# Favorite Personal Finance Books



## JF. (Apr 3, 2009)

What is your favorite personal finance book?

I don't have a favorite right now since most of the books I've read are more business books (4-Hour Workweek).

One personal finance book I've read was _Rich by Thirty: A Young Adult's Guide to Financial Success_ by Lesley Scorgie. Didn't like it. Didn't learn anything. It's all very very basic principles.

So I'm looking for suggestions on what to read.


----------



## CanadianCapitalist (Mar 31, 2009)

I've read pretty much every personal finance book out there and I agree with your opinion on _Rich by Thirty_. I wrote about my favourite books sometime back on the blog. If there is one more book I could add to the list, it would be _The Richest Man in Babylon_. My favourites remain _The Wealthy Barber_ and _The Millionaire Next Door_.

*My Top Ten Money Books*


----------



## mrcheap (Apr 4, 2009)

The Wealthy Barber is the book I recommend to friends who are trying to learn more about personal finance.


----------



## fifi (Apr 3, 2009)

Your Money or Your Life, no question. Makes you think about what's really important in life. I think a nice consecutive read would be that book, and then The Millionaire Next Door, an interesting read about who the rich really are. 

Good post, makes me want to re-read some oldies!

fifi


----------



## Northern Engineer (Apr 3, 2009)

I second (or third or wherever we are) *The Wealthy Barber*, and I really like *The Richest Man in Babylon*, too. I liked several bits of * The Total Money Make-Over* by Dave Ramsey, though I thought his ideas were a bit more strict than was necessary. He made some good points, and I considered most or all of them before rejecting some.

I imagine this will be an unpopular one, but *Rich Dad, Poor Dad* was the first finance book I ever read, and while it wasn't really informative, it was accessible to someone with no idea where to start, and it is what inspired me to read more and set the goals I'm aiming for now.


----------



## Financial Highway (Apr 3, 2009)

I also liked Dave Bach's "Automatic Millionaire" specially for those just starting, I thought it was very simple and straight forward.


----------



## The_Number (Apr 3, 2009)

My very first one was "When I grow up I'm going to be a millionaire" by Ted and Lora Lea (out of print now). I also read "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" when I first started, and I liked their persuasive redefinitions of "asset" as "something that brings in money" and "liability" as "something that takes money out."

But my favorite so far has to be "The Two Income Trap" by Elizabeth Warren and Amelia Tyagi. I like personal financing books that are grounded in empirical research and show a lot of data meaningfully to make a point.

I don't know if anyone else is bothered by this, but I found many of the personal financing book writers to be terrible writers, and I could not stand their writing even though they had some good points (Patronizing and condescending tones particularly annoy me.) Some examples are "The Good Debt, Bad Debt" by Jon Hanson (I like his concept of "burn rate"), "Your Money or Your Life" by Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez (I like their concept of calculating money in terms of time), and "Automatic Millionaire" by David Bach.


----------



## flayto (Apr 4, 2009)

Not really a personal finance book, but I recently read "After the Crash" by Garth Turner. It's more of a commentary on the current state of the economy from a Canadian perspective and how to prepare for the worst possible scenario if the real estate market and the banks go the way of the U.S. markets. It's kind of doom and gloom, but there's some good, practical information on protecting your money if things get really bad.

Another one I just read and liked was "The Motley Fool Million Dollar Portfolio" by David and Tom Gardner. Good information on buying quality stocks and building a portfolio using Index ETF's.


----------



## Four Pillars (Apr 5, 2009)

I really liked "Smoke and Mirrors" - it was the first book I read of that type which is probably why it made the biggest impression.


----------



## MoneyEnergy (Apr 5, 2009)

*Kiyosaki's books were great for me*

...even though I know so many people have a problem with *Robert Kiyosaki*. I was young when I first picked them up and they were great inspiration. And in fact they do go into some great detail. If you want big picture, conceptual help, this is the way to go.

