The Captain’s Library: The Best Financial Independence and Personal Development Books

CaptainFI’s reading list of the best personal finance and personal development books for the journey to reach Financial Independence

The Captains Library contains my personal reading list of valuable and highly influential personal finance, financial independence and investing educational material

In no particular order are the highlights from my library, forming the Captains reading list. This is, in my opinion, the most comprehensive list of the best books on personal finance, investing, self help and personal development I have ever come across. Most, if not all of these books are freely available through your public library.

If you would prefer to buy them though, consider please using the affiliate links in the review – This doesn’t cost you anything extra, but a small percent from the book sale will go towards supporting the CaptainFI site (this comes out of the retailers advertising budget). All you need to do is follow the link at the end of the review, and your support is very much appreciated.

I have created an affiliation with Amazon where you can get a paper or electronic version, or even listen to it on Audible (audible is through Amazon now)

If you would prefer to buy them from an Australian retailer then check out Booktopia – Australia’s local online bookstore.

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Captain FI’s personal Financial Independence Reading list

The Intelligent Investor | Benjamin Graham, Warren Buffet

Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.

Benjamin Graham

Click here to read my The Intelligent Investor book summary

You can buy it on Amazon, listen to it through Audible or see it on Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

How to win friends and influence people | Dale Carnegie

It isn’t what you have, or who you are, or where you are, or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about it.

Dale Carnegie

Click here to read my how to win friends and influence people book summary,

Check it out on Amazon, listen to it through Audible or buy it from Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

You can negotiate anything | Herb Cohen

Most things in the world can be negotiated, so you should learn to do it well!

Herb Cohen

Click to read my You can negotiate anything book summary here

Check it out on Amazon here, listen to it through Audible or buy it from Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

Warren buffet’s letters | Warren Buffet

Warren Buffet, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway provides a number of fantastic and freely available letters to his shareholders as well as general advice, observations and information which can be found on his no frills website for Berkshire Hathaway

Check it out it on Amazon for a couple of bucks, listen on Audible or check out this version on Booktopia

Motivated money | Peter Thornhill

Investing should be boring. [Whilst people stress over volatility] I will be sitting, bored witless, choking on my dividend cheques.

Peter Thornhill

Read my summary of Motivated Money by Peter Thornhill

You can buy the kindle edition on Amazon here, or check our Peters website to buy a hard copy

How not to die | Gene Stone, Michael Greger

The primary reasons that diseases tend to run in families may be that diets tend to run in families.

Michael Greger

Read my summary of How not to Die by Michael Greger and Gene Stone

Check it out on Amazon here (both hard copy or kindle versions), listen to it through Audible or buy it from Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

The Barefoot Investor | Scott Pape

You can continue living in the past, beating yourself up about the money mistakes you made when you were younger, telling yourself you’ve left it too late… or you can rise up and make yourself proud.

Scott Pape

Scott Pape is one of Australia’s most trusted finance commentators, and is frequently featured in TV and print media. Pape has even advised government as well as world sporting teams on financial issues, and now is using his knowledge to help everyday people through his nine step financial guide.

His top three tips? Simplify your money management by using different bank accounts and ‘money buckets’, Destroy your debt and then automate your retirement saving by planning automated purchases of index funds.

The Barefoot Investor is chock full of practical money tips that you can implement straight away. From organizing your bank accounts, to drastically slashing your bills (he provides scripts for you to recite to your mortgage bank for example) to starting investing, Scott gives you straightforward advice in a very easy to digest format of his ‘Nine barefoot steps’

• Barefoot step 1. Schedule a monthly ‘Barefoot date night’ to get dressed up and review your finances
• Barefoot step 2. Set up your ‘buckets’ (automate how your income hits your bank account, pays bills and splits saving for several goals ‘put your money on autopilot’)
• Barefoot step 3. Domino your debts – pay off your debts, smallest to largest, and escape the cult of credit!
• Barefoot step 4. Buy your home (Principle Place of Residence)
• Barefoot step 5. Increase your retirement savings to 15% of your income
• Barefoot step 6. Boost your Mojo (emergency fund) to three months living cost
• Barefoot step 7. Get the banker off your back – Knock down your mortgage by making extra repayments
• Barefoot step 8. Nail your retirement number: Financially plan for retirement using your investments and social security
• Barefoot step 9. Leave a legacy – how do you want to make a difference in the world?

Want a more in depth review? Check out my detailed examination of the Barefoot Investor here

Grab yourself a copy from Amazon Here, listen to it through Audible or buy it from Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

The Barefoot Investor for families | Scott Pape

By the time your child leaves home they should have promised you to never, ever get a credit card.

Scott Pape

Read my summary of The Barefoot Investor for Families here

You can grab a copy from Amazon here , listen to it through Audible or buy it from Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

Rich Dad Poor Dad | Robert Kiyosaki

The main reason that over 90 percent of the American public struggles financially is because they play to not lose. They don’t play to win.

