by Hank Coleman

Whether you are looking for a great present for a loved one this holiday season or just want to learn more about taking control of your finances, any of these ten personal finance books listed below are a great choice. In fact, they should already be on your bookshelf or nightstand. These are the top ten personal finance books that everyone should read.

1. The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey – If you didn’t know that I absolutely love this book, then you don’t read Money Q&A very much. Maybe you are new. That’s okay. It is an incredible book. It is where everyone should start. It walks you through saving for an emergency fund, getting out of debt, starting to invest, saving for college, paying off your mortgage, and reaching financial peace in your life. You need this book if you do not read any other on this list. Get this book! In The Total Money Makeover . Dave Ramsey provides readers with his system for seven baby steps to financial freedom that includes paying off your debt, investing 15% of your income for retirement, saving for your children’s education, paying off your mortgage, and living like no other financial peace.

2. The Automatic Millionaire by David Bach – I love David Bach’s book, The Automatic Millionaire! This book is one of the first personal finance books that I ever read. Now almost two decades later, David Bach’s Latte Factor is now a common phrase in our frugality vernacular. The book shows how anyone can achieve financial success by cutting out unnecessary expenses, paying yourself first with your investments, and set up a simple plan of how you can retire a millionaire and live the life of your dreams. The Automatic Millionaire is a bestselling classic that has spanned a whole genre of personal finance books that feed off his system such as Smart Couples Finish Rich. The Automatic Millionaire Homeowner. Start Late Finish Rich. and many others.

3. The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham – Benjamin Graham is considered one of the greatest investment advisors of the twentieth century. Graham pioneered the philosophy of value investing which shields investors from substantial error and teaches them to develop long-term strategies and has made The Intelligent Investor   the stock market bible ever since its original publication in 1949. Over the years, market developments have proven the wisdom of Grahams strategies.

4. The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas Stanley and William Danko – Millionaires have many of the same traits as each other. The bestselling book, The Millionaire Next Door . identifies seven key common traits that show up again and again among those who have accumulated wealth. Most of the truly wealthy in this country dont live in Beverly Hills or on Park Avenue. They live next door, right under your nose without you ever realizing it for the most part. What makes these neighbors so successful? Thomas Stanley and William Danko reveal those key traits in their best selling book.

5. The Other 8 Hours by Robert Pagliarini – You day does not start when you get out of bed. It actually begins when you get home from work. For a typical person, he or she spends approximately eight hours per day sleeping. Another eight hours of our day are lost to our job. But, there are eight hours of our life that we control, and it is those eight hours that define us, define our financial freedom, and in many cases define our happiness in life. I absolutely love The Other 8 Hours . It really opened my eyes to the way that I was spending the time when I wasnt working or sleeping.

6. The Wealthy Barber by David Chilton – David Chilton simplifies the complex puzzles of personal finance and helps you achieve financial independence. With the help of his fictional barber, Roy, and a large dose of humor, Chilton shows you how to take control of your financial future slowly, steadily, and with success. Chiltons plan in The Wealthy Barber that is detailed in an entertaining story is no get-rich-quick scheme, but it does make financial independence possible on nothing more than an average salary.

7. Your Money Or Your Life by Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin – In an age of great economic uncertainty when everyone is concerned about money and how they spend what they have, this new edition of the bestselling Your Money or Your Life is an essential read. With updated resources, an easy-to-use index, and anecdotes and examples particularly relevant today-it tells you how to get out of debt and develop savings, reorder material priorities and live well for less, resolve inner conflicts between values and lifestyle, save the planet while saving money, and much more. In Your Money or Your Life, Vicki Robin shows readers how to gain control of their money and finally begin to make a life, rather than just make a living. Your Money Or Your Life   offers a nine-step program for living more meaningful lives, showing readers how to get out of debt, save money, reorder priorities, and convert problems into opportunities.

8. Crush It by Gary Vaynerchuk – Do you have a hobby you wish you could do all day? An obsession that keeps you up at night? Now is the perfect time to take those passions and make a living doing what you love. In CRUSH IT! Why NOW Is The Time To Cash In On Your Passion. Gary Vaynerchuk shows you how to use the power of the Internet to turn your real interests into real businesses. Gary spent years building his family business from a local wine shop into a national industry leader. I have always loved this book! This is a book that every budding entrepreneur needs on his or her nightstand.

9. The Richest Man In Babylon by George S. Clason – Read by millions, this timeless book holds the key to success-in the secrets of the ancients. Based on the famous Babylonian principles, it has been hailed as the greatest of all inspirational works on the subject of thrift and financial planning. This celebrated bestseller, The Richest Man In Babylon . offers an understanding of and a solution to personal money problems, revealing the secrets to acquiring money, keeping money, and making money earn more money.

10. Beating The Street by Peter Lynch – Peter Lynchs invest in what you know strategy has made him a household name with investors both big and small. An important key to investing, Lynch says, is to remember that stocks are not lottery tickets. There is a company behind every stock and a reason companies and their stocks perform the way they do. In Beating The Street . Peter Lynch shows you how you can become an expert in a company and how you can build a profitable investment portfolio based on your own experience and insights and on straightforward do-it-yourself research.

Did I miss one of your favorite personal finance books? I’d love to hear what you keep on your nightstand and refer back to often. I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comment section.