*Cashflow Quadrant*, by Robert Kiyosaki


----------



## CanadianMoneyBlogger (Apr 4, 2009)

For beginners, I found Personal Finance for Canadians For Dummies (Eric Tyson and Tony Martin) to give an accessible and broad overview of personal finance issues (debt, saving, insurance, investing). If you're more interested in investing, I recommend The Little Book of Common Sense Investing by John Bogle and The Four Pillars of Investing by William Bernstein.


----------



## moneygardener (Apr 3, 2009)

Has anyone read "Your Money or Your Life"? Is it worth the read?


----------



## CJB (Apr 4, 2009)

I will also second (third? fourth?) The Wealthy Barber as the book that kicked everything off for me.


----------



## CanadianCapitalist (Mar 31, 2009)

moneygardener said:


> Has anyone read "Your Money or Your Life"? Is it worth the read?


I read it many years back. It might be an eye-opener for profligate consumer but if you are already frugal, you may find little of interest. I would say it is at least worth checking out once.


----------



## FrugalTrader (Oct 13, 2008)

moneygardener said:


> Has anyone read "Your Money or Your Life"? Is it worth the read?


Funny that you ask that, that's the book on my night table as we speak. It's all about money psychology and how society uses money. I'm enjoying it thus far, you should be able to find it in your local library.


----------



## The_Number (Apr 3, 2009)

moneygardener said:


> Has anyone read "Your Money or Your Life"? Is it worth the read?


I already said this, but I couldn't stand their writing. I was offended by the manner in which the writers address the reader as an ignorant and wasteful spender.


----------



## PMREdmonton (Apr 6, 2009)

I liked "The Little Book of Common Sense Investing" by John Bogle.


----------



## Hodge (Apr 4, 2009)

Unfortunately, "The Wealthy Barber" appears to currently be out of print. 

Since it was originally published back in the 80's and has apparently gone through 70 or 80 print runs, I was wondering if later editions contain any significant additions or revisions from earlier eds. It's easier to find used copies dating from the mid-90's that it is to find more recent copies


----------



## CanadianCapitalist (Mar 31, 2009)

It turns out the classic personal finance book, _The Richest Man in Babylon_ is now in the public domain and you can download a copy from Preet's website:

*Download The Richest Man in Babylon For Free (Here)*


----------



## Jon Chevreau (Apr 4, 2009)

Here's a two-page list of the books listed in the appendix my own financial novel, Findependence Day:

Good Debt, Bad Debt, Jon Hanson, Penguin 2005.

The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America’s Wealthy, Thomas Stanley and William Danko, Longstreet Press, 1996. 

Beyond Work: How Accomplished People Retire Successfully, Bill Roiter, Wiley 2008.

The New Retirement: How it Will Change Our Future, Sherry Cooper, Penguin Canada 2007.

How I stopped worrying about retirement (without alcohol, nicotine, caffeine or other artificial stimulants), Bruce McDougall, Prentice Hall Canada Inc., 2001. 

How to Retire Happy Wild and Free. Ernie Zelinksi, Ten Speed Press, 2004.

How Much is Enough? Balancing Today’s Needs with Tomorrow’s Retirement Goals, Diane McCurdy, McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 2001.

The Number: A Completely Different Way to Think About the Rest of Your Life, Lee Eisenberg, Simon & Schuster, 2006.

Conserving Client Portfolios During Retirement, William Bengen, FPA Press, 2006.

Are You a Stock or a Bond? Create Your Own Pension Plan for a Secure Financial Future, Moshe Milevsky, FT Press, 2008.

Mathematics: Making Financial Decisions 11, McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 2001.

Stocks for the Long Run, Jeremy Siegel, McGraw Hill, 2002 (4th ed).

Multiple Streams of Income: How to Generate a Lifetime of Unlimited Wealth, Robert Allen, Wiley & Sons 2005.

