Best Books on How to Make Money and Become Rich

12 Best Books on Making Money

Do you have a financial plan? Or are you flying by the seat of your pants?

Sometimes, making a financial plan is so intimidating, we just put it off until we get inspired. I’m here to help you get that inspiration to get started!

Whether you have a desire to become an entrepreneur or just want to become more knowledgeable about finances, educating yourself is one of the best ways to get ahead.

And one of the best ways to learn something new is to read. Finding a great book is my favorite way to learn something new.

From financial books that teach you about planning and investing to inspirational stories about everyday millionaires, there are so many great books out there about making money.

But with so many books about money on the market today, it can be difficult to know which ones are worth reading and which books are better left on the shelf.

After doing some of my own reading and research, I have uncovered some of the best books on how to make money. These 12 books are a must read for anyone hoping to become more financially savvy.

Related: If you’re a beginner, here are the best financial books for beginners. If you’re seasoned in personal finance, here are the best personal finance books as reviewed by personal finance experts.

Savings Tip: Many of these financial books are available through Audible, an Amazon company with the world’s largest selection of audio books. If you don’t already have Audible, you can get a FREE 30 day trial, which gets you 2 FREE books! Even if you cancel within the free trial period, the books are yours to keep!

Books to make money

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12 Books on How to Make Money

1. Automatic Millionaire

By David Bach

Becoming an automatic millionaire sounds pretty great, doesn’t it?

While following the advice in this book may not make you a millionaire overnight, it can help you get on track to make more money!

David Bach’s popular book turns some of the most common financial concepts you read about on their head to teach you how to amass wealth without:

  • A budget
  • Tons of money
  • Strong willpower
  • A higher level of financial literacy

That’s right!

Through this educational text, the common person can learn easy, realistic ways to make more money and gain more wealth for your family’s future.

But one of the best features of this book is that it’s written in a way that makes financial concepts easy to understand – even for beginners. If you’re new to financial education, Automatic Millionaire is a great place to start learning.

Quotes from the Book:

“Remember, inspiration unused is merely entertainment. To get new results, you need to take new actions.”

“[Many people] plunge into all sorts of detail about what they want to accomplish, what investment they should buy, and where they want to be, without first making sure they know where they stand now.”

“The number one financial mistake is not to have your finances on automatic.”

“If you’re in a hole, stop digging.”

“My Grandma Rose Bach used to tell me, “David, when the going gets tough, the tough have cash.”

2. Money Master the Game

By Tony Robbins

Written by inspirational speaker and writer Tony Robbins, this popular financial book is another great motivator to get serious about your finances and make more money.

Through interviews with legendary investors like Warren Buffet and John Bogle, Robbins outlines seven actionable steps you can take to secure your family’s financial freedom in Money Master the Game.

The steps in this book will teach you how to:

  • Set up a savings and investing plan to make your money work for you
  • Set up a lifetime income plan to help secure your retirement
  • Take control of all your financial decisions without hesitation

Written in easy to understand language, Robbins provides a wealth of financial information throughout the book. And thanks to his inspirational writing style, you’ll be excited to get started earning more money for your family right away.

Quotes from the Book:

“1. What do I really want? (Vision.) 2. What is important about it? (Values.) 3. How will I get it? (Methods.) 4. What is preventing me from having it? (Obstacles.) 5. How will I know I am successful? (Measurements.)”

“Contrary to popular wisdom, knowledge is not power – it’s potential power. Knowledge is not mastery. Execution is mastery. Execution will trump knowledge every day of the week.”

“Money is nothing more than a reflection of your creativity, your capacity to focus, and your ability to add value and receive back.”

“You can be rich by having more than you need, or by needing less than you have.”

“Which do you tend to focus on more – what you have or what’s missing from your life?”

3. I Will Teach You to be Rich

By Ramit Sethi

Some of us need a little hand-holding when it comes to personal finance. Whether you’re new to financial management or just intimidated by learning more about financial planning, you might be hesitant to take the next step toward earning more money.

If you’re in that boat, I Will Teach You to be Rich is the perfect book for you.

This easy-to-read book provides you with a six-week program to help you whip your finances into shape.

Each chapter teaches you basic financial concepts, complete with action steps for you to complete after every lesson. After reading the chapter, you’ll be asked to complete a workbook to help guide you in the right direction.

