VALUABLE READS, REVIEWS, & RESOURCES
When you don’t know what you don’t know, how are you supposed to know what’s going to help you? You know? 😉
So you decide you want more resources and education so you can build the life you love. Yay! Nice job. You go to the store (online or brick and mortar). You find 1,087 books under your topic. Now what? Have you ever just bought a book because you recognized the author’s name, liked the cover, or got sucked in by a good title? Have you been unsure if the book you were buying even had the right message or formula that you’re seeking? Or if it’s even telling you the truth?
This was my massive dilemma when I was first seeking knowledge. So many books touted the same end result. But their means of achieving the end result, the actual content in their books, was vastly different. And once I started reading some of them, some messages didn’t mesh well with my value system, some didn’t make any sense, and some were just downright immoral. But I already bought the book! Money. Meet Drain.
So here is the list of some of my sources (in no particular order) that I have used over the years to help change, improve, and prosper my life. I pray it saves you time and money. I also offer resource recommendations in different blog posts depending on topic.
I give tremendous thanks to all these authors and teachers. I’m propped up on the shoulders (and brains, really) of these intellectual giants. Some of my recommendations are affiliate links. Your purchases through The Freedom Friend helps me continue to deliver you rich, engaging, invaluable content. Content you can use to create the life you love.
So thanks for your support! And enjoy!
How an Economy Grows and Why it Crashes // by Peter Schiff
REVIEW: This is one of my favorite books of all time. With highly entertaining animations, Peter Schiff has brilliantly unfolded how economies start, grow, and potentially fizzle out. He begins with three guys on an island. They must figure out how to use labor, resources, and trade to improve their lifestyles from just day to day existence. Once they’ve actually created an economy through their efforts, skills, and hard work, you’ll see the money and power grabbers come out and try to “legally” take it away. Some characters are modeled after real, well known people. It helps to clearly show their roles in our society. He introduces these concepts easily and clearly. Excellent for beginners! Although, I recommend for Beginners, Intermediate, and Advanced because it’s just so darn entertaining.
Even though I think most books on this list need to be read by everybody, this one really would be a tragedy to miss. W. Cleon Skousen walks you through the Founders’ challenges, concerns, and the 28 basic principles they stood on to create the freest country that ever existed in human history. Everything from the role of God, to equal rights, to government powers, to what citizens should do to protect their rights. There has never been a meeting of the minds as divine as this group of men that we call our Founding Fathers. The miraculous blueprint they created, the Constitution, is the greatest gift we have in America. Their formula allowed America to accomplish more in 200 years than the rest of the world had achieved the 5,000 years prior. Absorbing and gripping, I read the whole book in 2 days I didn’t want to put it down. It truly shows that this great nation’s exceptionalism is real and needs to be protected.
Own Your Own Corporation // by Garrett Sutton, Esq.
I was studying how to build businesses when I first read this book. So every page was filled with super useful information for me. It “reveals how to incorporate a business, to protect your assets from the potential attack of creditors and to save tax. It provides a clear understanding of how legal business systems and traditions have developed over the years and how the structures for running a business have evolved.” Written by a lawyer, it is in surprisingly clear and simple language. No legal gobbleygook. Anyone who has a business and wants the best approach to success needs to read this. And even if you don’t have a business, it couldn’t hurt to understand how corporations work. This is from the Rich Dad Poor Dad series. Every book I read from Robert Kiyosaki and his team, I’m changed for the better.
The Death of Common Sense: How Law Is Suffocating America // by Philip K. Howard
Did you hear about the widow who was awarded $23.6B in her suit against a tobacco company? That’s Billion with a B. Not an M. Fair and reasonable? Not even constitutional. This New York Times Bestseller examines how America is drowning—in law, lawsuits, and nearly endless red tape. In the last few decades, regulations have started dictating the legal landscape, compared to our old system of common law where a situation was assessed with the utilization of common sense. When there are too many rules, freedom and common sense are the first things to go. This is an immense burden on businesses who end up spending boat loads of money to protect themselves from predatory lawsuits. Which just leads to less businesses and less people taking risk to invest in business. This isn’t something that only hurts businesses. This hurts all of us and affects the prices of things we purchase.
