- The alchemist – “Everyone seems to have a clear idea of how other people should lead their lives, but none about his or her own.” – Paulo Coelho. The alchemist is a book about a boy’s journey to find treasure. This book gives me perspective on how to look at my life and goals. I have goals that I want to reach, but the journey there is what truly matters.
- The Richest Man in Babylon – A series of short stories from ancient times. It’s amazing how these stories still apply to how we should manage our finances today. The most powerful anecdote I took from this book was “Why would I take jewel advice from a stone maker?”. This basically means, if someone doesn’t work in an area, take their advice with a grain of salt. When someone that owns no rentals gives you rental advice, how much is that advice is truly worth? This book gave me the philosophy of pay yourself first. It helped build my strong saving habit.
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban – How can you not enjoy the wizarding world and Hogwarts? The impossible is possible. Magic is real. I recently reread the whole series. I forgot how much better the books are then the movies. My favorite is the third book because when I first read it the twist took me completely by surprise.
- The Fountainhead – The theme is about one person’s drive for their craft, through learning and work. Regardless of what society keeps telling them, they have a vision of what to build. There are established practices that will not accept any innovation. The main character sticks to his design and will not succumb to the crowd.