Each chapter in I Will Teach You to Be Rich helps guide you on a path to financial freedom. The book will help you:

  • Eliminate your debt
  • Setup high interest bank accounts
  • Automate your finances
  • Save hundreds of dollars each month
  • Learn a simple investment strategy
  • Save for big purchases, like a new house or car
  • Get a raise (with a script to help you along the way)

The engaging text and actionable advice found throughout Ramit Sethi’s book is sure to set you on the right financial path. And that means you’ll be making more money in no time!

Quotes from the Book:

“It’s more important to get started than to spend an exhaustive amount of time researching.”

“There is a limit to how much you can cut but there is no limit to how much you can earn.”

“Spend extravagantly on the things you love, and cut costs mercilessly on the things you don’t.”

“People love to argue minor points, partially because they feel it absolves them from actually having to do anything.”

“On average, millionaires invest 20 percent of their household income each year.”

4. Rich Dad Poor Dad

By Robert Kiyosaki

The premise of this popular book is one many of us can relate to.

In order to become rich, you must think like a rich person.

Throughout this autobiographical book, author Robert Kiyosaki outlines the different ways the two father figures in his life thought about money.

While his biological father struggled financially most of his life, his business mentor passed on valuable money lessons that helped Kiyosaki grow into the financial powerhouse he is today.

In addition to offering tons of valuable advice regarding ways to make money, Rich Dad Poor Dad also provides you with plenty of motivation to get started on expanding your net worth. This educational and inspirational book offers tons of value, including:

  • Challenging many popular believes about money and wealth
  • Explains the concepts of assets and liabilities in easy to understand ways
  • Shows parents what they should be teaching their children about money

While this book is great for inspiring and educating, it should be noted that Rich Dad Poor Dad is part of a larger financial education program. Although this book is a wonderful stand-alone text, it’s important to evaluate any long-term financial program before jumping in to determine if the teaching is right for you.

Related: Here’s my full review of Rich Dad Poor Dad.

Quotes from the Book:

“An important distinction is that rich people buy luxuries last, while the poor and middle class tend to buy luxuries first.”

“It is that same fear, the fear of ostracism that causes people to conform and not question commonly accepted opinions or popular trends.”

“One of the reasons the rich get richer, the poor get poorer, and the middle class struggles in debt is because the subject of money is taught at home, not in school. Most of us learn about money from our parents. So what can a poor parent tell their child about money? They simply say ‘Stay in school and study hard.’ The child may graduate with excellent grades but with a poor person’s financial programming and mind-set. It was learned while the child was young.”

“Whenever you feel ‘short’ or in ‘need’ of something, give what you want first and it will come back in buckets. That is true for money, a smile, love, friendship. I know it is often the last thing a person may want to do, but it has always worked for me. I just trust that the principle of reciprocity is true, and I give what I want”

5. The Richest Man in Babylon

By George S. Clason

Sometimes, we need an inspirational story to help us grasp complicated concepts like financial planning.

Through a selection of thoughtful and relatable stories based on Babylonian parables, George S. Clason makes understanding financial planning and personal wealth a little more attainable.

In the Richest Man in Babylon, Clason outlines simple ways average people have attained extreme wealth.

Originally released in 1926, this classic financial book has sold more than 4 million copies. And the financial advice offered in the original text has stood the test of time.

The entertaining tales of merchants, tradesmen, and herdsmen throughout the book can help you understand a variety of basic financial principals, including:

  • How to get out of debt quickly and easily
  • How to put your money to work, so you can work smarter instead of harder
  • Ways to attract good luck when it comes to your finances
  • How to choose wise investments
  • Ways to safeguard your fortune as it grows

All these financial principals are laid out in easy-to-follow stories with actionable steps you can take to grow your fortune and make more money.

And while the stories are based on parables, the financial advice offered by Clason is valuable no matter what century you’re in.

From learning how to pay yourself first to avoiding debt, this historical book is a classic for a reason.

Quotes from the Book:

“If you desire to help thy friend, do so in a way that will not bring thy friend’s burdens upon thyself.”

“Learning was of two kinds: the one being the things we learned and knew, and the other being the training that taught us how to find out what we did not know?”

“The hungrier one becomes, the clearer one’s mind works— also the more sensitive one becomes to the odors of food.”

“The reason why we have never found measure of wealth. We never sought it.”

“Wealth, like a tree, grows from a tiny seed. The first copper you save is the seed from which your tree of wealth shall grow. The sooner you plant that seed the sooner shall the tree grow. And the more faithfully you nourish and water that tree with consistent savings, the sooner may you bask in contentment beneath its shade.”