Ron Paul was the main catalyst for my paradigm shift from being an unaware actress to a completely informed economic devotee. So his was the first book I ever read about sound money and how government’s policies were screwing me. I did struggle through this book a little when I was a super green beginner. But once you have basic knowledge of money, which you can get from our free info, it’ll be easy breezy.
The Creature from Jekyll Island: A Second Look at the Federal Reserve // by G. Edward Griffin
Holy wow. Everything you could possibly want to learn about our money system is in this book. The tawdry, secret meetings of high powered bankers, politicians, and presidents colluding to create the greatest system of theft the world has ever seen. And it all happened right here in America. And we are still very active players in this manipulated system. Once you learn how our money system really works and how the Federal Reserve is the largest player in moving money from your pocket to the pockets of the political elite, you’ll feel differently about every piece of green paper you pull out of your wallet. Read this and you will start making better financial decisions in your business and in your life. This is an incredibly interesting read. Know that it is a long book but valuable for every American to know about.
The Wealth of Nations // by Adam Smith
Review coming soon!
Street Smarts: Adventures on the Road and in the Markets // by Jim Rogers
Review coming soon!
Economics in One Lesson // by Henry Hazlitt
REVIEW: Ignore the fact that the book cover just put you to sleep. Henry Hazlitt clearly did not get our modern obsession with Apple style packaging. However, if you want an easy, simple, and interesting way of really getting economics, this book is exceptionally good. For me, this book was life changing. It walks you step by step through the different facets of the economy and once it’s done, it all makes sense! I have read too many economic books that at the end I was more confused than when I first started. A recounting of Austrian economics at its finest.
The second most influential book of all time, next to the Bible. This is one of the few novels in my list, but a very important book. The message of freedom, society, and government coercion unfolds with cleverness and clear-sightedness. The story and characters are rich, deep, and memorable. From the book’s description: “this novel presents an astounding panorama of human life—from the productive genius who becomes a worthless playboy—to the great steel industrialist who does not know that he is working for his own destruction—to the philosopher who becomes a pirate—to the composer who gives up his career on the night of his triumph—to the woman who runs a transcontinental railroad—to the lowest track worker in her Terminal tunnels.You must be prepared, when you read this novel, to check every premise at the root of your convictions. This is a mystery story, not about the murder—and rebirth—of man’s spirit. It is a philosophical revolution, told in the form of an action thriller of violent events, a ruthlessly brilliant plot structure and an irresistible suspense.” True, true, and true. An epic story you will never forget. It is a long book, over 1,200 pages. But well worth it. If you need to, get the audio book. It makes it easier. Ayn Rand takes her time in revealing the philosophy through the plot and characters, but what an adventure!
The Road to Serfdom // by F.A. Hayek
Again, not the most provocative book cover but with moving and provocative material. This book could be the reason they say never judge a book by its cover. I’m not going to lie. The text is small. Very small. Doesn’t matter. Hayek’s insight into the rise of totalitarianism, how socialist ideals lead to totalitarianism, how planned economies must replace freedom with coercion, etc. is nothing but genius. Freedom is much rarer than tyranny. Just look at the history books. Right now, this very moment, America is skipping down the road to serfdom with a lollipop in its hand and a looming nightmare in front of us. If you like individual freedom and don’t want to lose it, read this, and then read it again. It addresses the real problems we face today with federal government overreach and spending. This directly affects the lifestyles we cherish.
The Four Hour Work Week // by Timothy Ferriss
The Four Hour Work Week is a Bestseller that is pretty well known. On the off chance you don’t know it, the book description is pretty accurate: “Forget the old concept of retirement and the rest of the deferred-life plan–there is no need to wait and every reason not to, especially in unpredictable economic times. Whether your dream is escaping the rat race, experiencing high-end world travel, earning a monthly five-figure income with zero management, or just living more and working less, The 4-Hour Workweek is the blueprint.” Tim Ferris gives unlimited resources on how to outsource or streamline your business. He also writes about Lifhestyle Design which I like because it encourages taking control of your life. I don’t fully agree with all of Tim’s philosophies but even so, this book is worth it for the sheer amount of ideas and resources he suggests. I don’t think I’ll ever have a 4 hour work week (except for my vacations). But I don’t want that. I love the work I do.
