Andy Kessler, a former hedge fund manager who now writes on investment trends in technology and communications, has a nice list of great books on business. His focus is on investment.

For me, it’s all about investment ideas. I won’t read “get rich quick” books or “how to invest” books. Nothing there for me. Read my old friend Jim Cramer’s Real Money and John Mauldin’s Just One Thing (I wrote a chapter) and then move on. I also don’t read management books: Winning, Good to Great, Execution, First Break All the Rules are all competent, and line the shelves of middle managers everywhere in an attempt to show one’s promote-ability to upper middle management, if such a thing even exists. There has got to be some important investment theme uncovered.

Read more on: Andy Kessler

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Yesterday I watched Paul McCartney’s Chaos and Creation at Abbey Road show. It was a really great show, but the ending was the part that made me click and served as inspiration to this short entry.

Let me explain. To end the show, Sir McCartney asked the people to accompaning him in the drums. Gave some pandeiros and maracas to some and performed on the drums. He asked for his Producer, Nigels, to record this session.

He then came to the piano and performed accompanied by the drums already recorded. He grabed his bass and played it accompanied by the drums and piano. Grabed a guitar and played it along the recorded drums, piano and bass. With the guitar, made another session to record a solo guitar track.

In less than 10 minutes he have a complete band played all by himself. Asked Nigels to play the song and started to sing something like “That’s all for now! You gotta go home…” It was the insecure version. After that, he played the loop again and started to sing a more secure version singing Blue Suede Shoes… End of the show. Roll the credits. That’s all for now! Applause!

His new album was made this way. He played a lot of the instruments in many tracks. He can do it. He plays instruments for so long time that it is a second nature to him. All his life was dedicated to that.

And it is like that to everyone. People often say that they don’t have the knowledge of something or that they can’t do it because they lack the talent. But talent is nothing without a lot of training. Without a lot of time spent perfecting the skills. We need to invest time in what we really want for our lives. It’s the only thing that will make us Masters!

I am studing and acting for 10 years now in the “creating my own company” area. I read books, I talk with people that already achieved what I want to achieve. It’s the thing I want for my life. It’s easy as that, but it was already 10 years with my focus on it. I already reached the success with my three companies. But I also had my other four broken companies before the success. I was not trying to have a job at the same time or when things got wrong. I would loose focus. And I could not cease or desist in the mean time. I was already at the learning phase.

Keep the focus on what you want for the necessary time. Success is inevitable.

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There are a few books of basic wisdom that endure for generations. One of these books is The Richest Man in Babylon, first published in 1926.

We have heard, again and again, the critical importance of putting aside a share of our income for investment.

There are a lot of ways to build wealth, but there is a simple, sure way that can always work. It is simply to develop the habit from a young age of saving a share of your income, say 10%. Paying this amount to your investment account must become the same as paying your monthly rent or mortgage payment.

Developing the habit of saving money should be developed the same as the habits of bathing, washing hands before a meal, or shaving.

If you can’t have certain luxuries now and maintain your savings ritual, postpone the luxuries now so you can enjoy them and financial security later.

I said this method is simple, I didn’t say it was easy.

These are the lessons that George S. Clason drives home again and again in the parables of The Richest Man in Babylon.

Here is an excellent graduation gift for your child or grandchild.

And if you haven’t heard of or read The Richest Man in Babylon yet, maybe this is a good time to get a copy for yourself and read it.

Acclaimed as a modern-day classic, this celebrated bestseller offers an understanding of — and a solution to — personal financial problems. Based on the success secrets of the ancient “Babylonian parables”, it is the most inspiring book on wealth ever written.

Simple, but powerful financial lessons in a fun format, The Richest Man in Babylon teaches sound financial habits that outline how you can start becoming wealthy solely on money you already earn.

The book is broken into chapters, each told in a parable format that takes place in ancient Babylon to explain a certain area of personal finances (investing, savings, insurance against loss, etc). What’s most clear is that these “ancient” financial secrets are actually applicable to people today, regardless of the advances in communications and technology. The idea is that sound personal finances are governed by rules that are everlasting.