6. Everyday Millionaires

By Chris Hogan and Dave Ramsey

When reading about millionaires, it’s hard to believe that many of them started out as average people like you and me.

Reading the stories of these everyday millionaires provides tons of motivation to inspire you to achieve your own dreams of earning more money for your family.

Based on the largest study ever conducted on U.S. millionaires, authors Chris Hogan and Dave Ramsey interviewed more than 10,000 millionaires to gain insight on their financial journeys.

What they uncovered will shock most readers – building wealth has nothing to do with the income you earn. The authors found:

  • One out of three millionaires never made six figures in a working year
  • Nearly 80 percent of those millionaires didn’t receive an inheritance
  • More than half of those everyday millionaires graduated from public state colleges

The book outlines the stories of a variety of Everyday Millionaires who worked hard to transform their financial situations.

While this book does provide actionable financial advice based on Dave Ramsey’s methods, it also gives you a great deal of inspiration to buckle down and get serious about improving your family’s financial situation.

Quotes from the Book:

“The average monthly student loan payment for someone in their twenties is $351.15 If that student avoided student loans, started his or her career without that payment, and invested that $351 into a mutual fund every month instead, they’d have almost $3 million by age 65.16.”

“When it comes to your career, you want to strive to become the type of person Patrick Lencioni describes in his book The Ideal Team Player: someone who is hungry (a motivated go-getter), humble (knows who they are and what they bring to the table), and smart (expertly manages relationships). Isn’t that the kind of person you want to work with?”

“Typical millionaires – people like Walter and Karen—aren’t trying to keep up with anyone else, and they don’t care about impressing people. They’re just living their lives, taking care of themselves and their families, and quietly serving other people. That’s why most of their neighbors would be shocked to learn how wealthy they are. They don’t fit the mold of what society tells us millionaires look like.”

7. Smart Women Finish Rich

By David Bach

While a majority of the books on this list provide you with valuable ways to learn how to earn more money, no matter your gender, there are a variety of financial issues that women must face on their financial journey, including:

  • Taking time off work to care for children
  • Earning less money than their male counterparts
  • Outliving their husband
  • Saving less for retirement
  • Taking longer to find a new job

These issues are ones that need to be addressed to help women become more financially independent. And this helpful book outlines ways in which women can take the reins on their own financial future.

Smart Women Finish Rich addresses these important financial issues to help women become more competent in their finances and more financially stable on their own.

Author David Bach asks readers to take a deep look into their values around earning and saving money, then helps you find ways to align those values with your own financial goals.

Quotes from the Book:

“It’s neither safe nor practical to assume that man in your life can be counted on to take care of your finances.”

“Whenever someone tells me she is a procrastinator, I respond by asking them, ‘Did you eat this week?’ Of course, the person will always answer yes. The fact is, no one procrastinates all the time. What you may be is a selective procrastinator — which means that if something is important enough (like eating), you are perfectly capable of taking care of it right away.”

“A latte a day keeps retirement away.”

“What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?”

“Social security was never intended to be a retirement plan. At most, it was designed to provide an income supplement.”

8. The Other 8 Hours

By Robert Pagliarini

Have you ever wondered if it was possible to start a side hustle when you’re already working full-time? A side hustle is a great way to earn some extra money in your spare time, but how do you find the time to get started?

Learn everything you need to know about maximizing your time and creating extra wealth with the help of The Other 8 Hours.

This informative book by Robert Pagliarini will help you use those extra 8 hours each day that you aren’t spending working or sleeping to start a successful side hustle and earn more money each day.

This educational book will teach you how to:

  • Find more time in the day by reworking your schedule to uncover hours of additional free time
  • Make more money through effective and unconventional strategies
  • Make the most of your time to avoid burnout

Pagliarini uses a mix of inspirational stories and advice to help budding entrepreneurs make the most of their efforts.

Throughout the book, you’ll get hands-on advice for starting your business, learn interesting ways to minimize the risks many start-ups face, and actionable steps to maximize your success.

Quotes from the Book:

“This book is about the 8 hours in the day when you are not working or sleeping. This “free” time is the most valuable resource you have to achieve your ideal life…How you spend the other 8 hours determines where you are in life, your happiness, your weight, your level of debt, the satisfaction you have with your relationships, the car you drive, the languages you speak, your love life, your education, the places you travel, your bank account balance, and just about everything else that is important to you.”