Your Money or Your Life: Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Achieving Financial Independence, Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin, Penguin 1999. 

Stumbling on Happiness, Daniel Gilbert. Vintage Canada 2007. 

Am I Going to be OK? Achieving Financial Comfort in Today’s World, Francis D’Andrade, Per Capita Publishing 2006.

The Wisdom of Insecurity, Alan Watts. Vintage ed, 1968.

The Wealthy Barber: The Common Sense Guide to Successful Financial Planning, David Chilton, Stoddart 1989.

The Richest Man in Babylon, George S. Clason, Signet 2004. 

The Automatic Millionaire: A Powerful One-Step Plan to Live and Finish Rich, David Bach, Broadway Books 2003. 

Financial Freedom Without Sacrifice, Talbot Stevens, Financial Success Strategies, 1993. 

The Cottage, the Spider Brooch and the Second Wife: How to Overcome the Challenges of Estate Planning, Sandy Cardy, ECW Press, 2004.
The Four Pillars of Investing: Lessons for Building a Winning Portfolio, William Bernstein, McGraw Hill, 2002. 
Unconventional Success: A Fundamental Approach to Personal Investment, David Swensen, Simon & Schuster, 2005.

The Empowered Investor: A Guide to Building Better Porfolios, Keith Matthews (2nd edition); Book Coach Press, 2008.

What Wall Street Doesn’t Want You to Know: How you can Build Real Wealth Investing in Index Funds, Larry Swedroe, St. Martin’s Press, 2004.

Common Sense on Mutual Funds: New Imperatives for the Intelligent Investor, John Bogle, John Wiley & Sons, 1999. 

The New Investment Frontier III, Howard Atkinson with Donna Green, Insomniac Press, 2005.

Index Funds: The 12-Step Program for Active Investors; Mark Hebner, Index Fund Advisors Inc., 2003.

The Intelligent Investor, Benjamin Graham, 2003 Collins edition updated by Jason Zweig.

Asset Dedication: How to Grow Wealthy with the Next Generation of Asset Allocation, Stephen J. Huxley & J. Brent Burns, McGraw Hill Professional, 2004.

No Hype: The Straight Goods on Investing, Gail Bebee, The Ganneth Company, 2008. 

This is listed as "A Peek at Theo's Library." For more info, see www.financialpost.com/fd


----------



## Tim (Apr 3, 2009)

Your Money or Your Life is a worthwide read for most people. I bought a revised copy around Christmas since I borrowed the book a few times from the library I thought I just wanted a reference copy. 

I personally found the "how much are you really working for" calculation entertaining to do. It helped point me towards valuing my time more in life.


----------



## Canadian Finance (Apr 3, 2009)

*KPMG's Tax Planning for You and Your Family*

It may not be the most fun book to read but it's a great book for anyone doing their own taxes. It’s not the kind of guide that shows you how to complete your taxes. It's more about planning and structuring things to be as tax efficient as possible and shows you all the tax deductions that may be applicable to you.


----------



## paulkoshy (Apr 6, 2009)

This is may not technically be personal finance, but I just recently read a book called _Rich like Them_. The author travels around the US to the top 100 most aflluent postal codes and literally knocks on doors to find out how those people got to where they are financially. It was pretty interesting.


----------



## CheckingIn (Apr 4, 2009)

Jon Chevreau said:


> No Hype: The Straight Goods on Investing, Gail Bebee, The Ganneth Company, 2008.
> 
> This is listed as "A Peek at Theo's Library." For more info, see www.financialpost.com/fd


I just picked this up from the library 20 minutes ago... Looking forward to reading it.


----------



## lb71 (Apr 3, 2009)

Canadian Finance said:


> *KPMG's Tax Planning for You and Your Family*
> 
> It may not be the most fun book to read but it's a great book for anyone doing their own taxes. It’s not the kind of guide that shows you how to complete your taxes. It's more about planning and structuring things to be as tax efficient as possible and shows you all the tax deductions that may be applicable to you.