Robert Kiyosaki

Read my summary of Rich Dad Poor dad by robert Kiyosaki

Check it out on Amazon here, listen to it through Audible or buy it from Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

The Selfish Gene | Richard Dawkins

An individual organism is a throw away survival machine for the self replicating coded genetic information which it contains. Genes are immortal because they can be replicated with almost total fidelity generation after generation – there are genes now which are identical to what they were hundreds of millions of years ago in some cases.

Richard Dawkins

You can read my book summary of Richard Dawkins The Selfish Gene here

You can get the hardcopy or kindle version on Amazon here, listen to it through Audible or buy it from Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

The Snowball | Alice Schroeder Warren Buffet

Time is the friend of the wonderful business, the enemy of the mediocre.

Warren Buffett

You can read my book summary of The Snowball – Warren Buffet and the business of life here

You can get a copy on Amazon here, listen to it through Audible or buy it from Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

Think and grow rich | Napoleon Hill

The starting point of all achievement is desire. Keep this constantly in mind. Weak desire brings weak results, just as a small fire makes a small amount of heat.

Napoleon Hill

Check out my book summary of Napoleon Hill Think and Grow Rich

Buy it on Amazon here, listen to it through Audible or buy it from Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

Raising boys in the Twenty First Century | Steve Biddulph

If you routinely work a 55 or 60-hour week, including commute times, you just won’t cut it as a dad. Your sons will have problems in life [without active role models], and it will be down to you. Your boys will become men. But what kind of men?

Steve Biddulph

You can read my summary of Steve Biddulphs Raising Boys in the twenty-first Century here

Check out the book on Amazon here, listen to it through Audible or buy it from Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

Raising girls in the Twenty First Century | Steve Biddulph

The world today does not seem to care about girls as it should, and see’s them just as a way to make money

Steve Biddulph

Check out my book summary of Raising girls in the Twenty First Century by Steve Biddulph

check it out on Amazon here, listen to it through Audible or buy it from Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America’s Wealthy |Thomas J. Stanley

“Whatever your income, always live below your means”

Thomas J. Stanley

Read my book summary of The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America’s Wealthy by Thomas J. Stanley

Check it out on Amazon here, listen to it through Audible or buy it from Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

Total money makeover | Dave Ramsey

We buy things we don’t need with money we don’t have to impress people we don’t like

Dave Ramsey

Read my book summary of The Total money makeover by Dave Ramsey

Check it out on Amazon here, listen to it through Audible or buy it from Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

Predictably irrational | Dan Ariely

The danger of expecting nothing is that in the end, it might be all we’ll get.

Dan Ariely

Read my book summary of Dan Ariely’s Predictably Irrational here

Check it out on Amazon here, listen to it through Audible or buy it from Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

The 7 habits of highly effective people | Stephen Covey

The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing

Stephen Covey

Read my book summary of Stephen Coveys the 7 habits of highly effective people

Check it out on Amazon here, listen to it through Audible or buy it from Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

The 80/20 Principle | Richard Koch

Strive for Excellence in a few things, rather than good performance in many

Richard Koch

Read my book summary of Richard Koch’s The 80 20 Principle – The Secret of Achieving More with Less

Check it out on Amazon here, listen to it through Audible or buy it from Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

The ADHD Advantage | Dale Archer

Those with ADHD are Life’s entrpreneurs, CEOs, leaders, explorers, champion athletes and out-of-the-box-thinkers

Dale Archer

Check out my book summary of Dale Archer’s The ADHD Advantage here

Check it out on Amazon here, listen to it through Audible or buy it from Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up | Marie Kondo

The question of what you want to own is actually the question of how you want to live your life

Marie Kondo

Check out my book summary of Marie Kondo’s The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up here

Check it out on Amazon here, listen to it through Audible or buy it from Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

The life changing magic of not giving a F*ck | Sarah Knight

The life changing magic of not giving a F*ck is all about prioritising. Joy over annoy. Choice over obligation.

Sarah Knight

Check out my book summary of Sarah Knight’s The Life Changing Magic of not Giving a F*ck here

Check it out on Amazon here, listen to it through Audible or buy it from Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

The Little Book that Beats the Market | Joel Greenblatt

Choosing individual stocks without any idea of what your looking for is like running through a dynamite factory with a burning match. You may life, but you’re still an idiot.

Joel Greenblatt

Check out my book summary of The little book that beats the market by Joel Greenblatt

Check it out on Amazon here, listen to it through Audible or buy it from Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

The Power of Habit Why we do what we do in life and business | Charles Duhigg

The key to exercising regularly, losing weight, raising exceptional children, becoming more productive, building revolutionary companies and social movements, and achieving success is understanding how habits work.

Charles Duhigg

Check out my book summary of Charles Duhigg’s The Power of Habit

Check it out on Amazon here, listen to it through Audible or buy it from Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

The Automatic Millionaire | David Bach

The fact is, none of us really has a choice. We are all playing the money game whether we want to or not. The only question is – are we winning?