“With very few exceptions, anybody who has attained any level of financial success has created something. It might be a book, a CD, an invention, or a Web site. Look around you. Everything you see was originally just an idea in someone’s head…It took vision, determination, and action to turn those ideas into what you see today.”

9. Passive Income, Aggressive Retirement

By Rachel Richards

One of the best ways to earn more money is finding ways to earn passive income.

Passive income is money earned that requires little or no effort from you. It’s a great way to earn extra money, but learning about the various avenues of passive income streams can be a bit daunting.

With the help of Rachel Richards’ book Passive Income Aggressive Retirement, you can gain valuable insight into all the ways you can begin earning passive income.

Throughout the pages of this informative book, you can learn how to:

  • Achieve financial independence without budgeting
  • Create long-term residual income on a consistent basis
  • Say goodbye to your 9 to 5 job and embrace a more flexible work schedule

If you’re interested in learning about ways to earn passive income, Richards breaks down 28 achievable ways you can start adding to your income or even replacing it with residual income streams including:

  • Royalties
  • Portfolio income
  • Coin-operated machines
  • Advertising and e-commerce
  • Rental income

Through actionable tips, case studies from others who earn money through passive income streams, and excerpts from financial experts (like Hal Elrod, author of the best-selling book The Miracle Morning), you’ll find everything you need to start earning passive income in this book.

Here’s her impressive bio:

“I’m 27 years old, retired, and living off $10,000+ per month in passive income. My husband, Andrew, and I now spend our time traveling the world, visiting friends and family, learning new skills, going on adventures, and doing whatever we want.”

Here’s how she built her monthly $10,000+ passive income wealth:

“The next two years were a whirlwind. In 2017, Andrew and I bought our first duplex together; it cash-flowed $500 per month. We started a print-on-demand T-shirt business that generated passive royalties. I published my first book, Money Honey: A Simple 7-Step Guide For Getting Your Financial $hit Together, which also produced passive royalties. We bought several additional rental properties that year and the next, and by the end of 2018, we were over the $10,000 per month mark. These are just a couple examples of a plethora of passive income streams, and we focused all of our efforts on growing them as much as possible. During those two years, we worked harder than we ever have in our lives.”

10. Prince Charming Isn’t Coming

By Barbara Stanny

If you’re someone who’s constantly waiting for the next big thing that will change your life – the raise that never comes or the amazing job you can never find – Prince Charming Isn’t Coming is for you.

But don’t be turned off by the title. While part of Stanny’s story is about waiting for a man to save her, the lesson behind this book provides so much more!

This relatable book outlines the ways many women are resistant to managing their own money. Author Barbara Stanny gives readers a heart-to-heart about the tools women need to grab control of their own financial situation.

Through personal stories and easy to follow advice, Stanny helps readers understand why they shy away from financial decisions and how to gain more confidence in taking control of their financial future. The book is broken into three parts:

  • Understanding the problem behind many women’s reluctance to learn about money
  • The process to take toward taking control of your own financial future
  • Actionable steps to begin learning about money

In addition to providing you with tons of easy to understand financial information, Prince Charming Isn’t Coming also gives readers exercises and activities at the end of each chapter to further the message.

Quotes from the Book:

“At some point in our conversations, each woman would describe a moment when she realized, with stunning clarity: ‘Prince Charming isn’t coming. I have to do this myself.'”

“It is the inner work of transforming our beliefs and attitudes combined with the outer work of absorbing hard-nosed facts that ensures our success. That is why, for many of us, reading an investment book isn’t enough.”

“In the first stage, “unconscious incompetence”, we don’t even know what we don’t know. We are in the dark.”

“…common sense and basic knowledge is all we really need to become financially fluent. Look at this way. There are only five places to invest money: stock, bonds, real estate, commodities, and cash or cash equivalent.”

“We should have enough cash set aside for periods of unemployment, unforeseen emergencies, or unexpected expenses. When we have sufficient cash savings, we move to level two, stocks and bonds.”

11. The Little Book of Common Sense Investing

By John C. Bogle

Making the right investments is one of the best ways to increase your wealth. But investing in the stock market can be an intimidating process.

The Little Book of Common Sense Investing is a simple guide for beginning investors.