Another option is CGA Ontario's Personal Tax Planning Guide (it does discuss federal taxes though for non-Ontario residents):
http://www.cga-ontario.org/contentfiles/publications_promotions/ptp08.pdf


----------



## smihaila (Apr 6, 2009)

Four Pillars said:


> I really liked "Smoke and Mirrors" - it was the first book I read of that type which is probably why it made the biggest impression.


I liked that book, too.


----------



## smihaila (Apr 6, 2009)

CanadianCapitalist said:


> I read it many years back. It might be an eye-opener for profligate consumer but if you are already frugal, you may find little of interest. I would say it is at least worth checking out once.


Regarding "Your money or your life", I liked those sections about the American industrial revolution and also that "financial comfort curve".


----------



## smihaila (Apr 6, 2009)

Other financial books that I liked:

-Get Control Of Your Money - Gordon Pape (I know the guy is controversial, but some of his books on financial planning are actually good).

-The Canadian Mortgage Book - the same G. Pape 

-Money 101- Ellen Roseman (but not the Money 201 - the next book).

-The perfect mortgage - Alan Silverstein

-The Pension Puzzle - Bruce Cohen

-Take your money and run - Alex Doulis

-The Future for Investors - Jeremy Siegel

-A Random Walk down Wall street

-A history of Canadian wealth

-The Wall Street Jungle - Richard Ney

-The Wall Street Gang - Richard Ney

-Contrarian investment strategies - David Dreman

-Rule #1 - Phil Town (a bit with a grain of salt, but I liked the concept of big institutional investors seen as a big boat which when move cannot avoid making waves)

-Insurance Logic - Moshe A. Milevsky

-What Wall Street doesn't want you to know
-The Money Adviser
-The Naked investor
-The single best investment
-All about divident investing
-Protect your nest egg
-The Battle for Investment Survival
-Straight talk on Investing
-Empire of Debt
-The five rules for succesful stock investing
-Goodbye Canada
-How to pay less and save more for yourself
-Rational investing in irrational times.


----------



## smihaila (Apr 6, 2009)

What I *didn't* personally like:

-The four pillars of investing (strange, but didn't like it)
-All about asset allocation
-Why smart people make big money mistakes
-ETFs - The new Investment frontier
-Beyond the Random Walk
-The Informed Investor
-Money 201
-The millionaire mind
-The millionaire next door
-Eight Steps to Seven Figures
-Stocks for the long run
-Bull's eye investing
-Safe strategies for financial freedom
-Unconventional success
-Buffet: the making of an american capitalist
-Where are the customers' Yachts?
-The big investment lie
-Raising your business
-Retiring wealthy in the 21st century
-Irrational exuberance (yes, I didn't like it  )
-The professional FInancial advisor
-Fear, Greed and the End of Rainbow
-Investing in REITs
-The undercover economist


----------



## rebel_ins (Apr 6, 2009)

My favorites are:

- Get a Financial Life
- The Millionaire Next Door
- A Random Walk Down Wall Street
- The Four Pillars of Investing
- All About Asset Allocation

I own more personal finance/investing books but these are the ones that I find myself referring to the most (or even rereading).

Asset Dedication sounds very interesting. I am gonna check it out.


----------



## Rickson9 (Apr 9, 2009)

JF. said:


> What is your favorite personal finance book?
> 
> I don't have a favorite right now since most of the books I've read are more business books (4-Hour Workweek).
> 
> ...


I have found many books useful at different times during my life (since my knowledge changes over time), they include:

1. One Up On Wall Street (Peter Lynch)
2. The Warren Buffett Way (Robert Hagstrom)
3. The Interpretation of Financial Statements (Benjamin Graham)

I read the first when I was 15, the second when I was 22 and the final one when I was 26.

I haven't read anything recently that has changed me fundamentally, although I did enjoy Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki for its entertainment value.


