still very satisfied that a college degree and professional job was the right thing for me. However, I believe that this is definitely not the right answer for every kid and I feel confident in teaching them how to find what really can work for them.
Rich Dad’s Cashflow Quadrant: Rich Dad’s Guide to Financial Freedom Rich Dad also by Robert Kiyosaki – this is the book that started teaching me what the real purpose of the tax code is and how the government uses the tax code as a carrot and stick to incentivize people to do the activities that the government believes are in the best interest of the country. For example, jobs and energy and productive and useful real estate are beneficial to a healthy economy. So people that create jobs, produce energy of many types or create and develop useful real estate get big tax breaks. The reason is that those activities are necessary for the health of the economy. There are many other examples throughout the tax code. In fact, less than 1% of the tax code tells you what tax to pay and the other 99% of the tax code tell you what to do if you want to avoid paying taxes.
Tax-Free Wealth: How to Build Massive Wealth by Permanently Lowering Your Taxes (Rich Dad Advisors) by Tom Wheelwright – this book just reinforced in more detail what I learned in the Cashflow Quadrant book above.
Profit First: Transform Your Business from a Cash-Eating Monster to a Money-Making Machine by Mike Michalowicz – I found this book to be very valuable in thinking about the cash flow of a business and this was especially important in the beginning when creating a business.
The 12 Week Year by Brian P. Moran – I like this book so much that I re-read it once a year. The basic premise is that annual goals are too long and that instead of planning to take 12 months to accomplish your goals, you should get it done in 12 weeks and then set new ones for the next 12 weeks.
Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don’t by Jim Collins – this is a great book that explores what are the common characteristics of companies that were exponentially more successful than all their peers. It would be a valuable read for anyone interested in business.
I have also read quite a few other books over the last few years. But those are the most impactful to me.
I’d love to hear what books you like. If you’d like to have a conversation about these books or anything else, feel free to email me or set up a call with me or just call me if you already have my phone number. I’d love to hear what you think.
For now, be safe and take care of your family.
Mark