David Bach

Check out my book summary of David Bach’s The Automatic Millionaire

Check it out on Amazon here, listen to it through Audible or buy it from Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

Sweet Poison | Dave Gillespie

Check out my book summary of David Gillespie’s Sweet Poison

If you want a copy of the book check it out link here to Amazon , listen to it through Audible or buy it from Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

The Richest Man in Babylon | George S. Clason

Advice is one thing that is freely given away, but watch that you only take what is worth having

George Clason

Check out my book summary of The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason

Check it out on Amazon here, listen to it through Audible or buy it from Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

Toxic Oil | Dave Gillespie

Check out my book summary of Toxic Oil by Dave Gillespie

Check it out online or follow the link here to Amazon, listen to it through Audible or buy it from Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

The Magic of Thinking Big | David J Schwartz

“So long as we are thinking, we may as well be thinking big”

Donald Trump

Check out my book summary of The Magic of Thinking Big by David J Schwartz

Check it out on Amazon here, listen to it through Audible or buy it from Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

Early Retirement Extreme | Jacob Fisker

When you identify with an object, you’re defined by the object, then controlled by it, and ultimately owned by it. If you relate to your possessions, you’re owned by your stuff, and it will make many of your decisions for you. This trap is not only mental, but also physical.

Jacob Fisker

Check out my book summary of Early Retirement Extreme by Jacob Fisker

Check it out on Amazon here, listen to it through Audible or buy it from Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

The Bogleheads guide to investing | Taylor Larimore

Wise investors won’t try to outsmart the market.They’ll buy index funds for the long term, and they’ll diversify.

John C. Bogle

Check out my book summary of The Bogleheads guide to investing by Taylor Larimore

Check it out on Amazon here, listen to it through Audible or buy it from Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

From 0 to 130 properties in 3.5 years | Steven McKnight

You will only ever do your first deal once. From then, as your experience broadens, you’ll become more and more confident in dealing with agents, inspecting property and making offers. Its no where near as scary the second time around. If you don’t know the area like a local – don’t invest there. If you want to be treated like a local – look like a local!

Steven McKnight

Check out my book summary of From 0 to 130 properties in 3.5 years by Steven McKnight

Check it out on Amazon here, listen to it through Audible or buy it from Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

The One-Page Financial Plan: A Simple Way to Be Smart About Your Money | Carl Richards

Check out my book summary The One-Page Financial Plan: A Simple Way to Be Smart About Your Money by Carl Richards

Check it out on Amazon here, listen to it through Audible or buy it from Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

Secrets of the Millionaire Mind | T. Harv Eker

“If you want to move to a higher level of life, you have to be willing to let go of some of your old ways of thinking and being and adopt new ones”

T. Harv Eker

Read more on the dedicated review post of Secrets of the Millionaire mind Here

Check it out on Amazon, listen to it through Audible or buy it from Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

What to expect when your expecting | Clifford Neppe, Heidi Murkoff, and Sharon Mazel

“Kids who know they’re cared for and cared about have fewer behavioural problems and stronger relationships”

Heidi Murkoff

Check out my book summary of What to expect when your expecting

Check it out on Amazon here, listen to it through Audible or buy it from Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

Your money or your life | Vicki Robins

“If you live for having it all, what you have is never enough”

Vicki Robins

Check out my book summary of Your money or your life by Vicki robins

Check it out on Amazon here, listen to it through Audible or buy it from Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

Tough times never last but tough people do | Robert Schuller

“Never cut a tree down in the wintertime. Never make a negative decision in the low time. Never make your most important decisions when you are in your worst moods. Wait. Be patient. The storm will pass. The spring will come.”

Robert Schuller

Check out my book summary of Tough times never last but tough people do by Robert Schuller

Check it out on Amazon here, listen to it through Audible or buy it from Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

Why you act the way you do | Tim Lahaye

“There is hardly a function in life that is not influenced by temperament”

Tim Lahaye

Check out my book summary of Why you act the way you do by Tim Lahaye

Check it out on Amazon here or buy it from Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

The four hour work week | Tim Ferriss

“Doing something unimportant well does not make it imporant”

Tim Ferriss

Check out my book summary of The four hour work week by Tim Ferriss

Check it out on Amazon here, listen to it through Audible or buy it from Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

The Lean Start-up | Eric Ries

“The only way to win is to learn faster than anyone else.”

Eric Ries

Check out my book summary of The Lean Start-up by Eric Ries

Check it out on Amazon here, listen to it through Audible or buy it from Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

Extreme ownership how US navy seals lead and win | Jocko Willink, Leif Babin

“Extreme Ownership. Leaders must own everything in their world. There is no one else to blame.”

Jocko Willink

Check out my book summary of Extreme ownership how US navy seals lead and win by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin

Check it out on Amazon here, listen to it through Audible or buy it from Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

Economics explained | Robert Heilbroner, Lester Thurow

What is a market system? Essentially, it is one in which economic activities are left to men and women freely responding to the opportunities and discouragements of the marketplace, not to the established routines of tradition or the dictates of someone’s command. Thus, in a market system most individuals are not only free to seek work where they wish, but must shop around for a job.