Written by mutual fund pioneer, John C. Bogle, this helpful book outlines the simplest and most effective methods for investing in the stock market. The strategy outlined in this book will help you make money and build wealth over the long term.

The Little Book of Common Sense Investing tells you how to:

  • Build a diversified portfolio without the risks associated with individual stocks
  • Focus on real-world investments
  • Understand the sources of stock returns to establish reasonable expectations for your investments
  • Recognize the long-term successes that come with stock investments
  • Learn how to use compound returns to expand your wealth

Following the solid advice laid out in this easy-to-follow guide will help you earn more money in the stock market without falling for fads or risky investment advice.

Quotes from the Book:

“The simple fact is that selecting a mutual fund that will outpace the stock market over the long term is, using Cervantes’ wonderful observation, like ‘looking for a needle in the haystack.’ So I offer you Bogle’s corollary: ‘Don’t look for the needle in the haystack. Just buy the haystack!'”

“The winning formula for success in investing is owning the entire stock market through an index fund, and then doing nothing. Just stay the course.”

“The grim irony of investing, then, is that we investors as a group not only don’t get what we pay for, we get precisely what we don’t pay for. So if we pay for nothing, we get everything.”

“The greatest enemy of a good plan is the dream of a perfect plan. Stick to the good plan.”

“The two greatest enemies of the equity fund investor are expenses and emotions.”

“The true investor…will do better if he forgets about the stock market and pays attention to his dividend returns and to the operating results of his companies.”

“Owning the stock market over the long term is a winner’s game, but attempting to beat the market is a loser’s game.”

“Gunning for average is your best shot at finishing above average.”

“Buying funds based purely on their past performance is one of the stupidest things an investor can do.”

12. Your Money or Your Life

By Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez

Through inspiring stories and actionable advice, author Vicki Robin outlines nine steps toward financial freedom. Whether you’re just starting out on your financial journey or are a seasoned money-maker, you’ll find this book helpful and informative. Your Money or Your Life tells you how to:

  • Get out of debt and increase your savings
  • Get in the money-saving mindset through good habits instead of strict budgeting
  • Learn to live with less
  • Invest your money to create wealth

Through the nine steps toward financial freedom offered in Your Money or Your Life, Robin will help you generate wealth with the ultimate goal of early retirement. The information outlined in the book helps you minimize your spending and maximize your income.

Quotes from the Book:

“We no longer live life. We consume it.”

“How you spend your money is how you vote on what exists in the world.”

“We shift from comparing ourselves to others to considering our real needs and desires. We shift from ‘more’ to ‘enough’ and ultimately get more of what money can’t buy. Priceless.”

“As you take your eyes off the false prize (of more, better, and different stuff), you put them on the real prizes: friends, family, sharing, caring, learning, meeting challenges, intimacy, rest, and being present, connected, and respected. In other words, those best things in life that are free. Like all things natural, building this wealth takes time, attention, patience, and reciprocity (that volleying of giving and receiving that builds relationships).”

Related: Here’s my full review of Your Money or Your Life.

Final Thoughts on the Best Books on How to Make Money

Making more money is the key to building wealth and attaining financial freedom. Surrounding yourself with advice and education from these best books on how to make money will get you to your financial goals that much quicker.

On a related note:

If you’re a personal finance novice, here are the best financial books for beginners. In this list, I’ve included the pros and cons for each book so you can select the one that fits your situation.

If you’re knowledgeable about personal finance, here’s a list of the best personal finance books of all time – as recommended by finance experts and avid readers.

If you’re interested in more financial planning books, here are the

To save money, you can listen to many of these books through Audible’s 30 day FREE trial, which gets you 2 FREE books!

Audible, an Amazon company, has the world’s largest selection of digital audio books. Even if you cancel within the free trial period, the books are yours to keep!

Books that will make you rich

Recap of the Best Books on How to Make Money

  1. Automatic millionaire
  2. Money Master the Game
  3. I Will Teach You to be Rich
  4. Rich Dad Poor Dad
  5. Richest Man in Babylon
  6. Everyday Millionaires
  7. Smart Women Finish Rich
  8. The Other 8 Hours
  9. Passive Income Aggressive Retirement,
  10. Prince Charming Isn’t Coming
  11. The Little Book of Common Sense Investing
  12. Your Money or Your Life

Related Articles on Best Books About How to Make Money:

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2 Comments

    1. Glad you’re enjoying these books on how to make lots of money, Jonah! All the best on your financial journey!

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