These are the main chapters of the book that I will expand in a while:

• The Man Who Desired Gold
• The Richest Man in Babylon
• Seven Cures for a Lean Purse
• Meet the Goddess of Good Look
• The Five Laws of Gold
• The Gold Lender of Babylon
• The Walls of Babylon
• The Camel Trader of Babylon
• The Clay Tablets from Babylon
• The Luckiest Man in Babylon
• An Historical Sketch of Babylon

At under $7, this book is something that even the most cash-strapped pauper can afford, and start on the way to a better financial future. I would highly recommend reading this book AND following the plan laid out in it! Timeless Proven Ideas on Getting Wealthy. This is a book anybody who wishes to get wealthy must have on their bookshelf.

This book contains simple, yet often not followed advice on how to prosper financially in life. And while most “how to” and financial planning books are filled with boring text, this provides the information in a simple, fun narrative.

I had heard about this book for a long time but when finally got a chance to lay my hands on this. I was just amazed. It is a light read and can be enjoyed by almost anyone over 10 years of age. The meaning that you can draw out of it would however differ. The depth of thought is simply fantastic and presenting it in a story form makes this book difficult to keep down. Each reading of the book will uncover a new lesson.

This book doesn’t teach you how to make money — it shows you how to keep it and grow it. I am now 33 years old but I read this book before my internet business began to do well. It’s not good making a lot of money if you don’t understand how to keep and invest it. The principles in this book will stay with you forever, and you will realise that growing wealthy isn’t rocket science — it’s just common sense. It shows you the proper attitudes to create wealth in your life as well as to create a greater overall level of success. The book is written to create a solid foundation but it is only a start for those who have little background in being successful.

Being an entertaining and interesting read. The story-telling style makes its point without beating you over the head with dry and boring mantras that today’s financial planners and financial network clowns love to repeat. Savvy financial types won’t be shocked by anything found in this book; however, there are some useful ideas for most anyone. The tales are easy enough to remember that they should be helpful for explaining rather complex situations to clients and children as well. Frankly, this book ought to be required reading for all high-schoolers.

If you follow the advice in this book, you will become wealthy. The steps are simple and if only more people would read and follow the advice, we’d have lots more wealthy people. These are pretty solid teachings, and send a good message of “responsibility”. If you have children old enough to read this, or teenagers, this would be a great one to have them read. It offers a good message for we adults as well. Oh, if I could only go back in time and do more of the right things in the areas of my finances. Well, odds are that you are younger than me, so I would say read this one. And note that I am only 33 as I am writing this.

If you apply the principles in this book, you will gain the knowledge to fatten your purse. The language takes some getting use to but the book is intriguing. I read it in Portuguese first and English after that. The Portuguese translation is simply much better. It was translated in all the sentences, but in a more 80’s language then 20’s one of the original. Maybe I could make a translation back to english in this site

The tools to gain wealth is in the book. The discipline and wisdom to apply what is read is up to you. This novel provides a great path to wealth. After following his guidelines for the past 11 years, I also know that it is just as easy to live off ninety percent of my income as it is to spend it all. This model provides me with a sense of control in my financial status. The main points of the book are getting out of debt and saving money for yourself. The author illustrates these points by using stories told in a inspiring manner. No matter how bad the situation appeared, everything could be remedied if the person made a change. If I save ten percent for myself and invest that money, I will have enough money.

These days I “read” the book as an audiobook, more out of curiosity than anything else. Words cannot describe how affected I am when I listen to the words of truly timeless wisdom contained in this book. I gave this to a relative and she cannot put it down. If you read only one book on money or personal finance, do yourself a favor, choose The Richest Man in Babylon. Read this book at least twice. It is brief, but totally unforgettable. You may find yourself quoting from it, ALOT! If you really want a great audio experience, get the audiobook. It is VERY well done.

Whoever follows the advice in this book will most likely have no financial problems in the long run. Paying yourself first, saving and investing rather than being a spendthrift, investing in your own home, are the true basics for wealth creation. Great gift idea for anyone, absolutely anyone.

Remember it cost less than $7 and is easy to read (2 hours or less) has great wisdom in basic principles of saving and investing for building one’s wealth. While there may be better ways to establish a disciplined savings plan, the necessity of conservatively and continuously setting aside a safety net reverberates throughout the simple lessons in this text.