----------



## takingprofits (Apr 13, 2009)

An enlightening book I purchased recently is "A Short History of Financial Euphoria" by the late John Kenneth Galbraith (a Canuck!).

The book reviews the major speculative episodes/crashes from the 17th century to the 1980's and asks the question - "How can people be so willing to get caught up in the mania of speculation when history tells us that a collapse is sure to follow?"

We just did it again


----------



## Rickson9 (Apr 9, 2009)

takingprofits said:


> An enlightening book I purchased recently is "A Short History of Financial Euphoria" by the late John Kenneth Galbraith (a Canuck!).
> 
> The book reviews the major speculative episodes/crashes from the 17th century to the 1980's and asks the question - "How can people be so willing to get caught up in the mania of speculation when history tells us that a collapse is sure to follow?"
> 
> We just did it again


... and it will continue to happen; which is great because it is the only way my wife and I know of to build wealth - do nothing during bulls, buy everything during bears.


----------



## tJ3l33s (Apr 7, 2009)

Thanks to *CC* for including Larry MacDonald’s *Bad Apple Review* of financial advisors in today’s edition of *This and That*. In a broader context, the first book of investing we should all read is *The Naked Investor* by John Reynolds.


----------



## blackjacques (Apr 3, 2009)

*More finance books*

I loved the "how much are you really working for" calculation in "Your Money or your Life". It showed me that, when I adjusted my rates for what I thought I was really worth, no employer could afford me! LOL

Regarding the favorite books, no one mentioned my fave:

Value Averaging, by Michael E. Edleson

I also just finished "The Single Best Investment: Creating Wealth with Dividend Growth". Great book.

I would also highly recommend "Fooled By Randomness: The Hidden Role of Chance in Life and in the Markets".

Rob


----------



## Babyanne (Apr 18, 2009)

*Derek Foster Books?*

I wonder why no one has mentioned the Derek Foster books. Although they are basic the are also chalk full of common sense and good advise (except for the last one in my opinion). Options trading is a scary business especially now (not something he could have known when writing the book but still) I consider myself a fairly knowledgeable investor and had a hard time understanding even the basics of that form of investing.

The rest of the books (Stop Working and the Lazy Investor) are very good and worth the quick read they are. 

Just my 2 cents (CAD)


----------



## takingprofits (Apr 13, 2009)

I did enjoy the first two Foster books and his strategy has a lot of attraction in up markets. I have to tell you though that the excitement of getting a 4% dividend abates somewhat when the stock loses 40% and the possibility of recovering that drawdown may be years away.

I began reading his latest book "Money for Nothing" but put it aside for now when I got to the part where he describes his strategy for options on BNS. I could only think "poor bugger" - as he would have lost his shirt when the market dropped...


----------



## Kathryn (Apr 10, 2009)

Your Money or Your Life
The Automatic Millionaire
Smart Couples Finish Rich
Motley Fool: You Have More than You Think
Motley Fool: Investment Guide
The Wealthy Barber (a little outdated now)
Total Money Makeover (a little simplistic but a GREAT start to a beginner)


----------



## apples (Apr 10, 2009)

mine are (good books repeat themselves):

Four pillars of investing
The pension puzzel
The naked investor
Random walk down wallstreets
The millionaire next door
David Bach's "...Finish rich" series


----------



## iherald (Apr 18, 2009)

The one I have read the most is the Millionaire Next Door. It's nice to read of 'normal' people who are successful, but I've read most of the big books. I've probably used the principals of the Automatic Millionaire the most (well I used the principal once and it 'automatically' continues).