Heilbroner, Thurow

Check out my book summary of Economics explained by Robert Heilbroner, Lester Thurow

Check it out on Amazon here, listen to it through Audible or buy it from Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

A Random Walk Down Wall Street | Burton Malkiel

“Technical lore has it that if the price of a stock rose yesterday it is more likely to rise today. However it turns out that the correlation of past price movements with present and future price movements is very close to zero!”

Burton Malkiel

Check out my book summary of A Random Walk Down Wall Street by Burton Malkiel

Check it out on Amazon here, listen to it through Audible or buy it from Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

The Intelligent Asset Allocator | William J Bernstein

“Build your Portfolio to Maximise your returns, and minimise your overall risk”

William Bernstein

The Intelligent Asset Allocator tackles the issue of how to build a modern investment portfolio to maximise returns and minimise your exposure to risk. Bernstein explains the principles of Asset Allocation or Modern portfolio theory and how it can be used to reduce volatility without compromising on long term investment returns.

Check out the book summary of the Intelligent Asset Allocator here

Check it out on Amazon here, listen to it through Audible or buy it from Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

Towards Rational Exuberance | B. Mark Smith

“Over 50 percent of the American public own stocks directly or indirectly, meaning that the financial well-being of tens of millions of people is directly tied to the market”

Mark Smith

Check out my book summary of Towards Rational Exuberance by B. Mark Smith

Check it out on Amazon here

I will teach you to be rich | Rahmit Sethi

“Your goal probably isn’t to become a financial expert. It’s to live your life and let your money serve you

Rahmit Sethi

Check out my book summary of I will teach you to be rich by Rahmit Sethi

Check it out on Amazon here, listen to it through Audible or buy it from Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy | William B. Irvine

“One of the great fears many of us face is that despite all our effort and striving, we will discover at the end that we have wasted our life”

William Irvine

Check out my book summary of A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy by William B. Irvine

Check it out on Amazon here, listen to it through Audible or buy it from Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

Struck by Lightning: The curious world of probabilities | Jeffrey Rosenthal

Struck by Lightning deconstructs the odds and oddities of chance, examining both the relevant and irreverent role of randomness in our everyday lives.

Jeffrey Rosenthal

Check out my book summary of Struck by Lightning: The curious world of probabilities by Jeffrey Rosenthal

Check it out on Amazon here, or on Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

The Only Investment Guide You’ll Ever Need | Andrew Tobias

“A very basic thing to know about your money is that, over the really long run, people who buy equities—stocks—will almost surely make a lot more money (if they’re at all sensible in how they do it) than people who make “safer” investments.”

Andrew Tobias

Check out my book summary of The Only Investment Guide You’ll Ever Need by Andrew Tobias

Check it out on Amazon here, listen to it through Audible or buy it from Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

Naked Economics: Undressing the Dismal Science | Charles J. Wheelan

Save, Invest, Repeat!

Charles J. Wheelan

Check out my book summary of Naked Economics: Undressing the Dismal Science by Charles J. Wheelan

Check it out on Amazon here, listen to it through Audible or buy it from Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

Guide to Economic Indicators: Making Sense of Economics | Richard Stutley and The Economist

“Monetary policy involves changes in money supply or interest rates by the central bank of a country, and fiscal policy involves changes in government expenditure and/or taxes.”

Richard Stutley

Check out my book summary of Guide to Economic Indicators: Making Sense of Economics by Richard Stutley and The Economist

Check it out on Amazon here

The Four Pillars of Investing | William Bernstein

“A young person saving for retirement should get down on their knees and pray for a market crash, so that they can purchase their nest egg at fire-sale prices.”

William Bernstein

Before trying to tell you what to do, Bernstein addresses some of the reasons of ‘Why’ and ‘How’ behind investing. He introduces market theory, discusses the history of investing, and explains the influence of human psychology and the very real impact of the media – identifying how we are often our own worst enemy when it comes to investing. Bernstein explains the importance of

• Diversification
• Passively managed Index funds
• Buy-and-hold for the long term strategy
• Reducing your investment costs

The Four pillars of investing are: Theory, History, Psychology and Business.

“Wealthy investors need to realise they’re the cash cows of the investment industry and are regularly fleeced“

William Bernstein

Essentially you cant control the returns of the market, but you can control your spending (so you can invest more frequently), the fees you pay, and increasing your diversification with smart asset allocation.

Check out my book summary of The Four Pillars of Investing by William Bernstein

Check it out on Amazon here, listen to it through Audible or buy it from Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

Plenitude: The New Economics of True Wealth | Juliet B. Schor

It’s productivity growth rather than the overall size of the economy, that drives improvements in living standards. Getting bigger doesn’t necessarily yield wealth; improving productivity does.”

Juliet Schor

Check out my book summary of Plenitude: The New Economics of True Wealth by Juliet B. Schor

Check it out on Amazon here, listen to it through Audible

How the Economy Works: Confidence, Crashes and Self-Fulfilling Prophecies | Roger E.A. Farmer

“Of all the economic bubbles that have been pricked, few have burst more spectacularly than the reputation of economics itself.”

