“My brother sucks with money,” a friend told me the other day. “I’m thinking of giving him a book about money for Christmas. Do you have any recommendations?”<\/p>\n
“Honestly, I’m not sure gifting a book about money is the best way to help,” I said. “I know you mean well, but from my experience this sort of gift has the potential to create hard feelings rather than help. Sometimes it creates resistance rather than acceptance.”<\/p>\n
“But didn’t you get started with your financial turnaround because people gave you books about money?” my friend asked.<\/p>\n
“Good point. That’s true,” I said. “But that was because I was at rock bottom. My friends could tell that I was ready to listen, that I wanted help. Before that, if somebody had given me a book about money, I wouldn’t have liked it.”<\/p>\n
“I’ll tell you what,” I said. “I’ll draw up a list of books you might want to consider, and I’ll publish the list at Get Rich Slowly sometime soon. Sound good?”<\/p>\n
“Sounds good,” my friend said.<\/p>\n
After some consideration, I’ve put together a short list of books about money that might<\/em> be appropriate for gifting. If you too want to help out a friend or family member, these are great options. But as I warned my friend, try to be certain the intended recipient is ready to listen. Otherwise you run the risk of pissing them off.<\/p>\n My default recommendation is Your Money or Your Life<\/em><\/a> by Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin. My friend Michael sent me a copy of this book when I was at the lowest point of my financial life. (But he only did so because he could tell I was ready to read it.)<\/p>\n Your Money or Your Life<\/em> introduced many concepts that nowadays we take for granted in the world of personal finance. It covers budgeting, mindful spending, financial independence, simple living, and your true<\/em> hourly wage. And it conveys the info using real-life stories from real-life people. (The book can get a little New Age-y in parts, so keep that in mind.)<\/p>\n That’s my default recommendation. Based on the subject’s circumstances, though, I might suggest a different title. Here are some examples:<\/p>\n Just typing this list, I’m filled with trepidation. Giving gifts that attempt to teach an overt lesson is…well, risky. It’s not the best approach. Instead, I think it’s often better to come at things sideways. In the case of helping somebody get better with money, I might pass along a book that’s more subtle, something tangentially related to the subject.<\/p>\n For instance, I’m a huge fan of all of the following — and none of them come across as “preachy” (especially if you include a personalized note that explains how the book changed your<\/em> life).<\/p>\nBooks About Money<\/h2>\n
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Books Obliquely Related to Money<\/h2>\n
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