----------



## whitegoodman (Apr 22, 2009)

*On a darker note*

First book on finance ( well about finance ) that I ever read was Fleecing the Lamb .... put me off stock investing for years !! 

wg


----------



## Jademonkey (Apr 8, 2009)

takingprofits said:


> I did enjoy the first two Foster books and his strategy has a lot of attraction in up markets. I have to tell you though that the excitement of getting a 4% dividend abates somewhat when the stock loses 40% and the possibility of recovering that drawdown may be years away.
> 
> I began reading his latest book "Money for Nothing" but put it aside for now when I got to the part where he describes his strategy for options on BNS. I could only think "poor bugger" - as he would have lost his shirt when the market dropped...


His latest book(Money for Nothing) is scary. There have been a few times recently where I was asked something about investing, and inevitably the person says they are reading that book and want to know about options investing. I do everything I possibly can to convince the person to stay away from options until they spend alot more time researching and understanding how options really work(I then show them books like Benjamin Graham's Security Analysis, or my textbooks from advanced finance courses etc and say read this first, just to scare them off). 

I don't like Derek Foster and I think his books are very dangerous for the average person, as it makes them believe they can make $x with no risk, when in reality Foster dumped his entire portfolio after taking huge losses. Plus the fact that the amount of $$ he had accumulated at 32, IMO would not have been enough for him to live on had he not begun writing books and made money that way. 

Saying this, by far my favourite book that I recommend to anyone asking about investing is The Wealthy Barber, followed by One up on Wall Street by Peter Lynch(Lynch's other books are good as well, not for investing strategies but more for how the market works). The more informative books I've read are both The Intelligent Investor and Security Analysis by Benjamin Graham. Very difficult reads at times but you can learn alot.


----------



## AshleyT (May 1, 2009)

Many good suggestions above. I have read many of them. I would rank my top 5 as follows:

Random Walk Down Wallstreet - Malkiel

Your Money or Your Life - Dominguez

The Four Pillars of Investing - B Bernstein

Winning the Loser's Game - Ellis

Your Money and Your Brain - Zweig


----------



## MoneyEnergy (Apr 5, 2009)

If you already know the arguments for index investing, then Random Walk Down Wall Street might provide some very dry, dull reading. That's what happened to me when I finally picked it up after years of otherwise hearing about index investing being better (which I agree with). 

And after the recommendation of Four Pillars, I'm going to check out Bernstein's book too.


----------



## Retired at 31 (Apr 20, 2009)

Not a true personal finance book per se, but Atlas Shrugged is a great read about capitalism.

Your money or your life, the 4 hour work week, random walk, your money and your brain, dhando, and everything about buffet are all on my bookshelf.


----------



## Mockingbird (Apr 29, 2009)

CJB said:


> I will also second (third? fourth?) The Wealthy Barber as the book that kicked everything off for me.


Ditto and never looked back..


----------



## rmcohen (Apr 10, 2009)

The first personal finance book I read after regularly reading their columns in the Toronto Star was:

*The Portfolio Doctor* - David Cruise and Alison Griffiths

They introduced me to Eric Kirzner's Easy Chair portfolio, and the book gives you a great step-by-step walk through of researching funds on Morningstar.


----------



## canabiz (Apr 4, 2009)

Are there any books about Real Estate/Investment Property/Being a Landlord that you guys can recommend ? preferably with a Canadian perspective.

I have heard good reviews about Gary Keller's *The millionaire real estate investor* and another poster in the Real Estate section recommended another book that specifically talk about the landlord experience so I intend to grab those 2 and check them out.

Just wondering if there's anything else out there?


----------



## carrycoins (Jul 25, 2011)

*Personal Finance Books*

Agreed with the post regarding personal finance book by Scorgie.
Seems alot of people write but they are simply the creation of some brilliant marketer.
Not everyone lives their life in a bubble, writing about real life the challenges a family or individual goes thourgh and how to deal with these and still become financially secure is what Canadians and North Americans are looking for.
Most fmailies dont have any extra money left at the end of the month, what they really need is common sense how to get through these issues and how to balance these budgets and use common sense. Teach them to resist todays marketing that is pushed at them 24 X 7 to buy buy buy. They want to learn and read from someone who had to deal with the same problesm they have had to, some that that had to walk their walk in life.


