Recommended Reads | Jordan T. Hall

No, this isn’t where I shamelessly plug my own book (which just happens to be available on Amazon here) – you people are so skeptical!

This is where I share the books that have had the greatest impact on my life in the areas of personal finance, personal development, and entrepreneurship. Scroll down further to find a list of the books I’ve read in the last year.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. This means if you decide to buy one of these books (which you should) based upon my recommendation, I may receive a small commission.

The Top 5 Personal Finance Books that Changed My Life

1. The Millionaire Next Door

In 1996, Dr. Thomas Stanley’s The Millionaire Next Door turned the common understanding of America’s wealthy on its head. Through his in-depth research, Stanley discovered that, contrary to media stereotypes, most of America’s millionaires do not live ostentatious lifestyles, drive brand-new luxury cars, or reside in 10,000-square-foot mansions.

Instead, most lead conservative financial lives and are extremely adept at transforming their incomes into wealth. If you’ve not read it, this book will awaken you to how wealth is truly built in America. Without a doubt The Millionaire Next Door has had a greater impact on my financial life than any other book I have ever read.

2. The Total Money Makeover

This is the perennial bestseller from the man who first inspired in me (and most of America) a love for personal finance – Dave Ramsey. Featuring Dave’s famous 7 Baby Steps, this book is the best overall guide for showing folks a clear path from debt payoff to financial independence.

Dave’s gift is making the complex simple and The Total Money Makeover is his magnum opus. Detailed discussion of budgeting, investing, insurance, debt elimination, generosity, and much more make this book a must-have for anyone who wants to get serious about their personal finances.

3. The Automatic Millionaire

In The Automatic Millionaire, David Bach shares just how simple it is to build wealth in America today. Stressing the importance of automating savings and investing plans, Bach concisely illustrates how small changes make a huge difference over time.

His Latte Factor example (investing the five dollars you would otherwise spend on a daily latte) has become so popular it is practically a financial cliché. This merely speaks to the simplicity and effectiveness of Bach’s philosophy, however.

There is no valid excuse for why any American can’t become wealthy, and The Automatic Millionaire will convince you why and show you how.

4. The Richest Man in Babylon

Probably the most enjoyable book to read on wealth building. I read it every year. Author George Clason uses fictional parables set it in ancient Babylon to illustrate foundational financial principles of long-term investing, entrepreneurship, saving, and compound interest.

The narrative style makes this an easy and pleasant read. Best of all, this little book will inspire you to ACTION – which is what any great book should do.

5. The Millionaire Mind

This is my all-time favorite book on personal finance. I like it even better than The Millionaire Next Door. There, I said it. This sequel eclipses the original.

Warning, this is a thick book – nearly 400 pages. But it is overflowing with fascinating insights about America’s wealthy and how they got that way.

If I could only read one money book for the rest of my life, this would be it. (I plan to read it dozens of more times in my lifetime anyway, so it wouldn’t be so bad). I find the plethora of stats relating to millionaire habits and behaviors and the dozens of real-life case studies incredibly inspiring.

If any college offered an upper-level wealth building class (none do, but they should!) this would be the textbook. I challenge anyone to read this book and not aspire to live a life like the individuals profiled.