The ultimate personal finance library

[Flexo]

I have to admit that I find personal finance books annoying most of the time. I don't really read them for fun.  And no "regular" person would build a library of personal finance books. Most say the same kind of stuff.  Perhaps three books are all that's needed to get a complete picture of personal finance for the average person... but which three books? 

Personally, I like The Number by Lee Eisenberg but it's not all-encompassing. I'm not a fan of Rich Dad, Poor Dad and I got bored with The Millionaire Next Door.

[Springbarb]

I recently got Rich Dad, Poor Dad out of the library, so we'll see. I don't think I've read a book about personal finance before, actually.

[Flexo]

I recently got Rich Dad, Poor Dad out of the library, so we'll see. I don't think I've read a book about personal finance before, actually.

I'd be interested to hear what you think of it.

[JulieJ]

We've read "Smart Couples Finish Rich" and "Rule #1" - the former being a good primer for us in terms of working toward common financial goals, and the later being a gift last Christmas from a well-meaning sister-in-law who had just started investing in the stock market successfully and wanted to practice a little Socialism and spread the wealth.

We own a copy of Suze's "Young, Fabulous and Broke" book, but have never read it. My mother-in-law bought it for us thinking we needed some sort of financial guidance (never mind that we're not young, fabulous OR broke), and I was a little miffed. Then again, this is the woman who tried to explain how credit scores worked to two people who have already bought two cars and two houses between them. She also thinks I don't know anything about self-employment taxes, having only been freelancing for a decade or so. Insert eyeroll here.

[Flexo]

We've read "Smart Couples Finish Rich" and "Rule #1" - the former being a good primer for us in terms of working toward common financial goals, and the later being a gift last Christmas from a well-meaning sister-in-law who had just started investing in the stock market successfully and wanted to practice a little Socialism and spread the wealth.

Rule #1 should be on my list of future reads.  It seems to receive high marks from people I talk to.

[moneysmartlife]

I don't have as much time as I did in past to read so I can't speak to any recent books but my favorite investing book is The Intelligent Investor and the distinction it draws between investors and speculators.

[That One Caveman]

I'm with JulieJ - We like "Smart Couple Finish Rich."  I'm also in the middle of "Does Your Bag Have Holes?" and I'm liking it pretty well.  I have a bunch of books queued up, but just have too many things to do to read enough.

[eric]

My first personal finance book, Suze Orman's "The Young, Fabulous, & Broke," was a graduation gift.  I had hinted that I was interested in developing personal finance skills so the book was a welcome read.  Since then, I've perused through "The Road to Wealth," "The Bogleheads' Guide to Investing," and one or two others.

I agree with Flexo in that you don't need to read a ton of PF books to get the gist of what it is.  For that, I just stick to my (overly populated) PF subscription list. 

[That One Caveman]

I recently got Rich Dad, Poor Dad out of the library, so we'll see. I don't think I've read a book about personal finance before, actually.

Rich Dad, Poor Dad was the first PF book I read.  At the time, I thought it was great and loaded with ideas and wisdom that I could put to use in my own life.  But as I read more and learned more, I realized that much of it is junk (at least for me).  A few things, like treating your house as a liability (since it's not making you money), are positive in the sense that it gives you a new way to look at how your money moves.  In all, I wouldn't recommend the book in general, but if you already have a good solid PF foundation, you can gather some usable information from it.

[Yana]

I have a rather large library, and I don't read fiction, but currently have only 3 finance books:  The Millionaire Next Door, How to Survive Without a Salary, and The Millionaire Mind.  I've ordered Crash Proof: How to Profit From the Coming Economic Collapse by Peter D. Schiff.  Hopefully I will read that one and find some useful info within.

[TMoney]

I agree with the consensus that you don't really need to read a ton of PF books. All the information you will ever need can be found on the internet.

That being said, two books in the personal finance realm that really inspired me were "Think and Grow Rich" by Napolean Hill and "Your Money or Your Life" by Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez. These two books may not give you the step by step plans that other books have, but they both give a unique perspective on matters related to personal finance. "Think and Grow Rich" got me to really think about my goals and how I could be successful, not only in finances, but in life as well. "Your Money or Your Life" got me to view money as a tool. The message that really hit home is that money is great, but it's not worth sacrificing your life in pursuit of the almighty dollar. My ultimate goal is to work at a job I love, and make enough money so I can enjoy my life. I'm not there yet, but I'm getting closer

[Springbarb]

Going back a bit, I did start Rich Dad, Poor Dad, but just couldn't get through it. Based on comments in the introduction and the writing style, I found myself just not liking the author. Ah well.

[Green Panda]

I have a found spot for 'Debt Free By 30'. It's my first Personal Finance book that I read cover to cover.

The book didn't get into investing and retirement, but it did a great job on explaining the basics of debt reduction, budgeting, and frugality. It even had easy recipes to use to reduce food expenses. I liked how it address young people's natural desire for 'stuff' and presented ways to reduce these expenses. It was a practical little book.

I'd recommend it for a first time personal finance reader who wants tips and motivation.