Roger Farmer

Check out my book summary of How the Economy Works: Confidence, Crashes and Self-Fulfilling Prophecies by Roger E.A. Farmer

Check it out on Amazon here, listen to it through Audible or buy it from Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

Scratch Beginnings: Me, $25, and the Search for the American Dream | Adam Shepard

“Rainy days sucked, but they made us appreciate the sunny days even more; bad tips made us appreciate the good ones; carrying a piano or a Trinitron TV made everything else appear feather-light.”

Adam Shepard

Check out my book summary of Scratch Beginnings: Me, $25, and the Search for the American Dream by Adam Shepard

Check it out on Amazon here, listen to it through Audible or buy it from Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

What Technology Wants | Kevin Kelly

“We are surrounded by the Technium; a global, massively interconnected system of technology vibrating around us. The Technium extends beyond shiny hardware to include culture, art, social institutions and intellectual creations of all types”

Kevin Kelly

Check out my book summary of What Technology Wants by Kevin Kelly

Check it out on Amazon here, listen to it through Audible or buy it from Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

The Life You Can Save: How to Do Your Part to End World Poverty | Peter Singer

“If you are paying for something to drink when safe drinking water comes out of the tap, you have money to spend on things you don’t really need.”

Peter Singer

Check out my book summary of The Life You Can Save: How to Do Your Part to End World Poverty by Peter Singer

Check it out on Amazon here, listen to it through Audible or buy it from Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

The Little Book of Common Sense Investing | John Bogle

“There are a few investment managers, of course, who are very good – though in the short run, it’s difficult to determine whether a great record is due to luck or talent. Most advisers, however, are far better at generating high fees than they are at generating high returns. In truth, their core competence is salesmanship. Rather than listen to their siren songs, investors – large and small – should instead read Jack Bogle’s The Little Book of Common Sense Investing.”

Warren Buffett, Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, 2014 Annual Shareholder Letter

Check out my book summary of The Little Book of Common Sense Investing by John Bogle

Check it out on Amazon here, listen to it through Audible or buy it from Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

Against Thrift: Why Consumer Culture is Good for the Economy, the Environment, and Your Soul | James Livingston

If our goal is to reproduce the economic growth of the postwar era, we need a redistribution of income that reduces corporate profits, raises wages, and promotes consumer spending

James Livingston

Check out my book summary of Against Thrift: Why Consumer Culture is Good for the Economy, the Environment, and Your Soul by James Livingston

Check it out on Amazon here, or listen to it through Audible

Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness | Richard H. Thaler, Cass R. Sunstein

“Opt-in pension schemes have participation rates of around 60 per cent, while otherwise identical opt-out funds retain between 90 and 95 per cent of employees.“

R. Thaler

Check out my book summary of Nudge Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness by Richard Thaler, Cass Sunstein

Check it out on Amazon here, listen to it through Audible or buy it from Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

The Seven Laws of Money | Mike Phillips

“One of the most enduring pieces of writing to emerge in the last thirty years on money, business, and livelihood. Whether you are broke, rich, needy, or simply coping, you will find here timeless wisdom coupled with common-sense advice”

Paul Hawken, on discussing ‘The Seven Laws of Money’

Check out my book summary of The Seven Laws of Money by Mike Phillips

Check it out on Amazon here, listen to it through Audible or buy it from Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

The Simple path to Wealth | J L Collins

“Statistics show that over fifteen years, the index actually beats something like 85% of active fund managers. Over thirty years, the number of active fund managers that can outperform the market is less than 1%. That is statistically insignificant”

J L Collins

JL Collins is one of the undisputed heavy weights of the personal finance industry. He presents his nonsense advice and blogs freely on the topic and about his journey to Financial Independence.

Check out my book summary of JL Collins’ the Simple Path to Wealth here

Check it out on Amazon here, listen to it through Audible or buy it from Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

Playing with FIRE | Scott Rieckens

“To the uninitiated, pursuing financial independence seems exotic, impossible, and/or daunting. But in fact, it is simple and has roots deep in the American psyche. If you wonder what this path is like in real life and in real time, Scott and Taylor will take you along on their journey: not yet finished, a work in progress, and a very engaging tale “

JL Collins

Check out my book summary of Playing with FIRE by Scott Rieckens

Check it out on Amazon here, listen to it through Audible or buy it from Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

Financial Freedom | Grant Sabatier

“Money is unlimited. Time is not. Become financially independence as fast as possible”

Grant Sabatier

Check out my book summary of Financial Freedom by Grant Sabatier

Check it out on Amazon here, listen to it through Audible or buy it from Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

Set for Life | Scott Trench

“True wealth is about building out a Financial Runway―creating enough readily accessible wealth that you can survive without work for a year. Then five years. Then for life.”

Scott Trench

Check out my book summary of Set for Life by Scott Trench

Check it out on Amazon here, listen to it through Audible or buy it from Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

Work Less Live More | Robert Clyatt

Work is better when you don’t need the money!