I’ve been reading lots of personal finance books and this was absolutely the best one. I’ve given it to my mom to read. I’m buying copies for everyone who asks me for financial advice. I wanted to figure out a strategy to deal with quickly, because I work as a financial advisor with people who have major debt and nothing saved — this book has an amazingly simple strategy that could help them and me. Basically it tells you to save 1/10 of every paycheck. Send 2/10 to pay debts and fit all your expenses into 7/10 of every pay check.

You’ll grow in worth (because of the 1/10 put away every pay check), your debts will reduce overtime because of your 2/10 of your paycheck sent to them. Deciding you have to tweak your expenses to fit into 7/10 your pay check is a much more organized way of doing your finances rather than the sloppy “I’ll save if anything gets left over” — which never happens.

Also because it’s an old book, it explains the ideas behind financial concepts in simple words rather than using hard words that economics majors had to cram before exams and nobody else understands.

Don’t let the size of this book fool you — it is packed with powerful information. It is must reading. This book is the basis of many of the top financial experts from Charles J. Givens, who calls it “The 10% solution” through Suze Orman, Dr. Stanley The Millionaire Next Door up to David Bach The Automatic Millionaire. I don’t know of anyone who has amassed any real level of wealth without practicing these principles. And more than that, almost every rich man has a nice thing to say about it.

It’s a small book. An easy read. You can finish it in one evening. But if you use it, you can amass a fortune.

Jim Rohn says he has recommended this book at his seminars, in his books and on his tapes for nearly 40 years and best as he can tell only about 3% actually go out, buy the book and actually read it and apply the techniques. So I SAY TO YOU, BE ONE OF THE 3%!

The Richest Man in Babylon is the Strunk & White for monetary discipline. Simple and clear to read. Easy to relate to and understand. Don’t easily dismiss the simplicity of the message. “A wise man can learn from a fool, but a fool can never learn from a wise man”. This is one of the smallest book I have ever read. It contained the most useful knowlege. Applying the knowledge, is up to you.

This book was an eye opener to say the least. Its basic concepts were illustrated in a creative and easily distinguishable fashion. The book goes into the core concepts of creating wealth relating them back in time to Babylon. It is by far one of the most practical advice on money. George Clason breaks down the boundries between imagining wealth and creating it.

This would be a wonderful book for anyone who needs to learn some of the basic lessons of earning, saving, and spending money (or needs to be reminded of them!), but doesn’t respond well to dry manuals. It’s a natural choice for kids who are just starting to discover the pleasures and dangers of money; at that age, books can have a big impact of values!

Several of my favorite books are short fable type stories that are packed with golden nuggets of information. Things that most of us have heard before but may have forgotten or never really focused on. In the book, you are very gently reminded of dozens of rules or proverbs and words of wisdom such as:

• “Men of action are favored by the goddess of good luck”
• “Better a little caution than a great regret”
• “Where the determination is, the way can be found”

According to the book it doesn’t matter what your income is, anyone can save money, all it takes is the proper perspective. This book gives you a way to look at money that many of us have been taught, but may have forgotten. This is basic, common sense information, but good advice bears repeating. I think the biggest point the book makes is, it does not matter what your income level is, anyone can save 10% of their income if they really think it is important enough to do, and that small amount on a weekly basis is hardly missed at the time, while growing over time to be a substantial amount. As Albert Einstein pointed out, there is nothing more powerful than compound interest and that is what you get by saving just 10% of all of your income. I highly recomend this book for kids old enough to read on up to anyone who needs to be reminded of the simple beauty of good advice.

A friend told me a history about the first time he saw this book. It was a nice way to start:

Even a 10 year old will love and understand these beautifully written stories of the Babylonian wise men. This book saved me money even before I bought it. How did that happen?

At a book sale the other day, I wished I could find an interesting read. Since nothing caught my eye, I rather grudgingly picked up two rather uninteresting expensive books, ones I would normally avoid. Later as I wandered around my eyes lighted on this most unusual title. I like reading about ancient cities so I naturally picked this one up. It was a book on the basics of personal finance. A few minutes browsing through it were enough to convince me that I would be wasting my money on the first two books. So I put them back and returned home clutching a copy of The Richest Man in Babylon.

