As many of you might already be aware (mostly because I specified it in my intro post) I got my start in the world of investment by reading up some books that a good friend of mine allowed me to borrow, which were really eye-opening for me. I feel like the sign of a great book is that it can get you interested into anything, even if you had absolutely no desire to get even remotely invested in it going into it. And with that said, even if you’re not all that into investment, I’m hoping that the three books I recommend you will at least make you curious enough to look into it further!
1. Rich Dad, Poor Dad – Robert Kiyosaki
A classic that’s almost 20 years old as of the time of this writing, but genuinely feels like it was written yesterday. Sometimes it’s honestly a little bit uncanny how some things in business and investment remain constant, while the more others change, the more they stay the same. The function of banks, the basics of asset management, even seemingly unrelated truths like the role of the educational system in people’s financial lives are all just as relevant today as they were in 2000. The latter part, about the role of schools, is one of my favorite chapters of the book, because it just explains so much about the Western world in general – the school system was originally designed to produce and train factory workers, and it has remained practically unchanged for centuries. Really does explain a lot about why we don’t get more businessmen and investors, huh?
2. A Random Walk Down Wall Street – Burton G. Malkiel
“A Random Walk Down Wall Street” might sound like the name of a particularly uninteresting young adult novel, but trust me, it’s anything but. Don’t believe me? Believe Time Magazine, then, who called it one of the two investment books you really need to read. The universally accepted truth is that it’s one of the best investment books of all time, and while “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” was a light way to introduce you into some important concepts of investment, then “A Random Walk Down Wall Street” is the next step. If you have even the slightest ambition of making a pass through Wall Street, then the book is practically required reading, since it’s got the terminology you need to know, the inner workings of the entire infrastructure, how Wall Street investors analyze their returns (and whether or not that’s what you should be doing), etc. On top of that, the author gives some priceless advice (backed by numbers) about how you should be investing, and what you need to be looking for when you consider putting money down. Amazingbook!
3. Think and Grow Rich – Napoleon Hill
Remember how I said how “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” was written almost 20 years ago, yet is so well written that it still remains relevant today, even with the changes in the market? Well, “Think and Grow Rich” was written in 1937. No, that’s not a typo, I didn’t mean 1997 – the book was literally written almost a century ago, during the Great Depression… And I’ll be damned if it isn’t one of the most important investment books ever written. Having sold over 30 million copies worldwide, “Think and Grow Rich” details Napoleon Hill’s experience with other successful people of the era. Why did most of the United States suffer in poverty, even those that were born well off, yet a select few only grew richer? Well, he found out that the rich investors possess a certain amount of qualities that every single businessman or woman needs. Wanna find out what they are, and how you can acquire them? Read “Think and Grow Rich” and find out! It’s definitely worth it!