Mr Money Mustache

Check out my book summary of Work Less Live More: Semi retirement by Robert Clyatt

Check it out on Amazon here, or listen to it on Audible

How to Retire Early | Robert and Robin Charlton

“If you’ve ever dreamed of retiring early to travel the world, not to mention sleeping in on the occasional Monday simply because you can, then this book is for you. We retired from full-time work at the age of 43 and have been living the good life ever since”

The Charltons

Check out my book summary of How to Retire Early by Robert and Robin Charlton

Check it out on Amazon here, or buy on Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

Meet the Frugalwoods | Elizabeth Willard Thames

The deeply personal story of why award-winning personal finance blogger Elizabeth Willard Thames abandoned a successful career in the city and embraced extreme frugality in order to create a more meaningful, purpose-driven life and retire to a homestead in the woods at age thirty-two with her husband and daughter“.

Elizabeth W. Thames, describing her book

Check out my book summary of Meet the Frugalwoods by Elizabeth Willard Thames

Check it out on Amazon here, listen to it through Audible or buy it from Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

Quit Like a Millionaire | Kristy Shen, Bryce Leung, forward by JL Collins

“Kristy Shen retired with a million dollars at the age of thirty-one, and she did it without hitting a home run on the stock market, starting the next Snapchat in her garage, or investing in hot real estate “

New York Times, on ‘Quit like a Millionaire’

Check out my book summary of Quit Like a Millionaire by Kristy Shen, Bryce Leung, forward by JL Collins

Check it out on Amazon here, listen to it through Audible or buy it from Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

You Need A Budget | Jesse Mecham

“When you ask, What do I want my money to do for me? you’re deciding how you’ll use your money to get closer to the life you want.”

Jesse Mecham

Check out my book summary of You Need A Budget | Jesse Mecham

Check it out on Amazon here, listen to it through Audible or buy it from Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

Work Optional: Retire Early The Non-Penny-Pinching Way | Tanja Heste

“Work is a good and noble thing, something nearly every person ever born has had to do in some form, whether or not they were formally employed. [The point of this book is not to be anti-work but to] reclaim your life from our nonstop work culture so that you decide what role work will play in your life, instead of society deciding for you.”

Tanja Heste

Check out my book summary of Tanja Hester’s Work Optional: Retire Early the Non-Penny-Pinching way

Check it out on Amazon here, listen to it through Audible or buy it from Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

How to Retire Happy, Wild and Free | Ernie Zelinski

“The longer you work, the more money you’ll have for retirement. But the longer you work, the less time you’ll have to enjoy that retirement. — Wall Street Journal”

Ernie Zelinski

Check out my book summary of How to Retire Happy, Wild and Free by Ernie Zelinksi

Check it out on Amazon here, listen to it through Audible or buy it from Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

The Wealthy Barber: Everyone’s Common-Sense Guide to Becoming Financially Independent | David Chilton

“Pay yourself first. Take 10 per cent off every pay cheque as it comes in and invest it. Through the magic of compound interest, this 10 per cent will turn into a substantial nest egg over time.“

David Chilton

Check out my book summary of The Wealthy Barber: Everyone’s Common-Sense Guide to Becoming Financially Independent by David Chilton

Check it out on Amazon here, listen to it through Audible or buy it from Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

The Millionaire Mind | Thomas J. Stanley

“Most millionaires are not intellectually gifted in an analytical sense. They did not receive all As in school. That’s why they decided not to compete in macho dogfight environments where superior analytical intelligence is a requirement to succeed.”

Thomas Stanley

Check out my book summary of The Millionaire Mind by Thomas J. Stanley

Check it out on Amazon here, listen to it through Audible or buy it from Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

Stop Acting Rich | Thomas J. Stanley

“The less affluent have fallen into the elite luxury brand trap that keeps them from acquiring wealth. To get out of it, you must emulating the working rich as opposed to the super elite “

Thomas Stanley

Check out my book summary of Stop Acting Rich by Thomas J. Stanley

Check it out on Amazon here, listen to it through Audible or buy it from Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

The Elements of Investing | Burton Malkiel and Charles Ellis

“A disciplined approach to investing, complemented by understanding, is all you need to enjoy success.”

Malkiel and Ellis

Check out my book summary of The Elements of Investing by Burton Malkiel and Charles Ellis

Check it out on Amazon here, listen to it through Audible or buy it from Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

Common Sense on Mutual Funds | John Bogle

“Cogent, honest, and hard-hitting-a must read for every investor.”

Warren Buffett

Check out my book summary of Common Sense on Mutual Funds by John Bogle

Check it out on Amazon here, listen to it through Audible or buy it from Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

John Bogle on Investing | John Bogle

“Any investor who owns or is thinking of owning shares in a fund should read this book cover to cover.”

