If you are looking for some good reading material to help you build wealth and win with money, this list of 5 books is a great place to start. These books come with my recommendation because I’ve read them as my own need to get better with my finances arose over the years.

I credit these 5 books with shaping my mindset about money and helping me get organized with my personal finances.

Here are my top picks for the 5 books to help you build wealth and win with money:

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1.  ‘The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America’s Wealthy’ by Thomas Stanley and William Danko

Thomas Stanley’s “The Millionaire Next Door” was an eye opener for me when I first read it, and remains one of my favorites to this day. In it, Stanley reveals seven traits that wealthy people have.

Things like frugality and not spending on expensive material goods are some of the hallmarks of this classic. Stanley goes on to discuss how many of the richest people don’t live in the most expensive areas, don’t drive the most expensive cars, and do not spend money the way we would like to think. This is a fantastic read and will change your paradigm on the lifestyles of the truly rich and wealthy.

2.  ‘The Simple Path to Wealth’ by JL Collins

JL Collins explains how he wrote this book for his daughter, who didn’t want to think too much about financial matters. He says he wrote it as a way to simplify personal finances for her, and it has delivered for all that have read it.

JL Collins takes a look at various concepts including how to attack debt, financial freedom, spending less than you earn, and investing. This book is a simple read, but it’s that simplicity that fits right in line with the book’s titled mantra and adds to its charm.

3.  ‘The Total Money Makeover’:  A Proven Plan for Financial Success by Dave Ramsey

After discovering Dave’s radio show one day, this book was one of the first financial books I ever read.

This book, and it’s revisions, are an extension of many of the principals he espouses on his radio show. This is a  fun and very easy to read book where Dave focuses on things like “gazelle intensity” as a focal point to his no tolerance approach to debt.

The book discusses the following “7 Baby Steps” that Dave has become known for:

• Baby Step 1: $1,000 cash in a beginner emergency fund
• Baby Step 2: Use the debt snowball to pay off all your debt but the house
• Baby Step 3: A fully funded emergency fund of 3 to 6 months of expenses
• Baby Step 4: Invest 15% of your household income into retirement
• Baby Step 5: Start saving for your kids college
• Baby Step 6: Pay off your home early
• Baby Step 7: Build wealth and give generously

While I admittedly didn’t follow all of the steps in the book to the tee, I can say that it’s because of this book, that my financial situation has changed so drastically in the last 17 years. Because of this book, we consciously steered clear of debt, which has had an huge effect on our financial life.

4.  ‘Smart Money Bro: How to Buy Good Used Cars With Cash’ by Eric Bowie

This book makes the list, because it’s darn good and there are very few books that walk you through how to buy a used car with cash.

I was asked by my niece and her husband to help them find a good used car. After looking for information on the internet to help point them too, I noticed there wasn’t much of anything out there.

So, I decided to write a book about it.

This book is packed with information, and includes 70 critical tips that are explained in detail, and will tremendously help any car buying novice buy a good used car.

Tips like what to listen for under the hood, what to look for under the body of the car, how to test the transmission by ear, and much more.

5.  ‘What the CEO Wants You to Know: How Your Company Really Works’ by Ram Charan

There are many people that want to learn about money who are not entrepreneurs or self-employed. If you work for a company, this book is a must read.

While working for an employer, many of us still want to win with money, and have a desire to be successful at our jobs by using our biggest wealth building tool, our paycheck.

Ram’s 4 basic economic objectives of every business:

• Take care of customers better than the competition
• Generate cash at a high rate
• Produce a sufficient return on invested capital
• Concerted effort on growth

In this book Ram Charan takes the ordinary person behind the scenes of every organization. While it may sound a bit cheesy, it’s actually tactically and strategically advantageous for the average person who has the average job to be aware of this sort of “behind the veil” information.