Who of us doesn’t want to become a millionaire? If you want to achieve that status, you have to start by thinking and acting like one. So how do you get into the millionaire mindset? Well, one of the ways you can start doing that is by reading the books that millionaires seem to recommend.
MillionaireMatch is exactly what it sounds like – a dating site for people who have a pretty high net worth. Supposedly, one has to submit financial documents to get “verified” of their millionaire status to be accepted into the site.
According to a survey conducted on the website, some 500 users or so, here are the books that are mostly recommended by those wealthy individuals. Some of them aren’t a big surprise, like the number 1 most endorsed page-turner, Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, but a few others may take you back. Keep reading to find out what they are!
1. Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
Born in 1883 and died in 1970, Napoleon Hill had a long and successful career as an author, lecturer, and a consultant to high-profile businessmen. The book is an amalgamation of two decades of research conducted by the author, spanning areas of not only riches in the form of actual money but also on a philosophical level. For a book that was written decades ago, a lot of its themes are perfectly relevant today as well. The entire book is actually available for free online, so you don’t actually have to spend a dime to read up on how to become rich!
2. The Secret by Rhonda Byrne
Having sold over 30 million copies worldwide in 50 different languages, The Secret by Rhonda Byrne is a self-help book that was published in 2008 based on an earlier film by the same name. The basic theme of the book relies on the law of attraction – a claim that a person can change their life by simply thinking positive thoughts. The book is recommended by people of all walks of life who have said that it has helped them achieve stress-relief, better health, wealth, and happiness.
3. The Bible
The Bible is a book that needs no introduction, although if you are like me, you might find it a tad surprising that it would make an entry on this list. Seems like millionaires really take the word of the big man upstairs pretty seriously!
4. The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
The Power of Now is a book that delivers a clear and simple message that living in the now is the best way to achieve peace and happiness. Lots of people have said the same thing, but author Eckhart Tolle has such a refreshing way of putting his ideas forward that the reader feels motivated actually follow his advice. The Power of Now is a perfect package of inspirational ideas, lots of information, and some complicated concepts. The author has even added some “break time” markers meant for the reader to put the book down and reflect on what he just read.
5. The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
This bestselling self-help book by author Don Miguel Ruiz offers a “guideline” or code of conduct that is based on Toltec wisdom – a pre-Columbian Mesoamerican culture that ruled Tula, Hidalgo, Mexico, predating the Aztec civilization. It advocates freedom from self-limiting thoughts and beliefs that would ultimately hinder your personal growth. Ruiz himself is a Mexican and has penned several texts on Toltec spiritualist and neoshamanistic texts.
6. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
This novel, written by Brazilian author Paulo Coelho was originally published in Portuguese in 1988. It has been translated into numerous languages and has become an international bestseller since then. Unlike most other books on this list, The Alchemist is actually a novel. It follows the journey of an Andalusian shepherd boy who tries to find a treasure based on a dream he has. Its success may be due to the fact the story leaves us with a beautiful moral: that you can achieve whatever you set out to do if you have hope and keep persevering.
7. When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
A non-fictional autobiography written by a young American Neurosurgeon Dr. Paul Kalanithi, When Breath Becomes Air is a story about his own life and battle against stage IV metastatic lung cancer. Dr. Kalanithi passed away in March 2015, and the book was published posthumously in January 2016 by Random House. This book is worth reading because of the inspiring life story of the author who achieved so much in his short life. It breathes beauty into situations of severe hardship, even while the author was facing undefeatable odds. As many have said, to read this book is to feel as if Dr. Kalanithi was still alive and influencing the lives of others in the amazing way that he used to.
8. The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko
This book is a compilation of research conducted by its two authors in the profiles of American millionaires. They categorize people into two different groups: UAWs (Under Accumulators of Wealth) and those who are PAWs (Prodigious Accumulator of Wealth). Contrary to what many may have expected, the authors actually focused on millionaires who are disproportionately clustered in middle-class or blue-collar communities, rather in than in affluent or white-collar neighborhoods. The book covers topics that may seem obvious but most of the general population struggle with, like spending less than you earn, taking a financial risk in relation to reward, and more.
9. The Millionaire Mind by Thomas J. Stanley
Written as a follow-up to The Millionaire Next Door, Thomas J. Stanley, an American professor of Finance, explores the beliefs, ideas, and actions of the wealthy individuals of the country. However, the single most important idea that was put forward by the book was the debunking of a widely-circulated myth that rich people belong to an elite community where everyone is lucky and inherits their money, they are highly educated, and that they spend their money lavishly and live pampered lives. It explores everything from childhood and high school careers of millionaires all the way to relationships and marriage.