Warren Buffet, Chairman Berkshire Hathaway

Check out my book summary of John Bogle on Investing by John Bogle

Check it out on Amazon here, or buy it from Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

Trust Magic | Dale Gatherum Goss

Trust magic is a book written specifically about Australian Accounting, Taxation and Family law. It Specialises in Trusts and Trustees such as Discretionary (family) trusts and corporate structures.

Trust Magic provides an insight into the use of trusts in Australia, and how they can be used for Asset protection and sheltering, for example during property development or for high risk occupations like doctors. It is approximately 300 pages and fairly dry reading. The sixth edition, published in 2011 has some revisions from the first edition published in 2003. It appears the book is now discontinued, but if you are lucky there are still copies in circulation you might be able to get your hands on

Flash Boys | Michael Lewis

“The Justice Department, the FBI, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority had all been investigating High Frequency Trading firms and exchanges for violations of insider trading and other Wall Street rules

Michael Lewis

Check out my book summary of Flash Boys by Michael Lewis

Check it out on Amazon here, listen to it through Audible or buy it from Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

In defense of food | Michael Pollan

“Eat food, not too much, mostly plants”

Michael Pollan

Check out my book summary of In defense of food by Michael Pollan

Check it out online or follow the link here to Amazon , listen to it through Audible or buy it from Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

The China study | Dr Colin T Campbell

“Everything in food works together to either create health or disease”

Dr Colin Campbell

Check out my book summary of The China study by Dr Colin T Campbell

Check it out online or following the link here to Amazon, listen to it through Audible or buy it from Australia’s local bookstore Booktopia

How to Fail: Everything I’ve Ever Learned From Things Going Wrong | Elizabeth Day

“If I have learned one thing from this shockingly beautiful venture called life, it is this: failure has taught me lessons I would never otherwise have understood. Learning how to fail is actually learning how to succeed better – and everyone needs a bit of that.”

Elizabeth Day

Check out my book summary of How to Fail: Everything I’ve Ever Learned From Things Going Wrong by Elizabeth Day

You can check it out using the following links at Amazon, listen on Audible or alternatively on Booktopia – Australia’s local Bookstore.

Stillness is the key | Ryan Holiday

“We are overfed and undernourished. Overstimulated, over-scheduled, and lonely”

Ryan Holiday

Check out my book summary of Stillness is the key by Ryan Holiday

You can check it out using the following links at Amazon, Listen to it on Audible or alternatively on Booktopia – Australia’s local Bookstore.

Tiny house: live small, dream big | Clarkson Potter

“Tiny homes may be getting even tinier, but they aren’t going away. A new book offers an explanation.”

The New York Times

Check out my book summary of Tiny house: live small, dream big by Clarkson Potter

You can check it out using the following links at Amazon or alternatively on Booktopia – Australia’s local Bookstore.

Cashflow Quadrant | Robert Kiyosaki

As we grow in life, we should ‘work to learn, not to earn’ as we progress through the Cash-Flow quadrants to ultimately become an Investor

Captain FI

Check out my book summary of Robert Kiyosaki Rich Dad’s Cashflow Quadrant

You can check it out using the following links at Amazon, listen to it on Audible or alternatively on Booktopia – Australia’s local Bookstore.

The Happiness Advantage | Shawn Achor

“Happiness fuels success, not the other way around”

Sean Achor

Check out my book summary of The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor

You can check it out using the following links at Amazon, listen to it on Audible or alternatively on Booktopia – Australia’s local Bookstore.

Smashed Avocado | Nicole Haddow

“Buying a property isn’t easy. It’s not meant to be. It’s one of the biggest financial decisions you’ll make in your life. But it is worth it . . . it’s hard, there will be shit bits, but it’s not impossible“

Nicole Haddow

Check out my book summary of Smashed Avocado by Nicole Haddow

You can check it out using the following links at Amazon or alternatively on Booktopia – Australia’s local Bookstore.

2040 A handbook for the regeneration | Damon Gameau

“Climate change is a practical problem that can be tackled by each of us, one small step at a time, and that we can make a genuine difference – if we know what to do”

Damon Gameau

Check out my book summary of 2040 A handbook for the regeneration by Damon Gameau

If you want to get your own copy, You can check it out using the following links at Amazon or alternatively on Booktopia – Australia’s local Bookstore.

Chillpreneur | Denise Duffield-Thomas

“Feeling burned out by your business? Sick of the ‘hustle and grind’ culture of your industry? There’s a better way! Get over your perfectionism and embrace the flow of the Chillpreneur“

Denise Duffield-Thomas

Check out my book summary of Chillpreneur by Denise Duffield-Thomas

You can check it out using the following links at Amazon, listen to it on Audible or alternatively on Booktopia – Australia’s local Bookstore.

Spenditude | Paul Gordon and Janine Robertson

“In a world where change is constant, FOMO is prevalent, and social media’s influence is unmistakable, there has never been a better time to take stock of your spenditude and put your financial future squarely in your own hands”

Paul Gordon and Janine Robertson

Check out my book summary of Spenditude by Paul Gordon and Janine Robertson

You can check it out using the following links at Amazon or alternatively on Booktopia – Australia’s local Bookstore.