Rich Dad’s Conspiracy of the Rich: The 8 New Rules of Money // by Robert Kiyosaki
Review coming soon!
Arguing with Idiots: How to Stop Small Minds and Big Government // by Glenn Beck
Review coming soon!
Review coming soon!
Why You’re Dumb, Sick and Broke…And How to Get Smart, Healthy and Rich! // by Randy Gage
Review coming soon!
America: Imagine a World Without Her // by Dinesh D’Souza
REVIEW: I have been so impressed with Dinesh D’Souza’s literary and film work the last few years. He has an undeniable humility about him. I share his same reasons for doing these projects. My parents are also immigrants and moved to America for the same reasons Dinesh did. Opportunity. Impressively, he addresses many of the arguments that Progressives put America down for. He doesn’t skirt them. And he gives thoroughly researched, well thought out, sensible responses that are true. With all the research I have done over the years, as far as I can tell, he’s spot on with his assessments. Emotional. Riveting. The film had me in tears throughout, both for happiness over America and a real fear of losing her. I applaud Dinesh for his courageous, unconventional, and exceptionally entertaining works.
Think and Grow Rich // by Napoleon Hill
There are many good books about the ‘think and manifest your ideas into reality’ concept. But this was the pioneer of all of them. Every brilliant, successful person I know swears by this book and the method championed in it. I fully believe in it too. It makes complete sense to me. Based on Napoleon Hill’s 20 year study of successful men with vast fortunes, like Andrew Carnegie and Henry Ford, he maps out the 13 principles on how we become what we think about. In the words of Hill, “Whatever your mind can conceive and believe it can achieve.” A must read if you have goals in your life you want to achieve and you know that your life is not shaped by circumstances, but by you!
Back on the Road to Serfdom // Thomas E. Woods
This book is still on my To Read list. The reason it’s on my list now is because it was referred to me with a positive review and because the original Road to Serfdom was pure genius. I have enjoyed other works by Tom Woods and imagine this to be on par with all his other works. Once read, I will add to this review.
Guide to Investing in Gold and Silver – Protect Your Financial Future // by Michael Maloney
When I read this book, I immediately bought 10 copies and gave it to all my family members for Christmas. Unfortunately, you can lead a horse to water but you can’t force him to drink. I hope you make the decision to drink from this knowledge well. Everything you could possibly want to know about the history of money is right here. How it works. What it does. How societies grow and crash from different forms of it. Gold. Silver. Their history as money. And America’s fiat currency system in the midst of a global fiat currency system and what that means for your financial future. Our economy is no stronger than a house of cards right now and Michael Maloney warns that a rare, huge transfer of wealth is on the horizon. Be on the right side of that transfer. Read this book. This is good for businesses and individuals in making financial decisions.
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change // by Stephen Covey
This is an excellent personal development read. I do agree with Covey that you might have to have a paradigm shift (change in your actual subconscious perception) before you can fully grasp the full meaning of all the steps. Admittedly, the second and third times I read this book I got so much more out of it because I had matured and my paradigm had shifted. Like Think and Grow Rich, he also touches on principles of subconscious. This is about developing habits that you do subconsciously. The first three principles have to do with private victories that move you from dependence to independence. The next three deal with public victories that move you from independence to interdependence. For business and your personal life, if you can master these habits, you will truly see more effectiveness which will only improve your life.
Healing Our World: In an Age of Aggression // by Mary J. Ruart
Review coming soon!
NIV Celebrate Recovery Bible // by John Baker and Rick Warren
This isn’t your grandma’s bible. This one includes stories and testimonies of modern day people using the eight recovery principles found in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. The Celebrate Recovery program helps empower people to rise above their life’s hurts, hang-ups, and bad habits. An agnostic, non-Christian most of my life, I found God just a few years ago and this book helped me heal some of my life-long emotional issues that were destructive in my life. Interestingly, Christianity is all about freedom. God wants us to choose the path we take. And like anything in life, we reap the consequences of our choices, good or bad. For non-Christians, as much as you might want to avoid a bible, it’s still an engaging read. It embraces morals and philosophies that no caring, freedom-loving human being wouldn’t agree with.