On reading it, I understood a law which has transformed my thinking for ever. The law said ” A part of what you earn is yours to keep.” I now pay myself first each month when I get my salary. Each rupee I pay myself, I put in the growth scheme of a mutual fund. Each rupee is a slave which will work for me throughout my life. Each slave will have children and those children will work for me too. They in turn will have children who will also work for me. And the cycle goes on… This is an important lesson I have learnt from the Babylonian wise men.

You’ll meet Bansir the chariot builder who can never make his ends meet and his wise friend Arkad, The Richest Man in Babylon. You will enjoy their life stories while you learn the simple laws that govern the acquisition of money. A part of what you earn is yours to keep. Try it, you will never regret it.

The Richest Man in Babylon does not promise instant rags to riches. Other practical advice includes ‘working hard in one’s job’, ’saving 10% of your monthly salary’ and ‘do not be too stingy, enjoy the rest of the salary and life’s many wonders’ while keeping strictly to the principles of savings and investing.

I have a friend that’s working on 2.5% savings. It’s less than the recommended amount but it’s a mindset of “less now, more later”. Paying off one’s loans and debts, while also saving, can get the security and empowerment that comes with increasing one’s savings as described in the book.

In the end, what the book preaches is sticking to a simple formula of:

• Earn one’s money through labour
• Save (at least) 10% of earnings
• Spend the rest to live well
• Invest savings
• Repeat infinitely.

The analogy of using a seed to describe the growth of money is apt as it requires discipline, patience and perseverance.

George Clason’s The Richest Man in Babylon is considered a classic in its field for good reason. This slim volume offers common-sense advice on how to gradually build solid wealth. Clason offers no get-rich-quick schemes or stock market tricks. Instead, he offers solid foundational principles which anyone can follow. While they may seem obvious, far too many people fail to utilize them.

If you read no other wealth creation book, then read this one.

Although, many of the ideas in the book are what some people would call “common sense”, it is the delivery of these ideas which make this book a gem. Every financial principle that this book presents is encased in a fable and repeated more numerous times. It is the presentation of the principles which truely allow people to internalize them and apply them in their everyday lives!

When I asked a millionaire lawyer how he was able to attain his wealth, he recommended me this book, telling me that it had the greatest influence on him of any such book. Naturally, we started talking about it! Both of us have read it more than 10 times

Even aside from the financial lessons contained herein, the stories are rather entertaining. I would wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone, either as a gift or for one’s own benefit. This is one investment you cannot afford to forego!

The Richest Man in Babylon along with The Baron Son by Vicky Therese Davis are two of my favorite financial parables. While one appreciates The Baron Son for its depth, one will also appreciate The Richest Man in Babylon for its simplicity.

For those that wish understand how to make money work for them, this is a great financial start.

The book’s core principles can be summarized into its 7 Cures for a Lean Purse:

1. Start thy purse to fattening - Save 10 % of your income.
2. Control thy expenditures - Budget effectively so that you may have the coins to pay for expenses and worthwhile desires without spending more than 90% of your earnings.
3. Make thy gold multiply - Invest your savings to build a stream of income. Invest also the return of these investments.
4. Guard thy treasure from loss - Protect yourself from unwise investments and invest only where your money will be safe.
5. Make of thy dwelling a profitable investment - It is recommended that every person own their own home.
6. Insure a future income - Provide in advance for your needs in old age and the protection of your family.
7. Increase thy ability to earn - Through study, become wiser and more skillful so that you will always be in the forefront of progress.

One of the hallmarks of a really timeless book is how many other authors quote from it, recommend it and refer to it. I can’t think of any financial book which doesn’t advocate setting aside 10% of one’s income each month or something along that line. Call it “pay yourself first” or whatever, but this author is widely credited for starting that whole concept many, many years ago. Everything since then is just an imitation.

It’s the classic book on becoming wealthy. It doesn’t talk about investing strategies, how to get rich quick and all that stuff. This is a very basic, lay the foundation type financial book. Set aside money to compound and grow. Control your expenses, live below your means. You know the story. You’ve heard it all before. You may have heard it all before, but this is where it started.