The Zero waste home | Bea Johnson

“refuse what you do not need; reduce what you do need; reuse what you consume; recycle what you cannot refuse, reduce, or reuse; and rot (compost) the rest.”

Bea Johnson

Check out my book summary of The Zero waste home by Bea Johnson

You can check it out using the following links at Amazon, listen to it on Audible or alternatively on Booktopia – Australia’s local Bookstore.

The Slight Edge | Jeff Olson

“Any time you see what looks like a breakthrough, it is always the end result of a long series of little things, done consistently over time.”

Jeff Olson

Check out my book summary of The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson

You can check it out at Amazon, listen to it on Audible or alternatively on Booktopia – Australia’s local Bookstore.

Retired Inspired | Chris Hogan

“Typical millionaires aren’t trying to keep up with anyone else, and they don’t care about impressing people. They’re just living their lives, taking care of themselves and their families, and quietly serving other people. That’s why most of their neighbours would be shocked to learn how wealthy they are.”

Chris Hogan

You can check it out at Amazon, or alternatively on Booktopia – Australia’s local Bookstore.

Simple Wealth, Inevitable Wealth | Nick Murray

“Build wealth by being an owner and not a loaner”

Nick Murray

Simple Wealth Inevitable Wealth explains how you can grow your wealth by investing in stock mutual funds. Murray champions owning stock via regular investing in a diversified suite of mutual funds, as opposed to investing in fixed interest like bonds. Murray explains how these two investment classes work, and dispells the myth that common stock is riskier than bonds through the lens of volatility and investment timeframe

You can check it out at Amazon

Boundaries – When to say Yes, How to say No | Dr Henry Cloud and Dr John Townsend

“We can’t manipulate people into swallowing our boundaries by sugarcoating them. Boundaries are a “litmus test” for the quality of our relationships. Those people in our lives who can respect our boundaries will love our wills, our opinions, our separateness. Those who can’t respect our boundaries are telling us that they don’t love our nos. They only love our yeses, our compliance. “I only like it when you do what I want.”

Dr Henry Cloud

Boundaries is about learning to be more confident with your time management, prioritisation and interactions with other people in both your personal and professional (career) lives. In Boundaries, Henry Cloud and John Townsend talk about the various types of boundaries (such as physical, mental, emotional, spiritual) and how these limits can be effectively set to improve your life.

You can check it out at Amazon, listen to it on Audible or alternatively on Booktopia – Australia’s local Bookstore.

The top 5 regrets of the dying | Bronnie Ware

“Life doesn’t owe us anything. We only owe ourselves, to make the most of the life we are living, of the time we have left, and to live in gratitude.”

Bronnie Ware

You can check it out at Amazon, listen to it on Audible or alternatively on Booktopia – Australia’s local Bookstore.

How I found Freedom in an Unfree World | Harry Browne

“The answer is simple: You are you, the person who will live with the consequences of what you do. No one else can be responsible, because no one else will experience the consequences of your actions as you will.”

Harry Browne

You can check it out at Amazon, listen to it on Audible

Retire Early with Real Estate | Chad Carson

Are you stuck in the rut of a 9-to-5 job? Would you like to do more with your life than just work to pay the bills? Proven real estate strategies to retire early, escape the 9-to-5 work grind, and do more with your life!

Chad Carson

You can check it out at Amazon, listen to it on Audible or alternatively on Booktopia – Australia’s local Bookstore.

Millionaire Teacher: The nine rules of wealth you should have learned in school | Andrew Hallam

“Many have jeopardised their own pursuit of wealth or financial independence for the allusion of looking wealthy instead of being wealthy

Andrew Hallam

You can check it out at Amazon, listen to it on Audible or alternatively on Booktopia – Australia’s local Bookstore.

The Economics book: Big Ideas Simply Explained | DK Publishing

What happens in a recession? How does money work? Why do we pay taxes? Economics affects every aspect of our lives, from how we get to work to where we spend our money-and big economic ideas continue to shape the world.

DK Publishing

This book is best suited to an economics students or those wanting to learn more about the basics of economics, covering 100 of the biggest ideas in current economic theory and practice.

You can check it out at Amazon, listen to it on Audible or alternatively on Booktopia – Australia’s local Bookstore.

Further reading

If you have any suggestions for further reading, drop a comment below or inbox me with any of your recent great reads! I always ask anyone I interview to provide me their favourite and most influential books, so I can collate the best reading list for those wanting to reach financial independence.

• Start with why by Simon Sinek
• The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod
• Money School by Lacey Filipich
• The Subtle Art of not to give a F*** by Mark Manson
• Everything is F***ed by Mark Manson
• What they don’t teach you at Harvard business school
• Louise hay – you can heal your life.
• Unlimited power by Tony Robbins.
• Awaken the giant within by Tony Robbins.

This list contains affiliate links to Amazon and Booktopia – if you wish to buy any of these books this blog will earn small commission