I was not a fan of self-help books in my early 20s, because me, like everyone, likes to think they don't need any help. At some point you start to realize that you don't know everything, and that some of these people that have had great success have it for a reason. Why not see what's going on in their heads?
1. Rich Dad, Poor Dad (Robert Kiyosaki, Sharon Lechter, 2001)
This is an excellent book to help change your outlook on the world, and your finances. Robert Kiyosaki does a good job keeping the reader engaged (even if it is by telling stories that seem a bit far-fetched. Who remembers details like that from their childhood?) and makes the book hard to put down. The book was originally written in 2001, so some of the things that are discussed are a little outdated, such as real estate (although investing in 2001 and selling in 2005 would have been a nice move.) The generic concepts and principals are timeless and motivating.
2. I Will Teach You to be Rich (Ramit Sethi, 2009)
This is a more recent book that was written by Ramit Sethi in 2009. If you read two books, read Rich Dad, Poor Dad first, and then this one. It's interesting to see what is being said before, and after the economy busted. This book is also directed towards people that are in the 20-35 age demographic, since he focuses on the time value of money quite a bit. He also uses a lot of humor, diagrams, charts, and bullet points to make it a surprisingly easy read, considering it's mostly about numbers. Ramit claims that his book is a 6 week program, but this is no get rich quick scheme. The idea of the book, is that it's program will get you on the right track in 6 weeks, not get you rich in 6 weeks.
3. The Official Alibaba.com Success Guide (Brad and Debra Schepp, 2009)
Gone are the days where only huge corporations are able to import goods from other overseas. Thanks to the Al Gore's "World Wide Web", international commerce is now available to everyone. There are, however, still many risks with doing business in other countries, with people you have never met. The Official Alibaba.com Guide does an excellent job of teaching you the ropes and minimizing risk. I'm sure once you're done reading, you'll be ready to starting buy on Alibaba.com, and selling on Ebay. Which brings me to...
4. How to Buy, Sell, and Profit on Ebay (Adam Ginsberg, 2005)
Brick and Mortar stores are dead men walking (unless shipping costs go up). It's only a matter of time before we never have to leave our houses again. Online businesses such as Amazon and Ebay are increasing their sales dramatically every year, while the K-marts and Circuit Cities of the world are closing their doors. The only thing keeping many of these store open now, are the generations that grew with Brick and Mortar, and aren't yet ready to trust the Internet yet. If you ever want to start your own business, getting yourself acquainted with online commerce is a good start.
Get a start on your future
I'm not saying you should go out and start your own online business by sourcing products from China (you may end up like me, and wake up in at 3am with international trade logistics flying through your head). Maybe you want to make changes, but don't know where to start. These books are great to get your mind working, change your view on things, and hopefully motivate you into making some changes for the better.
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