----------



## rookie (Mar 19, 2010)

Jon Chevreau said:


> Here's a two-page list of the books listed in the appendix my own financial novel, Findependence Day:
> 
> Good Debt, Bad Debt, Jon Hanson, Penguin 2005.
> 
> ...


Jon,

i read one of the books you co-authored for the financial post. i forgot the name, got it from the library. though cannot be classified as a personal finance book, it had definitions for all the financial terms, just enough information and description on all the financial products. found it very informative. thanks for the effort. maybe you can spell the name out for the benefit of the forum.


----------



## rookie (Mar 19, 2010)

CanadianCapitalist said:


> It turns out the classic personal finance book, _The Richest Man in Babylon_ is now in the public domain and you can download a copy from Preet's website:
> 
> *Download The Richest Man in Babylon For Free (Here)*


the link does not work


----------



## CuriousReader (Apr 3, 2009)

*Which one*

I am trying to pick ONE of these 2 ... let's have a vote 
Which one would you guys recommend more?


Peter Lynch's One Up on Wall Street
The Little Book of Common Sense Investing


----------



## Just a Guy (Mar 27, 2012)

I liked (in no particular order)

A random walk down wall street
To tell me about the stock market

The millionaire mind series
To tell me about the way people think.

The Rich Dad series
To encourage me when everyone else was dumping on me

Derek Foster's first two books
A little light, but a good beginner's book.

In real estate I liked
The Simple solution to Canadian real estate investing
as a beginner's book.

The BEST Damn Commercial Real Estate Investing Book Ever Written!
Even though it was American and I think the writer has disappeared after her 15 minutes of fame.

And one I think everyone should read...and it's free on the internet (http://www.gutenberg.org/browse/authors/m#a516)

Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds is a history of popular folly by Scottish journalist Charles Mackay, first published in 1841

Had people read it we may not have seen the dot bomb or the housing crash in the USA.


----------



## Eclectic12 (Oct 20, 2010)

For general coverage, I liked:

The Wealthy Barber, David Chilton
Personal Finance for Canadians for Dummies, Tyson & Martin
The Beginner's Guide to Investing, Croft & Kirzner

As I was starting out, the informal writing style in the Beginner's Guide was helpful.


Cheers


----------



## Just a Guy (Mar 27, 2012)

The Richest Man in Babylon can be found here...

http://www.ccsales.com/the_richest_man_in_babylon.pdf


----------



## Just a Guy (Mar 27, 2012)

Eclectic12 said:


> Personal Finance for Canadians for Dummies, Tyson & Martin


I've heard this was heavy on mutual funds is that true? Though I almost bought it after reading the excerpt called "the making of a canadian guru" about Kevin O'Leary.


----------



## Eclectic12 (Oct 20, 2010)

Just a Guy said:


> I've heard this was heavy on mutual funds is that true?
> Though I almost bought it after reading the excerpt called "the making of a canadian guru" about Kevin O'Leary.


The bit about O'Leary was an interesting read.

I'd say it's more biased to MFs than heavy. 

It covers a broad range of topics where MFs have a single chapter (see table of contents link below). The audience seems to be those learning from scratch so I'm not too bothered that they'd prefer a newbie with limited cash start with MFs instead of stock picking.
_ToC link:_
http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/toc/1894413296/ref=dp_toc?ie=UTF8&n=916520

The intent IMO, is to give a solid footing of personal finance instead of investing in detail.
There is a more investment focused book Investing for Canadians for Dummies, Tyson & Martin.
_ToC link:_
http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/toc/0470160292/ref=dp_toc?ie=UTF8&n=916520

I haven't read the second one yet.


Cheers


----------



## Sustainable PF (Nov 5, 2010)

Another vote for the original Wealthy Barber.

I recently finished 'The Millionaire Teacher' by Andrew Hallam and really enjoyed it.


----------

