19 books to read if you want to get rich

"Shark Tank" investor Kevin O'Leary keeps it simple in "Cold Hard Truth on Men, Women, and Money." His advice boils down to three key points: Don't spend too much. Mostly Save. Always Invest.

He gears each chapter towards a specific stage in life, and gives straightforward tips to implement and changes to make to avoid debt, save money, and effectively invest.

The self-made millionaire followed up on this financial guide with a second book, "Cold Hard Truth on Family, Kids, and Money."

Author Thomas Corley spent five years studying the lives of both rich people and poor people, and managed to segment out what he calls "rich habits" and "poverty habits," meaning the tendencies of those who fit in each group. In "Rich Habits," he outlines his findings.

Habits take a while to build, and the earlier you start, the better. If something as simple as regular exercise and calling friends on their birthdays can increase your chances of attaining wealth, what have you got to lose?

Napoleon Hill, a Great Depression-era author and former adviser to President Franklin D. Roosevelt, interviewed over 500 successful people to figure out the key to their good fortune. He shared his insights in "Think and Grow Rich," one of the best-selling books of all time.

Hill's six-step plan to building wealth is based on deciding exactly how much money you aim to earn and what you're willing to do to get it (it's not as ominous as it sounds).

In "The Thin Green Line: The Money Secrets of the Super-Wealthy," author Paul Sullivan makes a distinction between being rich and being wealthy, and explains why it's more important to be "wealthy."

Rich people, he says, have a lot of money. Wealthy people have the security that comes with knowing how to manage however much money they do have so that they'll still have money tomorrow.

Through profiles of real families and rich individuals, he explains why this is so important.

Entrepreneur and author Ramit Sethi lays out a practical, six-week personal finance program for people who want to master their money with the least amount of effort and then get on with their lives.

"I Will Teach You To Be Rich" centers around the four principles of personal finance — banking, saving, budgeting, and investing — and is particularly appealing to the younger generation with its easy-to-read, no-holds-barred language.

"The Little Book of Common Sense Investing," endorsed by Warren Buffett, tells you specifically how to use index funds to build wealth.

Bogle, founder of the Vanguard Group and creator of the world's first index fund, explains why these relatively straightforward vehicles can be so effective — and warns against investment fads and fashions.

Multimillionaire Robert Kiyosaki tells the story of two dads — his own, and the father of his best friend — in his personal finance classic "Rich Dad, Poor Dad."

His definition of wealth places significantly more weight on the money you have saved for tomorrow — whether for retirement, emergencies, or major events and purchases — than the money you have available to spend today.

His philosophy worked for "Shark Tank" investor Daymond John, who said the book changed his life.

William Bernstein, cofounder of investment management firm Efficient Frontier Advisors, originally published "If You Can: How Millennials Can Get Rich Slowly" as an ebook for 99 cents on Amazon (and made it available for free on his website).

The quick read details how people early in their careers can retire comfortably with $1 million in the bank if they take a few critical steps.

You can get a preview of his thoughts in the article he published on Business Insider.

Financial guru Dave Ramsey doesn't shower his reader with quick fixes in "The Total Money Makeover." He provides a bold approach to finance matters and gets to the bottom of money problems: you.

Along the way, he debunks many money myths and attacks the idea of the American Dream.

Several success stories back up Ramsey's simple, no-nonsense approach, including a couple who paid off $110,000 of debt in two years and a family who got into $109,000 of credit card debt while earning six figures ... and then paid it off in four years.

The New York Times columnist, author, and financial planner boils down his wisdom into black-and-white "napkin sketches" — little bits of insight that you could reproduce with a marker and a napkin — in "The One-Page Financial Plan."

A financial plan is one of the first steps on the road to wealht, and just as the title reveals, your financial plan can be as short as a single page. Get a preview of his insights with the sketches he published on Business Insider.

We all want to know the secret to getting rich — the one thing we can do to become a millionaire. In "The Automatic Millionaire," David Bach reveals his take on that enticing secret.

The bestselling author starts with the story of an average American couple who manage to own two debt-free homes, send two kids to college, and retire at the age of 55 with over $1 million dollars in savings.

You'll have to read to find out how they did it.

Billionaire investor Bill Ackman is one of countless Wall Street power players who cite "The Intelligent Investor" as a book that changed their life.

Published by Warren Buffett's mentor Benjamin Graham in 1949, it's an in-depth introduction to value investing.

Even if the industry you work in is far removed from finance, Graham's advice will help you make the most of your money in the long term.

Celebrity life coach Tony Robbins has spent the past 30 years reaching millions through his books, audio lessons, and presentations. His personal coaching clients include former president Bill Clinton and legendary investor Paul Tudor Jones, and it was partially his relationship with Jones that inspired him to write "Master the Game."

Robbins interviewed 50 of the world's top financial minds to gather advice for investors of any skill level. The book includes insight from billionaire investors like Ray Dalio and Carl Icahn.

Peter Lynch made a name for himself when he turned Fidelity Investments' tiny Magellan Fund into one of the biggest and most dominant equity mutual funds in history. And his book, "One Up on Wall Street," is widely considered a classic.

Pershing Square Capital Management's founder, Bill Ackman, was such a fan that he requires all of his analysts to read it.

Burton Malkiel's classic guide to investing has been established as the go-to book to buy when starting a portfolio.

In "A Random Walk Down Wall Street," the Princeton professor takes on a number of investing strategies, axioms, truisms, and superstitions, explaining why low-cost index funds will serve the individual investor better than any other strategy for choosing stocks.

Lawrence Cunningham arranges 700+ pages of Warren Buffett's letters and notes into a coherent narrative that gives a clearer picture of the billionaire's philosophies on business, investing, and life.

"The Essays of Warren Buffett" is full of gems, but centers around one core concept: the difference between price and value.

It's another book that Pershing Square Capital Management founder Bill Ackman requires his analysts to study.

"Elements of Investing" is a must-read, straight-talking book for anyone saving for retirement in a 401K, IRA, or brokerage account.

Malkiel and Ellis keep it short and easy to read, while still covering all the basics you need to get started as an investor. The two great financial thinkers show that investing is one of the only things in life where hard work leads to worse results.

In "The Investment Answer," Goldie and Murray provide a general guide to investing by focusing on five decisions every investor has to make. These include whether to invest alone or with a professional; how to allocate among stocks, bonds, and cash; and when to sell or buy assets.

The Wall Street veteran, Murray, and financial adviser, Goldie, keep their guide brief and jargon-free for any investor — experienced, beginner, and everyone in between.

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