If the book has a fault, it is its failure to address charitable giving. Whether you tithe at church, or choose other non-profits to share with, giving is an important part of financial management that is not mentioned at all here.

Regardless, The Richest Man in Babylon is a classic for a reason - its wisdom has stood the test of time, and will continue to shine a light on a simple, straight, yet often-overlooked path to financial well-being.

Ultimately, this fun guide to financial understanding will show you very simply how to acquire, retain, and grow your earnings. Read it, and learn why millions of others have been inspired to change their spending and investing habits with these ancient secrets of success.

This is a book you will wish you had read, when you thought you knew everything in your teenage years. It is without doubt a book that has changed my life, because it has changed my relationship with money.

There is no basic premise to this book. The only words that I can find to define what it is, is that it is a foundation stone, upon which you can and will build a great financial future, if you adhere to the advice.

This book is a philosophical/practical guide to wealth creation. The book in a sense tells a story. Interwoven into this story are anecdotes, which contain messages. Within the messages are real meanings that when applied to your life and wealth, will create profound change.

I would have to disagree with some people who say that this is the only book you will ever have to read, on the subject of money. But it will be the book to read if you will really read just one book. I would recomend that you also read:

• The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace D. Wattles
• You Were Born Rich by Bob Proctor
• Financial Peace by Dave Ramsay
• Psycho Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz
• Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki

Wealth creation will also need new subconcious thinking. With these books you will create a financial fortress, that will amaze you. I guarantee it.

This book is a brilliant synopsis of timeless ideas, that is a must read for anyone who has set a goal of financial independence. It is both a practical, spiritual and philosophical guide to wealth creation. It should be read in conjunction with the other recomended books. If it is, it will change your financial future forever.

Short book. Timeless advice. What can I say.

Well, the fact that it is set in ancient Babylon shows that the basics of finance are truly timeless, and only misinformation from our great friends — banks and credit card companies — have buried these understandings from us.

George Samuel Clason was born in Louisiana, Missouri, on November 7, 1874. He attended the University of Nebraska and served in the United States Army during the Spanish-American War. Beginning a long career in publishing, he founded the Clason Map Company of Denver, Colorado and published the first road atlas of the United States and Canada. In 1926, he issued the first in a series of pamphlets on thrift and financial success, using parables set in ancient Bablyon to make each of his points.

These were distributed in large quantities by banks and insurance companies and became familiar to millions, the most famous being The Richest Man in Babylon, the parable which has impacted the lives of millions of people. These “Babylonian Parables” have become a modern inspiritional classic.

I can’t say enough good things about this book. You will smile and laugh as you read this book while the left side of your brain says, “This stuff is good advice.”

I love this book.

Even experts in personal finance will find it entertaining enough to read cover to cover.

Buy this book NOW. If you can, buy TEN copies of it. Give to friends. Make the knowledge flow.

The best plan is to go ahead and buy many copies of this book, one for you, and others to loan or give away. This is too good to keep to yourself. An obvious classic for college grads or new families, the wisdom within is just as relevant and accessible for learners of any age.

Buy this book, it’s inexpensive and easily read in one day. Give it to your children and grandchildren. By doing so, you will be giving them something far more valuable than gold: You will be giving them knowledge. As Benjamin Franklin once said: “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.”

Hope to hear from you. The comments section is open for your thoughs.

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I just got the new BestMoneyBooks.com web site up and running today after a three day HTML/PHP/CSS session.

At first, I would like to thank Steve Pavlina. His blog is a great source of incentive and was directly responsable for me overcoming procrastination and get my hands dirt. I am not a poliphasic sleeper like him and have three companies to run. If you are one of his readers, please don’t expect the same kind of frequency for new articles. His blog is a really great source for anyone interested in personal development.

In the first weeks I intend to publish a new book review every two or three days. After some 15 or 20 books I should publish a new book a week. It’s my aproximate book read rate, so it’s not a really though job for me, as I regularly write summaries to help fix the book contents in my mind.

Expect the first book today or tomorrow. To antecipate, it will be The Richest Man in Babylon, from George Classon. His book has almost everything that Money Book authors write about. It’s the money book that all others are based on. If I need to tell you to read only one book, it will be the choosen one.

See you soon!

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